First seen on the street in 2015, the Yamaha NMAX 125 has rocketed up the sales charts in its now 10 years on the market – used by commuters, delivery riders and all manner of scooterists alike.

With a host of tweaks and updates for 2025, the base model builds on a successful platform to become Euro 5+ friendly, with an updated style (now joining the Sport Scooter Max family from the Urban Mobility segment) – but the big news is the new Tech Max 125 version that’ll be available in April/May of 2025. Unfortunately, the Tech Max version wasn’t there for us to test on the day, but the new 2025 NMAX 125 was ready and waiting.

I flew out to Barcelona straight after a few days at Motorcycle Live 2024, for a whistle stop tour of the Catalonian city plus surrounding hills – a beautiful ride that the NMAX 125 lapped up with delight. As Yamaha tagged this launch event, it was ‘Nothing But The Max!’ the entire time.

Let’s get into the review, starting with what’s new for the 2025 3^rd generation duo.

Yamaha’s third generation of the NMAX 125 continues the winning formula, and builds on it in 2025 with tweaked styling with a sporty influence (to match the switch to the sport scooter segment). Here’s a quick guide.

• New LED lights up front, with indicators now housed higher up in the front unit, as opposed to beneath the midriff integrated on the front legshield on the previous model. Yamaha says this is to help car drivers see you indicating when they’re sat in their cars in traffic – plus, a key feature is the brand-new rear dual LED unit with integrated indicators.
• That front LED unit also has a projector low & high beam built-in, with a slightly similar design to the new R9 and R7 units… perhaps Yamaha really is taking this new sporty styling seriously, which certainly bodes well for the fast route we were riding later in the day.
• Elsewhere, the Blue Core 125cc engine sees an update to meet the new Euro 5+ emissions regulations due on January 1, 2025. Alongside the additional O2 sensor, the engine internals are upgraded with updated crankshaft and rotor dimensions, a new cam sprocket, a new cylinder body, and an added hydraulic cam chain tensioner with a new oil pass.
• Suspension on the front and rear is updated slightly, with the front gaining a ‘new spring characteristic and oil lock’, with the twin rear shocks gaining a new spring, increasing rear travel by +5mm. Seat height has also bumped up to 770mm (+5mm). That rear shock also has an adjustable preload setting that you can easily change between two settings by hand.
• The NMAX Tech Max 125 receives all of these updates, and adds a premium accessory seat as standard, and the new twin 4.2” TFT and 3.7” LCD display, which looks very smart. You can pair your smartphone to screen, and with the use of the Yamaha MyRide app access further info and data – music, texts, navigation. There are also visualisers for fuel economy and speed. You can still pair your smartphone to the base-model NMAX 125 4” LCD display, though the notifications are limited to missed call, incoming message, and phone battery indicator.

Yamaha doesn’t really need to mess with the winning formula that has rocketed the NMAX 125 to one of the best-selling two wheeled machines in the UK & Europe, but the addition of the Tech Max option with TFT display is a welcome one – particularly for scooterists after an even greater premium feel.

NMAX 125 £3,600 | NMAX 125 Tech Max £3,900

Ready for January 2025, the Yamaha NMAX 125 is priced at £3,600, and will be available in a basic black or white colour option. The NMAX 125 Tech Max is due to land in UK dealerships in April/May, with a £3,900 price tag attached – and slightly nicer ‘ceramic grey’ and ‘dark magma’ options.

Crucially, the new base model NMAX 125 is now cheaper in 2025, with the outgoing 2^nd generation model currently listed at £3,778. Quite the power move in today’s market, and we’ll await to see how Honda responds with the price of the 2025 PCX 125 and PCX 125 DX to be confirmed.

For those who opt for a monthly deal, sourced from Yamaha UK you’re looking at £49/month over 36 months for the base model (£867.50 deposit, 9.4% APR, £1,572.50 final payment), or the Tech Max variant at £55/month (£979 deposit, 9.4% APR, £1,572.50 final payment).

Absolutely affordable, and Yamaha believes the Tech Max will end up outselling the base model NMAX 125… Worth also noting that there are over 40 genuine Yamaha accessories to pick from, from high screens and heated grips to top cases and foot plates, as well as various accessory packs that bundle a few in together.

Want more options? Check the Top 10 125cc Scooters in 2024.

125cc Single-Cylinder | 9 kw / 12 bhp | 11.2 Nm | 4T SOHC | Start & Stop, VVA

As far as little 125cc motors go, this liquid-cooled SOHC unit gets off the line surprisingly fast for 12 bhp and 11.2 Nm. It only seems to run out of steam once you get to the 50 mph mark, and will then continue on to a Yamaha-quoted top speed of 60 mph – though the indicated top speed on the Barcelona dual carriageways got to around 70 mph, plenty to keep up with traffic in any case.

Pulling up to a traffic light in a congested city centre is the perfect way to describe riding the NMAX 125 – first, you’re filtering through stationary cars with ease, as the narrow width (740mm) and light weight (132 kg for 2025) allow you to squeeze through the smallest of gaps. You then get to the front of the queue, where the Start&Stop system clicks the engine off (once the motor is warm, indicated by the green LED on the dash to display it’s up to temperature).

As the light turns green, and the ‘city GP’ begins, the smallest twist of the throttle brings the single cylinder instantly to life thanks to the Smart Motor Generator (no starter motor), and you’re accelerating off down the road. Once you get past around 6000 rpm the high cam activates, and you can hear the motor change its tune ever so slightly – again indicated by ‘VVA’ logo on the dash.

It’s a combination of technology and simplicity that makes the plucky Nmax ultimately so fun to ride, the low weight is mostly all down low, so you can throw it into corners and enjoy carrying as much speed as possible through successive corners.

