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  1. #1 Review of the Yamaha YBR 125 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    I've owned a YBR 125 in Beijing for several months now, and felt it was time to let others know about my thoughts. I think a lot of people are seriously considering this bike, as it is a great commuter in the major cities (and legal), it isn't too expensive, and has the "Yamaha" brand name. It is made in China by the JV Jianshe Yamaha.

    In late winter 2010/11, I paid about 10,000 rmb (new) plus tax, reg, insurance and plate. I bought this bike for several reasons:

    1) As an in-city commuter. Anyone who lives in Beijing will understand the value of a narrow 2-wheel motorbike. Commutes are effortless & front-door parking is always available, and usually free.

    2) It is a good learner bike for my sweety, as well as a few others whom I am teaching how to ride at a more intermediate level.

    3) It is 100% legal anywhere in Beijing, and can easily cruise at 90 to 100 kms/hr.

    4) I have always liked little bikes, as they are a complete blast in most non-interstate highway conditions. I grew up on a farm with Honda 50s and 90s ... little bikes are in my blood.

    I own several bikes in Beijing, varying from scooters to huge cruisers, but this Yamaha has become my go-to bike for most trips I make inside the city. Actually, it is tied with a little Suzuki 125 scooter I also have - the scooter can carry a lot more groceries in all of its nooks & crannies, whereas the Yamaha can carry nothing.

    So ... getting started with the review:

    The Purchase:

    I bought it from Qili Motors in south Beijing. Qili is one of Beijing's largest MC dealers, but it is not the authorized Yamaha dealer. The Yamaha dealer is near impossible to find, despite several attempts, so I gave up on them. Anyways, I had bought a few bikes from Qili and it knows me.

    I had to wait several weeks for the A plates, and although the price of A plates rose during that period, Qili honored its original A plate price (a rare thing in China).

    The bike was sitting in the showroom, so people were all over it while it waited its plates. Nevertheless, when I went to pick up the plated bike, there were not any scratches or signs of visible damage.

    The bike was delivered "Chinese-dealer-style". Basically, they rolled it out of the showroom onto the sidewalk and handed me the keys. As usual, they reminded me where I could buy gas, as they only put a thimble's worth in. They "forgot" to give me the owner's manual, they "forgot" to check the bike over, and so on - basically, it was a Chinese delivery ... we've got your money, you've got your bike, now get lost.

    After "discussion", I got the owner's manual and I had one of their "mechanics" do a quick check. But the mechanic was so reluctant and so incompetent (he "checked" the tire pressure by putting almost 40 pounds in the front ... until I insisted he go back to his shop and get a tire pressure gauge ... idiot), I ended up realizing that I better just get it home and do my own delivery set-up. The bike looked ok to ride the not-too-far distance home.

    The ride home:

    Well, with a fresh tank of gas I headed off ... and the bike stalled, and stalled, and stalled ... and then over-rev'd and over-rev'd and over-rev'd. This is a carburetor model.

    The front brake also needed adjustment, as did the clutch. I did a quickie at the gas station.

    Grrrr ... Chinese "mechanics" and Chinese "post sale delivery service"

    By the time I noticed that these over-revs and stalling was not due to my unfamiliarity with the choke, I was already half way home, and I had other appointments I was already late for. I just took the bike home and parked it.

    The first few weeks:

    After a few days, I went over the bike ... sure enough, things were mounted incorrectly, fasteners were loose, the chain wasn't adjusted properly (or lubed), and so on and so on. But I've been in China long enough and bought enough bikes here to realize this is the norm. So I did a quick once over and fixed what I could.

    I took it out for a spin - same thing - stall, over-reving. OK, back to Qili.

    Down at Qili, they assumed that this dumb foreigner didn't understand anything ... and their brilliant mechanic simply adjusted the idle screw and tried to send me on my way. He tried to tell me "yeah, sure, idling at 3,500 RPM is ok for a new bike ... then it won't stall."

    I refused to accept this idiot's diagnosis & solution, but Qili said I couldn't leave the bike there because they had no room. Fine. I took the bike back home (stall, rev, stall, rev, stall, rev ... etc).

    A few days later, I managed to chat with the owner of Qili and convinced him that this 125 wasn't running properly ... and to please give it to someone competent for a few days and let them use it, and see for themselves. Fair enough, I dropped it off the next day.

