Suzuki Address 125 Scooter (2023) - Review

Price: £2499 (+OTR Costs) | Power: 8.5bhp | Weight: 107kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: 4/5

A quick look at Suzuki's range of late will show it distinctly lacking in 125cc scooters – often the best sellers for other manufacturers. This gap has been plugged this year through, not by one, but by three new 125cc bikes.

The Avenis, Address and Burgman 125s are all new to the UK Market for 2023 and designed to meet three specific needs in the scooter market: the Avenis is designed to meet the needs of the younger, sportier buyer with its sharp lines and modern colourways; the Burgman to meet the er… more mature, less cash-conscious client looking for a stylish and slightly more luxurious way to get to work; and that leaves the Address which picks up where its smaller ancestor, the Address 110, left off and meets the needs of the more traditional scooter rider with its classical lines and splashes of chrome detailing.

So, where better to test the capabilities of the 2023 Suzuki Address 125 than the home of the MK Dons, concrete cows, more roundabouts than you can shake a stick at, and conveniently Suzuki UK HQ – Milton Keyes.

We spent a day with both the Avenis 125 (you can read our review of that bike here) and the Address 125 to see if they fit their respective briefs.

Review – In Detail

Price & PCP
Power & Licence Eligibility
Engine & Transmission
Economy & Storage
Handling, Wheels and Weight
Comfort & Protection
Rider aids and accessories
Rivals
Verdict
Specification

2023 Suzuki Address 125 Price

The 2023 Suzuki Address 125 is aimed squarely at the newer (but not always younger) rider, looking for an economic and unintimidating entry to the world of scooters and bikes, and this is reflected in the price. At just £2499 (£2576 including OTR costs), the Address is the cheapest (or should that be most affordable) bike in Suzuki's range and is only a hundred more than the outgoing Address 110 (good second-hand examples of which are still makes £2000 on the market).

If that low purchase price isn't attractive enough, the current finance deals from Suzuki make getting on two wheels even more affordable. A typical example would be:

Don't forget too that annual VED rates for 125cc scooters are just £22 per year so there never has been a cheaper way to get on the road.

Within that low purchase price, you get Suzuki's standard bike warranty of 3 years/unlimited mileage, and service intervals (once the 600-mile run in service is done) are every 2,400 miles (or annually).

The 2023 Address is available in three colours – Metallic Dark Greenish Blue (QTZ), Metallic Matt Bordeaux Red (QMV) (as shown in the review) and Pearl Mirage White (YPA), all priced the same, at £2499.

2023 Suzuki Address 125 Power and Licence Eligibility

As with all A1 category bikes, you'll need at least a provisional license and CBT to ride the Address 125 on public roads. You can find out much more about the CBT and learning to ride in our in-depth guide.

The Address 125 develops quite a bit less power than the maximum 11kW (14.75bhp) allowable under the A1 categorisation, at 6.4kW (8.6bhp) so, on paper at least, you might expect performance to be somewhat lacklustre. Outright power is only half the story though and if you look at the torque curve above, you can see that the engine has been designed to perform best at lower revs and deliver maximum torque when it's most useful – pulling away from traffic or joining busy roundabouts.

On the road, this translates into making the bike perform much better than you would expect for this capacity and power.

Acceleration away from traffic lights or junctions is plenty rapid enough to make sure you're first to the next set of lights and only when flat out (an indicated 60mph) does the lack of top end power make itself apparent.

Suzuki have done a great job at matching rest of the bikes transmission system to make the most of the engine too, with the CVT rollers and variator system being specifically tuned to this engine.

The end result is near instantaneous launches from stand still with a distinct lack of hesitation from the CVT system sorting itself out, that is seen in many lesser scooters.

2023 Suzuki Address 125 Engine and Transmission

So how do Suzuki achieve such good performance from what on the face of it is a low-priced and impressively frugal engine?

Firstly, it's worth noting that while this engine is new to the UK in Euro5 format, it is a tried and trusted base unit which has sold by the million in the east and sub-continent. Nothing in it is ground-breaking or novel, just the epitome of good technology, bought together into a single package.

Suzuki have christened the engine the SEP, or Suzuki Eco-Performance, and this name reflects the ultimate aims of the design brief – performance with economy.

To achieve these aims, a number of simple features each contribute a little to ensure that every drop of power is obtained from a little fuel as possible. Curved intake manifolds and fuel injection start the process by delivering the fuel/air mixture to the engine as well mixed and vapourised as possible. Much like the water on the outside of a river bend travels faster, the curved manifold creates faster airflow on the outside of the curve. Faster airflow lowers the pressure (much like the top surface of a wing) and helps with both fuel atomisation and mixing while also helping direct the flow into the cylinder bore with precision.

