Yamaha NMAX 125 (2025) – Technical Review

Which bike is more popular than anything else on Britain’s roads? A BMW GS, perhaps? Maybe the old Honda CBR600?

Not even close. It’s Yamaha’s NMAX 125 scooter, and by a huge margin. Checking out the latest official vehicle licensing figures reveals that in the middle of 2024 there were more than 15,500 NMAXes out on the road, taxed and legal, more than double the number of the next-most-popular model to be named on the list.

So a new version is a pretty big deal, and not only has Yamaha revamped the standard NMAX 125 for 2025 but it’s added an additional version in the form of the higher-spec NMAX 125 Tech Max.

Pros & Cons

2025 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Price

It’s not often that we can say this, but the new 2025 version of the Yamaha NMAX 125 is actually cheaper than the 2024 model, at least if you stick to the base model. Where the previous generation retailed for £3778, the 2025 machine starts at £3600.

Sure, Yamaha has been offering a £500 dealer contribution to the last of the 2024 NMAX 125 to help clear the way for the new version when it arrives in January, essentially bringing its cost down to below the RRP of its successor, but even so, a reduction in list price is unusual in the current climate of raging inflation.

While the standard NMAX is expected in January, the pricier, higher-spec Tech Max version won’t arrive until May.

If bright colours are your thing, the 2025 NMAX might not be for you. While Yamaha offered red and blue on the 2024 model alongside black and white options, those choices have disappeared for 2025. There’s no middle ground – the NMAX 125 is genuinely a black or white decision. Opting for the Tech Max version adds grey or ‘magma’ (a dark, brownish burgundy) options, but they’re still subdued hues.

2025 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Engine & Performance

The 125cc four-stroke single is a carry-over from the previous model, with identical performance in the form of 12hp at 8000rpm and 8.3lb-ft at 6000rpm and only slight tweaks to meet Euro5+ emissions rules that require an addition oxygen sensor in the exhaust to monitor emissions performance.

As normal it drives through a belt-based CVT transmission, giving the simple twist-and-go control that you’d expect. The engine itself is a single overhead cam design, but that camshaft operates four valves and features Yamaha’s VVA variable valve timing system. It’s an economy-focused motor, and includes the ‘Start & Stop’ system that automatically cuts the ignition when you come to a halt, restarting it when you open the throttle again, a feature that’s also present on the rival Honda PCX125.

That focus on fuel economy means the NMAX doesn’t exploit the full 15hp that’s legally allowed under learner-legal 125cc regs, but for the bike’s purpose – zipping through inner city streets – it’s clearly enough to persuade customers to come in their thousands.

There might not be loads of performance on tap, but even so Yamaha has opted to fit traction control. After all, a wet, diesel-slicked city street can catch anyone out, even at low speed and with small throttle openings.

2025 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

The suspension and frame are as simple as you might expect on an affordable scooter, and largely carried across from the previous generation. Telescopic forks at the front, with 100mm of travel, are paired to the usual swingarm/motor/transmission unit at the back, but with 91mm of travel, up from 85mm for the 2024 model.

The brakes are discs at both ends – each using matching-sized 230mm discs – and there’s ABS as standard. The wheels are 13 inches, with a slightly wider 130-section rear tyre matched to a 110-section front.

At 132kg the NMAX’s weight is unchanged from the previous version, and despite its additional equipment the Tech Max has the same mass. It’s on a par with Honda’s refreshed, 133kg 2025 PCX125 – its closest competitor and biggest rival in terms of sales – but at the heftier end of the 125cc scooter spectrum.

2025 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Comfort & Economy

With economy as the NMAX’s focus thanks to that variable valve timing setup and start/stop system, it’s no surprise to discover it can cover a remarkable distance on a minimal amount of fuel.

Yamaha reckons that a single tank, just 7.1 litres in size, will take you around 186 miles (300km), and given the bike’s target audience and expected inner-city usage that’s probably several days or even weeks between fill-ups for most customers. That equates to around 120 miles per gallon, which seems like plenty, even if Honda’s latest PCX125 claims an even more impressive 134mpg and, thanks to a larger 8.1-litre tank, can hit as much as 240 miles of range.

In terms of comfort, the new model’s seat is a fraction higher than before at 770mm (previously 765mm), but that’s still easily low enough for most riders, even if Honda’s latest PCX has gone the other direction and dropped its seat lower to 763mm. The Yamaha’s new fairing and screen promise improved wind protection, too.

2025 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Equipment

On the equipment front, both versions of the new NMAX 125 get the same updated styling including new, stacked projector-style headlights flanked by LED running lights, and the indicators are now incorporated into the headlamp unit rather than sitting low down on the fairing sides like the previous generation.

There’s the usual storage space under the seat, large enough to fit a helmet (although Yamaha does add the proviso that this will depend on the helmet’s shape and size, so test that before you buy) plus two pockets in the fairing for odds and ends, although only the right-hand one has a lid to keep the weather out.

Both versions have keyless ignition for convenience, but they differ when it comes to the dashboard. The base NMAX 125 has a new 4.2-inch monochrome LCD, which can still be connected to your smartphone via Yamaha’s MyRide app for messages and calls, while the Tech Max has a 4.2-inch colour TFT screen that includes free Garmin map-based navigation and a smartphone linking module for calls, emails, and music control, and a smaller 3.7-inch LCD for the main readouts like speed and fuel level.

Other Tech Max features include a leather-and-suede-effect seat, with gold stitching,

2025 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Rivals

For years there’s been a pretty simple choice in this ultra-popular segment of the scooter market – NMAX 125 or Honda PCX125 – and since both bikes have been revamped for 2025 it’s a battle that’s set to continue into the foreseeable future. With the NMAX Yamaha has been first to pull the trigger when it comes to announcing a price, and its aggressive £3600 RRP undercuts even the previous-gen PXC by £59. That reverses the previous situation, where the NMAX was slightly pricier than the PCX, so it will be intriguing to see whether Honda reacts.

Honda PCX125 2025 | Price: £TBA

Read more

Power/Torque

12.3bhp / 8.6lb-ft

Weight

133kg

Sym Jet X 125 | Price: £3299

Read more

Power/Torque

13bhp / 8.1lb-ft

Weight

135kg

Suzuki Avenis 125 | Price £2999

Read more

Power/Torque

8.6bhp / 7.38lb-ft

Weight

107kg

2025 Yamaha NMAX 125 - Verdict

Yamaha’s super strong sales success will inevitably be up there once more as a force to be reckoned in the top 10 best sellers, and with these updates there’s no reason why it’d be knocked off the top spot.

Whether you’re looking for a commuter, a city machine, a beach front cruiser, a paddock adventurer, or a motorhome accompaniment, we’re expecting the new NMAX to be the ideal option. Though Honda’s updated PCX125 will run it close.

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2025 Yamaha NMAX 125- Technical Specification

What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard

• An ignition immobiliser system

• A vehicle marking system

• An alarm system

• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.