Yamaha NMAX 125 (2020 - ) - Review & Buying Guide

2020 model was 125cc for the UK Market, but 155cc overseas. Both models looks the same though.

Regularly one of the UK’s best-selling scooters (Yamaha sell over 3500 a year, mainly to delivery riders!), the NMAX 125 offers excellent value for money when new and that makes it an incredibly tempting prospect in the used market. Highly-specified and extremely practical, the sporty-looking and fun to ride NMAX 125 is also very cheap to run thanks to its Blue Core engine’s impressive economy figures. Now in its third generation, the NMAX has gradually evolved to include an impressive level of tech for a 125 however the heart of the bike remains the same so if your budget it tight, you aren’t missing out too much should you decide to forgo a bit of tech to hit a lower price tag with an earlier generation. If you are after hassle-free urban transport, the NMAX 125 is a hard act to beat. And while you might read online that the NMAX was released in 2015, although it was launched in Indonesia in this year, it didn’t arrive in the UK until 2020 due to Covid.

Pros & Cons

2021 model saw slight styling tweaks and engine changes

2020 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Prices

The NMAX 125 has always been keenly priced and Yamaha have made a point of pitching it directly at the Honda PCX 125. That said, the RRP has crept up from its original £2599 in 2019 to the 2025 model’s £3600 (or £3900 in Tech MAX form). In the used market you can pick up an early NMAX 125 for £999 however that will be in a private sale and the bike will probably be a bit tired. Dealer prices start at £1500 however the sweet spot is £2000, which gives you access to a wide range of bikes covering most years. There isn’t a huge price difference between the original model (2020) and the updated one (2021-2024) as scooters generally plateau in value, however if you want a good second generation model, you need to assume a price tag of £2500-£2800. The issue here is that you are getting pretty close to the RRP of a new (and updated) 2025 bike, at which point you need to start taking into account finance deals, warranty, worn parts etc and decide whether buying new makes more financial sense in the longterm than used. In truth, most scooter owners simply run their bikes into the ground, so while plentiful the used bikes for sale aren’t proportionate to the vast number actually sold new.

2020 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Engine & Performance

The Indonesian-built NMAX debuted Yamaha’s new ‘Blue Core’ engine, which is a clever bit of engineering. Fuel-injected, on paper the liquid-cooled sohc 4v motor seems a touch basic, however dig deeper and you discover its head contains Yamaha’s first ever Variable Valve Actuation (VVA) system, helping boost its performance. Also now used on the YZF-R125, this tech sees the head contain two different shapes of intake cam lobe, with one giving low-rpm performance and one more designed for top-end benefits. VVA simply swaps between the lobes at a pre-determined revs by activating a second rocker arm that is locked to the first one by an electric solenoid pushing a pin at 6000rpm, allowing it to take over the valve’s movement and altering its timing. A simple and mechanically pretty basic system, there is little to go wrong and it has proven very reliable as well as beneficial to both the bike’s performance and its fuel economy figures.

With claimed performance of 12bhp and 8.3ft.lb of torque, the NMAX 125 is A1-legal and can almost hit 70mph on a good day, which is more than enough for urban commuters. The CVT drivetrain is efficient and zippy away from traffic lights and if you want more practicality, a start/stop system was introduced in the 2021 update – although it’s not to everyone’s tastes.

In terms of reliability, the only real concern is the NMAX’s service history as the bike is very solid. According to Yamaha, the motor should be serviced every 3500 miles and this also includes a valve-clearance check (which most ignore!). The bill shouldn’t be more than £200 as its sohc design makes this fairly quick and easy to do but it is worth check that the previous owner/owners have kept on top of this as incorrect clearances can affect not only fuel economy but also potentially reliability. The spark plug is replaced at 7000-mile intervals (starting at 3500 miles), the air filter changed every 10,500 miles and the oil every 3500 miles (there is a service light reminder). It is also worth noting that the CVT V-belt should be changed every 10,500 miles (there is a warning indicator) and that’s a bill of about £150 to get done at a dealership. A few bikes have developed random starting issues, which can often be traced back to the keyless ignition’s fob’s battery being low, but on the whole all should be well. It is always a good idea to check the bike’s oil level (it has a dip stick, check it without screwing the dip stick in, just insert it into the hole until the threads touch) as the NMAX only holds 0.9L of oil so it can run low fairly easily – not that they tend to drink any oil. If the level is low, you have to wonder why. Also check the final transmission for any oil leaks and ask when it was last changed (there is only 0.15L of oil in there so it works quite hard!) - it has 7000-mile intervals. It is also worth checking the coolant level. The owner’s manual has guides on how to do all these routine checks, so use it as not everything is easy to locate due to the bike’s fairing. While doing these checks, also ensure that the plastics don’t have any broken fasteners from being forced off by the previous owner or damaged in a tip-off.

