Yamaha Zuma 125 reviews

I've had my Zuma for just over 2 weeks. I bought it second hand (it had 1600 kms on the odometer). Even though I own two other vehicles (a car and a minivan), my scooter is my favorite vehicle. I use it for commuting to work when weather permits. It is also my vehicle of choice when I need to run errands. Last week I managed to fit a turkey and a number of other items under my seat. I also used it to bring home a couple of subs and fountain drinks from Subway without spilling a drop. Try doing that with a regular motorcycle. I just love my scooter and have no regrets about buying it. It looks great. I added a Givi topcase (well worth the money)... it was easy to install. Because my bike, helmet and jacket are black, I wear a high visibility vest wherever I go. The Zuma may not be for everyone, but for me (given my size, where I live and what I use it for) it is perfect. Show less

My wife and I purchased 2 Yamaha Vino 125s (Blue & Silver) last July and have had a blast on them. I have a big motorcycle for the freeway and commuting but wanted my wife to enjoy the 2 wheel life too and she could not find a motorcycle low and light enough to feel confident on so we looked at scooters. We chose a Yamaha for the price, look and performance. The Italian scooters are nice but we did not want to pay the price. We purchased 2 Vino 125s and have been on them daily. This is my wife's first 2 wheel bike and she loves it. Husbands, if you want to have fun with your wife-long companion get a scooter. These Yamaha Vinos are excellent scooters. They look and perform great. Yes, there is a break-in period of 600 miles but we just woke up early each morning and went for short rides and the mileage came quickly. They really break-in nice and really pickup the performance. We have windshields on ours and bought some extra chrome additions from Yamaha. I like the electric pop-up seat and who cares if the gas cap is under the back rack. I don't use the back rack for anything but strapping light loads to it. I don't want to permanently attach a trunk to it. Anyway, with 85 to 90 mpg we can't gripe. My wife always has a smile on her face and prefers her scooter to the car to go on the short trips to the mall or store. Show less

I have a 2005 Zuma, I bought in the fall of '05. I'm positive that my Zuma has paid for itself already. Living in town, there is no cheaper way to get around. I am very pleased with the fact that I have not paid insurance for 2 years, and I have put less than $100 worth of gas in her in two years! Talk about a gas saver. Do you want to get around for 25 cents a day? Buy a Zuma. Show less

I bought this scooter for my wife in 2004. They had allocated very few to the dealers in America according to the salesman who sold it to us. We bought it from a Yamaha dealer in Tulsa, OK for my wife to use as a commuter vehicle to work, which was less than 2 miles away. The drive was hilly, uphill to work and downhill back home. I was attracted to it because it was a 125cc rather than most scooters, which are usually around 50cc. I figured the 125 cc's would have a better punch, and be safer. It turned out that I was right. Little Gina does not have the punch of a 125 cc motorcycle but is very impressive both in town and on the back roads and highways. This fall we will have owned it for 4 years and have only had to replace the battery. I suspect we would not have had to do that if we would have used her more. We have since moved to Indianapolis. My wife still works but I am retired, working part-time at Home Depot. I use Gina as a commuter vehicle to my work, which is also less that 2 miles away from our house. I will conclude in guiltily saying that we have not had her back to the dealer since we bought her and she still runs like a champ even though she doesn't get used very much, which, as some of you know, can be hard on scooters or motorcyles. Show less

I purchased my 2007 Vino 125 used (only 93 miles) to ride back and forth to my office, about 25 miles round trip. I already had a 650 motorcycle. I have had so much fun on my scooter that I sold my motorcycle and I don't miss it. I have read a lot of reviews on this scooter with people getting 70 to 80 mpg but I am averaging 90 mpg. I can easily keep up with traffic but I don't push to stay up on the little stretch of 55mph that I drive so maybe that's why I get such good gas mileage. I have only filled it up 9 times and it seems to get a little better gas mileage each time. I love this scooter and would highly recommend it. Show less

It's been two years now since I bought my 04 Zuma used from the local Yamaha dealership. The scooter stock is quiet, has enough power for average city driving, handles nicely, and is very fuel efficient. My only trouble with the bike is that I needed it to go a bit faster with better power for some of our city streets that have 45 mph speed limits on them. Instead of trading in what I had, I began reading about engine and exhaust upgrades. Now I have upgraded to a 70cc engine, added a performance exhaust, retuned the transmission and have the power and speed I need to drive anywhere in town. Not to mention how much fun it is to drive. The other benifit is that I have learned a lot about 2 stroke engines incuding rebuilding the top end, cvt transmissions and carburator jetting. Scooting is very much a great hobby and reliable cheap transportation. Show less

