Best 2025 Learner Motorcycle (125cc)

What is a learner motorcycle?

For most riders, a learner motorcycle needs to have an engine that’s 125cc or smaller. That’s the short version. The longer version – get ready for an avalanche of numbers – is that it must also have a maximum power output of 11kW (about 15bhp), as well as a power-to-weight ratio no greater than 0.1kW/kg (0.134bhp/kg). In practice you don’t need to worry too much about the last bit: 125cc and 15bhp are the key numbers.

It wasn’t always like this. Britain’s first learner motorcycle law, introduced on 1st July 1961, limited riders to 250cc engines. That was all fine and dandy, because at the time it meant creaky old Brit singles. But Japanese two-stroke development soon conjured up 250cc pocket rockets that could hit 100mph. The fear of these falling into inexperienced hands caused the law to change again, so on 1st February 1983 learner riders were limited to 125cc and 9kW (12bhp). That power limit was later changed again, around 1997, increasing a whisker to 11kW (15bhp).

For a while this meant that certain 125s (mostly spicy two-stroke race-replicas) needed to be restricted down from their full potential to either 12 or 15bhp. Few were, and most of those soon found themselves swiftly derestricted at home with varying results. Thankfully things are much simpler and more settled today. In 2025 almost all 125cc road bikes are now four-stroke singles (though there are a couple of exceptions), and virtually all of these are designed from the ground up to meet the well-established 15bhp limit.

Why do I need a learner motorcycle?

If you’re at least 17 years old, a 125cc learner motorcycle offers the very first step on your long and distinguished biking career. You’ll need to apply for a provisional licence, then complete a compulsory basic training (CBT) course. Once you’ve done this you’ll be able to ride a 15bhp 125cc motorcycle, so long as you display L-plates, don’t carry a passenger, and don’t ride on motorways. You’ll also need to pass your full motorcycle test within two years, or take your CBT again.

Learner-legal 125s are generally capable of around 60-70mph, so they’re fine for keeping up with the flow of traffic, but might struggle a bit with long-haul touring. Most 125cc motorcycles are designed with novice riders squarely in mind, meaning they’re welcoming, unintimidating, easy and accessible. On the whole they’re supremely light and manageable, with low seat heights to help a rider confidently get both feet down, and simple intuitive controls. They tend to be extremely affordable to buy and run, with small fuel-efficient engines, modest insurance costs and cheap road tax.

There’s a vast variety of 125cc choice out there too, with options built by established Japanese, exotic European and burgeoning Chinese brands. There are basic commuters, flashy sportsbikes, suave roadsters, versatile enduros, charming retros and plenty more besides. There’s even a small-but-growing selection of 125-equivalent electric motorcycles, if you’re keen on cutting your carbon footprint and/or fuel costs. So, where do you begin with finding which learner motorcycle is right for you?

Right here…

Best learner motorcycle for tall riders

Aprilia RX125

£4280 | 124cc single | 15bhp | 134kg | 905mm seat

For riders who find themselves blessed in the inside-leg department, a tall seat height can be a godsend. And we don’t know of a road-going, learner-legal 125 with a taller seat height than Aprilia’s RX125. Raised up high above large-diameter spoked wheels (21in front, 18in rear) and long-legged suspension (240mm front, 210mm rear), the RX’s thin, slim saddle sits 905mm above the ground. That’s getting on for 3ft in old money. The height contributes to the RX’s large, spacious riding position, and overall big-bike impression. Updated for 2025, the water-cooled engine (shared with the sporty RS125) packs the full L-plate-compliant 15bhp, delivered up at 10,500rpm. If you don’t fancy getting dirty Aprilia also offers a supermoto sibling, the SX125: same price but with 17in wheels, knobble-free tyres, and a still-fairly-tippy-toppy 880mm saddle. Smart, sporty and substantial.

