Sym XS125

So I bought this bike last year with an ambition to ride from Austria to Mongolia. Over 16500 km ! And so I did...

I can go to many details here but just go on Facebook to my public page :

AdventureEAST

There you will find all you need to know for this bike.

I bought this because it was a cheap new bike (1500 pounds) that I could use to learn on, and I had it to commute for 2 years. The bike needed servicing every three months according to the manufacturers, and it certainly needed it every time. All the metal parts rusted within the first year, and the plasticky parts all got worn looking quickly as well. Because of the bloody wind the bike blew over while parked (twice) and the handle bars bent like spoon handles. The indicator switch also popped-off after the first year.

In normal conditions, the performance went from difficult to very difficult. From cold, it took several minutes each time to get the motor warm enough to make sure that it didn't stall in the first couple of miles. The speed wasn't great, and the kilometres p/h were much easier to read than the miles p/h which isn't ideal for UK roads. Changing gears was a nightmare especially at slow speeds or when driving away because 1) the cold engine might conk out without the revs and 2) the gear system was so rubbish your timing had to be correct to the nth degree. At speed the machine was very shaky, so that the mirrors just gave approximate information about what was beind.

The good points are it's cheap to buy, to run, to maintain, and it didn't really need seeing to more than what the manual said. It was an effectual workhorse sort of bike and I passed my test on it. Possbly because of the travails I had with it, I am a more aware and safer as a rider.

In conclusion I would not advise this to anyone because it just wasn't any fun.

I bought the XS sym about a couple for years ago new for £1600 for commuting in London. Had a ridden the similar (and by far better) Japanese brands before in other countries and was looking for a better alternative to a second hand bike. The bike was very well priced with what i thought was a decent warranty. Turned out it was an absolute bag of bolts.

The problems started after the second week, I had not ridden the bike for 5 days (this was in summer) and when I tried to fire it up it wouldn't start, fearing an error on my part I spoke to the shop in London where I purchased the bike who were at first happy to see to take a look, got it going immediately through using draining petrol under the petcock valve and just said it was new, and as it was a single cylinder it needed a good run. I used it for the next three months where it worked fine, until it happened again. In winter it was always having problems starting. Also, when every starting cold, you would need to keep continuous reves up otherwise it would stall for the first 5 minutes until it warmed up. Even then stalling was very common and terrible in winter or rain. I had no faith in this bike and ended up scrapping it, I had tried to sell it but noticed even take away deliveries driver didn't want them preferring a second hand Japanese model with 20,000+ miles on the clock to an almost new Sym XS, this is why you see so many being advertised with low mileage or for parts. You get what you pay for and these are £1000 cheaper than Japanese models for a reason, my advice is avoid at all costs.

I purchased a 2008 sym xs125k 4 weeks ago. It's a good little bike, cheap to run and insure etc. However, watch your bank balance as I've already had to pay out on quite a lot of little bits that mount up. Headlight bulbs seem to blow really quickly already gone through 2 and riding in the dark on side light really isn't fun. The gears can also sometimes play up, going from 1st into 2nd you can sometimes knock it into neutral and you sit there revving in the middle of the road until you have to knock it back down to first and go again. The vibration over 45 mph on the foot pegs and also not being able to see in the mirrors gets quite annoying after a while. However, for only 500 quid how can you really moan, just proves you get what you pay for.

had sym xs k for nr 3 months now I like it I hsd bikes 30 years ago

its good on fuel does 70mph top exceleration not bad handles well

I have added a screen led lights for day riding led parking and tail light and a top box I use every day for work only 1 bad thing 1 mirror glass fell out shop replaced strait away no probs headlight bulb went I replaced with a 35w halogen

overall I like the sym not screaminly fast but fast enough for a small comuter cheaper to run than most and the car and looks pretty good to

only one thing thats a pain is the manual choke but u get over this lol

Hi I have sym xs125 I have it for about 11/2years and I have had problems with the rast all over and head light is giving me problems I need help with this I put the bulb in and I have to ride round with my high beame on because if I put my low beame on it keeps going off so if there is some one out there can help please

I have owned this bike for 10 months and i can honestly say its been of the road more than it has been on. I have has problems with the bike starting, Fault fuel tank, bits falling off, terrible vibration, and now the latest issue the exhaust studs have snapped and the exhaust is blowing. This is not down to poor maintenance the bike has full service history and regular maintenance has been carried of by myself. And when you get a problem with the bike my dealer where the bike has been purchased from (Nightingales in rugby) have always been very rude and unhelpful. My advice is to steer clear of this bike and steer clear of SYM full stop. Sym bikes are no longer a cheap alternative for very little more money you are able to pick up and brand new honda or yamaha alternative, that shall be more reliable, more economical, faster and shall have better build quality. Also to mention the value of this bike when coming to sell the bike after one year of owning the bike you shall struggle because no one wants to pay a vast amount of money for a japanese knock off. For the safety of yourself and other road users stay away from this motorcycle and invest your money in something more suitable.

The Sym 125 XS is my first bike and ive had it for 9 months now. It has been a good learning experience, mainly that it has never let me down, has been cheap to run and a good introduction to motorcycles.

Good points: Cheap to run (80 - 90 mpg), easy to ride, minimal hassle, cheap servicing

Bad points: A few bits of rust on the exhaust, luggage rack and frame (I keep it outside)

Overall, I would recommend as a first bike. Depreciation is high but when you can buy it as £1600 new, it isn't terrible. Overall, a good little bike.

well its almost a year since i purchased my new sym xs 125 & in total i`ve done around 6000k (3500ish miles) on it & ridden virtually every day rain or shine going to & from work , the only slight rust marks have been on the rear rack & on the mirror stalks. i wash the bike every week or two & after its dry i spray the metalwork with a silicone oil or gt85 which keeps things looking nice & also helps keep the rust at bay, the bodywork/plastics get a good waxing too...keeping the sym clean & oiled is the key to its survival as i have seen some very rusty examples about. the engine still sounds nice & quiet but struggles to pull 60mph (50-55 is comfortable with less vibrations!) ecconomy is excellent too at approx 3/350 miles per tank full...not so good points: service every 3000k (1800 miles) vibrates alot at 60mph.. can & will rust if you dont look after it..plastic mounting lugs on the rear of the side pannels are weak..my exhaust inner baffle started to rattle after about 1500 miles probably due to the vibes! i also had to replace the headlight bulb again probably due to vibes?..dont let these put you off buying a sym as its still an excellent little bike..buy new & look after it & it`ll see you fine for a good few years..would i buy another, yes.. would i recommend..yes

Well bought one of these from the cornwall kawasaki centre who is a sym dealer and im impressed! Excellent build quality, great on petrol and does 80 easily on a nice day with no wind.This bike is a absolute bargain for those who want a cheap good reliable motorcycle, It handles very well and the engine is excellent, The seat can hurt your ass a bit after a long journey but you soon get used to it lol, As one of the other reviews stated it does what it says on the tin and more. The headlights are pretty good, Nice bright indicators and it sounds quite meaty as well! I can really recommend this machine as a real good investment where not only is it cheap to run but its a pleasure to ride. Just make sure you get it from a good dealer who has built it and set it up properly to avoid future trouble and keep up with the regular services and oil changes to ensure reliability. I would also recommend the cornwall kawasaki centre who have been excellent and have excellent customer services and a genuine ethos of helping the customer.