Comparison test: 125cc supermotos

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Comparison test: 125cc supermotos

125cc supermotos in comparison

Better across than heavy. The light and nimble supermotos tempt you to brisk hustle and bustle and cheeky drifts. Which of the 15 hp 125 cc is the most fun in everyday life?

Old, rich sacks and young, pretty things – a widespread, often observed combination. Not only in celebrity and aristocratic circles. Blasphemy mouths in the editorial office are sure to run this association through their heads when they see the test crew moving out. Seasoned, performance-spoiled testers, some well over, ahem, 20, with five (at first glance) gorgeous 125cc supermoto – how does that fit together? Very well. After just a few kilometers, it becomes clear once again that driving pleasure does not necessarily, and certainly not primarily, depend on engine power, and that even hardened bikers turn into pubescent boys again when they are let loose on lively 125ccs that need to be squeezed out.

Speaking of young age: the youngest candidates are Derbi, Beta and Husqvarna, they have only been trying to entice potential buyers since the beginning or middle of this year. Yamaha and Aprilia, on the other hand, are almost old but experienced boxes. The fact that you can learn something from the older ones and like to imitate them is evident not only in the similar, sleek design of the colorful plastic parts, but also when looking at the inner values: Beta and Husqvarna use the water-cooled Yamaha engine, but feed it by carburetor instead of injection. D.erbi relies on the four-valve engine from Piaggio, which is already used in various sister models, the Aprilia is the only one to hold the two-stroke flag with its proven single-cylinder from the RS 125. The Italian is also the only one who still wants to be brought to life with a kick, which is usually achieved with the help of choke and a courageous kick at the latest on the third attempt.

Comparison test: 125cc supermotos

125cc supermotos in comparison

WR 125 X is the model boy here, both in terms of sound and in terms of running smoothness. However, a proud 910 millimeter seat height has to be climbed first – the highest value in the group.

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Little supermotos for great fun. You might think that only youngsters climb the 125cc, but the not very young testers are almost dying for the supermotos.

In return, the Japanese pampers the driver with a comfortable seating arrangement, a rather lavishly equipped cockpit and the most adult appearance overall. The WR would easily go through at least as 250cc even while standing. Its high quality equipment / workmanship is one side of the coin, the heavy weight of at least 144 kilograms is the other. Initial inner-city traffic light duels, however, depend more on the skillful engagement and timely shifting than on excess pounds. Where the beta, for example, requires early gear changes because its engine has the heartiest thump all the way down, but is not very revving, the toxic Aprilia has to be carefully engaged at high speed for official propulsion and always kept in the narrow range between 7000 and a good 9000 turns. Two-stroke rolling is also possible with less speed, but power only comes from 6000 rpm, real bite only from 7000 rpm.

The Husky is not a pulling miracle either and, like all the others (more or less serious), is geared too long, but it gets down to business with sufficient force from medium speeds. The same applies to the Derbi. With the Spaniard, however, the somewhat long gearshift travel interferes with the pleasure of changing gears, which are essential for speedy progress. With 16.7 seconds she even had to admit defeat to the narrow-chested two-stroke Aprilia, which is known in this discipline. If you are right to suspect when looking at the thinly upholstered Aprilia bench there is hardly any seating comfort, it still turns out to be a litter when you switch from the Derbi. Their saddle sat through in no time, even lightweights flatten the upholstery and feel the frame tubes underneath all too clearly. The same applies to the beta, although the driver also has to suffer from the unconventional sitting posture. The pilot sits down here, stretches his arms towards the handlebars, which are mounted quite high, and at the same time has to bend his legs sharply – the Supermoto posture actually looks different. After a bit of getting used to it, you can shoo the beta around the corner, but due to the lack of feedback and confidence in the front wheel, it leaves a stale aftertaste.

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Small drinking break for man and machine at the gas station during the test.