    Still a few days later, I picked the bike up ... Qili assured me everything was now fine. It had been fixed. OK, great. Rode it home ... stall, rev, stall, rev, stall, rev. WTF?!?!?!?! Those bastards didn't do a damn thing!

    Back to Qili later in the day ... furious! I finally blew my gasket and ranted at the idiots. Within 2 hours, I had a new carb - pirated off a showroom bike. Frankly, if they didn't do it, I was going to. I had brought my own tools. At a minimum, I was going to take the carb off, myself, at Qili, and teach the moron mechanic how a carb works and why it would be doing this.

    Rode it home with my new carb & it ran perfectly. It has run perfectly since. Starts effortlessly, idles perfectly under all conditions, and never skips a beat. Wonder what happened to my old carb? I can almost guarantee you it is the next customer's problem ... the one who subsequently bought the showroom bike my new carb came from.

    The moral of the story ... when one Chinese dealer recognizes that there is something called "delivery set-up" and "post sales service", that dealer will have foreign customers beating a path to its door. The problem is ... nobody gives a sh1t ... and it almost seems as though everyone accepts this abysmal state as perfectly acceptable. I guess 99% of the dealers' customers don't know any other way.

    So, the YBR 125 had a rocky start due to the dealer, not the manufacturer (I'll have plenty to blame Yamaha for, later).

    But, a thousand kms in, the bike runs perfectly every time now.

    pics to follow, as well as more info on how it rides, handles, and its quality-control issues.
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  2. #2 Re: Review of the Yamaha YBR 125 
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    Thanks for the writeup. I was torn between this and my bike and then chose the extra 74cc and farklings over the Yamaha brand. I never thought I'd find a worse dealer than the Shineray shop I know here. It's exactly what you said, they have the money, you have the keys.. now get lost, or try to at least.

    And I second your story about ripping parts off showroom bikes, and I remember coming back a month later, I can still see the bike has no chain guard, and my shitty battery. What would happen if someone walked in and wanted to buy the bike? No luck getting them to order parts for me either.
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  3. #3 Re: Review of the Yamaha YBR 125 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    Here is a try out of the YBR 125 "female fit". This is in front of Qili motors. That is one of the "master mechanics" squatting in the background, as well as his own personal ride (the pink girl's bicycle). Seriously, that is the mechanic's bicycle! The guy sitting in the green chair is in the "service center waiting lounge". Welcome to China.



    Another pic ...



    The bike's size seems appropriate.

    At the other end of the "sizing" spectrum, one time during my first few weeks of carb problems, a buddy from the "old country" who was visiting me in Beijing came down to Qili to pick up the Yamaha. He rode down in my sidecar, and rode the "repaired" YBR back home while I rode the sidecar back home.



    My buddy is a little larger than my female Chinese tester, but he said the YBR was surprisingly comfortable (for reference, he normally rides a HUGE cruiser back home).

    Unfortunately, I do not have any pics of him on the YBR. But I do recall everyone at Qili wondering if the YBR was going to make it to the end of the block when he got on. Truthfully, the YBR handled him no problem. It's a peppy little bike with enough power for zipping around, and the suspension seems like it would handle a normal-sized person with some luggage.
    Last edited by Lao Jia Hou; 07-22-2012 at 01:57 PM.
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  4. #4 Re: Review of the Yamaha YBR 125 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    The YBR125 that is available in China is slightly different from that offered in other countries.

    I am going to “borrow” some Yamaha pics of the overseas YBR125 as they are of a professional quality. The apparent differences between the countries are minor.

    First, the bike is available in three colors: black, red and silver.







    Second, the Chinese YBR125 has a carburetor, whereas the overseas YBR125 is now fuel-injected.



    Third, the mirrors on the overseas YBRs seem to be a better quality. The ones that come on the Chinese YBRs are definitely inferior, cheap substitutes (more on this later).





    Fourth, the overseas YBRs come with a luggage carrier, whereas the Chinese YBR comes only with a passenger grab rail. I have been unable to find a genuine Yamaha carrier in China. That has been a disappointment.



    Aside from that, the bikes are supposedly identical. Some will argue that the quality of welding, assembly, etc is inferior in China. Not owning an overseas YBR, I cannot comment on that. The YBR I have, however, seems to be ok in most regards, so far. I looked it over and nothing seems to jump out at me as obviously inferior.