Read our Aprilia RX125 and SX125 review here

KTM 125 Enduro R

£4899 | 125cc single | 15bhp | 159kg (est) | 890mm seat

Given KTM’s extensive off-road successes, and the phenomenal popularity of their 125 Duke, it’s kinda surprising the two worlds haven’t been fused together sooner. But for 2025 it’s happening in the form of the 125 Enduro R. Not to be confused with KTM’s ready-to-race range of competition enduros, this is a more affordable, slightly heftier and road-focused machine that should still be plenty capable down a green lane. The WP suspension has a whopping 230mm of suspension travel, and the 21in/18in spoked wheels wear Metzeler Karoo 4 adventure tyres. Neat touches include a small TFT dash, backlit switchgear and adjustable footpegs. As with the Aprilia, there’s also a supermoto version available – the 125 SMC R – with cast 17in wheels and seat height reduced from 890mm to 860mm. They might be small in capacity, but both promise to pack plenty of big-bike presence.

Read our KTM 125 Enduro R review here

Fantic Caballero 125 Rally

£5949 | 125cc single | 15bhp | 139kg (est) | 860mm seat

Where the Aprilia and KTM above are road-going enduros, Fantic’s Caballero is instead a handsome scrambler, boasting more traditional styling and a more, cough, ‘exclusive’ pricetag. It’s also available in this dirt-ready Rally version, which gets longer suspension (200mm travel), a larger front wheel (21in), and finds its seat height raised up to 860mm. For a taller rider, that means plenty of room to fold up long legs comfortably. The Italian-built Caballero is powered by a water-cooled Minarelli engine, which appears spookily similar to Yamaha’s 125 motor – same bore and stroke, same single-cam design, same variable valve actuation system. Its numbers are similarly promising, with both a full 15bhp output and a claimed 140mpg. The Caballero 125 looks fantastic, with detailing and component quality a step above its more mass-produced (albeit far more affordable) alternatives. It’ll definitely draw a crowd.

Best learner motorcycle for short riders

Lexmoto Michigan

£2180 | 125cc single | 9bhp | 143kg | 680mm seat

Twenty years back you could barely move for Japanese 125 cruisers with distinctive names: Shadows, Eliminators, Intruders, Marauders, Drag Stars… But in 2025 all the low-slung learner-legal choppers and bobbers are made by Chinese firms. One of the most popular is Lexmoto’s Michigan, complete with crotch-scuffing 680mm (27in) seat height. Its air-cooled, two-valve motor is steady even by 125 standards, with just 9bhp and a five-speed gearbox, giving a claimed top speed of 62mph. But clearly the Michigan’s many customers aren’t buying it for straight-line speed – instead they appreciate its manageable seat height, the modest 143kg kerb weight, and those classic ape-hanger handlebars. Lexmoto’s claimed 98mpg should mean the 13.5-litre fuel tank lasts the thick end of 300 miles too. And all for an RRP of just £2179.99, making it literally half the price of many other 125s on this page.

Read our Lexmoto Michigan review here

Keeway RK V125C

£3649 | 125cc V-twin | 14bhp | 164kg | 680mm seat

Keeway is part of the vast QJMotor empire, the same firm that also owns Benelli. Their RK (space) V125C is a brawny, meaty-looking bobber with, somewhat surprisingly, a 125cc V-twin. It’s water-cooled, it uses unusual three-valve heads, and it claims to give off a “distinctive rumble”. Given it’s the only new V-twin on this page, that probably does make it pretty distinctive. The unintimidating seat height is either 680mm or 690mm depending on which bit of Keeway’s website you believe, while suspension mixes retro twin shocks at the back with modern upside-down forks (labelled ‘BENDA’) up front. There’s an LCD dash and LED lights, thin-spoked 17in wheels, and a huge 19-litre teardrop fuel tank. It does a look a touch on the heavy side though – it’s unclear whether the 164kg figure is dry or kerb, but either way, it’s not a lightweight by 125 standards.

Zontes ZT125-C

£3049 | 125cc single | 14bhp | 153kg | 700mm seat

Now here’s something you definitely don’t see every day. The Zontes ZT125-C pulls off the neat trick of being a cruiser-slash-bobber, but in a modern-slash-futuristic way. Styling is sharp-edged and multi-faceted, with no shortage of angles and surfaces. There’s an LED headlight and taillight, an LCD display, keyless ignition, tyre pressure monitors, and both USB-A and USB-C charging sockets. The sawn-off seat sits just 700mm above the road, making it easy for all riders to firmly plant both feet flat on the ground. The ZT’s motor is a water-cooled, slightly oversquare single making a claimed 14bhp. Wheels are 16-inchers at both ends and wear fairly fat-walled tyres, while disc brakes are backed up by a Bosch ABS system. “A sheep in wolf’s clothes,” says Zontes. Must have some funny-looking wolves round their way, but we admire their original thinking.

