Seems like it wasn’t that long ago we were complaining that European riders got the Yamaha XSR125 and we didn’t! Well—as it turns out, that was almost exactly a year ago, and we can start complaining all over again, since Euros now get the cool XSR125 Legacy, and we don’t.
The Legacy is an up-spec’d version of the XSR125, but the changes are mostly cosmetic. In today’s world of emissions regulations and other rules, it would be too hard to justify hot-rodding the engine—not that you can hot-rod this engine much more anyway. It’s the same liquid-cooled four-valve single that Yamaha uses in the MT125 and R125, with a variable valve timing system that adds a little more low-end punch while also allowing the bike to rev up to 15 hp at 10,000 rpm—certainly a respectable figure for a 125.
With that in mind, the bike gets a new retro paint scheme: Lots of gold and silver, and aluminum trim (including a new cover for the exhaust system). Squinting at the photo, there’s a lot of colour similarities to Yamaha’s old Midnight Special series from the early 1980s, but in a machine that’s sized much closer to an RD or one of Yamaha’s other small-cc bikes from that era (many of which never came to Canada).
You can see one mechanical change-up to the bike in the photos: Instead of cast wheels, Yamaha went with spoked 17-inch rims, with a coating of gold paint. They’re mounted with Metzeler Karoo tires.
UK out-the-door pricing is £4,950, which is roughly $8,100 CAD.
Yep,that retail price plus all the dealer rip off add-ons ( documentation fee….YEAH,Right ! ) tire levy (in BC)
plus freight/PDI,sales taxes….I say send the kinder to the nearest electric bicycle dealer and forget about
an “entry level” motorcycle that can ever succeed. This dilemma existed 20 years ago when a kid could buy
a used 5.0 litre Mustang for less than an entry level Japanese bike. Rotsa Ruck !
Yikes $8100 ! I imagine that would not go over well in Canada.