Best scooter for NYC?
This is your best fit here: light, low, automatic and frugal. For short daily hops and tight parking, it does exactly what you need.
Made for New York City · Austin · Los Angeles
2010–2013 · Scooter · Buyer's Guide
Vity 125 (MY2010)
City Light, Wallet Light
The Machine's Character
The Vity 125 is Yamaha in its most practical mood. There's no Dark Side posturing here: an air-cooled 125 cc single with fuel injection, 9 hp and 7 lb-ft, a twist-and-go automatic and belt final drive, all carried in a steel tube frame on 10-inch wheels. At 243 lb (110 kg) wet with a 28.7 in (730 mm) seat, it's a compact, low-slung package. In this class the utility list decides things, and the Vity has the essentials: room under the seat, a luggage rack and a factory center stand. Simple on purpose.
Read the spec sheet and the brief is obvious: short urban trips at minimal cost. A 60 mph (96 km/h) top speed keeps the Vity on city streets and suburban roads rather than the freeway, and the simple air-cooled single with its 1.5 gal (5.5 L) tank keeps running costs down. The low seat, light weight and automatic transmission point to an easy first machine for a newer rider, and the equipment list stays deliberately basic. If your day is crosstown errands, tight parking and a helmet you'd rather not carry around, this hardware is built for you. That's the whole brief.
Hard Numbers
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
Show full specs & equipment Hide specs & equipment
| Power | 9 hp (6.4 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 7 lb-ft (9 Nm) |
| Displacement | 125 cc |
| Engine | Single-cylinder |
| Cooling | Air-cooled |
| Final drive | Belt |
| Fork | Telescopic |
| Front brake | 153 mm |
| Front tire | 100/90-10 |
| Rear tire | 100/90-10 |
| Seat height | 28.7 in (730 mm) |
| Wet weight | 243 lb (110 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 1.5 gal (5.5 L) |
| Top speed | 60 mph (96 km/h) |
Known issues
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Intermittent starting failure / electrical glitch
Bike refuses to crank or cuts out completely while riding, often accompanied by an orange warning light. Tapping the footplate or wiggling the ignition switch may temporarily restore function, pointing to a loose or corroded main electrical connector or ignition switch contacts.
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Engine stalling after short ride (fuel venting?)
A few owners report that after 5–10 minutes of riding the engine cuts out as if starved of fuel. Removing and refitting the fuel cap seems to clear the fault temporarily, suggesting a blocked tank breather or vacuum lock.
The Expert Benchmark
Where this Yamaha Vity 125 pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
What kind of bike this is — character vs. the class
Head-to-head: Yamaha Vity 125 vs. its rivals
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Top speed
Seat height
The 'Should I Buy It?' Score
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Vity 125 is actually built for.
Best motorcycle for Bay Area?
It handles the city half of your week, but with 9 hp and a 60 mph top speed, weekend ridge roads aren't its job. A partial fit: a cheap second bike for town, not your main machine.
Made for San Francisco Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard · Big Sur Coast Highway
Alternatives to the Yamaha Vity 125
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