Best electric learner motorcycle

Maeving RM1S

£7495 | electric motor | 15bhp | 141kg | 785mm seat

Coventry-based Maeving had a huge hit on their hands with their first bike, the RM1. It mixed charming retro styling with a cutting-edge electric powertrain, but its 45mph top speed meant it fell somewhere between moped and 125. In 2024 they launched its more powerful successor, the RM1S, boasting a beefed-up powertrain with 15bhp and a claimed 70mph top end. The hub-mounted motor is fed by a pair of removable 2.73kWh batteries, which Maeving say can last a total combined range of 80 miles – an enormous distance given the bike’s intended urban use. Slim, light, smooth and silent, the RM1S is far from the cheapest 125cc-equivalent electric bike you can buy, but it might be one of the classiest.

Read our Maeving RM1S review here

VMoto Stash

£6299 | electric motor | 19bhp | 155kg | 810mm seat

125-equivalent electric motorcycles don’t come more practical than the VMoto Stash. Designed by ex-MV Agusta crayon-wielder Adrian Morton, the Stash’s ingenious layout allows for a storage unit to sit where you’d normally find a fuel tank – something you won’t get on any 125 motorcycle beyond scooters. The electric motor is mid-mounted, driving the rear wheel via a chain, and features a ‘boost’ button which briefly unlocks a peak output of 19bhp despite being fully learner-legal. Top speed is around 75mph, while the non-removable 7.2kWh battery is said to last up to 90 miles per charge. The riding position is fairly spacious, in part because the footpegs are set fairly low, while there’s an impressive selection of onboard tech including a colour dash, cruise control and keyless ignition.

Read our VMoto Stash review here

Zero S

£15,300 | electric motor | 60bhp | 223kg | 787mm seat

Electric veterans Zero are a crafty collective of Californians. This ‘S’ roadster plays up to the drastically different way that electric and petrol vehicles are categorised based on power outputs. Petrol bikes are rated on maximum power, with learner-legal 125cc bikes limited to 15bhp. Electric bikes are instead rated by their “continuous” power – don’t worry, we won’t bore you with the tedious details here. What matters is that the Zero S’s continuous figure is 15bhp, meaning it’s totally A1-compliant, and can be ridden on a CBT with L-plates at 17 years old. Yet it really makes 60bhp, with a top speed of 86mph – miles faster than any current combustion 125. Yes, it's also twice as heavy and three times as expensive as a typical 125, so we’re certainly not suggesting this is a practical choice for everyone. But it’s well worth being fully aware of what counts as a “learner motorcycle” if you choose to go electric.

Best learner motorcycle for looking cool on the streets

KTM 125 Duke

£4899 | 125cc single | 15bhp | 154kg | 800mm seat

The original 125 Duke was developed and launched in 2011 with the same aggressive spirit, raucous energy and endearing cheeky streak that KTM put into all their other bikes. As a full-size bike making full-size power, the Duke treated its teenage customers with respect – it wasn’t simply a budget commuter in fancy dress. It swiftly became Europe’s biggest-selling 125. In 2013 it became the first 125 to get ABS; in 2017 it gained a colour TFT dash and a new frame; and in 2024 it had another comprehensive overhaul with a more compact single-cam engine. The current bike even features cornering ABS – another sign that KTM continues to take the class more seriously than most. From the radical styling, to the lairy marketing, to the pioneering tech, it’s clear KTM’s 125 Duke speaks fluent teenager.

Read our KTM 125 Duke review here

Yamaha MT-125

£5250 | 125cc single | 15bhp | 142kg | 810mm seat

Yamaha’s MT range is powered by pure, distilled, undiluted youthful excitement. It’s a bit daft, a bit giddy, a bit garish. If it had a smell, it’d be stale energy drinks and Lynx. Voodoo? Java! The MT cares not a jot for the past; it just wants to enjoy today, and doesn’t care whether a bunch of old fogies think it looks ridiculous. The MT-125 is the perfect first stepping stone, a bike with an aesthetic attitude bordering on arrogance, much like its MT-07, MT-09 and MT-10 elders. The latest version boasts a performance-boosting variable valve actuation system, a large 5in colour TFT dash with smartphone connectivity, and even a traction control system. On claimed kerb figures the MT is a significant 12kg lighter than KTM’s rival 125 Duke, but its over-£5k asking price makes it something of a fiscal heavyweight.