Once inside the cylinder block, the turbulence of air (which ensures good combustion) is continued by the use of what Suzuki call M-Squish.

Areas of the cylinder head overlap the top of the cylinder bore (the resultant shape looks a bit like a letter M – hence the name) and as the piston rises, create high(er) pressure areas. These areas direct the air/fuel in the bore towards the spark plug, maximising ignition and creating max power per bang while ensuring maximum lean burn and minimising emissions (unburnt fuel).

As if that wasn't enough, all engine and gearbox components have a coating (such as Nikasil) which reduces friction throughout the whole power plant – again, maximising power and minimising waste.

Combine all this good tech with a longer than normal stroke engine (the PCX125 has a stroke of 55.5mm for example, against the Address's 57.4mm) and you get an engine that, while down on top-end power (a result of revving slightly slower thanks to the longer stroke) but that develops more torque than normal and is cleaner with less emissions.

As mentioned in the section above, the final piece of the puzzle is the CVT system which has been 'tuned' to match the characteristics of the engine, ensuring that drive is engaged at maximum torque to give the most 'thrust'.

All of this is quite an achievement at any price, but even more so at this price point and on what will be seen by many as an entry level product.

2023 Suzuki Address 125 Economy and Storage

All that clean burn technology, low friction and matched transmission that I've explained above means that Suzuki quote a claimed economy of 148.67mpg (to be precise). Combine that with the 5.0 litre (1.1UK Gallon) tank and you get a theoretical max range of 163.5 miles.

As we all know, claimed mpg figures and real-world figures can vary greatly and in the hands of heavy handed journalists, we didn't see figures quite this high. 115 was the most I saw, but I do caveat that heavily as the test ride was very much a stop-start journey, we swapped bikes for the photo shoots and exuberance of the day can play havoc with consumption figures.

In the real world of daily commutes (especially those that have limited dual carriageway), I would expect to see figures over 120mpg quite easily. Even at this consumption, fill ups should be limited to weekly affairs and, at around £7.50 for a full tank, not exactly break the bank. It was nice to see the lockable fuel filler cap in a prominent position on the rear of the bodywork. Easy to reach and no chance of fuel splashing inside the storage compartment (Vespa owners will understand).

The practicality of the Address isn't restricted to its frugal fuel figures though. This is a scooter after all, and storage comes with the territory and the Address 125 is far from lacking. An impressive 21.8 litres of storage are available under the seat meaning that you can also do your shopping on your weekly trip to the petrol station. Sadly, the depth is insufficient to fit a full-face helmet (by quite a way) so you will be limited to jet or open face helmets for your rides. It’s a shame, but understandable when you consider the majority of these bikes will be used in (hot and humid) developing countries where helmet use is minimal and full-face lids are unheard of.

Along with the underseat storage (opened by turning the ignition key the other way), there is a large cubby in left side of the leg guard for a water bottle, or, more likely, your phone (there is also a USB port there for charging).

Finally, a feature which a good friend of mine always bragged about on his scooter, hooks on the leg guard and the front of the seat swell, meaning that you can hang extra bags (takeaway bags in my pal's case) when you run out of space under the seat.

2023 Suzuki Address 125 Handling, Wheels and Weight

The 2023 Address 125 is a light bike. 90% fuelled and ready to ride, the scooter comes in at a claimed 107Kg making it the ideal bike for first time rider or the nervous.

Despite this lightweight, the bike doesn't feel flimsy or fragile. On the road, the handling is reassuring rather than flighty, absorbing bumps and potholes well and giving plenty of feedback about the road surface.

Much of this lightweight is thanks to the engine design, but much work has also been done on the chassis which uses larger diameter tubes with a thinner than normal wall thickness meaning that rigidity is maintained without adding extra mass.

In a change from outgoing 110 model which used 14" wheels front and rear, the Address 125 is fitted with 12" front and 10" back wheels which offer a great compromise between a harsh ride of smaller wheels and agile handling of the larger wheel and maximises tyre choices from the major brands.

When it comes to braking, this is, for me, the only place the Address shows its budget nature. While we get a single 190mm disc and single pot Nissin caliper up front (more than enough for bike of this weight and size), at the back we get 120mm drum. Brakes are linked so that using the left (normally back) brake lever applies both the back and front brakes, but overall braking was a bit lacking. This may be intentional - grabby brakes can be a learner's worst enemy, especially when the Address 125 has no ABS – but overall, it just felt a bit weak.

