As the cost of living gets higher, so the demand for more flexible and inexpensive forms of personal transport has risen. In recent years we’ve seen a number of Chinese scooter and small motorcycle brands, such as Lexmoto and Sinnis, make serious inroads with both the quality of their products and their market penetration. Lexmoto, for example, regularly outsell established brands like Kawasaki and Suzuki, producing a range of 125cc scoots from between £2000 and £4000.
That said Japanese giants Honda and Yamaha have bossed the UK 125cc scooter market in recent years. Yamaha’s NMAX has proved hugely popular with delivery riders and commuters alike, displacing the Honda PCX125 as the best selling scoot on these shores and taking the title of Britain’s best selling powered two wheeler in 2023.
But for some commuters, even the £3777 NMAX is more than they need for their daily riding. We’re a big fan of utilitarian scooters and motorcycles and if all you need is a set of wheels to get you to and from work each day, there are plenty of even cheaper forms of transport out there that can work out to be cheaper than a travelcard.
At £2300, the new-for-2024 Yamaha RayZR is priced up right there with the best of the Chinese brands. It’s only £120 more than sporty Lexmoto Diablo, for example, and a good £299 less than the least expensive model in Suzuki’s three-scooter budget 125 range, which are built in India and start with the very solid Address 125 at £2599. It slots in behind the D’elight as Yamaha’s cheapest powered two-wheeler.
Sure, the RayZR’s spec sheet is basic, but it still looks pretty funky in either a red or black livery. It also gets you from A-to-B with minimum fuss. If that’s all you’re looking for, frankly you don’t really need anything more. The sporty styling puts it more in line with Suzuki’s Avenis and although there’s only 8bhp on tap, its lighter than pretty much every other 125cc scooter on the market, with only 99kg plus the rider to haul around. Expect a top speed of around 50mph, with more than enough acceleration to hold its own in the city.
It's as simple as motorcycling gets, but in many ways that should be the appeal of the RayZR. It’s learner legal, meaning you can ride it on L plates after doing a day’s CBT training, and the twist and go transmission and low weight should make it a doddle to ride. There’s a bit of space under the saddle to store a helmet during the day, and to carry a bit of shopping on the run home.
Like the Suzuki range, the Yamaha’s engine is air-cooled and the whole thing is assembled in India, where it has been on sale for a few years now, keeping the costs to a minimum while still benefiting from the dealer network and brand recognition of a major brand.
