Once you've finished reading this in-depth review and our extensive suite of owners' reviews, why not head to an owners' club to join the conversation? We'd suggest the Yamaha YBR Owners' Club on Facebook. If that sounds like you, after the cost of a CBT test you can take to the roads on a decent YBR for less than £1500. YBRs are sold to those looking at hacking through an urban environment on a bike that will cost them a fraction of the price of public transport and also require very little home maintenance. Released in 2005 as a replacement for the ancient Yamaha SR125, which had run from 1982 until 2003, the YBR 125 brought with it more modern naked bike styling but with tried and tested technology to ensure reliability.Īlthough it gained a few updates over the years including fuel-injection and even a bit more weather protection and a cruiser option, the YBR essentially remained the same until it was discontinued in 2016 and replaced by the YS125, which has continued the tradition of delivering frugal motoring to the masses.Īlthough a teenager looking to impress will almost certainly turn their nose up at the slightly dowdy YBR and look towards a bike with a touch more attitude and visual appeal, these buyers aren’t really the YBR’s core audience. It just does all that is asked of it with no fuss, no drama, minimal financial expenditure in terms of fuel, maintenance or purchase value and almost total reliability. In fact, so good is the YBR 125 and so loved by UK commuters, out of the 150,000 YBRs sold in Europe, 55,000 were to UK buyers! What makes it so popular? It's so easy to ride. There is nothing at all wrong with basic and while the Yamaha YBR 125 is very much a budget commuter and certainly not a very flashy 125 like some modern alternatives, it fulfils its role in life brilliantly well.