Husqvarna and Yamaha show how it can be done better: sufficiently comfortable padded benches, the pilot sits close to the wide handlebars, comfortable leg angles – that fits. Above all on the SMS 4, the driver immediately feels that he is in good hands and develops confidence in the tight, but not too rigid, suspension. The softly designed Yamaha is a bit more comfortable, but this leads to clear movements in the front when the driving style is more severe. The fork is deeply immersed and impairs steering behavior, but on the other hand it also smooths out a lot of things that the competition relentlessly passes on to the driver. It is always astonishing how easily the heavy WR 125 X circles through tight, slow corners. It only becomes a little slower than the competition at high speeds. The Aprilia offers its very own driving experience. On the one hand, it is extremely stable and precise in curves of all kinds, immediately instilling unlimited confidence, and its set-up proves to be extremely successful. On the other hand, the lightweight SX turns in extremely lightly, but also gives the impression of pushing the front wheel far away and always wanting to make a little more turns.

Far away? Long distances? Better not with the Aprilia. This is not what it is made for, and would then have to always have a gas pump with you anyway. Even the country road value of four liters per 100 kilometers determined with a moderate driving style gives an idea of ​​the peak consumption when the going gets tough. You won’t get very far with the ten-liter tank, the SX is extremely thirsty. Speaking of thirst: the first test driver feels one "subtle feeling of hunger", So off to the city center for a kebab shop that you can trust. Squeaking and drifting, as befits the type of vehicle, the crew parks the five 125 cc in front of the entrance. Small annoyances of everyday life are revealed again here, such as the side stand on the Husqvarna, which can only be folded out with a lot of tip-toe, and the side stand on the Derbi, which does not automatically fold back because the spring is too lame. Freshly strengthened, it will soon be back on the expressway out of town. Here the large frontal area of ​​the tall Yamaha takes revenge, on which the pilot offers the airstream the largest surface to attack.

Together with the long gear ratio, this gives the WR driver no chance to stay with the pack. The top speeds of 110 km / h measured under ideal conditions are history with the slightest gust of wind or slight ascent. The pace drops, once the slipstream is lost, the WR driver never comes back.

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Successful appearance: With all five supermotos you can be seen anywhere without hesitation.

This is the hour for Aprilia, which tries to pull away with the highest top speed of 114 km / h, followed and pushed by the rest of the gang. The exit is finally in sight, the Yamaha is catching up again, and we continue on winding streets that wind through picturesque vineyards. However, none of the 125 cc drivers have the beauty of the surroundings in mind, but the knife between their teeth. All of them have long since mutated mentally into 16-year-old daredevils, including all adolescent behaviors. In hot hill climbs, the Aprilia driver in particular must not allow himself to make any shifting errors due to his narrow usable speed range and must carefully sort the gears. The Beta sometimes roars out of the curve with too little speed, without starving to death in terms of performance, Yamaha and Husky fully exploit their balance and maneuverability here.

The downhill turns that soon follow reveal completely different strengths and weaknesses: where the WR 125 X unmovedly also completes the umpteenth brutal braking before the bend without complaint, the Beta goes to its knees in two ways: First, the barely damped fork always plunges mercilessly deep, sometimes up to the stop, and secondly, the effect of the brake, which heats up very quickly, decreases dramatically, up to total failure after the fifth quasi-emergency braking. Questionable. The Aprilia is almost as stable as the Yamaha, followed by the Husqvarna, whose brakes show only slight, not really problematic fading, i.e. decreasing braking effect. The dull, appealing, moderately dosed all-or-nothing stoppers from Derbi leave a somewhat bland impression: not really bad, but not great either. Should this formulation already anticipate the overall judgment for the Derbi? At the end of a long day with fooling around, traffic light duels, jostling, drifts and wheelies, everyday testing forces you to return to the sober world of mature adults. There are transfigured looks and the question: Husky, Yamaha and Co. – where were you when we were 16?

Conclusion

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A rare sight: just lounging around is not – the 125s encourage driving.

1st place: Yamaha WR 125 X
A victory of reason? The well-made Yamaha offers the best brakes and the best equipment. The handy WR is also a lot of fun.

2nd place: Husqvarna SMS 4
The winner of hearts. The best chassis and great maneuverability make the Husky the first choice when the going gets tough. The most balanced joker in comparison.

