Kymco Visar 2017 — Specifications

Kymco had a problem with the CK1: correct, but too tame to make a lasting impression. The Visar is the Taiwanese response to this assumed blandness, a 125 roadster attempting to combine visual character and everyday practicality. The bet is not obvious, but the brand at least deserves credit for taking care with the execution.

Visually, the machine displays a worked silhouette, with an aggressive front fork, muscular flanks, and turn signals integrated into the shoulders. The standard engine guard gives a certain coherence to the whole. It’s not revolutionary, but it’s clean and noticeably more assertive than what some direct competitors offer in this price range. Style remains argument number one to seduce a young A1 license holder who doesn’t want to blush at the traffic lights.

Under the 13.5-liter fuel tank, the 124 cc twin-valve single-cylinder has been brought up to date with electronic injection to meet Euro4 requirements. It delivers 10 horsepower at 8000 rpm and 11.8 Nm of torque at 7000 rpm, all routed to the wheels via a 5-speed gearbox and a chain. These figures are what they are: sufficient to get through a city without panting, clearly insufficient as soon as the national road stretches out over a hundred kilometers. The announced top speed of 100 km/h summarizes the positioning well: urban first, suburban occasionally, touring never. On the other hand, consumption will remain modest and maintenance will not burden a student budget.

The chassis relies on a classic steel tubular frame, a telescopic fork at the front, and a mono-shock at the rear. Nothing original, but the contained weight of 136 kg makes the machine manageable and accessible. The pleasant surprise comes from the braking system, now entirely disc, which represents a concrete improvement over the previous generation equipped with a rear drum. Tires in 80/100-17 at the front and 110/80-17 at the rear complete a package without surprises but coherent.

The problem with the Visar is its displayed price of 2799 euros. It finds itself face to face with the Yamaha YS 125 and the Honda CBF 125, two Japanese machines whose reliability is no longer in question. In this area, Kymco starts with a difficult reputational handicap to overcome. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the Mash 125 Seventy Five and Black Seven play the vintage card with undeniable commercial success among the same target audience. The Visar therefore finds itself in a narrow corridor: too expensive to be the obvious economical option, not charismatic enough to compete with retro specialists. It will have to convince by its overall balance, its manufacturer's warranty, and the presence of an after-sales network, arguments that neo-manufacturers cannot always align.