Yamaha 125ZR - Top three alternatives

The Yamaha 125ZR is a unique bike to say the least. It is in fact, one of the last few remaining two strokes that you can legally buy and run in the country today. The 125ZR is sold by Hong Leong Yamaha thanks to special permission from Ministry of International Trade and Industry and JPJ. That too in limited numbers.

The two stroke engine means that this bike has a peak power output of 17.1 hp and a peak torque output of 16.1 Nm. This gives it blistering acceleration that is unmatched by almost anything at this price range. That price range is a high for the capacity RM 7888. There are many other very capable bike available in this range that rival if not beat the 125ZR in terms of performance. Here is a look at a few of them.

Modenas Dinamik

Possibly the only true competitor of the Yamaha 125ZR comes from our home grown motorcycle manufacturer. The Modenas Dinamik is another bike that has this rule to thank for its existence. The Dinamik is also a two-stroke bike and comes with same sort of bat out of hell performance. It has however not had the same amount of success and has often been taken out of production. Most recent of these happened when it failed to get through Euro 3 emission norms. It is powered by a 118 cc engine mated to a 6-speed transmission. The power output is a very comparable 16.76 hp and 14.1 Nm of torque. This is enough to propel the bike to a top speed of 140 km/H compared to the Yamaha’s 160 km/H. Like the Yamaha, the Dinamik is also very lightweight at just 98 kg. The bike also comes equipped with disc brakes both front and rear, alloy wheels and monoshock rear suspension. The engine is even water cooled for good measure. On top of all these, the bike is available for a very competitive RM 6227.

Yamaha 135LC Super Sport

The Yamaha 135LC Super Sport is another unique bike available in Malaysia. It finds itself on this list because it has become the preferred choice of hooligans in the country. The bike fits right between the 100 cc commuters and the bigger 150 cc underbones. Its carbureted but liquid cooled engine produces 11.97 hp and 11.79 Nm of torque. The bike also weighs just 105 kg making it very sporty. It is also equipped with a monoshock in the rear and a disc brake in the front that increase its sporty potential. While the deficit in power between the two is vast, the aggressive nature of the power delivery and the acceleration will surely impress the rider in much the same way. Not just that but the 135LC is also much cheaper at just over RM 7000.

Benelli RFS 150i

Benelli’s entered into the sports kapcai market in Malaysia with the RFS 150i. The bike is most likely to catch your attention because of its extreme design. From the aggressive front to the sharp tail, the moped is festooned with details. Once you’ve absorbed the design, you can then come to the fact that the bike is powered by a Euro 4 compliant 149.8 cc, four-stroke, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Power from the engine is rated at 15.5 hp at 8,500 rpm and 13 Nm of torque at 7000 rpm. When it comes to supercubs, the Benelli is as advanced as they come. There are alloy wheels, racing style upside down forks, monoshock rear suspension, large dual disc brakes, fuel injection and triple spark ignition. Then there is the price which at just under RM 7500, is still lower than the 125ZR.

While the 125ZR sits at the top of the proverbial performance hill, it is certainly not for everyone. It is also quite expensive. For people not on the lookout for out and out race pedigree, there are many options to choose from. At the same time there is very little that will deliver the kind of performance that a two stroke will deliver. Some things simply cannot be replaced.