The Best 125cc Motorcycles & Scooters For New Riders
Updated April 17, 2023 by Simon Bertram
Small Engines Do Not Mean Small Fun
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These are the best 125cc bikes and scooters for novice riders:
While we focus a lot on starter bikes here, we sometimes forget that the term “bike” encompasses more than just rip-snorting sport nakeds, rumbling cruisers, and screaming supersports.
Not everyone wants or needs a large displacement bike to get around. In fact, not everyone even wants a full-on motorcycle. This is where the venerable scooter—popular, user-friendly, and fuel-efficient—comes into the equation.
For the purposes of this list, I’ve allowed anything up to 160cc to qualify—motorcycles and scooters included. Without further ado, here are the best four bikes in each category with around 125cc of displacement, circa 2023.
About Our Selections
Before we go any further, we need to specify that there are very few 125cc motorcycles out there, but there are many scooters that come into that displacement range, while the largest majority of scooters come in at 150cc. It is for that reason we gave ourselves the buffer up to 160cc so we could include the best new bikes and scooters.
These selections considered ease of use, rideability, price, and how effective each motorcycle or scooter was in helping the beginner or newer rider learn the intricacies of riding. We are confident that any of these bikes and scooters will be superb starter machines for the lighter and/or shorter rider, and even for some of the bigger and taller ones as well!
Honda Super Cub C125 ABS
A true classic that has been in continuous production since 1958
Why We Picked It:
It might resemble a scooter at first glance, but the Super Cub C125 ABS is a fully-fledged motorcycle—thanks to the pegs it offers instead of a full floor for riders to rest their feet on. Produced continuously since 1958, the Super Cub is the single best-selling motorcycle of all time by production volume, with well over 100 million produced and sold since its debut.
Powered by a tiny 125cc air cooled single engine putting out just 9 HP , the Super Cub is not meant to set any speed records—but it will get you around town effectively and efficiently. The low seat height (31 inches) makes the bike usable by short and tall riders alike, and the power is easy to manage, with no risk of overwhelming the rider. Plus, you get legendary Honda reliability—now that’s a good deal.
Specifications:
Price: $3,849
Engine: 125cc four-stroke single
Power: 9.7 HP
Torque: 7.7 lbs-ft
Transmission: 4 Speed Semi-Automatic
Curb Weight: 238 lbs
Ideal For:
Beginner riders that want the best mix of classic Honda styling with bang-up-to-date engineering and technology in a city runabout
Highlights:
Quite literally the most important motorcycle in history
Very agile, super-efficient, and more than powerful enough to be a superb city runabout
2023 tech on the Super Cub includes ABS, smart key (push-button electric start), LED lighting all around, and electric seat opener to access the storage cubby underneath
Learn More:
Kawasaki Z125 PRO
Lots of attitude in a tiny package
Why We Picked It:
Billed by Kawasaki not as a mini motorbike but as a “junior streetfighter”, the 2023 Z125 Pro is meant to be a little troublemaker. And with its aggressive angles, it’s definitely capable of living up to that reputation. More of a sporty naked than a runabout, it will still plaster a grin on your face on the ride to the nearest corner store and back.
That said, this is still the most powerful bike listed here today, delivering 15 hp from its 125cc single engine, which is horizontally mounted to keep as much weight as possible down low and close to the center of gravity. That makes it extremely flickable compared to the rest of these small bikes, which only adds to the fun factor.
Specifications:
Price: $3,399
Engine: 125cc four-stroke single
Power: 15 HP
Torque: 7 lbs-ft
Transmission: 4 Speed Manual
Curb Weight: 224.8 lbs
Ideal For:
Beginner riders wanting a slightly more aggressive city runabout most other bikes in this class with some attitude about it
Highlights:
Ultra-lightweight and agile for corner-to-corner fun
Very communicative of road conditions and what each wheel is doing, very useful for new riders to "listen" to what a bike is telling them
Much like its bigger brother, the Z650, is designed to plaster a smile on your face from the word go
Learn More:
2023 Kawasaki Z125 PRO specs, features, & pics
Honda Trail 125
A little tractor for off-road trail riding that goes anywhere and does everything
Why We Picked It:
Originally a motorcycle from the 60s and 70s, the Honda Trail was a lightweight, durable, and surprisingly fun little adventure bike. It could get you into (and out of) wooded trails and the campsites buried deep at the end of them, all while offering a comfortable and easy riding experience.