2020 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

A genuinely good handing scooter, Yamaha have always billed the NMAX as a sporty scooter and it does live up to this reputation with nimble turning at both low urban speeds and out on faster B-roads. The 13in wheels are a touch small but they are shod in fairly wide tyres and that gives a good degree of stability as well as grip, so there is little to find fault with.

Over bumps the suspension can sometimes feel a touch basic but the twin shocks have two-stage adjustable preload (from 2021-onwards) should you wish to firm things up a bit and the single front brake is more than powerful enough to stop the lightweight (131kg wet) scooter. ABS has always been standard fitment and it is a good system, just watch out for any damage to the sensor ring. Urban users quite often forget to remove disc locks, which can hit the caliper and forks leg when the bike is moved. And thieves like to steal NMAXs...

There are a lot of Cat N bikes out there for sale, which is the class for insurance write-offs that have non-structural damage and therefore can be repaired. Always perform an HPI check to see if this is the case with the bike you are viewing and if so, the chances are that it has been stolen or attempted to be stolen or crashed. This will always be on its history and devalues a bike, so ideally get one with a clean bill of health. And while you are thinking about theft, always check the steering lock works as these are broken by thieves. As on any used bike, check consumable things such as brake pads, tyre depth and fork seals as well as bearings for play and the bike for crash damage.

2020 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Comfort & Economy

It might only be a 125 but the NMAX is a very comfortable scooter with a genuine big bike feel about it that will please even those over six feet tall. The screen could be higher (it is adjustable using the bike’s tool kit and so are the bars), however this is an easy fix and lots of owners also fit heated grips and bar muffs in an effort to ease a commute. Or even a scooter apron...

When it comes to economy, the NMAX is superb. Yamaha claim it can record 129mpg and owners report that this isn’t far from the truth. The first generation came with a 6.6L tank, something that increased in size to 7.1L in the 201 update, giving it a range of around 200 miles. That’s a lot of commuting miles covered for very little petrol expense.

2020 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Equipment

The NMAX has always had ABS but in 2021 this spec was upped through the introduction of start/stop, traction control, a keyless ignition and basic connectivity in the dash. For 2025 the spec has once again been upgraded through an enhanced 4.3in dash with a better connectivity system. The Tech MAX adds a dual display with a 4.2in full colour TFT dash and 3.7in LCD one as well as inbuilt Garmin satnav.

Owners comment that the underseat storage could be better (a claimed 23L), hence the reason so many fit top boxes as well (Yamaha sell a 39L option). Not every full-face lid will sit comfortably under seat, which is annoying as Yamaha claim two lids can fit in there! Maybe two open face ones...

2020 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Rivals

The UK’s small-capacity A1-legal scooter market is dominated by the Yamaha NMAX 125 and Honda PCX 125, however there are also rivals from Suzuki as well Piaggio and various Chinese brands.

Honda PCX 125 (2010-current) | Price: £800-£3800

Read more

Power/Torque

12bhp / 8.7lb-ft

Weight

130kg

Suzuki Address 110 (2007-current) | Price: £1000-£2999

Read more

Power/Torque

9.3bhp / 6.4lb-ft

Weight

97kg

Piaggio Medley 125 (2016-current) | Price: £1500-£3800

Read more

Power/Torque

12bhp / 8.5lb-ft

Weight

132kg

2020, 2021 and 2025 models

2020 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Verdict

The sales figures speak for themselves and there is a reason the NMAX 125 regularly tops the UK’s charts – it’s a brilliant form of urban transport that won’t break the bank. Yes, the underseat storage could be better but when you consider you can buy a really good NMAX for £2500 and see how many months of train tickets that price gets you, the scooter is by far the more financially-tempting prospect. It’s bizarre that so many urban commuters burn money on public transport when a scooter such as the NMAX make so much more sense – both financially and in terms of cutting your time commuting.

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2020 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Technical Specification