    Some have commented on early rusting, although I have not seen any rusting, so far, on the frame, exhaust or any other normally susceptible areas.

    Finally, the headlight – in China, there are two options … the classic, naked-style version shown in the above pics, or the apparently more “sporty” fairing style look we purchased. It is a personal preference. The only difference is the plastic fairing and the lens.


    Controls:

    The YBR125 has a raised & pullback style of handlebars which are surprisingly comfortable. In my case (180 cms tall), the bars fit me perfectly.



    The standard controls (turn signals, lights, high beam, passing-flash, starter button, kill switch) are in all the right places and work well. They seem to feel like they are reasonably good quality for a bike of this type/size/price. I have not experienced any early looseness of the switches (especially turn signals) as is often the case with entry-level bikes.

    The instrument cluster is good, with large, easy to ready analog speedo, tach, and gas gauges (I love having a gas gauge). There are idiot lights for left/right turn indicators, oil, engine check, and Neutral. What is missing, however, is a gear position indicator. I really like gear indicators when zipping through city traffic. The turn signals are super quiet – make them noisy, Yamaha, so we know when the signal light is still on.

    The ignition key is in the usual centre spot above the triple tree. Once nice feature (thanks Yamaha) is that the steering will lock in either direction. I’ve noticed several small bikes these days only lock in the left position (side stand side).

    The clutch and brake levers are horrible. Although they are correctly positioned, easily adjusted, and seem to operate fine, the quality of the materials is terrible. My clutch lever broke in half one day when I bumped into the bike. Seriously, I bumped into the bike with my hip and the clutch lever broke in two. Upon closer observation, the very cheap pig iron (or whatever else was used), looks extremely fragile & brittle. It is only on the control levers that I have noticed this, but it is certainly cause for concern. To make matters worse, no one has a replacement clutch lever in stock … which is perhaps just as well, as I want to replace them with a higher quality set.

    The rear brake lever (right side foot) is nice and wide and at just the right distance from the foot peg, and there is an interesting engine guard shield to keep one’s shiny black pleather loafers (standard wear in China) from melting.



    The gear shifter (left side foot) is a heel/toe shifter (standard 1 down, 4 up). Because this seems to only be on Chinese versions, I assume that this helps keeps the top of one’s shiny loafers shiny, as you don’t need to lift up with your toes to shift. One thing, though, is that the heel shift is tucked in pretty close to the engine case. I am not a heel shifter on little bikes, so I have only experimented with this heel shift a couple of times on the YBR125 … and I didn’t like it … it is too close to the engine. But this may simply be because I have HUGE foreign flippers.

    Both foot pegs are properly positioned for a comfortable, well-controlled upright riding position. The pegs’ tops are wide and flat – comfortable. The passengers’ foot pegs are also relatively wide and flat and seem to be properly positioned. Quality looks good for this type of bike.

    I really like the comfortable seat. It is wide, properly cushioned, correctly positioned, and vented with tiny holes (this makes a huge difference on hot humid days). The disadvantage of the seat is that it is too difficult to remove (remove both side covers and then unbolt two 10 mm bolts, then unhook and lift). There isn’t anything under the seat, really, but I just like having the ability to remove a seat (old school, I guess). I also like tucking my bike’s registration papers under there.



    The mirrors are terrible – really, really cheap plastic things. Again, one day I brushed the left side mirror and it shattered. Like the clutch lever, I have never in my life experienced anything similar. Yamaha, are you reading this? Get your act together! Decent parts are not much more money in the manufacturing process, and putting el-cheapo parts in obvious locations on an otherwise good bike is a very bad idea!

    Back at Qili, when it saw my shattered mirror & realized it did not have a replacement in stock, it swiped a mirror off some other customer’s YBR125 bike that was in for service and gave it to me. Incredible. I really wonder what happens when these other customers show up. But Qili wouldn’t give me a replacement clutch lever. For now, I ride with half a clutch lever (again, I have farmer roots … so it is no problem).

    Dear Yamaha – good bike – but really crappy high-visibility parts in the control levers and mirrors. Fix this!
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  5. #5 Re: Review of the Yamaha YBR 125 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    Continuing on … this time with my amateur pics, taken in my underground parking lot, while my bike was dirty & dusty. I will replace them once it stops raining in Beijing & I get outside with the bike.