For 2021, Honda brought back the Trail with the Trail 125, which uses the same engine from the Super Cub C125 to put out about 9 hp, and continued that model unchanged into 2022. Unlike the Super Cub, however, it has improved suspension, a built-in package/luggage shelf, and a semi-automatic four-speed transmission. These features help riders get around when they’re off the beaten path, making this bike an ideal mini-moto for fun adventures!
It should be noted, however, that as of yet, Honda has not listed a 2023 US version. There is a 2023 version coming to Canada in the summer labelled as the CT Trail 125, but the only difference seems to be a new color option, and we’re not sure that will make it down to the USA.
Specifications:
Price: $3,999 (2022 MSRP)
Engine: 124cc four-stroke single
Power: 9 HP
Torque: Not provided by manufacturer
Transmission: 4 Speed Semi-Automatic
Curb Weight: 259 lbs
Ideal For:
Riders of any level that want a goes-anywhere-does-everything mini off-road dual-sport
Highlights:
For those worried about manual transmissions on bikes, the centrifugal semi-automatic clutch takes care of most of the work for you
A tiny engine, but being a four-stroke single, it pulls like a tractor with a very linear, almost flat torque curve that can lug the bike up even the steepest of hills
Only has ABS on the front wheel, with no other rider aids, as it is designed to be off the road far more than it is on it.
Learn More:
Honda GROM
The perfect little city runabout that is designed to make you grin like a madman
Why We Picked It:
Looking like something straight out of a TV cartoon, the goofy charm of the Honda GROM is undeniable (for riders who don’t take themselves too seriously, anyway). The 2023 GROM has no real new mechanical parts, but it does have a few new color options—including Cherry Red, Blue Raspberry, Incredible Green, and Halloween Orange. And yes, those are the official color names.
The GROM is the perfect little backup if you need a sanity break from working on your larger displacement bike, or need to quickly hop down to the corner store for a couple of things to bring back in your backpack. There are even GROM clubs in many cities around the US and Canada—and it’s always comically brilliant to see a swarm of these mini motorbikes go buzzing by.
Specifications:
Price: $3,499
Engine: 124cc four-stroke single
Power: ~10 HP
Torque: ~8 lbs-ft
Transmission: 5 Speed Manual
Curb Weight: 223 lbs
Ideal For:
Beginner riders wanting an extremely fun little runabout motorcycle for in-city use
Highlights:
Designed from the outset to be a smile generating machine
Still powerful enough to handle city speeds for runabout use or just fun rides
Can be fixed with a hammer and some choice words, making this a perfect bike to develop good maintenance habits with
Learn More:
Benelli Caffenero 150
A modern, exciting scooter that has all the style you'd expect from the Italians
Why We Picked It:
Leave it to the Italians to make even a small scooter look exciting. Instead of following the trend set by most European manufacturers to go as retro as possible, the Caffenero 150 is much more angular and sporty. It also can get up and go with a little more gusto than most of the competition, with its 150cc single pumping out 12.9 hp for the 2023 model.
Of particular note is the fact that the Caffenero 150 has an estimated range of 180 to 200 miles—from a 2 US gallon tank. It can also go up to about 60 mph (or 70 mph going downhill with a good tailwind). So not only does this scooter look Italian, but it also performs like an Italian scooter should—which is to say that it performs remarkably well.
Specifications:
Price: $2,699
Engine: 150cc four-stroke single
Power: 12.9 HP
Torque: 9.8 lbs-ft
Transmission: V-Belt Automatic
Curb Weight: 330 lbs
Ideal For:
Beginner riders that are looking for a stylish, modern city scooter that absolutely sips gas
Highlights:
Angular lines speak to modern Italian design style, and could even be called "sporty"
For a scooter, a very gutsy little engine with a very predictable torque curve
Features ABS as standard, a standout feature on a small city scooter
Learn More:
Piaggio Liberty 150 S
A feisty but fun little city runabout scooter that has some Aprilia DNA sprinkled in
Why We Picked It:
If there’s such a thing as a “sport” scooter, the 2023 Piaggio Liberty 150 S (which has been unchanged since 2020) probably qualifies. With a 155cc motor producing about 13 hp and using an automatic CVT transmission, this little scooter is able to beat many cars off the line and up to the speed limit.