Read our Yamaha MT-125 review here

Honda CB125R

£4699 | 125cc single | 15bhp | 130kg | 816mm seat

Cutting a drastically more debonaire dash than KTM’s Duke or Yamaha’s MT, the Honda CB125R offers both a bit of modern and a distinct dash of retro. “Neo Sport Café”, Honda called the look – or they did back in 2017 when the bike was launched, anyway. In 2021 it got a new four-valve engine, then last year Honda added a colour TFT dash. On paper, it has a huge amount going for it. At just 130kg fully fuelled it’s light even by 125cc roadster standards. And at £4699 it’s cheaper to buy than the KTM or Yamaha too. You get the full 15bhp, you get Showa SFF-BP forks, you get a claimed tank range of 285 miles thanks to stupendous fuel economy, and you even get optional heated grips. It might not be as bold and brash as its competitors, but there’s an awful lot to like about Honda’s smart, sophisticated CB125R.

Read our Honda CB125R review here

Best used learner motorcycle for under £2500

Honda XL125V Varadero (2001-2016)

From £1500 | 125cc 90° V-twin | 15bhp | 169kg | 800mm seat

Honda’s Varadero was that rarest of things: a grown-up 125. Introduced way back in 2001, the Varadero was a hugely welcome addition to a learner-bike landscape that consisted of cheap chuckaway commuters and exotic, expensive two-strokes. It used a liquid-cooled V-twin in a full-size chassis, the rider sitting comfortably on a plush, spacious saddle behind a generous fairing. It was practical, economical and accessible, but also substantial, versatile and reliable. Honda had recognised that plenty of 125 riders didn’t want a bike so tiny they could lose it down the back of a sofa. The Varadero was blessed with adult proportions, with an engine that didn’t need to be thrashed mercilessly, and with useful accessories including heated grips, a centrestand and a huge 45-litre top box. In 2007 it gained fuel injection, but that’s it as far as updates went. Given the original bikes are fundamentally the same as the final models before it was discontinued a decade ago, make your choice entirely on condition and mileage.

Honda CBF125 (2009-2015)

From £1000 | 125cc single | 11bhp | 128kg | 792mm seat

Honda’s legendary CG125 spent more than three decades quietly scudding about, sipping fuel, educating novices, taking cheapskates to work, delivering pizzas and occasionally being stolen. Then, in 2008, Honda killed it off. Its spiritual successor was the CBF125, an Indian-built, half-faired commuter with an air-cooled, two-valve, undersquare single. It was the perfect bike to land in the wake of a global financial crisis, costing just £1795 brand-new back in 2009 (equivalent to only £2800 in today’s money) and returning a claimed 134mpg. It sold in stupendous numbers, before being replaced by the Chinese-built CB125F in 2016. If all you’re after is an ultra-affordable, largely reliable 125 to hack around on from a trusted brand, you can’t go wrong with a used CBF125.

Read our Honda CBF125 buying guide here

Yamaha YZF-R125 (2008-2018)

From £1750 | 124cc single | 15bhp | 142kg | 818mm seat

Back in 2008 your choice of learner-legal sportsbike was pretty much between Aprilia’s fragile two-stroke RS125 and Honda’s microscopically tiny CBR125. Yamaha’s clean-sheet YZF-R125 landed slap-bang between the two goalposts: stylish, substantial and satisfyingly sporty. The four-stroke, liquid-cooled single was designed from the start to make the required 15bhp, but its long-stroke design meant it had surprising eagerness at middling revs, with peak power coming at just 9000rpm. The second-gen version from 2014 added upside-down forks and a radial front brake caliper, while ABS was an option from 2015. It was overhauled again in 2019 with variable valve timing, but our £2500 budget won’t stretch that far. It might just about get you a second-gen model, however, and if you can find one with ABS we’d wholeheartedly recommend it. Well-built, fun to ride, looks credible and a decent size, a used YZF-R125 makes a superb learner sportsbike.

