2017 Suzuki GSX-R125 review | The last remaining ‘Gixxer’ sportsbike in Suzuki’s range

If you’re looking for a sports-focused start to your motorbike journey, you can do worse than the Suzuki GSX-R125. It’s got Moto GP looks, a more aggressive riding position and it’s all combined with performance that put it towards the top end of the 125cc motorcycle market.

The GSX-R125 has been around since 2017, and if you prefer a more upright riding position it’s worth checking out the GSX-S125 naked, released in the same year to complete the Suzuki 125 geared motorbike line-up. Mechanically identical but unfaired, the S125 has a more upright riding position, handlebar-mounted instruments and a slightly lower, by £300, price tag.

• Related: watch BSB stars battle it out on Suzuki GSX-R125s

The GSX-R has a lot going for it, too. Its all-new, liquid-cooled engine produces the maximum 15bhp but weighing just 134kg (compared to the Yamaha’s 142kg) it has the best power-to-weight ratio in the class. And its sporting credentials are backed up by the fact Bradley Ray passed his motorbike licence on one.

It also has plenty of nice touches such as its MotoGP-alike styling (complete with GP team replica livery option), has an LED headlight and LCD dash. On the slight downside its proportions are slightly smaller than the Yamaha (which may suit some novices) so giving less of a big bike feel and its brakes and suspension aren’t as impressive as the latest from both Yamaha and Aprilia, either. But then the Suzuki’s also cheaper than those two, so you pays your money…

• Related: this bike appears in our Best 125cc Motorbikes article

Overall, though, the Suzuki GSX-R125 offers a good introduction to the world of sports bikes with decent handling and performance and a more affordable than some price.

The Suzuki GSX-R125 will live on through 2022 thanks to Euro5 updates.

Once you've read this review and our owners' reviews, you might consider joining an online community like the Suzuki Owners' Club to join the discussion and meet likeminded people.

Watch: BSB stars on Suzuki GSX-S125s

With a hunched riding position, appropriately angled clip-ons and handling to match, the GSX-R125’s low enough and light enough to be unintimidating to novices, yet is perfectly capable of being pushed to its limits when you want to have fun.

The riding position is sporty, but it’s still suitable for those around 6ft. Despite being a little more aggressive than other bikes in this sector, the Suzuki offers lots of room for longer limbs – without compromising on its agility or sportsbike looks.

Compared to rivals like the KTM RC125 and the latest incarnation of the Yamaha YZF-R125 the standard fork set-up on the GSX-R125 does look comparatively cheap. The Yamaha, for example, now features beefy, inverted, 41mm forks compared to the Suzuki’s fairly spindly, non-adjustable, conventional items. Even so, the GSX-R’s suspension is well damped and more than adequate for any new rider.

Its ride is surprisingly firm and plush, inspiring more than enough confidence to get your knee down (should you ever find yourself at a track!).  Yet, despite being firm, the ride is also forgiving enough to be comfortable over the bumps and potholes that litter our British roads.

And the quality ride is only complimented by the Dunlop D102 tyres, which come fitted from the factory as new and offer plenty of grip for a bike of this size.

Stopping power is also impressive, with the single waved front disc and lightweight two-channel Bosch ABS unit offering a reassuringly progressive bite, without too much intrusion from the electronics. The rear brake also works well when used in tandem, however needs to combined with the front to bring you to a stop.

Owners are generally impressed with the chassis and ride of their bikes, the only real criticism being the lack of adjustment available.

At the centre of the GSX-R125 lies an all-new double-overhead-cam 124.4cc single-cylinder motor producing 14.8bhp. For such a busy little engine, the power delivery feels linear and silky smooth, revving freely throughout the range.

Acceleration is more than adequate for a bike of this size, thanks to a kerb weight of just 134kg, making it the ideal tool for nipping between cars in traffic, as well as the occasional back road blast.

The bike also sounds good, delivering a throaty, if slightly whiney growl, which is reminiscent of a muffled Moto3 bike, even with a standard Euro4 compliant single-sided, dual muffler exhaust.

The lightweight clutch is very user friendly and makes low speed manoeuvres a doddle, which is handy for new riders taking their first steps into motorcycling. As well as having plenty of poke for its size, the GSX-R is also incredibly frugal and often returns well in excess of 70mpg even when ridden hard.

The gearbox can be quite stubborn when trying to click into first gear from neutral. Once in gear though, the shift is perfectly smooth, with no false neutrals up or down the box. How fast does the Suzuki GSX-R125 go? We hit 72.75mph on a group test... crouch down and there's a possibility you'll see an indicated 80mph. And thanks to its brilliant handling, the Suzuki GSX-R125 will be among the quickest 125s around in real-world situations.

