Yamaha XVS 125

I bought my xvs 125 after getting back into motorcycling after a long break. I had bought a jinlun jl 11 cruiser as they were quite cheap to buy new and to be fair the little chinese cruiser did me proud and was a pleasure to ride but having had an xvs come past me when out riding I just loved the look and now being totally back into biking I wanted a better quality bike and I certainly was not disappointed! I aquired a 2001 model with 5000 miles on the clock for £1795 in red and white in stunning condition and was amazed at the build quality. No rust what so ever and a credit to its former owners! My first ride was just fantastic! It pulled great and just wanted to go with ease and pulled the steep hills near me with ease which was a great suprise! I bought the xvs for not only its fantastic reliability but for its retro looks and it gets admired wherever it goes. I've been all over kent and sussex on it and it does'nt miss a beat and i have clocked up some good milages on it and it never complains. I do keep up with the maintainence and have recently added a new 18 tooth front sprocket which totally transforms the bike. You dont really notice any lack of torque but the bike is so much smoother its like having a new bike and you can cruise along in 5th as in all gears and the revs are a lot lower and the bike is just so so smooth! would recomend this cheap upgrade mod only £6.50 from wemoto.co.uk. another recomendation is to go down 2 teeth on the rear as this helps a greater top end but its really what suits you not really a rght or wrong! they also do a 17 tooth(the stock being 16 teeth)but its not really enough to notice but the 18 is great! A fantastic little cruiser that is to this day the coolest 125 cruiser on the road and gets so much respect from other bikers and on lookers you cant help but feel you made the right choice! top marks yamaha a job very weldone! 10 out of 10.......

Got this dream of a 125 back in 97, when 125cc came back in fashion after a change in laws in Norway that made 16yo able to ride these, this was probably the same for other countries?

The 11hp engine is the only drawback that made it stressful to ride on longer trips with 80kph+ speed limits. You'd find your self shifting alot between 4th and 5th gear to keep up with traffic.

After a few years in the cellar this bike will be back on the road, after almost 12years it's in mint condition.

I bought my Yamaha XVS for £800. Just starting out, but I wanted a bike that didn't sound like someone shaking a stone round in a can (which most of the chinese single cylinders do). Mine is 2001 with 11k on the clock - far from new, but the body is great. The build quality and comfort is superb. All I have had to do is give the battery a charge. I would definitely recomment this as a starter bike for cruiser / chopper fans.

This yamaha xvs 125 bike is a fantastic learner cruiser. The looks of the bike are amazing (though you'll have to spend a lot of time cleaning it if you want it to stay that way!)

I've used the bike everyday of the year going to work and back, and the bike has never let me down.

I tend to ride with a pillion so the bike hovers hover around 50-60mph on a flat stretch of road, but for a 125cc I certainly can't complain. Of course 2up can make long distance driving a bit painful (especially if there are hills involved as the bike will struggle!!)

Riding through city rush hour traffic that the bike will do around 115 miles (approx £6 in petrol) before it needs switching to its reserve tank (which 3.4 litres), though it seems to have slightly better fuel efficiency on longer journeys.

The problem I've had is that the spokes on the rear tyre snapped 3 months after my local dealer tightened them up as part of the MOT, though I blame the dealer 100% for that and not the bike. Of course if you're told that your spokes are loose make sure that the person fixing them knows what they're doing!!! Apart from that I can't fault the bike at all

Overall fantastic little bike with 'big bike' looks!

The Yamaha XVS 125 is a very well built and good looking machine with Yamaha reliability. Not the fastest twin wheels but this is a cruiser, not a sports machine. Will happily cruise at 60-65 though, unlike those cheap Chinese things. Fairly wide at 36" which can make filtering difficult. This will take you from CBT, to test and beyond if you want it to.

You pull up to the lights and give your Yamaha XVS 125 engine a little rev. The beefy deep noise thrusted from the depths of the v-twin engine cause people to look and get embabrassed. I rarely get any competition of the white line at the lights! Nobody knows it's a 125 and people will not challenge! However, the ones that do have been left shocked as I have beaten with ease many cars!