3rd place: Aprilia SX 125 Supermoto
You have to like the two-stroke characteristics, but the bite of the engine can be addicting. The light SX 125 offers great brakes and an extremely stable chassis.

4th place: Derbi Senda DRD 125 SM
Limp in the draft, geared too long and not even economical – the Derbi cannot score with the engine. Handling and equipment do not tear it out.

5th place: Beta RR 125 Motard
The powerful, powerful and economical engine is pretty much the only trump card of the Beta. Brakes, processing and chassis give her the red lantern.

MOTORCYCLE scoring

Category engine:
Pressure from below: The pulling power from low revs and the brave, at least the second-highest top speed help the beta win in the engine chapter. The motor donor Yamaha cannot counteract despite the injection and cultivated manners – it suffers, like the Husqvarna, from its long gear ratio. The Derbi does not uproot trees anywhere.

Winner engine: Beta

Category chassis:
Confident and balanced: With its tight, but not too hard and therefore everyday chassis set-up and great handiness, the SMS 4 wins here. The Beta loses a lot of points because of its criminally weak fork.

Chassis winner: Husqvarna

Category Security:
Victory of reason: with flawless brakes, good visibility in the mirrors and proper light, the Japanese shows how it’s done. At Beta you should urgently revise the brakes.

Safety winner: Yamaha

Category everyday life:
Hardly okay: Despite the highest weight in comparison, the Yamaha takes the lead here too, together with the light Aprilia. The tightly padded benches by Beta and Derbi lack comfort, which is a problem for the driver’s rear.

Winner everyday: Aprilia / Yamaha

Category costs:
One thing is clear: the best workmanship, the lowest consumption, all at the lowest price – the WR 125 X is the cost queen. The fact that the beta consumes just as little does not save the rather expensive Italian in view of her mediocre performance.

Winner cost: Yamaha

 Max.  Aprilia  beta  Derbi  Husqvarna  Yamaha
Overall rating  125  76  63  69  82  88
placement    3.  5.  4th.  2.  1.

Winner price-performance:
The Yamaha is the most mature motorcycle in this 125cc comparison. It offers a high level of service in almost every category at the lowest price.

Aprilia SX 125 SM

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The Aprilia SX 125 SM

engine
type design  Single cylinder two-stroke engine
Injection / carburetor  Ø 28 mm
coupling  Multi-disc oil bath clutch 
Boron x stroke  54.0 x 54.5 mm
Displacement  125 cm3
power  11.0 kW (15 PS) at 8500 rpm landing gear frame  Double loop frame made of steel
fork  Upside-down fork, Ø 40 mm
Brakes front / rear  Ø 260 mm / Ø 220 mm
tires  110/70 17; 150/60 17
Tires  Pirelli Diablo mass and weight wheelbase  1480 mm 
Front / rear suspension travel  260/270 mm
Seat height 1  880 mm
Weight with full tank 1  125 kg
Tank capacity / reserve  10/3 liters
price  4499 euros
80 km / h throttling  free of charge Readings Top speed   114 km / h
acceleration
0-50 km / h  3.7
0-80 km / h  7.7
Draft
50-80 km / h  13.0
consumption
Consumption road  4.0 liters / super
Reach country road  250 km

Beta RR 125 Biker

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The Beta RR 125 Biker

engine
type design  Single cylinder four-stroke engine
Injection / carburetor  Ø 30 mm
coupling  Multi-disc oil bath clutch 
Boron x stroke  52.0 x 58.6 mm
Displacement  124 cm3
power  11.0 kW (15 PS) at 8100 rpm landing gear frame  Double loop frame made of steel
fork  Upside-down fork, Ø 41 mm
Brakes front / rear  Ø 300 mm / Ø 270 mm
tires  110/80 17; 130/70 17
Tires  Michelin Pilot Sporty mass and weight wheelbase  1439 mm 
Front / rear suspension travel  260/270 mm
Seat height 1  890 mm
Weight with full tank 1  118 kg
Tank capacity / reserve  7/2 liters
price  4399 euros
80 km / h throttling  110 euros plus installation Readings Top speed   107 km / h
acceleration
0-50 km / h  4.3
0-80 km / h  9.3
Draft
50-80 km / h  8.7
consumption
Consumption road  2.9 liters / normal
Reach country road  252 km

