6 Of The Coolest-Looking 125cc Motorcycles Ever Made

Everyone knows that there are tons of amazing superbikes out there — machines with massive engines that can outperform just about everything on the road — but there are a lot of cool smaller bikes out there as well. A 125cc motorcycle isn't usually the fastest machine on the block. In fact, you'll probably want to avoid taking one on the highway. Even so, there's something to be said for a little motorcycle that you can zip around town on.

Just because a bike is small doesn't mean that it has to look cheap. There are lots of 125cc motorcycles that actually look pretty cool. That's not even getting into the wide world of aftermarket modifications. We're talking stock bikes, straight off the showroom floor. Some of them are pocket bikes that can be surprisingly zippy due to their small size, while others have more vintage designs that harken back to a time before plastic fairings and angular designs became the trend. Of course, aesthetics are always going to be subjective, but there are a handful of bikes out there that really manage to stand out against the competition.

Honda makes a lot of miniature motorcycles. Some of them are more performance-focused, like the Honda Grom while others are designed to be a good option for beginners, like the Honda Navi. In fact, Honda makes something in the 125cc range for just about everyone, including several of the most affordable mini motorcycles on the market.

Then there's the Honda Monkey. This little bike stands out just about everywhere it goes because of its strange, but undeniably charming aesthetic. The original Monkey Z100 was built as a ride for theme parks designed by a Honda subsidiary called Motorsports Land Corporation, but it has continued to evolve and develop its style over the years since it eventually entered general production. Its squat, yet street-focused design now seems entirely unique.

A lot of thought clearly went into the modern version of the bike's appearance. The 2024 edition comes in two colors: Pearl Black and Pearl Nebula Red. The black is more understated, while the red is a vibrant shade that demands attention from anyone who looks at it. The 2023 edition was also available in an equally vibrant Banana Yellow. Chrome accents on the engine, tank, and exhaust add a bit of flair, while other stand-out features like its tartan plaid quilted leather seat add an element of refinement to the monkey, counterbalancing its small size and the ruggedness of its tires and exposed 4.0-inch travel twin shock suspension. Some might find the Monkey strange, but it's sure to catch a few glances.

The Monkey was designed to embrace the whimsey of miniature motorcycles, but the Bluroc Hero 125 is just the opposite. Everything about this bike screams business. Marketed as an adventure scrambler, the Hero comes stock with heavily treaded tires, upside down forks, and Knobby discs that look adventure-ready. Even so, the flat seat, metallic design, and rounded headlight combine this rugged off-road appeal with that of a more classic street bike. This gives it the look of a vehicle that can get just about anywhere — so long as you aren't in a hurry. "The Hero 125 can be enjoyed solo or as a pair and the long-travel adjustable hydraulic suspension open up all roads, even the less paved," states the Bluroc Motorcycles product page.

The Hero has a naked, cut-back design, and comes in three colors: Titanium, Gold-Black, and a special edition comes in a color palette called Desert Trophy. These simple color swaps change up the look of the bike quite a bit. The Titanium has a more rugged, all-metal look, while the painted Gold-Black makes the Hero feel a bit more retro. All versions of the bike have a quilted leather seat and a rather unique tail-pipe.

Next up, we have the Mutt Mastiff 125cc. This is a small-engine bike that's not afraid to go big on the details. According to the Mutt Motorcycle product page, "We wanted to make the Mastiff the king of the Mutts, so with that in mind, we decided to add a little love here and there to make him a little different yet still retain that unmistakable outline of a Mutt Motorcycle." It has a good-sized four gallon tank, and since most of the chassis is black, the eye is naturally drawn down to the exposed metal on the engine fins and the raw satin-finished stainless steel exhaust system. On top of that, this bike rides on some beefy, deep-tread tires that look ready to roll over just about anything.

Then there are the more subtle details like a headlight grill, a mini speedometer, and the blacked out exposed shocks and fork gaiters, which give the bike the appearance of being a bit more adventure ready at the front end.

The bike is only listed in one color scheme. The flat anodized black and silver paint, in addition to the quilted brown leather bench seat and brushed steel elements, gives the Mutt Mastiff 125cc a bit of classic elegance to offset its more rugged features. This allows the machine to tread a middle ground between beastly and distinguished.

Stylish doesn't always have to mean extravagant, and there are plenty of 125cc motorcycles out there that look cool without reinventing the wheel. The Honda CB125R Neo Sports Café has a stripped-back appearance that looks stylish and performance ready. The overall design is that of a standard street bike, but the angular curves of the fairings, coupled with the blacked-out trellis frame, and the rounded headlight give it a distinctive appearance that harks back to the old café racer from the '60s. It also has a unique-looking covered exhaust with brushed metal end can facing up and out. This blend of modern and classic styles helps set it apart from otherwise similar street bikes like the Yamaha MT-125 or the Kawasaki Z125.

The bike comes in four colors: Mat Cynos Gray Metallic, Reef Sea Blue Metallic, Pearl Cool White, and Pearl Splendor Red. All four versions of the bike are primarily black, however. The color is only applied to the tank and the fairing beneath the back seat. This gives the CB125R a decidedly modern look that appears clean, efficient, and –above all — cool.

Another street bike that demands attention is the KTM 125 Duke. It's no surprise that this bike is exceptional. Several models in the Duke line are ranked among the best motorcycles that KTM has ever made. Unlike most of the other bikes on this list, the Duke has no classic influences whatsoever. It's a modern, stripped-back streetfighter. Though if you look carefully, you can see some of the influence from KTMs dirtbikes in the angular shaping of the fairings and front headlight. "It's built with the same attitude as the bigger bikes — and it shows," says KTM. "It's no holds barred with this urban warrior." A forward riding position compounds the angular design to make the bike appear even more aggressive and performance-hungry than the bikes available from its Japanese competitors. Like most KTM bikes, it employs either a blue and orange color scheme or a black and white one with strategically placed orange accents. Both of these serve as a not-so-subtle nod to the company's long-standing presence on the stage of world-class motorsports. This might be the smallest version of the bike that KTM makes, but a Duke is still a Duke.

Our final 125cc street bike is the Yamaha XSR125 Legacy. While some bikes on this list have been a bit on the dramatic side, the XSR125 Legacy is more subtle in its design. The overall shape is that of a classic street bike, but there are a few casual nods to café racers and cruiser-style motorcycles as well. It has an upright riding position, a round headlight, and a quilted leather seat that, while certainly not a bench, is much flatter than a standard saddle. It also has a massive Akrapovič exhaust with a two-piece aluminum muffler cover on the right side, giving the bike a heavier and more stable look. The chassis is mostly naked and blacked out, but Yamaha left the bolts and rivets silver in order to add an industrial element to the more classic gold and black color scheme.

"The attention to detail on this 125cc Sport Heritage bike is what makes it stand out wherever you go," Yamaha says on the product page. "The classic spoked wheels and gold colored aluminum rims are inspired by Yamaha's winning race bikes from the 1970s, giving the XSR125 Legacy a timeless feel and authentic look." That said, there are a few more modern elements to the design as well. The XSR125 Legacy comes with Metzeler Karoo block pattern performance sport tires, LED lighting, and a full LCD instrument display.