Review: Yamaha Mio i125

It’s been a while since we’ve enjoyed the freedom of traveling and hanging out with friends in trendy destinations like La Union, Boracay, and Siargao. We all miss visiting scenic places, trying out new food spots, and breathing in the fresh air.

While many people are just longing for better days ahead, riders have still been able to enjoy a sense of freedom and discovery and can look forward to fun weekends to destinations nearby that have reopened to leisure travelers, with their own personal commuters, like the Yamaha Mio.

Mio is well-known as one of the most popular and reliable commuter scooter models in the Philippines. The Mio culture has been around in the country since 2007, with models continually evolving with the times.

My first scooter is actually the retro Mio Fino Classic, one of the older Mio models. I absolutely love this scooter and I’ve taken it from Manila to Bicol and even Cebu in the past.

Some of the newer Mio variants available in the market today include the Mio Sporty, Mio i125, Mio Soul i125, Mio Gravis, Mio Aerox and Mio Gear, which all appeal to different subcultures of riders.

Yamaha lent me a review unit of the Mio i125 for their #MioOwnthe Culture Campaign and here’s what I can share about this reliable scooter.

Design

The Mio i125 comes in 5 different color options, giving riders choices to pick from to match their personality. The Magenta, Cyan and Yellow variants will probably appeal to younger riders and female riders, who want a fun and cheerful-looking personal scooter. The Mio i125 also comes in Matte Blue and Matte Black for those who want something a little darker and more mature looking for business use and daily commuting.

The unit I was lent was the trendy Cyan color, which manages to stand out in a sea of scooters. The Mio i125 features new graphics including wheel graphics in a distinct color combination that symbolizes the evolution of Mio. The reflectorized graphics helps increase visibility on the road especially at night.

The front face of the scooter has a sleek M shape design that looks sharp and edgy. The seat also has an M Shaped grab bar to increase passenger’s comfort for those who travel with pillion passengers.

Features

The Mio i125 boasts of a practical and fuel-efficient ride. With its Stop & Start System enabled, the engine will automatically switch off after 5 seconds of being idle to avoid unnecessary fuel consumption. The battery is well-protected and you can easily return to your riding with its quick start function that is possible because of the stored air-fuel mixture in your engine.

The Mio i125 also comes equipped with the latest in Anti-Theft Technology and sound location design. As an added safety feature, the Smart Stand Switch automatically shuts off the engine whenever the stand is put down.

Specifications

Engine type: Air-cooled, 4-stroke. SOHC, 2-valve
Cylinder arrangement: Single Cylinder
Displacement: 125cm³
Bore & stroke: 52.4mm x 57.9mm
Compression ratio: 9.5:1
Maximum horse power: 7.0kW(9.5PS)/8000r/min
Maximum torque: 9.6N・m (1.0 Kgf・m)/5500r/min
Starting system: Electric starter & Kickstarter
Lubrication system: Wet sump
Engine oil capacity: 0.84L
Fuel Supply System: Fuel injection
Clutch Type: Dry, Centrifugal, Shoe
Transmission Type: V-Belt Automatic

Field test notes

With the shift to the new Alert level system in mid=September, leisure travel has been allowed again in NCR amid the ongoing pandemic, but there are still various restrictions preventing longer rides to neighboring provinces.

During the one-week review period, I used the unit for a city ride from Quezon City to BGC to check out the new Mio mural, errand rides around the village, food pick-ups, and an out-of-town solo coffee ride to Marilaque before having to double back because of a checkpoint.

City driving

The Mio i125 is very practical and easy to drive.
The seat height is low making it easier for those aren’t that tall to drive. I’m only 5″ and I can reach the ground comfortably and drive this easily even if I’m just wearing slippers.
The floor dashboard makes it convenient to use for chores where you need to carry a lot of stuff like trips to the market or picking up and delivering laundry.
The scooter is very light and easy to maneuver. You can easily back out from ramps with ease.
It’s not that bulky, so you can easily park in tight spots or bring it up sidewalks if needed.
It’s easy to use in high-traffic situations, helping you get where you need to go faster.
Because of the edgy design of the front dashboard, shorter riders may hit their knees if they sit too forward in the seat. However, it’s not a problem if you sit further in the seat.

Longer rides

With its 125cc displacement, this is mostly ideal for city driving, but it can also be used for longer leisure rides or out-of-town rides to reach places that are hard to get to by public transportation.
Acceleration is fast and braking was pretty responsive.
It’s very maneuverable, so it’s easy to drive over rough roads and gravel, which may be a problem for bigger and heavier motorcycles.
In terms of storage wise, the compartment under the seat is not that large, but it’s enough to store essentials like motorcycle papers, gloves, face shields, and more.
For added storage, you can stash smaller items in the front dashboard compartments or floorboard.
The eco-setting took a while to get used to, as the engine automatically shuts down whenever you put the kickstand down. Sometimes, you have to wait a bit for the engine to light up before you can start again, if you parked for a while.

Price

The Mio i125 has an SRP of P72,400.00 for the Magenta, Cyan and Yellow variants and P75,900.00 for the Matte Blue and Black models.

Verdict

The pandemic has really disrupted people’s lifestyles, how we work, and what we can look forward to during the weekends. More people are shifting to convenient, less expensive forms of individual transport, such as scooters for mobility.

The Mio i125 offers a beginner-friendly and affordable option for those who want a form of transport to help them deal with the challenges of living in the new normal and for business use. But aside from that, scooters offer a recreational tool to help you get a sense of joy and freedom wherever you go.

With your own scooter, you can easily #FindUrTrip and hunt down trendy cafes on your own, go sightseeing to places you’ve always wanted to visit near the metro, or just drive somewhere new for a change of scenery.

Riding can make you appreciate places you might have overlooked before in a new light. With vaccine rollouts underway and more destinations reopening to the tourists, it won’t be long before we can look forward to traveling around the country on two wheels again.