Motorcycle. Which 125cc scooter should you choose for everyday use?

We often tend to think that a scooter is more accessible than a motorcycle. This is true when it comes to driving because there are no gears to change, but that doesn't exempt you from the 7 hours of training if you have a driver's license.

The legislation is the same regardless of the category of 2 or 3-wheeled vehicle that is accessible with a B license. Once this formality is completed, it remains to choose your scooter carefully and to do this, you must start by asking yourself a question.

What am I going to do with it? Answering this question will eliminate a number of vehicles. Will it accompany me every day to the office and to the gym once or twice a week? Will I often ride with a passenger? Do I want to go for a few rides on the weekend? Will I often take things with me, regularly leave it at the train station or the airport? Am I aiming for 200 km per week or per month? These are all questions that will guide our choice.

Ferris wheels and accessibility

In addition to the important points mentioned above, there is one crucial one, it is the length of your legs because a scooter seat is often a little lower than that of a motorcycle but it is wider which requires you to spread your feet on the ground and therefore have longer legs. If you have short legs, scooters with large wheels and a flat floor are quite reassuring.

Of course, the trunk is often limited to holding a single helmet, but with the flat floor and the small hook in the apron, you can put a shopping bag between your legs and your feet are closer to the ground. This type of scooter is becoming rare in France, but we can mention the Honda SH125, the Kymco Agilty S 125 or even the Piaggio Liberty 125.

These models have the advantage of being lighter than the so-called GT scooters, of being more comfortable on cobblestones, of being more efficient because with equal mechanics they are lighter, less expensive than the GT, and finally of being almost as welcoming when riding two up. You should expect to pay between €3,000 and €4,000 for a new model of this type.

The most accessible, both for their compact size and their reduced budget. These are small scooters with smaller wheels, a mechanically simpler engine that doesn't reach the legal maximum 15 horsepower but is often very fuel-efficient and has a reduced footprint.

It's really ideal for the city, provided you don't plan on taking fast roads because there's a lack of acceleration, and you don't drive too much with two people, partly because the engine lacks power, but also because the passenger lacks space.

The trunk is often limited to a helmet, the dashboard is bare minimum, the protection is minimal but the handling is top-notch. These machines are the queens of city centers with a bird's appetite and if you lack space to park it, it knows how to make itself small.

We can cite the Yamaha N-Max 125 or RayzR, Honda PCX 125, the Suzuki Burgman Street 125, etc. with budgets between approximately €2,500 and €3,500.

GT scooters, comfortable, practical and efficient

These have everything: high-performance engines that allow you to take a fast road without fear, a trunk capacity often sufficient for two full-face helmets, comfortable seating, leg protection with the apron and chest protection with the windshield, space for the passenger and... a substantial price.

You don't get anything for nothing. They also have the disadvantage of being more bulky and more difficult to access if you have short legs. On the other hand, it's the best it offers in the category. On some, like the Yamaha X-Max 125 in Tech Max+ trim, there's even a digital dashboard with the option of navigation.

You might say that you don't need that with your phone, but that's true until you're riding in the rain, not to mention that if you fall, your smartphone will stay safe. You can also have electric windshield adjustment, heated grips as standard, etc.

In this section, we find the Yamaha X-Max 125, its direct competitor the Honda Forza 125, or why not the Kymco Downtown 125 with prices ranging from 5000 to 6000 or even 6500€ depending on the finish and the equipment offered. If you play tennis, squash or paddle, some can accommodate a racket in the trunk without problem.