Top Ten 125cc Bikes | Best 125cc Motorbike | Devitt

EVER feel like you’ve been born at the wrong time? I started riding in the 1980s, and the 125cc learner law had only just come into effect a few years before in 1983.

Before then, riders on L-plates could ride bikes up to 250cc – meaning the likes of Yamaha’s RD250LC, with 30bhp, were totally legal for novices.

And with no CBT in place, you could literally get straight onto a 250LC aged 17, having never so much as ridden round a car park, with no barriers except insurance…

It’s a miracle any of us survived, and while the 125cc limit is a bit frustrating when you’re subjected to it, it probably makes a bit of sense.

And with modern chassis and engine tech, the current crop of A1-licence-compliant eighth-litre machines can be a lot of fun, despite the 15bhp power limit.

Here’s our pick of ten of the best 125cc motorcycles available now – they don’t have 30bhp, but they’re still great little bikes…

Once you’ve chosen your favourite 125cc, then make sure you give us a shout for your 125cc motorbike insurance!