    First, here is a pic of my broken clutch lever. What could’ve caused this to fail from a bump? Amazing.



    Next, here is the backside of the left hand mirror, showing the Yamaha logo. This is the replacement mirror, lifted from some other poor sap’s bike in for service. Yamaha should not be putting these low quality items on its bikes.



    Here is a pic of the heel / toe shifter found on the Chinese model:



    Here is a pic of the right hand control pod with the Kill Switch found on the Chinese model (but not showing on the European model pics above):



    Here is a pic of the Carburetor Choke (highlighted in green) that is located on the left side of the bike, in a difficult to reach location (i.e., while riding). Further, it is not obvious whether up is choke on or off, or is it down? I wish Yamaha (and all the other manufacturers) would make it more obvious.



    This is the right side of the Carb … with the idle stop screw that the “master mechanic” felt would solve the silly foreigner’s complaint about idling/over rev-ing.



    I suppose fuel injection is “better”, although I personally prefer the simplicity of a carb. One can actually see and touch and fix everything, without having to deal with the hidden black box ECU.

    The bike did not come with any engine guards … and that is on my “to-do” list. The engine / exhaust is painfully exposed.



    You can also see the single road runner type “meep meep” horn. Typical with all bikes these days.

    The fairing, from a side view …



    The left turn front signal light. This also fell out one day when I brushed it, but it appears to actually be designed to do that. All of the turn signals are encased in a flexible rubber type arm. That is wonderful if the bike ever falls over. Also, the signals are secured to the bike by a type of slip-on rubber/plastic washer on the inside of the mount. This allows the entire arm assembly to break-away if the arm is flexed too much. Remounting is simply sliding the slip-on washer back into place.

    Clever, clever design Yamaha – this is one of the reasons why I have been faithful to this company for a long time.



    Finally, here are two pics of the rear wheel axle assembly and shocks. It is a rear drum brake and adjustable shocks. I currently have the shocks set to the lowest setting to try it out. Soon, I will go to the other extreme. I also like the very simple chain adjustment system … nothing complicated here.





    Next up will be riding impressions.
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  6. #6 Re: Review of the Yamaha YBR 125 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    Riding impressions are a completely personal thing. But here goes, anyways …

    First, one has to understand & appreciate this bike for what it is – it is a 125cc city commuter that allows occasional jaunts out into the mountains. It does this very, very well. The true diehard adventurers will ride one of these around the world. I have no doubt it is capable.

    Second, one has to ignore one’s “helpful friends” who comment “You bought a new bike? Why didn’t you buy the new Ducatti Monster instead?” OK, it is what it is.

    Third, I think the true test of these types of bikes is in their undying reliability over all conditions and an extended period of time. My experience with most small displacement bikes I’ve owned is that they just keep going, and going, and going, and going. They should not break down, but if they do (they are machines, after all), the repair should be easy, quick and inexpensive.

    So … getting on the bike and starting it. The bike goes on, and comes off, its center stand very easily - incredibly easy, in fact. That is important for many new riders. The side stand, however, seems to lean the bike just a bit too far for my taste. With the bike on its left side stand, and the front wheel turned left, the mirror and handle grip hang out too far into pathways … hence, that is how I bumped and broke both the mirror and clutch lever.

    The bike starts within a moment, each time, and every time, with or without choke. It won’t idle when cold if the choke isn’t on, but it still starts. Again, an amazing feature of most little bikes. I remember my AMF Harley that needed the planets in perfect alignment before it would start … and die a few seconds later. I hated that bike.

    It takes only a few minutes to get the YBR to an operating temperature that allows the Choke to be fully opened.

    Gear selection is assuredly positive and always very easy. This YBR125 has got to be one of the easiest bikes I have ever ridden for finding Neutral. My one complaint is that there should be a gear indicator, for city traffic. One’s attention is always on something else (pedestrians, cars, traffic lights, bicycles, etc) and it is easy to forget which gear one is in.

    The gear range seems fine. Moving through the gears, it is never necessary to reach a high RPM before shifting. It is also easy to start in 2nd gear from a standing stop.

    One can quickly reach speed in almost all city traffic conditions, easily outpacing cars.