It is also immensely handy, with a huge storage compartment (for a scooter, anyway) under the seat, a bag hook on the front column, and more than enough power to handle two-up riding on city streets. It’s not the Ferrari of the scooter world—but you can think of it more like an Abarth model Fiat. This shouldn’t be a surprising comparison, as Piaggio is the parent company of supersport manufacturer Aprilia.
Specifications:
Price: $3,249
Engine: 155cc four-stroke single
Power: 12.6 HP
Torque: 9.4 lbs-ft
Transmission: CVT Automatic
Curb Weight: lbs
Ideal For:
Beginner riders that want a sporty Italian scooter with some Aprilia DNA sprinkled throughout
Highlights:
A very approachable scooter with lots of storage space that is very fun to ride
Enough power to handle two-up riding without issue
ABS is only for the front wheel, rear wheel still uses a drum brake
Learn More:
Yamaha Zuma 125
A scooter that punches well above its weight
Why We Picked It:
Like the Honda GROM, the 2023 Yamaha Zuma 125 is one of those little machines that’s silly in an absolutely wonderful way. A lightweight scooter with pretty much everything slung down low (and surprisingly stiffly sprung), the Zuma will still get you around the city comfortably.
It’s when you want to have a bit of fun that the Zuma really perks up. It is amazingly tossable, has enough grunt to make cornering fun, and has impressively large brakes for a scooter, all of which speaks to its fun-loving character. It’s no wonder that it’s often the favorite machine of scooter racers. Yes, scooter racing is a thing.
Note: Outside of the USA, the Zuma 125 is known as the BW's 125, and is sometimes called that in the US as well. By either name, it is the exact same scooter
Specifications:
Price: $3,799
Engine: 125cc four-stroke single
Power: 8 HP
Torque: 6.9 lbs-ft
Transmission: V-Belt Automatic
Curb Weight: 282 lbs
Ideal For:
Beginner riders wanting a scooter that is properly sporty but still comfortable without any pretenses
Highlights:
Lightweight, but with most the actual weight slung as low as possible, to make the scooter very agile
Hilariously fun to toss around a corner, with a great torque curve to accelerate away from the corner as well
All the modern amenities you'd expect such as LED lighting, a USB charging port, underseat helmet storage cubby, and disc brakes on both wheels
Learn More:
2023 Yamaha Zuma 125 specs, features, & pics
Honda PCX (PCX160)
The best "all 'rounder" scooter in the 125 to 150cc class
Why We Picked It:
The Honda PCX, also known as the PCX160 in other parts of the world, nails the three most important things about scooters: efficiency, usability, and fun. Borrowing its styling from maxi-scooters, the PCX has a very city-friendly shape and makes two-up riding a breeze as well.
The 157cc engine also has some great poke, with 16 hp and a super-efficient fuel injection system that sees its efficiency approach 110 miles per gallon. Unlike many scooters in the same class, it also has a 12V accessory adapter, LED headlights, a bang-up-to-date digital dash, and enough storage to carry at least two decent bags of groceries under the seat.
While there has been no model listing as of yet for 2023, it is all but confirmed by Honda that the 2023 PCX will arrive in the summer months. It will be mostly unchanged from the 2022 model, meaning the same strong but agile chassis, excellent and smooth transmission, and its surprising ability to reach freeway speeds will continue forward.
Specifications:
Price: $3,899 to $4,099 (ABS)
Engine: 157cc four-stroke single
Power: 16 HP
Torque: 11.1 lbs-ft
Transmission: V-Matic CVT Automatic
Curb Weight: 286 to 288 (ABS) lbs
Ideal For:
New riders wanting one of the, if not the, best all-around scooters on the market in this displacement class
Highlights:
Very agile and nimble, despite its weight and size
Very linear, predictable power
ABS is optional, but is on both front disc and rear drum brakes if selected
12V charge port, LED lighting, and a very easy to read LCD dash keep the PCX modern and fresh