All-new for 2019, Kawasaki have returned to the 125cc A1 class for the first time in 25 years with not just one, but two new learner lightweights. There’s the Z125 naked roadster and this, a fully-faired, sports-styled machine based on the same engine and chassis. The result is eye-catching, attractive, sporty and instantly identifiable as being part of the Ninja family. Performance is on par with the competition. Introduced in 2008, the R125 took over as the sports 125 to appeal to every red-blooded teenager thanks to its full-size proportions, full-quota performance and R6 looks.

Classy, simple and fun supermoto-style single delivers the double act of being an easy to ride learner bike with bags of street cred. It was updated in 2017 when it received a new TFT dash plus a revised frame and styling, and now even has the option of integrating a smartphone with the dash, allowing the rider to access incoming calls and listen to music via a Bluetooth headset. Smaller learner roadsters don’t get any cooler than this naked Austrian headbanger-in-the-making. By the late 1990’s 2 Stroke production had stopped in Germany and MZ were being made in the Kanuni factory in Turkey. Initially bikes were badged MZ with Kanuni written on the seat but, in the early 2000’s they revamped the cosmetics completely and finally dropped the MZ badge a tear forms in ones eye at this point. In our opinion the true Kanunis are probably the ugliest MZs ever made but it is true that they remained as reliable as ever they were right until the end of production in Turkey in 20XX. These additional castings probably provided a dubious (if any) additional amount of cooling but they do make the Wilf Green 300s look very distinct. Wilf Green 300s are few a far between. Following on from Wilf Greens inspiration, MZ started making 300ccs themselves (actually they were 296cc and were badged as 301 models). The 301 provides a negligible amount of power over the 250 but they are very sought after simply because of what they are, with just a bit more power when loaded, two up or going up hill or in a head wind. The general consensus of opinion is that the marginal amount of extra power is hardly noticeable and probably not worth the extra cost. It is a testament to the popularity and longevity of MZs that virtually every spare that anybody is ever likely to need is still available new. Spares which are no longer factory made are more often not being re-manufactured although sometimes not to the quality standard of the original MZ parts. If you look at virtually any copy of MZ Rider Magazine you will see adverts from spares suppliers who will be happy to chat with you to make sure that you get exactly the correct part for your bike as they have intimate and detailed knowledge of what fitted what and when.Some think that the smaller ETZs had rather odd styling with that bulbous looking tank. Odd or not that styling was to endure until the end of small model production. In fact, MZ adopted the same styling for the 251 model introduced in the late 1980’s early 90’s. After a buyout, MZ started production of their first for-stroke machines, the 500R range of road and then euro bikes, utilising the 500cc Rotax motor. This same motor was used in the Seymour-Powell designed award-winning Skorpion, although it was replaced by the watercooled Yamaha 660cc motor for the production machines.

Ever since its original launch in 2008, Yamaha’s ‘junior R1’ has been the benchmark sports 125 thanks to its combination of grown-up proportions, brilliant, yet novice-friendly dynamics and styling any Valentino Rossi fan would die for – even if it has also been one of the priciest offerings in the class. The most recent major update in 2019 raised the bar again with a new, more flexible, variable valve-timing engine; revised chassis to give more confidence-inspiring handling and new R1-alike styling that makes it the poster bike for any sports mad 17-year-old. While for 2023 further tweaks include a flash new colour TFT dash. Not cheap, but if you want a sport 125 and can afford it, this is the one. Read our Yamaha YZF-R125 review here. There was one other more subtle and not immediately obvious difference between the Super 5 and the ETZ250. The frame. The geometry was virtually the same but whereas the Super 5 had a twin top tube, the ETZ250 had a much stiffer rectangular box section. Although 2 Strokes can be made environmentally friendly, it is not cheap or easy. The solution to more environmentally friendly motorcycles did not lie in 2 Stroke development but in 4 Stroke development. MZ were only too aware of this and as the 2 Stroke world was crumbling the 4 Stroke world was emerging. Based on the KTM Duke 125, the Husqvarna Svartpilen 125 is a grown-up take on the naked learner-legal category. The new baby Svartpilen sits below the 401 and 701 versions and has the same distinctive styling. There are some incredibly popular used 125cc motorbikes including the Yamaha DT 125 X supermoto and the Gilera Runner 125.The latest update is Euro5-compliant and has Piaggio’s latest ‘stop-go’‘i-GET’ four-valve, single cylinder engine producing a reasonable 12.2bhp, reasonable handling for a small-wheeled scoot, decent practicality including a comfortable seat and under seat storage capable of taking two open face helmets along with a useful leg shield compartment plus bags of style and quality touches. These include lashings of chrome and neat badging, updated LCD dash and tons of options. The GTS may not be the cheapest but it’s a great all-rounder and nothing comes close for authentic Italian style