Chinese 125 motorcycles: a buying guide to Keeway, Zontes, QJMotor (and what to check)

The 125 class is where Chinese brands hit hardest. For the price of a Honda CB125R (€5,149 in France before its 2026 model year), you can buy a new Chinese 125 plus the jacket, the helmet and the first year's insurance with the difference. TFT screens, full LED lighting, upside-down forks and liquid cooling have become common at €3,500.

The trick is choosing wisely: not all Chinese 125s are equal, and the gap is made less on the spec sheet than on the warranty, the dealer network and resale. Here is the guide, with prices checked at the French importers in October 2026 — UK prices differ, but the logic is the same.

The rules: who can ride a 125

• A1 licence: 125 cc maximum, 11 kW (15 hp) maximum, power-to-weight ratio of 0.1 kW/kg at most. In the UK you can take it from 17; with a CBT you can also ride a 125 on L-plates from 17.
• In France, holders of a car licence for at least two years can ride a 125 after 7 hours of training — a rule that doesn't exist in the UK.
• Braking: EU rules (retained in the UK) require motorcycles up to 125 cc to have ABS or combined braking (CBS). Above that, ABS is mandatory.

All the 125s mentioned here meet those limits. For the basics of choosing a first bike, read our first 125 buying guide.

The brands and their groups

Before comparing, know who you're buying from. Ownership links are detailed in who makes what among Chinese motorcycles; for 125s, the essentials:

Keeway and QJMotor come from the same group but go through two different importers in France: it's the importer, not the factory, that handles your warranty and parts. In the UK, each brand has its own distributor — check who it is before buying.

Real prices (October 2026, France)

Zontes: equipment first

The 125 range as listed on the French importer's site, "from" prices (current offers move them around):

Sample data sheet: the 125 Urban claims 14.6 hp (10.3 kW) at 9,000 rpm, 160 kg and 2.5 l/100 km, with ABS. Warranty in France: 3 years parts and 2 years labour within the Zontes network — the terms state that labour is only covered in the first year in some cases, so read them before signing.

QJMotor: liquid cooling across the board

The 125 range as listed on the French importer's site:

All claim 15 hp (11 kW) at 9,500 rpm and liquid cooling — the A1 maximum. The SRK 125 R weighs 153 kg dry and has dual-channel ABS.

Keeway: the floor price

Keeway plays the lowest-price card, with models often air-cooled and simpler. For reference, the RKF 125 roadster (liquid-cooled, 12 hp) launched at €2,695 and the K-Light 125 (retro, 10.6 hp) at €2,595; the RKF 125 is listed around €2,990 in Italy in 2025-2026. Check the current price with a dealer.

The Japanese benchmark

The Honda CB125R sold for €5,149 in France before its 2026 model year, and the Yamaha MT-125 trades around €5,600. The gap with a well-equipped Chinese 125 is therefore €1,500 to €2,500.

The technical criteria that really matter

Cooling

A liquid-cooled 125 copes better with high revs in summer and in traffic, at the cost of an extra hose and water pump. An air-cooled 125 is simpler and cheaper to maintain. For daily use in town with dual-carriageway stretches, liquid is a real plus; for short urban hops, air is enough.

Braking

ABS or CBS: both are legal, but ABS (especially dual-channel) is far more reassuring for a beginner. On the data sheets, check the number of channels.

Real power

Between 10.6 hp (K-Light) and 15 hp (QJMotor), the difference shows as soon as you leave town. If you use a dual carriageway every day, aim for 15 hp.

Weight

Chinese 125s are often heavy: 140 to 160 kg, while a CB125R stays around 130 kg. Equipment (screen, lights, guards) weighs, and you feel it when manoeuvring.

Warranty, network, parts: the real difference

On a 125, a breakdown is proportionally expensive: a clutch or starter can represent 10 to 15% of the bike's value. Three questions to ask before buying:

1. What warranty, and where? Zontes France offers 3 years on parts; other brands stick to 2 years. Warranty is only honoured in the importer's network.
2. Where is the nearest dealer? A sparse network means trailer trips for every service.
3. What lead time for common parts? Ask the lead time for a lever, a mirror, an indicator and a set of pads.

One thing to know in France: SIMA, importer of QJMotor and Mash, had a conciliation agreement with its banks to reschedule its debt validated by the Dijon commercial court in late 2025. It isn't a bankruptcy, and nothing points to an impact on customers, but it's the kind of information to bear in mind for a brand whose whole service goes through one importer. The full subject is in parts, warranty and dealer network for Chinese motorcycles.

Servicing a Chinese 125

Our annual 125 service checklist applies to motorcycles too.

Resale: what the adverts say

Dealer listings on the French site Motoplanete, October 2026:

A one-year-old SRK 125 R is advertised at around 87% of its new price, a one- to two-year-old CB125R at around 81 to 84%, with far more miles. On these few adverts, a recent Chinese 125 doesn't lose value faster than the Japanese one. The gap widens mainly with age: on private-sale platforms, older Zontes 125s commonly change hands between €2,000 and €2,800. These are asking prices, on a thin sample; UK prices will differ — read them as ratios.

The full head-to-head between the Zontes 125 and the Honda benchmark is in Zontes 125 vs Honda CB125R, and for mini-bikes, read CFMoto Papio vs Honda Monkey.

Our way to choose

1. Define your use: pure town (air-cooled, light, cheap) or town + fast roads (liquid-cooled, 15 hp, dual-channel ABS).
2. Check the network near you before comparing data sheets.
3. Compare warranties (parts length, labour length, conditions).
4. Look at the used price of the model you want, not just the new price.
5. Try the bike: riding position, weight when manoeuvring, screen legibility in sunlight.

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