Slick modern styling
The Jet X 125 is a stylish modern commuter scooter from Taiwanese manufacturer SYM. They may not be as well known as some of the big Japanese names but the Jet X is every bit as polished and refined as its premium rivals. In fact, SYM scooters have been going from strength to strength in recent years and this could be the best one yet!We recently got the chance to test out the latest SYM Jet X 125 and see what it can do, let's talk about it...
We can start with the visuals on this scooter and they immediately show that SYM means business. The Jet X 125 has a slick, sophisticated urban style, similar to what we have seen from the likes of the NMAX or PCX (this scooter's chief rivals) with its blacked-out front screen and angular bodywork.
There is plenty of attention to detail and everything looks very high quality. There are some excellent colour options too with a glossy grey, satin red, blue or brass colour schemes on offer and they all look fantastic. The Jet X absolutely holds it own in the looks department and for my money, is one of the most aesthetically pleasing 125 scooters on the market.
Engine and performance
The Jet X is powered by a 125cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder 4-stroke engine and puts out 12.5hp @8000rpm with 11.5Nm of torque @6500rpm. You can see from the stats it is again very comparable to its Japanese rivals and when I was actually out riding it, I was pleasantly impressed with how agile and responsive it was.
The early acceleration is excellent thanks to the Jet's extremely low weight - just 120kg with a full tank of fuel. Pulling away from lights, you can hit 30mph very swiftly and leave most cars and traffic around you in the dust. Once you reach 40-50mph it does start to slow down a bit, when I had the Jet X out on the dual carriageway I was eventually able to reach a top speed of 72mph but it took some patience to get there. Still, this is clearly designed as an urban commuter so the ability to cruise at national speed limit is a nice feature if you need to travel further afield.
For the brakes, SYM has gone with a combined braking system (CBS) here over ABS and that means we get a 260mm front disc with a twin-piston caliper and a 220mm rear disc with a single piston. The way CBS works is to automatically apply a bit of the front brake when you apply the rear to increase stopping power, while the front brake functions independently as usual.
As far as how they perform in the real world, much like many of these scooters, they feel great. The brakes are responsive and get you stopped nice and swiftly and I found even when I crunched down on the brakes hard, there was no locking or skidding, the scooter came to a stop nice and smoothly.
The suspension is kept pretty basic with upside-down forks on the front and a dual shock on the rear, although the rear is preload adjustable which is a nice touch. Once again as far as how it feels out on the road, it gets the job done very well. The Jet X absorbed the bumps of Norfolk's back roads nicely, while still feeling stable on the corners and under heavy braking. I personally prefer a nice firm suspension, so if I was to own one of these I would perhaps stiffen the preload a little as sometimes over the larger bumps it did bounce a bit, but those were rare occurrences and the scooter generally feels great on all surfaces.
In terms of the proportions, this is a very accessible scooter. I already mentioned the super light 120kg wet weight and that comes with both pros and cons. Obviously, the pros are that the scooter is effortless to manoeuvre, both while riding and when manual handling. The agility is fantastic with the scooter turning fast and nimbly and the acceleration is lovely and swift from the get-go.
The only downside I found was while riding in some classic British bad weather, I found that strong winds could buffet you around a bit as they hit the fairing on open roads. This can feel a bit disconcerting so something to bear in mind if you need to ride through the UK countryside in winter months. In its natural environment of urban areas, where you aren't being hit by strong winds, this isn't an issue at all.
The seat height on the Jet X is also very accessible at 770mm. That means even shorter riders should have no problems flat-footing it, while thanks to its generous leg room, taller riders will still be pretty comfy. While on the subject of the seat, it feels very comfortable, and even after spending a few hours in the saddle at a time, there were no aches or pains involved.
Now with the starting price coming in at £3,350, this scooter definitely offers great value for money in terms of the excellent ride quality and looks on offer. SYM has undercut their Japanese rivals by a couple of hundred quid but in the age of the credit agreement, it isn't a huge difference. Regardless, this is a great price point.
When it comes to fuel economy, the Jet X 125 does okay but certainly isn't top of the class. The 7.5 litre fuel tank is an average size for this category and I found I was getting around 100 miles from a full tank. Now of course during testing I am not always riding it particularly conservatively - I want to test acceleration and top speeds, so when used in its natural environment on a town commute you could most likely squeeze more out of it than I was getting.
Despite the bargain price, there are still a few tech features on offer here, including LED lights, keyless ignition, and a built-in alarm. The keyless system works very smoothly and feels pretty convenient and having the built-in alarm is definitely a good bonus as you would usually need to fork out some extra cash to get one fitted for your insurance!
The dash is a digital LCD display and I love its wide design, it makes it very easy to read the relevant info speedo without taking up much space. The display itself is inverted so we have light characters on a dark background and again, I found it very easy to read with clear speedo, rev meter, fuel gauge, and mileage.
Onto the switchgear, it all feels high quality and well positioned, you can intuitively find what you are looking for on the fly without having to think about it and the knobs and levers feel substantial and not at all flimsy or cheap.
For storage, there is a spacious glove box that can easily fit your mobile phone, wallet, and perhaps a few other small things inside when needed. Under the seat, there is enough room for one full-faced helmet, which is decent for the category but SYM has chosen to put the fuel tank under here too. It is a strange choice considering there is plenty of room up front including a tunnel where the 7.5 litre tank could have been positioned, freeing up more space under the seat and making it more convenient to access when fuelling.
Overall, the SYM Jet X 125 is a great addition to the class. It looks fantastic, feels polished and high quality, and comes in at a very affordable price brand new. It can easily stand up to its major rivals in its performance, especially as a town run-around or urban commuter, where its lightweight proportions really shine.
Coming in at £3,350, the Jet X 125 may not be as well known as some of the leading rivals but is definitely well worth considering!
Pros:
Excellent ride quality
Lightweight and agile
Good price point
Excellent visuals
Cons:
Super lightweight can be a negative under strong winds
Fuel economy is good but could be improved
Would be nicer with a 130" rear tyre over the thin 110" that comes as standard
The last stop!
I hope you enjoyed my full road test review on the all-new Sym Jet X 125!
If you do have your very own Sym Jet X, or perhaps another scooter you need to insure, why not check out Lexham's scooter and moped insurance directly for the best deals?
https://www.lexhaminsurance.co.uk/blog/sym-jet-x-125-scooter-review/