2023 Suzuki Address 125 Comfort and Protection

Behind the protective leg guard, which does a great job of deflecting the worst of the bad weather and wind blast, a well-padded and flat seat provides the ideal perch for most riders. Being a shorty at just 5'6" and I was pleased to see that the front of the seat is relatively narrow to allow a better stand over position for the rider. This meant that I could flat foot easily and the bike never felt too tall or precarious. The 770mm (30.3") seat height helps, of course, but with wide footboards and wider seats, scooters can quickly feel unwieldy, so it was nice to see feel comfortable with the Address right from the off.

There's plenty of pillion room too, with a long and wide seat and a large and easily accessible grab handle. Rubber covered pillion foot pegs mean that vibrations won't be an issue for passengers and the large and spacious footboards give the rider plenty of room to shuffle about meaning that day spent exploring holiday destinations on the Address would please both rider and pillion alike. Overall, the Address 125 is a very pleasing bike to ride and as we chopped and changed bikes between this and the Suzuki Avenis throughout the test ride, I found myself favouring the Address over the Avensis for this reason.

Rider aids and accessories

As you expect on a sub three-grand scooter, rider aids are not top of the agenda, but the Address does have some nice and, most of all, useful features.

Even at this entry point, Suzuki has included their 'Easy Start' feature which I personally think is a really nice feature – just press the start button once and the bike will start, there's no need to hold it down. It sounds a bit simple and admittedly works better on bigger bikes, especially when you need to hold in a brake lever for the scooter to start, but it just adds a little taste of luxury to the bike.

As I've mentioned already, there's a USB A socket and cubby up front and while not covered like the Avenis this provides an easy to access place for your gadgets or drinks bottle and a convenient charging point for your phone or satnav.

A hangover perhaps of its sub-continent roots, the Address 125 comes with a kick-start. Not something I would put at the top of my list of must haves, but useful none the less, especially if you have a habit of leaving parking lights on and coming back to a flat battery (don't ask!). A centre stand also comes as standard.

The clocks stick with the classic traditional theme with a large analogue speedo flanked by all the warning lights you would expect, but also two large, coloured segments which indicate 'eco' riding. These change from 'Suzuki blue' during acceleration to 'eco green' when at constant throttle or overrun and give the rider a visual indication of most economical riding habits. Useful indicator or gimmick – I'll let you decide…

Below the speedo, a small LCD display gives you a fuel gauge, time, voltmeter and trip reading though, disappointedly, no ambient temperature reading – something that I find very useful on early morning and late evening commutes.

At this stage, the accessories catalogue is a bit sparce, consisting of just a 27-litre top box (thankfully large enough to hold a full face helmet) and associated fitting bars, plates and back rests, but I'm sure that there will be more to come.

2023 Suzuki Address 125 Rivals

It seems unfair to compare the new Address 125 to the top selling Honda PCX125 and Yamaha NMAX, not because the Address is any less capable, but because the others sit significantly above the Address both in terms of price and specification.

For me, competition comes from within Suzuki with the new Avenis, from Yamaha with the D'elight, and from Lexmoto with their impressive Aura 125.  

Suzuki Avenis 125 | Price: £2699

A brand-new bike from Suzuki with looks that have provoked a lot of reaction (and memes). Uses the same engine as the Address 125.

Power/Torque: 8.6bhp (6.4kW) at 6750rpm/10Nm at 5500rpm | Weight: 107kg

Yamaha D'elight 125 | Price: £3200

At just 101Kg the D'elight is the lightest of the bunch and offers a very similar spec to the Address.

Power/Torque: 8.3bhp (6.2kW) at 7000rpm/9.8Nm at 5000rpm | Weight: 101Kg

Lexmoto Aura 125 | Price: £2739

An impressive price and even more impressive spec with front and rear disc brakes with ABS, keyless ignition and an 8-litre tank. But would the extra weight and Chinese built quality put you off?

Power/Torque: 9.6bhp (7.2kW) @ 8000rpm/10.7Nm@6000rpm | Weight: 134Kg

2023 Suzuki Address 125 Verdict

In an ultra-competitive market segment, which is under increasing pressure from far-east manufacturers, the reassurance of a known and trusted brand with a comprehensive dealer network puts the Address to the front of pack for those looking to either take their first steps into the world of biking or side step the ever increasing costs of commuting on public transport.

It would have been far too easy to write off the Address as being an underpowered also-ran when compared to its rivals, but you would be missing out on a fantastic bike if you did.

The combination of torquey engine, light weight, sure-footed yet agile handling and practicality, all wrapped up in a pleasing and timeless design makes the 2023 Suzuki Address much more than the sum of its parts.

2023 Suzuki Address 125 Technical Specification

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