Hyosung RT125D

Hello

I am from Malta and I bought one of these bikes brand-new. My bike is only 2 months old, so I can't judge it that much. But I still have few pros and cons to comment about.

Pros:

- Cheap to buy and run.

- Very economical. I calculated that I can easily make 100 mpg or 36 km/l or 3 l/100km.

- Very easy to handle.

- It has good torque and keeps the gears very well, even with a light passenger behind you.

- Great looks and seems like a big bike.

- It's a fun bike. It behaves good on the road and in a bit of off-roading.

Cons:

- Although the rear shock is adjustable, I still think it's a bit rigid on the road.

- I can't get used of the choak system. I always follow the manual's procedure when starting the bike, but the behaviour will never be the same. I don't know why.

- An addditional fuel gauge and locking fuel cap would be ideal.

- The self-folding stand is a pain in the ass and not a safety feature.

- Sometimes I hear strange clicking noises from the engine while running, and when I put it on the stand after a long ride while the engine still running.

- The frame could be lighter and the tires could be thinner. Those will reduce the friction and increase the fuel economy.

- The engine guard could be made of metal and not plastic.

- Rust is not an issue at this point, but I think it will be in the future. There is already some paint coming off the engine, and I don't use it in the rain.

Anyways, overall I'm happy with the bike, but you can see for yourself that it has more cons than pros. To be truly honest, I could have saved some more money and bought a better bike, say Yamaha, Honda or Suzuki. And I think you should do the same. Now that I have it, I thnik I was eager to buy a bike and I just went crazy for the retro-looks of the RT125D. The price was even very attractive. But I suggest that you'd be a little patient and wait for a better bike.

Live to Ride Ride to Live.

Hyosung 125rt Karion. The bike is good specially the preformance.

I did max speed 78 MPH. And is good for a 125cc.

But the tyres are dangerous specially in MALTA.

They are like soap and bad on the roads specially when they get old.

Nylon tyres are bad.

I fitted new bridgestone tyres which now the bike handling is very good.

Also the frame is rusty after a few years especially the swinging arm.

The good think about the bike is that it looks like a big bike.

Good reliable bike, if your wandering about speed I was behind a 1.4 Clio the other day and over took it with the Clio driver trying hard to stop me.

So it has the power to do what you need to do in a city.

I personally wouldn't take it on the motorway, it can do over 70mph, iv taken her upto 73mph.

Acceleration is quite decent too, there are loads of yzf-r125's were I live and it's as fast as them, really depending on the rider who comes out 1st.

I'd recommend any1 on a CBT to get this bike, I'm gna still keep mine after I get my licence and big boy bike and for £2k you can't go wrong

I bought this bike brand new and finally have decided to sell it cos wanna upgrade to a bigger bike. It's an excellent learner bike. It looks great, it sounds great and it rides great. The riding experience is superb.

The fuel gauge would be a nice extra but I worked out that I can go 140miles ish, until it runs out of fuel... just need to keep an eye on it & it's alright.

It hasn't let me down at all. I would suggest it to anyone, it's a great bike for such price.

This is my first bike and for first few months I thought it was great. But then things started to go wrong the indicator relay has had to be replaced 4 times. Next to go was rear suspension, it took fives weeks for replacement to come. Now the timing screw has gone causing major damage to engine this has taken 4 weeks for replacement parts to come.

A good little bike with very few faults ( flip up stand is a pain, and the decals are really awful ). reliability is first rate ( not one problem in a whole year ),and it goes well for a 125. most people think it looks like a 250 and are suprised it's only a 125.

not so sure I'd buy a new one because of the depreciation, but I would recommend buying a second hand one for around the grand mark. it does around 80 -90 to the gallon, cheap road tax and insurance, what more could you want out of a small bike. it's much better than the Van Van and the TW125 looks like it's been nailed together when you put it up to the Hyosung. all in all i'd have to give the bike a big thumbs up.