People move out the way for you! I've seen guys go right into the curb almost mounting it because they don't want to irratate you! This is a bike you need if you want to look tough!

I have managed to drive this bike in all sorts of weather whilst on other bikes I have slid off! The big tyre on the back is curved just like a sports tyre and allows you to drop down so far people will think you have fell off! Get some good boots because when the pegs scrape, I've seen sparks!

Big bike, must be one of the biggest 125's out and is a good stepping stone before your test!

Head Turner! Heads will turn with this bike and people will stop and talk about it! Be careful for those sods who sit on it without your permission!

Good fuel consumption, I get 110 miles for no more then £7!

Road tax was £15.40, again bargain!

Insurance is a pleasent surprise! 04 plate fully comp for £450!

Acceleration is good once worn in!

Light bulbs rarely ever go due to yamaha's good electrics!

People WILL move out your way and due to it being a chopper, people have more respect for you because your not a speed demon on a suped up sports bike causing grief!

Not very many accesoories for this bike and anything will need custom making! However, it does have potential to become a good chopper and to stand out from other bikes even more then it does as standard!

When I pass my test, I will be looking at the XVS 600/ 1300 because this bike is amazing. Seriously get it and let people know you mean business!

Good looking motorcycle however after my personal experience, I would expect a certain racing driver to watch his oil levels as a seizure at high speeds could risk serious problems, have deterred and re-directed a few potential buyers to other makes, maybe just I was unlucky, but I should have thought the product would have gone from "PDI" to first service without requiring oils.

First of all; Wow. I bought this bike from a place down in Bournemouth called Phils Mall. You can't get a better deal than mine. 2001 Y-reg Yamaha XVS 125 Dragstar with 3500 miles on the clock. Extremely good condition for only £1799.

This bike really is a pleasure to ride. Its got the looks, its got the laid back fashion. Unbelievable that you can ride one of these monsters on only a CBT. You certainly get the nods from other bikers passing by.

All I can say is, you'll want to buy one of these when you set your eyes on them. Its got a nice deep note from the dual exhausts.

I got the Yamaha XVS 125 in the the summer and loved it the second I saw it. Been used every day of the year with 13,000 miles there has been no problems at all. Been through winter and held together very well, although I repainted the cradle and frame in places due to corrosion, but the winter in UK is VERY wet.

Many good comments from other bikers and motorists and even the local police admire it!

Doesn't look out of place when parked up against other cruisers and looks good pulling up.

Gleaming chrome work on every part of it and a great sound (if a bit quiet compared other cruisers)

Handling is spot on and allows good amounts of lean before grinding the pegs in on the corner (very often done with my riding). Light enough for good acceleration in town so grabbing spots in traffic is a doddle. Top speed can drop to around 40-45mph in high winds and acceleration is poor up hills. The budget tyres can lose grip in very wet conditions so I had some aftermarket ones fitted as well as some panniers, a screen and some more 'bling'.

Very comfy on long journeys (eg. 800 miles). I went from Scottish Borders to Paris on the bike and it was great the whole way cruising at around 60mph. The suspension is very plush but responsive, and doesn't bottom out like some other cruisers.

Altogether a fantastic bike and highly recommended.

I've had my XVS-125 for over a year now and although I have my sights set on a bigger cruiser I couldn't bear to sell this one off. I've used it to travel all over the South of England and it's never let me down - I've ran out of fuel once or twice so a gauge would be handy (but I put that down to human error). Good shape and size with plenty of chrome and it doesn't look out of place when parked up next to its bigger cousins - keep this bad-boy well polished and oiled for maximum effect. I find that when it really warms up (say after 100 miles) it actually takes on a better sound - grrrr.

ps. don't be in too much of a hurry - pack a tent and sleeping bag and hit the road - Happy days!