Read our Yamaha YZF-R125 buying guide here

Most economical learner motorcycle

Honda CB125F

£3149 | 124cc single | 11bhp | 117kg | 790mm seat

Honda’s press blurb for the latest CB125F states two fuel economy figures: 66.7km/L and 71.4km/L, which translates to either 188.4mpg or 201.7mpg. Whichever is correct, it’s enough to make this the most frugal new 125cc motorcycle on the market. The CB125F uses what Honda calls an “enhanced Smart Power engine”, which turns out to look a lot like an air-cooled, two-valve single making just shy of 11bhp. It might be small and steady, but the CB’s unmatched fuel-sipping ability means it can potentially clear 450 miles before needing to refuel its 11-litre tank. A big update in 2021 cut a whopping 7kg from the engine (we’re surprised it weighed that much to begin with) and added a combined starter/generator for quiet, near-instant starts. One feature it still lacks though is ABS – Honda instead use a linked CBS system. But who needs brakes when you’re trying to save fuel?

Read our Honda CB125F review here

Honda Super Cub C125

£3869 | 124cc single | 10bhp | 111kg | 780mm seat

The original 1958 Honda Super Cub was a flagship of frugality, so it’s fitting to find that seven decades and 100 million bikes later its modern namesake continues to keep up the family tradition. The latest C125 claims to deliver 1.5L/100km, which in English works out to 188.3mpg. Good thing too, because the fuel tank holds just 3.7 litres, giving a theoretical range of just 152 miles. The air-cooled single feeds its 10bhp through a four-speed gearbox and an automatic centrifugal clutch, with an enclosed chain delivering it to the rear wheel. The Cub looks phenomenal, has keyless ignition and front-only ABS, and weighs just 111kg with a full tank. In 2025 it’s as much nostalgic homage as it is gritty everyday commuter, but who says you can’t look and feel good while cutting your fuel costs?

Read our Honda Super Cub C125 review here

Benelli BN125

£2599 | 125cc single | 11bhp | 142kg | 770mm seat

Italian style meets Chinese economics. Benelli’s roots may go back to 1911, but since 2005 they’ve been owned by the Qianjiang Motorcycle Group, aka QJMotor. Their BN125 is a sleek and stylish design, with a fetching steel trellis frame, upside-down forks and a monoshock rear. Its air-cooled, four-stroke motor isn’t quite as modern, making just 11bhp and paired to a five-speed gearbox. But it’s the fuel economy we’re here for, and Benelli claim a figure of 1.7L/100km, or 166mpg in old money. Fed by a 13.5-litre fuel tank, that gives a theoretical range of an astonishing 493 miles. And with its price currently discounted to £2599, it’s enormously affordable too. If you’re looking for a bike that’s easy on the eye and easy on the wallet, Benelli’s BN125 might just fit the bill.

Lightest learner motorcycle

Honda MSX125 Grom

£3929 | 124cc single | 10bhp | 103kg | 761mm seat

If you’re after a lightweight, learner-legal 125, we don’t think you can find anything lighter than Honda’s MSX125 Grom. Even with its 6-litre fuel tank brimmed, the Grom’s kerb weight is a phenomenally featherweight 103kg, or a smidge over 16 stone in imperial. If you’re starting to feel self-conscious, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The ‘M’ in ‘MSX’ stands for Mini (Street X-treme, if you’re wondering) and boy does it deliver on that promise. You get an air-cooled motor, a five-speed gearbox, a steel backbone frame, a pair of titchy 12-inch wheels… and that’s about all there is to it. Actually, that’s not quite true – there is an ABS system, informed by an IMU to help avoid stoppies. And there is even room for a pillion, which isn’t something you can say for its Monkey sibling. Light in weight, small in stature, but huge fun in the right setting, and astonishingly popular too.

Read our Honda MSX125 review here

Honda Monkey

£4059 | 124cc single | 9bhp | 105kg | 776mm

If Honda’s Monkey looks a little toy-like, there’s good reason for that. The original was created back in 1961 for kids to play on at a Japanese amusement park. A road-legal version then followed, and its legendary status was soon cemented when its popularity exploded during the ’60s and ’70s. In 2018 Honda brought the name back to Europe, on a bike based around the MSX125. All the Monkey motifs were present and correct: balloon tyres, calf-hugging silencer, mini-ape (lol) bars, twin shocks, peanut tank and deeply padded saddle. However, gone was the twist-and-go simplicity, swapped for a manual clutch and gearbox. For 2025 the Monkey has been cleaned up to the latest Euro 5+ emissions standard, and comes in three snazzy new paintschemes. Weighing 105kg with its 5.6-litre tank full, it's a fair bit larger than the original Monkey, which it needs to be given it’s designed for somewhat bigger kids. But the Monkey’s primary purpose remains unchanged: to make people happy.