The Hyosung RT125D bike seems to go well for a 125. the bike does more than 85 mpg, and as it's a 4 stroke you dont have to add expensive oil every time you fill it up with petrol, unlike the 2 stroke's.I think for a little 125 it's a good bike, and in my opinion it's as good as the Yamaha TW 125 and nearly as good as the Suzuki Van Van. I think the Suzuki is a little better finished off and the paint work seems to be of better quality, but it's as well finished off as the Yamaha. If you can get a good deal on a new one or even better, if you can get a second hand one in good condition with low mileage for around 1000 - 1200 pounds then I would go for it, as I don't think you would be disappointed. I think it's ideal for commuting to work or just having a laugh on it. In the UK, Hyosung bikes do not hold their money as well as the Japanese bikes, so take that into account when you first buy it.. if you can't get it at a good price then you must be prepared to lose a bit when you sell it on... overall a good little bike.

The Hyosung RT125 is a good looking learner leagle bike that hasnt let me down and gets me to work on time without any problems. Enjoyable to ride and looks bigger than a 125. Engine sounds good too!

Obviously important to break the bike in as recommended. Stinks a bit as the engine is cooking in. This model is cheap to buy ( £1700), reliable, enjoyable to ride and I dont care if its not made by a Japanese manufacturer. Bottom line, its value for money.

The engine, although still sounding a little rough round the edges at max revs has loosened up considerably. Front forks have held up good with no leakages and the chrome has stabilised since being dressed with WD40 after chrome polishing. The bike still looks good, and although described as an easy bike to ride, I would say it feels a little `top heavy' and requires the rider to learn to read the feedback from the bike more than other bikes I have ridden effortlessly. It still represents good value for money for what you get. For the hardened Japanese motorcycle enthusiasts who love knocking Hyosung and other lesser known makes from the Asia areas, they may like to note that for years Hyosung made and supplied the inner workings of most of the Japanese motorcycles and I believe they still do. Safe, happy riding.

UPDATE, September 2008; Changed engine oil and oil filter (HIFLO HF131 part No 16510-05240 - suzuki reference, same as Hyosung one) used 10/40 synthetic, (synthetic retains more of its lubricative properties in extreme heat conditions than conventional oil) I remembered to clean the magnetic sump plug of filings, and engine now sounds much sweeter. Had to travel from Santa Pola to Valencia and back via the N332, all 270 miles of it, ran extremely sweetly, maxed 122 kph on approach to Valencia (73.2 mph) on the V31, 120 kph limit, showed no signs of distress. Engine didn't miss a beat, it was a very hot day, remained responsive and willing. The seat has been dished out in rider area, and passenger area raised to prevent the awful sliding motion of passenger into rider on braking. The bike is MUCH EASIER TO CONTROL, now the centre of gravity has been lowered. In truth, the guy has made a damn good job of the finish on the remodelled seat, but did shave off a trifle to much of foam. Have decided to obtain a good quality gel pad and have that sewn into the seat, seems to be the best answer for me. Still extremely pleased with the bike, still represents good value for money provided that if you want it to perform like its rivals, you have to be prepared to do a little work. Owing to my experience after the bikes first dealer service here in Spain, I decided to perform the second service @ 4000 kms myself. General tightness of bolts, chain tension, oil and filter change, plug change, air filter, wheel bearings check (rock n roll) - the only thing I have not done are the tappets, unless they are self adjusting, will have to read up on them. Either way, so far from home, and having no-one here I would trust with my RT125D, I will do them myself, when I am positive of the procedure. On that note there are available on ebay Hyosung workshop manuals on CD, one of which I obtained and have found very useful. Haynes Manuals have been contacted about launching one for the Karion 125 but state it depends on how much interest they get before they consider creating a project. Obviously, they need to be reasonably sure that they will sell over a certain number to justify the research and print costs. I would suggest if you would like them to do one, to simply email them on their website, so they can add you to the list of customer suggestions/requests for particular models. Naturally, to improve the bike further, one can fit an after market exhaust, new front rear chain sprockets of different ratio, rebore out to 150/175cc perhaps, but I prefer to try and leave the bike very much as it is and make lesser impact changes to keep it original, but thats just me. I am Mr Typical on the street, not a race boy, just want the best from the bike I can get, for as little money as possible! It still attracts many curious looks from passers by and drivers in its orange colour scheme, to me the best offered yet. Safe riding.

