Menus
- Small 125 but tasty
- Discovery
- In the saddle
- Contact
- In the city
- On the highway
- On departmental
- Braking
- Comfort
- Convenient
- Consumption
- Conclusion
Small 125 but tasty
Do we still have to present Kymco? Specialist in small-displacement scooters, the Taiwanese manufacturer has recently made a revolution not only by attacking head-on the defending champion of sports maxi-scooters with the AK 550, but above all by completely revising its copy for the 125 cm3, in particular at style level with a design office in Italy. And this is how the Like 125 happened? You like ? We take you with us for a test drive on the small roads of Corsica.
Discovery
No more weird, very specific or Asian looks. Kymco moved to Italy to design its new 125 scooter and it shows, both in terms of the lines and the general look. Small nice front face, wraparound apron, generous saddle up to the very present rear light, refined line, with a large flat floor but small wheels, the Like has nothing to envy to the Vespa legend. Especially when you approach it, the finish has climbed a very big step. No more rough plastics, limited instrumentation and the overall feeling of a mid-range scooter. Only the contactor reminds that at least one part has not changed.
For the rest, the plastics are of high quality, the paint just as much without forgetting the "chrome" or simply the colors, in particular in its two-tone white and red version; a two-tone that is also found on the saddle. But the deep blue itself is qualitative.
The logo with the K from Kymco is barely visible on the grille while the Like stands out in the "chrome" version on the side, further affirming the search for quality in detail.
From front to back, everything is seamless and exudes the 50s in terms of looks, so trendy for an urban scooter today, right down to that chrome bar on the back..
Under the hood, there is a brand new 4-valve single cylinder 125 cm3 engine now delivering 11 horsepower against 9.5 in the previous vintage. The power boost was made possible by a new aluminum cylinder head and roller rocker arms reducing friction in the timing. Less greedy, the engine has also been made less noisy thanks to several modifications to the camshaft, the transmission as well as the internal bearings..
A lot of work has been done on the chassis both on the new split-beam frame at the front and on the horizontal engine support frame. The tank has also been replaced to lower the center of gravity and optimize weight distribution. All this improves stability while giving the impression of a lighter two-wheeler..
In the saddle
The feet are almost flat for the 1.70m rider, because the saddle still rises to 790mm. But since it weighs just 122 kilos, getting started is easy. Above all, the hands fall naturally on the handlebars with an ergonomic and natural position, especially for our European sizes and exit the knees which go up towards the chin. We are here on familiar ground, instantly. The saddle is soft and lets consider the road with pleasure.
The mirrors are in the category and are easily adjusted while driving, while offering a better vision than their small circle suggests at the beginning..
Only the counter is rather limited, despite its rewarding graduation up to 140 km / h. However, the analog needle reads extremely well under the sun. And there is also a digital six-stick fuel gauge, just as readable..
But the small on-board computer also provides battery voltage, trip / change of belt and oil, clock and temperature … information rarely so complete on a 125 scooter..
Contact
The Like snorts discreetly. The responses to the throttle are finally immediate and without any particular sound revving. Result, the first turns of the wheel make you immediately appreciate the city scooter.
In the city
Small, light, manoeuvrable, the Like weaves its way through traffic with ease. The mirrors offer a good field of vision and are easily adjusted, even when driving. But above all, its immediate reactivity to the solicitation of the right handle, gives it the peach and pep that one expects from a scooter in town. It becomes fun and nice, especially since the single cylinder always seems to purr.
This is where we take the full measure of the 11 horses and 2.5 horses gained compared to the previous vintage. Above all, they are available very early, promoting acceleration and dynamics in the city..
In fact, the Like loves the city, really a lot, allowing it to easily get out of the flow of traffic while offering maneuverability and efficiency to deal with traffic jams..
On the highway
The like engages dynamically on the motorway up to 80 km / h, odometer, then experiences a few minutes of stability before catching its breath and attacking 105 km / h, still on the odometer.
On departmental
The Like 125 takes its ease on departmental roads, easily linking even tight turns. Always as dynamic when resuming throttle at low speed, it fishes a little on the coasts where it will especially be necessary to prepare its momentum to attack on small roads..
Braking
Single disc front and rear, but the Like is equipped with CBS braking, in other words, the front and rear brake together, which provides efficient and reassuring braking with minimal risk of jamming, even if it is still possible by really taking the brakes fully.
Comfort
With two combined spring / shock absorbers adjustable in 3 positions at the rear, the Like is very comfortable, both thanks to the saddle and to the flexibility of the suspensions. Result, the trip of more than one hundred kilometers on the small twirling roads of Corsica were swallowed with pleasure and without worry..
Convenient
There is room for a jet helmet under the saddle, or even a demi-jet helmet rather than a large jet. It will therefore be necessary to think of adding a top case at the back, an accessory that fits well into the general line..
However, there is a HUGE flat floor. The flat floors of large wheeled scooters still exist but this one is really as wide as it is deep and will accommodate a very large bags or packs of water bottles more easily than many scooters with a flat floor..
We will appreciate the USB plug in the glove box at the front.
Consumption
Kymco announces 3 liters per hundred, or a range of 250 km with the 7 liters of the tank. With 130 kilometers on the clock, the fuel gauge was then only halfway, which confirms an excellent range for the model..
Conclusion
Kymco has succeeded in its revolution, both in terms of look and engine with a fun, attractive product that meets the needs of city use. Comfortable and fun to drive, we still pay the price for these improvements with a price that goes from 1699 euros (on sale for previous versions 2016) to 2599 euros. The addition is salty for regulars of the brand, but is justified because it is an entirely new model and not just a simple evolution. Kymco thus revives its image and its performance to bring itself up to the level of European and Japanese productions to which it now aspires, both in terms of performance and almost in terms of price, more expensive than some Japanese models but less than some Italian models.
Strong points
- really punchy engine at low revs
- comfort
Weak points
- price
The technical sheet of the Kymco Like
Test conditions
- Itinerary: small and varied roads of Corsica and town
- Motorcycle mileage: 130 km
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