Read our Honda Monkey review here

Honda ST125 DAX

£3799 | 124cc single | 9bhp | 107kg | 775mm seat

Another flavour of Honda’s 125cc minibike range, the Dax is a knowing nod to the original 1970s ST 50, 70 and 90, whose distinctive pressed steel frame supposedly make the bike look like a Dachshund sausage dog. The modern Dax shares its air-cooled engine, four-speed gearbox and centrifugal clutch with Honda’s Super Cub C125, making it effortlessly easy to ride. However, like the Cub it also has a miniscule fuel tank, with a capacity of just 3.8 litres. Still, long trips aside the Dax is a funktastic flyweight, with a kerb weight of just 107kg, or in Honda terms roughly half an NC750X. It borrows the Grom’s 12-inch wheels, has disc brakes at both ends, and there’s even an IMU-based ABS system designed to prevent rear lift.

Read our Honda Dax review here

Best sports bikes for learner riders

Yamaha R125

£5450 | 125cc single | 15bhp | 141kg | 820mm seat

Yamaha’s YZF-R125 has been a fully faired favourite since the moment it landed in 2008. In 2023 it got restyled to look a bit more like its R-series family, with a big central cutout in the fairing nose used to hide the main headlight – a touch that perhaps carries even more kudos now Yamaha’s range has been bolstered by the stunning R9. The R125 (no more ‘YZF’, apparently) has a 15bhp water-cooled single that mostly differs from the 2008 original thanks to its variable valve actuation system. This lets the motor switch seamlessly between two different intake cams – one prioritising torque at lower engine speeds, the other power at higher revs. The latest model also has a 5-inch colour TFT with smartphone connectivity, plus traction control and even an optional quickshifter (£155).

Read our Yamaha R125 review here

Suzuki GSX-R125

£5199 | 124cc single | 15bhp | 137kg | 785mm seat

Behold: the only GSX-R in Suzuki’s UK lineup. The 600, 750 and 1000 all came and went, but the GSX-R125 remains. And while it clearly isn’t a pure performance machine, there is something it shares with its more famous forefathers: lightness. Given learner-legal 125s are limited to 15bhp anyway, Suzuki reasonably concluded that, if you can’t add more power, you could instead make a quicker bike by removing weight. The result is that a fully fuelled GSX-R125 tips the scales at just 137kg, which is less than Yamaha’s R125 or Aprilia’s RS125. And that, in turn, means an owner can reasonably brag that they have the best power-to-weight ratio of any 125 sportsbike. There’s less to boast over on the chassis side however, with conventional forks, slim tyres and basic brakes, but the GSX-R does have ABS, an LCD dash and keyless ignition.

Read our Suzuki GSX-R125 review here

Aprilia RS125

£5230 | 124cc single | 15bhp | 144kg | 820mm seat

Riders of a certain age will coo and nod knowingly at the name ‘Aprilia RS125’. From the early 1990s it was arguably the ultimate exotic 125cc sportsbike, powered by a furious, frantic and famously fragile two-stroke motor. But during the 2000s it found itself increasingly choked up by tightening emissions limits, and for 2011 it was replaced by a four-stroke RS4 125. In 2017 it officially inherited the RS125 name; in 2021 it got a fresh RS660-style fairing; and now for 2025 the latest model gains traction control and a Euro 5+ motor that still kicks out the full 15bhp. No, it doesn’t shriek and scream like its namesake did 30 years ago, but it’s still stunningly handsome, still has a tasty twin-spar aluminium frame, and any right-minded rider would still feel immensely proud to stick an L-plate on an RS125 today.

Read our Aprilia RS125 review here

If you’d like to chat about this article or anything else biking related, join us and thousands of other riders at the Bennetts BikeSocial Facebook page, or better still at our new community site, ‘BikeClub’ which can be found here: bikeclub.bennetts.co.uk.