The UZ125 Address? What kind of name is that, who’s address is it? Mine, someone I know; is it where I’m going or is it where I’ve been? Is it implying that I can go to an address? I mean…all scooters can go to an address. Maybe this one is different, maybe you can mail it. Maybe it comes with stamps… a lot of stamps…they go by weight nowadays. Mailing it could be an issue; it would probably go something like this.

95kg international parcel to Florida please. “Do you want fast post?” Ah no…just regular post thanks. “Okay no problem….that will be one million dollars please” Ahh one million, but it’s an Address. “Yes sir I know it’s an address; in Florida”. No, the package it’s a Suzuki Address. “Suzuki?...ahh I don’t see that, I’ve just got Tampa Florida, do you want to re address it?” What no…no it’s a SUZUKI ADDRESS, it’s a scooter. “Scooter…is that a town or a city...”

Now there’s an idea for a comparison test, best scooter to mail…yes it’s a dumb name. Anyway on with the review…

Suzuki is and always has been one of the larger players in the scooter market and the UZ125 represents many years of progress in the category. The UZ125 sits in what we call the budget 125cc category; it’s built to an entry level price point and competes with models like the Piaggio Fly 125, Kymco Agility 125 and Sym Orbit 125.

The Suzuki’s major weapon is its performance, with a maximum power output of 11 horsepower it leads the category on power output and is around the lightest too at just 95kg. This adds up to a few saved seconds in all of our performance tests. There are quicker 125s, but not at this price point. The Suzuki Address 125 has proven a very popular scooter for inner city couriers for this very reason; when your life depends on punching away from lights quickly and making small gaps while lane splitting it’s hard to go past the Suzuki. Combine the brisk performance with solid reliability and low running costs and you can quickly see why the Suzuki is so popular.

The low weight and ten inch wheels make the UZ125 highly maneuverable and one of the best handling small frame scooters around. On smooth roads the Suzuki is straight up fun to chuck into corners. Suspension is pretty average though and combined with the small wheels it can get pretty choppy over bumpy sections with heavier riders, but as they say; you get what you pay for. There’s no free lunch etc…Suzuki did see fit to include a few extra features like an alarm and a 12 Volt socket under the seat for charging phones etc…but they decided to give us a drum rear brake and a pretty average front disc brake. Now take note; lose the marketing gimmicks; I really don’t care if I can charge my damn i-pod. Use the money you could save not including these semi useless features on a nice solid set of disc brakes on both wheels. With twin discs the UZ125 would be the near perfect scooter. (We’re going to experiment with upgrading the front disc on our long term test scooter.) In fairness the Suzuki’s competitors are all similarly weak in the braking department so it’s just what to expect at this price.

Using the Suzuki is pretty straight forward; it’s got a great side stand and is very easy to put on the centre stand when needed. Storage is good as it handles a regular sized full face helmet and also has a small front bucket storage area for gloves etc. Unfortunately the front storage is not covered or lockable so those prior mentioned gloves will be stolen or sopping wet if it rains. Still useful though for quick drop-ins of the sneaky ice cream that you don’t want to melt in the under seat cooker (under seat storage compartments tend to get warm on most scooters). The UZ125 will travel at 100kph provided you’re on flat ground and aren’t riding into a headwind so is quite useable for motorway/freeway commuting in the slow lanes. It tops out at around 105kph which is considerably better than most entry level 125cc scooters.

A bit of a let down is the low apparent build quality; now don’t get me wrong, we’re not talking about reliability. Just the general fit and finish, we only test most scooters over a period of three days so are not able to comment on reliability; that’s what the long term fleet is for. The Suzuki uses rather cheap plastics and generally doesn’t feel as solid or as well finished as say the Piaggio Fly 125.

Summing up is pretty straight forward. If you want the fastest and most fun smaller bodied 125cc scooter around; buy the Suzuki. If you’re more concerned about smoother handling and general all round quality, buy something more refined, it’s that simple.

Speedometer accuracy

Displayed Actual

50km/h 46km/h

100km/h 94km/h

0-50km/h	6.0 Seconds
0-80km/h	15 Seconds
50-80km/h	10.5 Seconds
Fuel Economy	3.1L/100kms - 76MPG
Pros:	Light weight, low cost, good power, awesome in traffic
Cons:	Average build quality
Handling
Performance
Fuel Consumption
Value for money
Ease of use
Styling
Build quality
Overall Score	76%

Comments (4)

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written by roger , November 02, 2009

I have a 2007 model uz 125 and its by far the best buy for money around ,I checked honda,yamaha,and the top eruos,but the suzuki was the best,as for running it on 95 octane,its ok,so little differance its not worth it,tavel 18kms a day on a motorway, all weathers ,its tops,now 87000 kms never missed a beat,so easy to service,but would love a work shop manual.

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written by chris , July 31, 2008

I was wondering what type of fuel you put in the Suzuki uz125. The guy at the motorbike shop said to use 95 octane, but the book that came with it says 91 unleaded.
Love the website.

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written by Del Fuego , April 22, 2008

Hey there, I have heard about you... you bought from Colemans yeah? Plastic comment was more to do with the overall feel (ie a bit creaky and rattly compared to some of its italian bretheren) rather than the actual solidity of it. Mine came out pretty good from a drop also. Yeah am hoping to hot it up a bit, nothing too major but I am having the same trouble as you. Keep an eye on the long term fleet article and I will put in any updates in there.

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written by danny , April 20, 2008

stumbled across this site tonight,are you based in auckland as ive got one of these i brought new in march last year(im a bike courier)its just clicked 51000kms and apart from normal tyres,pads etc ive only replaced front wheel bearings and will have to get a new indicator switch as its stuffed out,great bike and i have to disagree about your comments on the plastic as ive had a few offs and the plastic is not as brittle as i thought,anyway im keen to hot it up and get another new one for work and the only sites ive found on performance parts are in jappa language so id be keen to hear if you intend hotting yours up a bit

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