2024-on Yamaha RayZR review – affordable, fun, cheap to run

Yamaha’s RayZR is easy to ride with performance peppy enough for town work, decent underseat storage and a modest level of equipment, including a handy start/stop system to save fuel. It’s well finished, too, but there’s nothing ground-breaking about it.

It’s a simple, good-to-honest 125cc scooter that will make the perfect workhorse for commuters, delivery and new riders in and around town.

Being small, larger riders might need to look for something physically bigger for extra space and comfort. But what makes the Yamaha impressive is the price. Costing just £2301 at launch, and now a couple hundred quid more in 2025, it’s the cheapest of all its big brand rivals.

Although you can buy for less from some of the less well-known brands, they won’t have the kind of main dealer back up you get from Yamaha. Add in its excellent fuel economy and it won’t break the bank to own.

It’s a physically small machine, but even as a six-footer with size 10 plates of meat there’s enough foot room and a decent gap between my legs and the bodywork, but if you’re tall the bars will catch your knees during tight U-turns.

The wide, generously padded two level seat is nice and comfy and the bars placed naturally, but larger riders will want something bigger, especially if you plan to carry a pillion, but the RayZR will be fine for most, whether you’re cutting your teeth on a 125 for the first time, a seasoned commuter or delivery rider.

Running on a 10in rear and 12in front wheels (shod with Maxxis rubber) and weighing just 99kg, the Yamaha is light, agile and perfect for low-speed manoeuvres as it is pushing it around to park. There’s enough dry grip and composure from the chassis for spirited cornering, especially if you drag the rear brake for extra stability.

A single-piston front caliper bites a 190mm disc up front and there’s a drum brake at the rear. There’s no ABS, but the brakes are linked using Yamaha’s ‘Unified Brake System’.

Using just the rear brake will automatically give you a small amount of front and if when you use both together the braking force is distributed equally between front and back. The brakes are progressive and stop you reassuringly in an emergency.

The RayZR is fun to zip about, like most scooters, even if you’re used to a ‘proper’ motorcycle. It’s two-wheeled freedom that beats commuting in a car or public transport.

It’s powered by an 8bhp, fuel-injected, single-cylinder, air-cooled, SOHC, two valve 'Blue Core’ engine. It’ll do around 60mph, although it takes its time to get there.

It isn’t the fastest 125cc scooter in the world, but its engine is smooth and has enough performance to leave cars in your wake at the lights and keep up with town traffic.

It also has an electrical ‘Power Assist’ system that gives a small power boost from the battery when you pull away. The extra oomph isn’t something you really feel, but with just 8bhp (most 125s make around 12bhp-15bhp) any extra assistance is welcome.

It never feels underpowered at its launch in the streets of Margate, but if you want to add dual carriageways to your journey, you’ll probably want to choose a 125 with a few more bhp to avoid being slipstreamed by lorries.

Being a twist-and-go, the RayZR is a piece of cake to ride and even has a ‘Start & Stop’ function that kills the engine at a standstill, which Yamaha says improves fuel consumption by 4%.

Twisting the throttle reactivates the engine and off you go. It also has a kickstart, just in case the battery ever goes flat. Talking of economy, Yamaha claim an impressive 157mpg, which should give a 179 mile range from its 5.2-litre fuel tank.

The Yamaha is clearly built down to a price, but it’s well screwed together with decent satin paint (red, black or cyan) finishes. It’s too early to comment on long-term reliability and overall durability.

Costing just £2501, or £49/month on PCP with no deposit, Yamaha’s new RayZR is the cheapest 125cc twist-and-go scooter from any of the mainstream motorcycle manufacturers.

That includes the likes of Piaggio, Kymco, Honda and Suzuki. Of course, you can find any number of cheaper offerings from Chinese manufacturers, many of which do the job, but if you want the peace of mind that a Yamaha badge and its dealer network brings, look no further.

Equipment level is basic, but the Yamaha has all the bases covered for a simple commuter. It has big, vibe-free mirrors, a small screen and 21-litre’s worth of underseat storage. That's big enough for a small shopping trip, or to store an open face lid. It even comes with a screwdriver and spanner.

It also as an LED headlight, tail light and ‘Y’ shaped daytime running light in the nose.

The LCD dash displays is no-frills, but it shows everything you need: speed, time, a trip, mpg readout and fuel gauge.