Review: Yamaha Cygnus X125

Reprinted with permission from ACP Media. (Motorcycle Trader )

A popular seller since its introduction in the mid-90s, the Cygnus has enjoyed a number of enhancements over the years, most notably a major design overhaul in 2004.

This year’s model is a slight progression again, with a number of subtle styling changes and a hotter engine. Styling upgrades include a sharper design for the fairing, the front and rear lights, and a new analogue/digital dash providing more information. There’s also a snappier paint job.

But the 2007 X125s most significant step-up is its performance thanks largely to a new engine. The single cylinder, four-valve, four-stroke engine is a nippy, electronic fuel-injected power plant.

Packed into a modest frame (the scooter tips the scales at a trim 114kg) the engine not only provides a healthy power-to-weight ratio, but also complies with Euro 3 environmental protection standards.

It’s a fairly frugal fuel user: with normal commuting it sips around four litres every 100km, and depending how you ride, the 7.1-litre tank should return close to 200km between pit stops.

Crank the twist grip wide open on a flat road, and you can coax the little swan to the legal limit.

Handling
With its light weight and 770mm seat height, the Cygnus is well-scaled for smaller riders. The 1290mm wheelbase and 685mm width translate into great agility and easy negotiation through traffic queues.

They’re complemented by large 12 wheels (offering good traction on Auckland’s super-slick winter roads) and a 220mm front disc brake (150mm drum at the rear). The braking combo works well.

The ergonomically-contoured seat will accommodate all but the largest butts, and the telescopic forks up front and twin shocks at the rear absorb even the most ambitious pavement-jumping manoeuvres.

While the Cygnus is equipped with foot pegs for a passenger, two-up riding might be a bit of a squeeze.

High points
Modern scooters tend to have sameness about them, but the Cygnus has a number of features I particularly liked:

- A maintenance light on the dash which comes on when an oil change is due (no excuses for running with porridge in the sump)
- A petrol filler point mounted in the foot plate (keeps things splash-free)
- A larger than average luggage compartment under the seat (easily takes a full-face helmet and more)
- A side-stand (ideal for quick dismounts and courier-like visits to the bank)

But my favourite feature is one I discovered by accident: a very practical cargo-carrying area on the foot-plate.

I won’t bore you with the details, but my car battery died one morning, without so much as a by-your-leave.

The quickest solution was to remove the battery, take it to a nearby retailer (who pronounced it deceased), and return with a new one. The Cygnus proved the ideal rescue vehicle. And lest its own battery try the same trick, there is a back-up kick start.

In summary, the Cygnus is perhaps the ideal scooter for those who favour the compactness and easy handling of a 50cc scooter, but would like a little more get-up-and-go. With the X125, you can have both.

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