From day one the bike has been extremely reliable and great fun to ride, on and off road. The initial 'shakedown' period is catered for in the owners manual in terms of quarter and half throttle openings in the first 1600 kms use, after which you can use the machine without restriction. As mentioned previously, it rides and feels like a much larger bike, and from the back appears larger especially with the massive tyre! It makes cornering a dream, and adds a feeling of total security and confidence in the bike, even when leant well over on roundabouts, with acres of clearance. Both you and your passenger will feel the tightness of it being new in the vibration and harshness of the engine, particularly under medium acceleration, but this does diminish, so don't be alarmed! I actually test rode the 2006 RT125 model before deciding to have the 2007 RT125D, and that model had both electric motor and kickstart as standard. I have made inquiries with the Hyosung factory via the Spanish importers and the factory state that the kickstart can be reinstated if desired, but gave no further details. The obvious factor is that there is a removable plug over the kickstart spindle aperture, flush with the external face, so it can be safely assumed that the kickstart spindle is not fitted and the engine may have to be cracked open to refit it, something I am not keen on having done. (This is purely my opinion, not being a full Spanish speaker, its difficult to get the full picture here, it may be that reinstating the kickstarter is easy, but I have this feeling...) The oil cooler sits just proud of the engine to the right, and is ideally located to catch stones and dirt thrown up by the short mudguarded front wheel, so an extension to the mudguard should help. Apart from that, I have purchased a sheet of radiator mesh and have fashioned it to clip over the oil cooler to prevent further damage occurring. As yet, no-one manufactures a purpose made oil cooler guard for the RT125D, but will, as it gains in popularity. The Hyosung factory have been advised of this shortcoming also. The upper fork chrome showing signs of superficial rust so early (2 months ownership) is a little concerning, but in the past, on other motorbikes, I have been used to polishing areas subject to corrosion with polish anyway, to protect against this happening. I have ordered a set of rubber protective fork bellows/gaiters to help protect the lower forks, since no guard is fitted, not even lower deflectors, which is a shame. My only other concern is with the flip up sidestand. There is no centre stand, and when the machine is released from its resting on the side stand, it immediately flips up. I find this irritating and possibly dangerous to some owners, particularly young inexperienced motorcyclists of both sexes. Why? Well, if you are not used to the weight of the bike, and you haven't quite got the balance right when you lift it upright, the stand flips away, and the machine is in danger of falling back on the rider, particularly on wet, uneven or loosely gritted surfaces. The sidestand is offsprung, instead of being centre sprung. Centre sprung at least ensures it stays where it's put, either up or down, until the rider moves it. When I queried this situation with Hyosung, the local importer advised me that it complied with all the safety and design requirements necessary at this time. Obviously, the sidestand is sprung that way to ensure it is clear and will not dig in on the first left hand corner you take after setting off, and off is certainly where you'll be if the stand is down and dug into the tarmac, appreciated. Compare this with the simple ignition cut-out switch fitted to larger machines where if you try to put the machine into gear, and the sidestand is still down, the engine cuts out - simple. Flip the stand up and the engine starts, a brilliant failsafe, but obviously at a cost, so it's not generally fitted to lower cc bikes where there is less of a profit margin to be had. Unfortunately, manufacturers miss the point that it is exactly on these smaller machines that the ignition cut out needs to be fitted, because a majority of the riders will be first timers who won't appreciate their bike falling over on top of them with the current sidestand set up. The RT125D suffers little with two up, and performs much the same as when solo, but naturally takes a little more time getting there, unless you use the revs well in each gear. Talking of which there is no rev counter, either, so thats a possible after fitment as well. This section asks for general comments, so generally, the Hyosung RT125D is, well, BRILLIANT! OK, it doesn't touch the Pan European I had back in the UK, nor the 900cc Yammy Diversion, for power, but in looks, pure fun factor, and getting back to basic motorcycling, on or off road, it's got what it takes and it does what it says on the box. That's light off roading, by the way, it's not designed to go full scale scrambling, it's brother (or sister whichever way you look at it) the RX125D is the professional alternative with upside down forks, etc. Sand dunes, dirt roads, tracks and country lanes and possibly more, it's certainly built to take some punishment, but remember the RT125D is a compromise between an off and on roader, treat it with some respect! Great value for money, keep an eye on the chrome, run it in conscientiously, keep the girlfriends stockings off the upswept stylish exhaust and you will be pleased as punch with your purchase, I am, I give it 10/10.