My girlfriend bought this about four months ago because we could not afford a car any more, and we are already nearing 2000 miles. There have been aboslutly no problems. Both my girlfriend and I are small so we can fit on it slightly comfortably, but it would be hard if she wasn't only 100lbs. I've got it up to 56 with the wind at my back and it tops out between 42 and 47 with two people depending on the wind. Always gets me about 80mpg. For commuting, shopping, and just riding you can get almost everywhere with out a car. For shopping don't forget about all that extra room you have between your feet... Show less

This scooter is the 2006 Canadian model it is my second street legal bike (first one 1988 Yamaha Virago) but the first bike insured and on the road. I took it easy for break in but after that I couldn't get off the thing. I rode it everywhere. Very reliable and very good on gas. I never bothered to check MPG but Yamaha claims 120MPG @ 40km/h. Insurance is a little high considering I'm young ($1200/year). I've never had a problem with this scooter except the front brake pads which weren't correctly installed at the factory and wore out prematurely at 2500km. I got some ebc pads and they're still good now. Power is there until about 50km/h. It will go up to 70km/h on flat ground and no wind. Oil is not a problem. The tank needs to be refilled about every 1000km and it only takes a $7 bottle. Electrical system is the best. I never had an electrical problem as with other bikes but with their age electrical components are questionable. I feel the under seat storage is not enough as it can hold a full face helmet but that's it. The trunk is VERY helpful. It's made in Italy by givi and it's an official Yamaha accessory. One important thing is to check the tire pressure as it affects acceleration and top speed CONSIDERABLY. Comfort is good. You just have to get used to it. Seat is nice and big but I do feel cramped two up. Mirrors give an excellent view. Maintenance is minimal on this thing. Just go over everything it says to in the manual. You can get a service manual for this scooter online at Provo and print it out at business depot for 20$ instead of buying it from Yamaha for $100. For upgrades, I do not recommend upgrading performance because it affects reliability and it's a pain too. On a normal bike if you put a performance pipe you rejet and that's it. On a scooter, you need to mod the clutch springs, the rollers, and the jets. If you want more performance just buy a bigger bike. To sum it all up if you want a reliable bike to putt around in I would definitely recommend it. Stay away from the no name Chinese junk on the market. I worked with them before. They fall apart easy and parts are hard to find. Good luck! Show less

My wife and I just brought home two identical scooters. In the early going, they have surpassed all of my expectations. I haven't completed the long break in period (600 miles) so I haven't come close to opening up the throttle but the bike cruises easily at 30-40 mph without giving it a lot of gas, even with my bulk. I love the long, flat seat which enables me to sit back and find a very comfortable riding position. Loud turn signal indicator makes it impossible for a beginner to forget to cancel the signal. Reasonable storage space, good brakes and headlight. Starts instantly when cold; you sometimes have to blip the throttle when starting it warm. Great dealer experience. It's hard to justify paying more for the most comparable Vespa (150cc vs. 125cc for the Vino). The metal bodied Vespa is a little nicer but not worth the price difference. The Chinese imports on e-bay are a lot cheaper but who will set up the bike and parts sound iffy. Also, do you want to worry about the quality of structural components when your life is on the line and Chinese manufacturers are willing to add melamine to wheat gluten put in food because it's cheaper? It seems worth it to spend the extra money to get the reputation of Yamaha and great dealer service. Show less

Great city commuter. Here in Duluth, a 50 cc scooter would have trouble with our hills. Will exceed 50 mph on flat ground. Consistently gets 75+ mpg, no reliability problems. Easy to ride, easy to park, can hold gallon of milk in the seat compartment. The front disc brakes are a vast improvement over the drums on 50 cc scooters. Even my motorcycle phobic wife enjoys this scooter. Love my Honda 1100 cruiser, but prefer the Vino for short trips around town. don't know why more riders with large bikes don't get scooters as well. Why ride a dressed Harley one mile to the grocery? Caveat, if you want to ride two up, get a larger scooter. Show less