When we first heard that the new for 2022/23 SYM Classic 125 was having a big upgrade we thought, Oh Oh! I bet that means a decent price hike. Â
The old carbi Classic 125 was always popular due to its entry level price point, retro looks and simple inclusions, so we weren’t to sure about a lot of upgrades being such a good thing.
But then we saw the first pictures from the Classic 125 Sports release in Italy and started to see that there weren’t just a few upgrades but a lot of upgrades to this new Classic 125 Sport.
Visually it is much smarter than the old model and you can see a few cheeky design cues it has taken from the Vespa Primavera, especially around the rear main body area.
SYM are quick to point out that they are aiming this scooter to clearly be a much more inexpensive competitor to Vespa and at $4990 ride away here in Aus, it certainly is. The classy Vespa Primavera 125cc is $2700 more and it doesn’t come with the colour coded top box that the Classic 125 Sport does. This makes the SYM Classic 125 Sport around 65% of the cost of the purchase cost Vespa, making it a real consideration.
Once we got the scooter up and running the techs and the sales team were all raving about the extra power of the new Classic 125 Sport. SYM have modified the scooter to meet the new Euro 5 emissions rules, and with that they included fuel injection. The new power is up by almost 30% and you can feel it. So much so, that Id have to say this scoter feels much more like a 150cc.
We took a close look at some of the new features and each one was an obvious step up from the old model. Some of the upgrades we noted are the Combined Brake System which provides better braking characteristics, LED headlight, digital dash with added information, turn signals now also make a audible warning, hazard lights, USB charger, lower saddle height to suit more riders and a lower set fuel tank for better handling.
We did a test to check the acceleration compared to the old Classic 125 and the new one comfortably beat the old model by quite a margin.
A couple of things I had to get my head around was that the fuel compartment lid is fiddly to open and the USB point is outside on the knee panel and isn’t designed to be used in rain. To be fair, these are only minor annoyances, especially the fuel opening, as I was fine with it once the sales guys showed me how to do it.
Some of the things from the old model that are still included are the two helmet hooks under the saddle, the combo of a centre and side stand, and the remote security lock system. It was a good idea to keep these handy items.
So there you have it, my first impressions of the new SYM Classic 125 Sport. If you’d like a test ride give us a call here at the shop on 9938 5858. If you’d like to buy one and your out of area go online simply go to our website.
Murray
