Best 125cc bikes 2018

There’s no doubt that if you can live with the compromises, a motorbike is a great way of getting around. While exotic superbikes provide the ultimate thrills, and retro-styled cruisers may suit the posers, there’s a whole class of practical and cost effective 125cc motorbikes for sale, that are great fun to ride too.

In fact the best 125cc motorcycles are a lot more fun than they’re given credit for. For starters, with low power outputs compared to bigger bikes, you can ride them all day long without worrying about risking your licence.

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Yes, a superbike may be more spectacular, but unless you take it to a track or want to flout the law, you’ll never open it up properly. With 125 bikes, you can use all the performance all of the time, which can be much more satisfying on the road.

• Best superbikes 2016

If you’re looking for sensible transport instead of kicks, then you’ll be more interested in a 125cc motorcycle because it costs £20 to fill up, and will likely do 400 miles on a single tank. A 125cc bike or 125cc scooter will also get you to work much faster - Get On, the national campaign to encourage motorcycling – reckons the average commute is a third quicker by motorbike.

Other financial benefits include road tax at £17 per year, generally free parking and exemption from the London congestion charge.

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That’s not all, as even cheap 125cc motorbikes bring membership of a two-wheeled community that means you’ll get nods of acknowledgement from other bikers, and a genuine sense of camaraderie on the road that car drivers miss out on.

• Poor crash test results for quadricycles

So here we explore our top 10 best 125cc bikes for sale now. They’re cheap, accessible, easy to use and most importantly, great fun. Click the links below or at the top left of this page to check out our 125cc recommendations.  

Best 125cc bikes

1. 1. KTM 125 Duke
2. 2. Honda CB125F
3. 3. Piaggio MP3
4. 4. Honda Forza 125
5. 5. Yamaha Tricity
6. 6. Vespa Primavera
7. 7. Aprilia RS4 125
8. 8. Kawasaki J125
9. 9. Suzuki VanVan 125
10. 10. Peugeot Satelis 2 125i