Derbi Senda DRD 125 SM

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The Derbi Senda DRD 125 SM

engine
type design  Single cylinder two-stroke engine
Injection / carburetor  Ø 28 mm
coupling  Multi-disc oil bath clutch 
Boron x stroke  56.0 x 50.7 mm
Displacement  125 cm3
power  11.0 kW (15 hp) at 8250 rpm landing gear frame  Bridge frame made of aluminum
fork
 Upside-down fork, Ø 40 mm
Brakes front / rear  Ø 300 mm / Ø 180 mm
tires  110/80 17; 140/70 17
Tires  Vee Rubber mass and weight wheelbase  1355 mm 
Front / rear suspension travel  120/110 mm
Seat height 1  880 mm
Weight with full tank 1  135 kg
Tank capacity / reserve  8/0 liters
price  4548 euros
80 km / h throttling  99 euros plus installation Readings Top speed   104 km / h
acceleration
0-50 km / h  4.8
0-80 km / h  11.4
Draft
50-80 km / h  16.7
consumption
Consumption road  3.6 liters / normal
Reach country road  222 km

Husqvarna SMS 4

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The Husqvarna SMS 4

engine
type design  Single cylinder four-stroke engine
Injection / carburetor  Ø 29 mm
coupling  Multi-disc oil bath clutch 
Boron x stroke  52.0 x 58.6 mm
Displacement  124 cm3
power  11.0 kW (15 hp) at 8750 rpm landing gear frame  Double loop frame made of steel
fork  Upside-down fork, Ø 40 mm
Brakes front / rear  Ø 260 mm / Ø 220 mm
tires  110/70 17; 140/70 17
Tires  Pirelli Sport Demon mass and weight wheelbase  1465 mm 
Front / rear suspension travel  260/282 mm
Seat height 1  880 mm
Weight with full tank 1  127 kg
Tank capacity / reserve  9/1 liter
price  4190 euros
80 km / h throttling  approx. 100 euros plus installation Readings Top speed   110 km / h
acceleration
0-50 km / h  3.9
0-80 km / h  9.8
Draft
50-80 km / h  14.5
consumption
Consumption road  2.9 liters / normal
Reach country road  293 km

Yamaha WR 125 X

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The Yamaha WR 125 X

engine
type design  Single cylinder four-stroke engine
Injection / carburetor  Ø 28 mm
coupling  Multi-disc oil bath clutch
Boron x stroke  52.0 x 58.6 mm
Displacement  124 cm3
power  11.0 kW (15 PS) at 9000 rpm landing gear frame  Double loop frame made of steel
fork  Telescopic fork, Ø 41 mm
Brakes front / rear  Ø 298 mm / Ø 220 mm
tires  110/70 17; 140/70 17
Tires  Pirelli Sport Demon mass and weight wheelbase  1430 mm 
Front / rear suspension travel  210/230 mm
Seat height 1  910 mm
Weight with full tank 1  144 kg
Tank capacity / reserve  9/0 liters
price  4030 euros
80 km / h throttling  179.95 euros plus installation Readings Top speed   110 km / h
acceleration
0-50 km / h  4.4
0-80 km / h  10.8
Draft
50-80 km / h  12.2
consumption
Consumption road  2.9 liters / normal
Reach country road  291 km

power

Drawing: archive

The performance diagram of the five supermotos.

If you have to do a lot, you have to drink a lot? The performance curves (right) reflect the driving impression: The Aprilia only comes down to business at 6500 rpm, but clearly exceeds the permitted 15 hp. The Derbi represents the motto "nothing below and little above", the Yamaha has the most even performance curve. 

Price comparison of the 125 supermoto bikes

Used 125cc Supermoto in Germany

The 125 supermotos are compared to each other in a direct price comparison on the used motorcycle exchange. Definitely worth a look for all Supermoto fans: Used 125cc Supermoto in Germany

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