Feeding the motor is a 7.1 L fuel tank, and Yamaha say you should get up to 200 miles per tank (we finished at around 90 km on the day, most of which was spent at full chat in the hills).

Sure, it could be the full CBT-allowed 15 bhp, but with economy and frugality in mind, this motor is still wicked fun to push to the limit. I had a great time. So did Brett, from his previous generation review.

132 kg | 770mm seat | 1,340mm wheelbase | 125mm ground clearance | Telescopic forks & Twin rear shocks

Superbly light and balanced, with a nimble ride feel as mentioned above, the NMAX 125 is perfectly at home in both the city and hills – though if you have extended periods of time on dual carriageways or motorways you may yearn for something with a touch more power, as well as more coverage from the elements.

Brakes (front and rear 230mm discs with ABS) on the 13” wheels were very sharp and worked very well, only fading a touch with heavy usage, and the ABS only kicked in at the end of particularly heavy braking. Suspension can be a bit firm, but I probably weighed the same as the scooter in full riding gear and with a full rucksack under the seat.

Whilst the suspension can be a bit firm over speed bumps and rougher terrain, that does translate into a direct feel when pushing on in corners, and with new suspension tweaks for 2025 (plus joining the sportier max family) you can excuse it somewhat.

Larger riders should get on with this fine – I found good clearance for my knees from the handlebar, with enough legroom when legs are on the footboard or placed on the raised board up front, though sometimes I like to tuck my legs underneath me (almost placing them under the seat) to get a full lean-forward tuck, and that’s not quite possible here. Smaller riders will find the waistline narrow enough to get a firm foot to the ground, but even if a little tilting-action is needed, it's light enough to not cause concern at a red light.

The stock screen didn’t offer much in the way of wind protection for my 6’3” frame, and my Ruroc EOX didn’t quite do the job of keeping it quiet inside the helmet - I’d recommend the taller screen from the accessory catalogue.

Simply put, cornering and handing is pure fun on this, it excelled to a pleasing degree on faster flowing roads. Plus you can switch the traction control off if you are in need…

Dash: NMAX: 4” LCD dash & NMAX Tech Max: 4.2” TFT & 3.7” LCD Dash

Smart Key | 23.3 L Under Seat Storage | Traction Control On/Off

Utilising the smart key keyless ignition, press in the central dial to locate the key and twist to switch it on - if the scooter is left on (with ignition off) it’ll repeatedly beep at you to remind you after a few seconds of inactivity. A slight niggle was that you can't access the underseat compartment when the scooter is running, rather you’ll need to put the central knob to ‘open’.

Dash is laid out well and relatively clear on the base model, featuring large simple indicator flashing portions that I really appreciated – though the dash is guilty of being a little bit too dark and difficult to read in direct sunlight. Fortunately, the TFT on the Tech Max would solve this if it’s an issue for you. Worth noting that you can pair your phone to both, with the base model LCD showing you missed calls/texts and battery percentage.

As tested, the under seat storage doesn’t quite have enough room for a medium/large helmet. No USB under-seat, but there is one located up front in the cubby hole (and further can be added as accessory options).

But which one should you go for, particularly for commuters and/or delivery riders? I’d say the Tech Max with TFT display and smartphone integration (with turn-by-turn navigation) is certainly the one to pick, particularly if you’re going for the monthly option. An extra £6 a month for the dash seems worth it.

For storage, accessory top boxes are available (36L and 39L), with the customary scooter 23.3L storage compartment under the seat was not quite big enough to fit my Ruroc EOX medium/large helmet, though it was close – it’s certainly going to be enough for an open face helmet, and my rucksack on the day whilst riding. The 2^nd Generation update included a stronger backbone frame for more carrying potential, too.

 Fortunately there are two lockable helmet hooks on either side of the storage compartment if you’re happy leaving your helmet hanging off the side and exposed to the elements.

The left storage compartment has a USB-C socket within, handy for charging your device on the go – something that is particularly important for those looking to navigate the urban jungle, and particularly important for those who may want to use the scooter for delivery use.

Other than the TFT display and accessory seat, there isn’t much else to distinguish the two. I will finish here by saying the forged carbon storage surround is a nice premium touch, reinforcing that top-shelf feel from the Japanese giants.

Pros

• Great price point.
• Agile and nimble, perfect for city riding (and backroad blasts).
• Builds on a top-selling scooter with valuable improvements for 2025.

Cons

• Can’t fit a lid under the seat.
• Suspension felt quite firm (though I’m a bigger rider).
• Dash on the base model is a bit dark.

When faced with updating a top-selling model, manufacturers would be forgiven for not trying to reinvent the wheel – and here, for 2025, Yamaha has pretty much nailed the NMAX 125 updates. It’s building on the solid foundation with some tweaks and style changes, bringing in the required Euro 5+ updates, and revising the price-point to make it more appealing and affordable for a range of scooterists in the UK and further afield.

Though we weren’t able to ride the Tech Max variant on the day, the new TFT seems to be a well-needed update for an increasingly technologically advanced segment (with TFT displays fast becoming the norm on two-wheels). It’ll be interesting to see how the eternal rival, the Honda PCX 125 (with DX tech variant) approach this new challenger, particularly with price point, as both will certainly want to continue challenging for the top spot in UK sales.

In any case, the 2025 Yamaha NMAX 125 has received some top-quality updates for 2025, and for any scooterist looking for a functional scooter with a modern style, the NMAX 125 is certainly going to tick most (if not all) of the boxes.

Cheers to Yamaha for having us on the European launch, check the full specs and information on the Yamaha UK website.