    It sounds like a little bike, only much quieter. This must have something to do with the emissions control exhaust system, incorporated into the massive muffler hanging out on the right side of the bike. It is a very quiet bike.

    It is light weight and has narrow tires … therefore, it is affected by wind. I wouldn’t want to ride this through a wind storm on a highway, but inside town it is not a concern.

    It is very narrow and can easily split & weave its way through Beijing traffic, much to the dismay of car owners stuck in the ever-present nightmare traffic jams.

    I could probably pop wheelies with it, as it seems to have enough power and the gearing seems right, but that isn’t my style. I have never experienced any concern with lack of power/torque riding around town. My 125 Suzuki scooter with a CVT transmission does occasionally have me wishing for more power, but this Yamaha always has enough, given the right gear and RPMs.

    One isn’t going to be knee-sliding this bike through corners, nor do I think it could handle it. But again, that isn’t what this bike is about.

    Overall, I would say that the Yamaha YBR125 is a well-balanced city commuter that won’t get you into trouble and has enough power to get you out of potential trouble, when needed. It has a very predictable ride, and also a very forgiving ride. It is certainly an excellent beginner’s bike. I’d rate it at about 8 out of 10.

    Finally, it has surprised me the type of reactions I get riding it around Beijing. I get a lot of thumbs up at traffic lights, and people coming over to chat about it when it is parked. In fact, more than I get from my so-called cool big-bike cruiser. The only negatives or snide comments I ever get are from foreigners on big cruisers … probably because they are cooking their legs, stuck in traffic because their bike is too big to weave through the madness of Beijing traffic. Oh well, I am secure enough with my manhood to happily zip around on my YBR125.

    It’s a good bike. It would be a great bike if Yamaha wouldn’t go cheap on some parts, whip its dealers into shape, and offer a decent assortment of aftermarket accessories (like a carrier).
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  7. #7 Re: Review of the Yamaha YBR 125 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by slabo View Post
    Thanks for the writeup. I was torn between this and my bike and then chose the extra 74cc and farklings over the Yamaha brand. I never thought I'd find a worse dealer than the Shineray shop I know here. It's exactly what you said, they have the money, you have the keys.. now get lost, or try to at least.

    And I second your story about ripping parts off showroom bikes, and I remember coming back a month later, I can still see the bike has no chain guard, and my shitty battery. What would happen if someone walked in and wanted to buy the bike? No luck getting them to order parts for me either.
    Yeah, I don't really know what goes through their minds. Unfortunately, even in Beijing, a city of 20 million, there are not a lot of options to take our business elsewhere. Alas, it must be taken in stride.

    And I think that they are dumbfounded when someone with a little bit of mechanical knowledge shows up and is willing to question / challenge the "master mechanic."

    The YBR125 is a good little bike for its intended purpose. It is too bad that the purchasing, delivery & support processes are so terrible. One tends to hate the innocent bike because of the frustrations.
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  8. #8 Re: Review of the Yamaha YBR 125 
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    Awesome write up great impression and a good showing for the bike if not so much for the dealer

    thx
    Gardo northern NJ/NYC
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  9. #9 Re: Review of the Yamaha YBR 125 
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    Thanks for the review LJH. I think you're spot on about this being a good round-the-world bike. i've often thought about what bike i'd pick to ride back to europe, and usually concluded that it would be this one. Every country has it so even if it did break down it would not be a big deal.
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  10. #10 Re: Review of the Yamaha YBR 125 
    Danger, Will Robinson! Lao Jia Hou's Avatar
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    Thanks Gardo & Felix.

    I agree that this would be an ideal RTW bike with some easy mods. The YBR125 seems to be especially popular in India, and it has a wide network of accessories there.

    I forgot to mention two important features:

    1) It comes with tubeless tires! Now THAT is a nice luxury. Sooooooo easy to fix punctures ... no wheel/tire removal, no tubes ... heaven! Repair kits are tiny, lightweight, and easy to use.

    2) The mileage ... this bike gets between 55 and 70 kms per liter! Yes, per LITER! So, even with its comparatively small 12 liter tank, its range is fantastic!

    Lemme know when you want to leave for the UK.
    Last edited by Lao Jia Hou; 08-16-2011 at 08:57 PM.
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