Jeff's about four months into his long-termer life with the little Yamaha D'elight 125 scooter. He's enjoying it, which just proves he was ready to give up road racing a few years ago!
It’s been a couple of months since I last updated you on the little BikeReview Yamaha D’elight 125 scooter I’ve been zipping around on. In that time I’ve done quite a few hundred kilometres, but more importantly, probably around 12 hours, which translates to about 30 local trips…
I’ve done about 12 hours riding at least in the past six weeks, lots of short trips, I’ve ridden the 125 every day.
I said it in the last update I did back in February, that the little D’elight has been bringing me a lot of happiness in an otherwise sh*tty year on the bike front, thanks to injuries. The early morning rides out to grab a coffee and watch the sun come up at the beach has really had me bond with the little scoot!
It’s so nice on a warm morning to jump on it and head off for a half an hour. It’s very quiet and I really appreciate that, as many mornings I head off just before sunrise. I keep the D’elight undercover at the rear door of my house, so I have to ride it alongside some windows and past the neighbours to leave.
Check out the previous update on our BikeReview D’elight 125 here…
Being so quiet means nobody gets disturbed – most importantly, my own family stay asleep, just the way I like it to be! Trust me, when the four kids and two dogs get up, it’s chaos in the Warehouse! The D’elight gives me some peace to start the day. Even when I’m riding proper bikes, I’ll miss this thing.
A scooter and the beach. They kind of go together perfectly. This is where I head every other morning on the Yamaha…
Sometimes I manage to fit a ride in of an arvo, before the school run if it’s my turn, or just as a break if I give myself a lunch break. I work from home at the moment, I never really went back to my office post Covid and I built a small office inside my garage. It gets a bit pokey and lonely, so a midday ride is cool.
My left hand is really starting to come good now. It’s been 3.5 months since the thumb beak ligament reinforcement surgery and I’m finding the scooter riding very helpful – it’s the best rehab yet for my job. Unfortunately, my right thumb needs the same surgery, and is giving me grief. Luckily, the brakes are linked. Stopping is no issue, two fingers (one on each lever), even with my 100kg on board (plus shopping). Speaking of which, under seat storage is really good, and the tray lifts out to carry groceries!
One crazy adventure I had on the D’elight was riding it all the way from Woy Woy, Central Coast, NSW, to Marrickville in Sydney, around 100km each way. After my test run to Kariong, I realised the scooter could handle long sustained full throttle uphill travel (it’s about 16km of incline), so a few days later, I headed off to Sydney’s inner west.
I took the Old Pacific Highway, which was a unique experience, having ridden weekly up there since the very early 1990s, I think this was the slowest I’d ever been through there. I really learned where all the bumps are and had no chance of breaking the speed limit!
I stopped a few times for a stretch, at The Slab, then again at Berowra, and finally went right through. I went the old way, to avoid main roads, arriving at North Sydney via Northbridge, then darting over the Harbour Bridge and heading through Ultimo and Newtown. It brought back great memories of my scootering days in the city when Heather and I were much younger… It’s so far been fantastic having the D’elight. The only thing I have on the wish list really is a USB charge port and some better tyres, but I can live without either of them to be honest…
Next month I’ll update you on how it is running, costs, and give it a good detail too…
2023 Yamaha D’elight Specifications
Price: $3,949 Ride Away
Warranty: Two year, unlimited kilometre
Colour: White Pearl
Claimed power: 6.2kW@6750rpm
Claimed torque: 9.8Nm@5250rpm
Wet weight: 99kg
Fuel capacity: 5.5L
Fuel Consumption: 49.5km/L (measured)
Range: 250km (measured)
Engine: Air-cooled, four-stroke, SOHC, two-valve, 125cc, 52.4 x 57.9mm bore x stroke, 11:1 compression, V-Belt Automatic
Gearbox: CVT Automatic
Chassis: Backbone frame, Unit swingarm
Suspension: Telescopic forks, 81mm travel, rear shock, 68mm travel
Brakes: 180mm front rotor, 152mm drum rear brake
Tyres: 90/90 – 12, 100/90 – 10
Dimensions:
Wheelbase: 1275mm
Seat height: 800mm
Ground clearance: 125mm
Overall height: 1145mm
Overall width: 685mm
Instruments: Analogue speedometer, with digital display
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