Is the Honda PCX125 or the Yamaha NMAX 125 better?

They are close enough that neither is a mistake. At UK list prices the PCX125 is 3,549 pounds and the NMAX 125 is 3,701 pounds, a gap of about 152 pounds. The Honda makes marginally more power (9.2 kW against 9.0 kW) and has the lower seat at 763 mm against 770 mm; the Yamaha is fractionally lighter at 132 kg against 134 kg. Choose the PCX if you want the lowest seat and the smoothest, quietest commute, and the NMAX if you prefer a sportier feel and Yamaha's MAX-family styling.

Can I ride a Honda PCX125 or Yamaha NMAX 125 on a CBT?

Yes. Both are 125cc machines, so in the UK you can ride either on a CBT with L-plates, and both suit a full A1 licence across Europe. That is a large part of why these two are the default first powered two-wheelers for commuters: no full licence, twist-and-go transmission, and running costs far below a car.

Which is better for a short rider, the PCX125 or the NMAX 125?

The Honda PCX125, by a small margin. Its 763 mm seat is 7 mm lower than the NMAX's 770 mm. On a scooter that gap matters slightly less than it would on a motorcycle, because the flat floorpan lets you slide forward and put both feet down more easily than a bike with a fuel tank between your knees. If you are right on the edge of flat-footing, sit on both before deciding.

MyMoto Comparison

Honda PCX125 vs Yamaha NMAX 125: Which Should You Buy?

These two have been trading the top of the 125cc commuter charts for a decade, and almost every comparison you will read tries to make one of them the winner. Here are the actual numbers, taken from Honda UK and Yamaha UK on the day this was written: £3,549 against £3,701, 9.2 kW against 9.0 kW, 134 kg against 132 kg, 763 mm against 770 mm. That is a £152 price gap and rounding-error differences everywhere else. Anyone telling you one of these is clearly better is selling you something.

Photo: Millermaster, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Honda PCX125125cc · 12.3hp · £3,549

The default. Lower seat, marginally more power, slightly cheaper, and Honda's dealer network behind it. The PCX has spent years being the scooter people buy when they want the decision to be over.

Photo: AVMOTO, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Yamaha NMAX 125125cc · 12.1hp · £3,701

The sportier one. A couple of kilos lighter, styled to sit in Yamaha's MAX family alongside the TMAX, and the pick for riders who want their commuter to feel a bit more like a motorcycle and a bit less like an appliance.

Specs head to head

	Honda PCX125	Yamaha NMAX 125
Engine	125cc single	125cc single
Power	9.2 kW (~12.3 hp)	9.0 kW (~12.1 hp)
Weight	134 kg kerb	132 kg wet
Seat height	763 mm	770 mm
Price (UK OTR)	£3,549	£3,701
Licence	CBT / A1	CBT / A1
Best for	Lowest seat, smoothest ride, lowest price	Sportier feel, lightest, MAX styling

Prices and specs verified against Honda UK and Yamaha UK published figures for the current models. Both are UK and European market machines - in the United States the equivalent Honda is the larger PCX160. Always confirm the current on-the-road price with a dealer, since colours, offers and delivery charges move these numbers.

Where the PCX125 wins

Three small things that add up: it is the cheaper of the two, it has the lower seat, and it makes fractionally more power. None of those is dramatic on its own. Together they make the PCX the easier recommendation for the rider who just wants a scooter that works - especially a shorter rider, where 763 mm against 770 mm is 7 mm of extra confidence at every set of traffic lights. Honda's reputation for refinement is the other half of the pitch: the PCX is the quieter, smoother way to do the same journey, and after a year of daily commuting that matters more than a spec sheet suggests.

Where the NMAX 125 wins

Character, and two kilos. The NMAX is deliberately positioned as the sporting choice in this class, sharing its design language with Yamaha's much larger TMAX, and it rides like it - a little more eager to change direction, a little more engaging when the road opens up between traffic. If your commute has some flow to it rather than being pure stop-start, that is worth the £152. It is also the lighter machine, which you notice most when you are pushing it around a parking space or paddling it out of a tight gap.

Which should you buy?

Buy the PCX125 if you want the lowest seat, the lowest price, and the least drama. It is the sensible default and there is no shame in that - most people buying a 125 want reliable, cheap transport that starts every morning, and the PCX is engineered squarely at that person.

Buy the NMAX 125 if you want your commute to be slightly more fun and you like the way it looks. £152 across three years of ownership is a rounding error next to insurance and tyres, so if the Yamaha is the one you keep looking at, buy the one you want.

The honest answer is that this decision is far smaller than the internet makes it. Go and sit on both. Whichever one you can flat-foot more comfortably and would rather look at in your parking space is the right one, and you will not spend the next three years regretting it either way. What will actually shape your experience is the helmet and jacket you buy and whether you do proper training - not which of these two badges is on the legshield.

Still not sure which fits you?

The right call depends on your height and inseam, your budget once gear and insurance are counted, how far and how fast your commute really is, and whether a 125 is enough bike for you at all. Tell the MyMoto advisor about yourself in your own words - it weighs all of that, including the regret risks most comparisons skip, asks only what matters, and builds your free personal report in a few minutes of chat.

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MyMoto is an early beta. Always verify current specs, pricing, licence rules, insurance, and local availability before buying any scooter or motorcycle. Prices shown are UK on-the-road figures published by Honda and Yamaha and vary by market, colour and dealer offer.

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