The engine, although still sounding a little rough round the edges at max revs has loosened up considerably. Front forks have held up good with no leakages and the chrome has stabilised since being dressed with WD40 after chrome polishing. The bike still looks good, and although described as an easy bike to ride, I would say it feels a little `top heavy' and requires the rider to learn to read the feedback from the bike more than other bikes I have ridden effortlessly. It still represents good value for money for what you get. For the hardened Japanese motorcycle enthusiasts who love knocking Hyosung and other lesser known makes from the Asia areas, they may like to note that for years Hyosung made and supplied the inner workings of most of the Japanese motorcycles and I believe they still do. Safe, happy riding.

UPDATE, September 2008; Changed engine oil and oil filter (HIFLO HF131 part No 16510-05240 - suzuki reference, same as Hyosung one) used 10/40 synthetic, (synthetic retains more of its lubricative properties in extreme heat conditions than conventional oil) I remembered to clean the magnetic sump plug of filings, and engine now sounds much sweeter. Had to travel from Santa Pola to Valencia and back via the N332, all 270 miles of it, ran extremely sweetly, maxed 122 kph on approach to Valencia (73.2 mph) on the V31, 120 kph limit, showed no signs of distress. Engine didn't miss a beat, it was a very hot day, remained responsive and willing. The seat has been dished out in rider area, and passenger area raised to prevent the awful sliding motion of passenger into rider on braking. The bike is MUCH EASIER TO CONTROL, now the centre of gravity has been lowered. In truth, the guy has made a damn good job of the finish on the remodelled seat, but did shave off a trifle to much of foam. Have decided to obtain a good quality gel pad and have that sewn into the seat, seems to be the best answer for me. Still extremely pleased with the bike, still represents good value for money provided that if you want it to perform like its rivals, you have to be prepared to do a little work. Owing to my experience after the bikes first dealer service here in Spain, I decided to perform the second service @ 4000 kms myself. General tightness of bolts, chain tension, oil and filter change, plug change, air filter, wheel bearings check (rock n roll) - the only thing I have not done are the tappets, unless they are self adjusting, will have to read up on them. Either way, so far from home, and having no-one here I would trust with my RT125D, I will do them myself, when I am positive of the procedure. On that note there are available on ebay Hyosung workshop manuals on CD, one of which I obtained and have found very useful. Haynes Manuals have been contacted about launching one for the Karion 125 but state it depends on how much interest they get before they consider creating a project. Obviously, they need to be reasonably sure that they will sell over a certain number to justify the research and print costs. I would suggest if you would like them to do one, to simply email them on their website, so they can add you to the list of customer suggestions/requests for particular models. Naturally, to improve the bike further, one can fit an after market exhaust, new front rear chain sprockets of different ratio, rebore out to 150/175cc perhaps, but I prefer to try and leave the bike very much as it is and make lesser impact changes to keep it original, but thats just me. I am Mr Typical on the street, not a race boy, just want the best from the bike I can get, for as little money as possible! It still attracts many curious looks from passers by and drivers in its orange colour scheme, to me the best offered yet. Safe riding.