This GSX-R is a Suzuki 125 introduced in 2017, so it's been on sale a while now.

On face value there’s a premium finish to the paint and, side on, it looks almost identical to some of the larger GSX-Rs in the range. The tacky plastic has been kept to a minimum and ancillaries such as mirrors are reasonable quality and offer plenty of visibility without being swallowed up with your own elbows.

Our Suzuki GSX-R125 owners' reviews show that this little sportster has a few build quality issues, but even so buyers enjoy their bikes.

Even so, there are some areas that should be highlighted. Despite Suzuki’s usually glowing reviews for its gearboxes there have been some reports of slight glitches with that on the GSX-R125.

When we tested it new we did sometimes find ourselves missing a few down changes, due to the awkward position of the linkage. Also, and this may only be because it was new and tight, we struggled slightly to change from first gear into neutral, which is the sort of thing novices can do without.

We’ve also heard some owner reports of electrical problems concerning the rectifier, stator, wiring loom, relays, etc, although these were all few and far between and quickly resolved under warranty.

There have also been some reports of the rear brake seizing up.

Finally, this Japanese firm hasn’t the best record when it comes to corrosion on its smaller, cheaper bikes, with painted surfaces such as the Suzuki GSX-R125 exhaust headers susceptible to rust and corrosion affecting exposed alloy surfaces – especially if not cleaned regularly and/or ridden through winter.

We’ve few specific complaints of this with the Suzuki GSX-R125 yet but, as these kind of bikes get used and abused by novices and change hands regularly, it’s worth flagging up.

Although no budget or economy-orientated commuter, the Suzuki GSX-R125 is both more affordably priced than some rival sports 125s and cheaper to run, which, when you’re 17 and operating on a tight budget is worth bearing in mind.

It's £300 more expensive new than its naked sibling, the Suzuki GSX-S125, but the GSX-R stacks up well against offerings from other manufacturers, being cheaper not just than Yamaha’s class-leading and admittedly higher-spec YZF-R125, but also the premium Aprilia RS125 and even KTM’s RC125.

Yes, the Suzuki’s slightly lower spec but, performance–wise, there’s nothing in it, it’s just as good a learner bike, it has great sports styling and is even available (for a slight premium) in Suzuki’s MotoGP replica livery, something worth bearing in mind considering its recent MotoGP success.

On top of that, Suzuki has a track record of routinely offering financial incentives to new buyers with discounts, accessory packs and more so it’s worth keeping your eye out for deals.

While, finally, the GSX-R125 is also slightly cheaper to run than most of its sports 125 rivals, too. Insurance is slightly better than most, servicing and parts prices aren’t bad and the little Suzuki is impressively (for a sports 125) frugal on fuel as well, regularly returning mpgs approaching 100.

As a used proposition the good news continues. Due to its slightly lower new price and lesser appeal than bikes like the YZF-R125 and Aprilia, prices of used, low mileage, virtually as-new examples can be as low as £2,800 – representing a saving of over £1000 on new. A used YZF-R125 of the same vintage is invariably more.

And although we’ve highlighted some areas of potential unreliability to watch out for in the future, to date the GSX-R125 is fault free meaning you should be able to snap up a great-looking, sporty Suzuki for a relative snip.

See what Michael Neeves and Joseph Wright think of the latest crop of stylish 125s in this video:

With a neat, fully-digital LCD instrument display, complete with such features as a gear indicator (useful for novices), an adjustable RPM indicator and fuel gauge (also worth having), not to mention an LED headlight and more the Suzuki GSX-R125 feels like a quality product.

There’s also a keyless ignition system, which means that the bike won’t start unless the specialist key fob is within around a metre of the machine, which offers an added level of security when you’re off the bike.

However, should you ride off and leave the fob behind, the system won’t recognise it’s missing until you next come to switch the bike on which could be a problem. Suzuki does supply each bike with a failsafe pin to combat this, though.

Despite all that, however, the GSX-R isn’t quite as well-equipped as most of its sports 125 rivals, particularly the latest Yamaha YZF-R125, Aprilia RS125 and KTM RC125, all of which have better quality suspension, brakes and other features. That’s why the Suzuki is slightly cheaper, after all. In this sense the GSX-R125’s closest real rival is the similarly specced Kawasaki Ninja 125.

A number of official Suzuki accessories are also available if you want to bump up that basic specification. These include a pillion seat cover, protective tank pad, a double bubble screen, heel plate protectors and so on, which are sometimes offered free as a new sales incentive so keep your eyes open for any deals.

Aftermarket crash protectors, exhausts, rim tape, rad guards and the like can also all be had if you want to further ‘bling’-up’ your GSX-R. The Suzuki 125 offering, regardless of sportsbike or naked configuration, is ripe for modification.