I thought I wrote that post carefully. Now I can see how it was misinterpreted.
So: The KYMCO G5 appears to be the Racing with less obnoxious bodywork. The Yamaha GTR appears to be a 10"-wheeled version of the fat, ugly Cygnus.
I rode behind a BWS-X for about 1/2 an hour today. That would be my choice for a new bike right now. It looks good, is highly mod-able, and has good support in English at zumaforums.
How’s that? 
10/10
GTR is indeed a 10’’ cygnus… which is actually a wicked combo as you have a lighter bike and smaller wheels with the best engine, shame its ugly though.
Dont forget the RS100, RSZ100 and the CUXI100, they are even more insane when tuned.
They have the same engine as the cygnus, just with a shorter case and a 2 valve head (the 4 valve swaps on)
When people tell you that yamaha is best its pretty common for newbs to ignore the advise or take it with a pinch of salt, but trust me i work and make my livlihood with scooters, i work on them daily and develop parts for them, the yamahas are truely the best of the lot.
That’s a good question too. Which scooters are the same under the plastic?
Well umm you did say that!.
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And he also said: But don’t quote me on that. You just couldn’t resist. Nice to know they are different, though, for those in the market.
I got the Kymco Racing 150 last week. Really sweet bike, smooth, good power and a little longer than my old Jockey. I have a great dealer, this is the third bike I’ve got from him. Great service.
Racing 150 and the new fighter are both VERY good bikes in stock trim.
They have more power, higher top speed, weigh less and drink less fuel than the compitition!.
If i was looking for a daily use bike and wasnt interested in modding, they would be at the top of my list.
However if i was the kind of person that likes to tune, yamahas (almost any) are the ones to get.
OK…
First off I’m short, white, young & female. So… let’s just say I’m expecting dealers to try and take me for a ride.
Luckily dad’s a mechanic, so I’m expecting it. Unluckily, daddy’s both a car mechanic and all the way overseas… and my group of friends (male & female) doesn’t really include anyone with any type of engine expertise.
I’m looking at buying a new model and paying it off monthly (there’s a bit of a long, roundabout story going into explaining the finance) because, at the end of the day, new ones are shinier. And I sorta want a new one at some point anyway, so it makes sense to buy one now rather than get a second-hand and save up.
I know that I want a 125cc, not too heavy (one of the newer models I can handle fine - the old, clunky kymco’s I can handle providing I’m not carrying an 80kg guy and making sharp turns, which are both things I seem to do often O.o; ). Four stroke engine.
And that’s about my entire knowledge of the inner-workings of scooters.
I want to start sifting through models and comparing them, but I don’t know what bits I should be comparing. Brakes? Suspensions? Fuel consumption/capacity/injection? Steering column (is that even an ‘improvable’ feature?)?
Would anybody be able to give me a quick rundown of the basics to consider and kick start me on my research? I’d be much appreciative!!!
A new 125cc scooter? Just pick the one you like the looks of – they’re all basically the same in that range.
Yamahas are supposed to have slightly better build quality and therefore cost a bit more.
Look for one that is easy to move from the back…loads of times your scooter will be jammed between two other scooters and have to be able to be moved. I look for things like that, as well as where the engine cap is. And don’t buy a scooter that has that gray plastic at the bottom and where your feet go…that goes white and powdery. I really enjoyed having a Yamaha RS…it was fast and the perfect size.
Where do you live? A huge consideration is the dealer. Look at the nice 100 cc four strokes. Small and light with lots of pep. My wife’s jr100 is a great bike, nice and light. Go to my guy if you can get there, he’s honest and crazy quick on service and repairs.
One reservation I have with the 100cc bikes is that they usually have the smaller 90/90-10 ti(y)res and the rear shock only on one side. If you are really spending a lot of time with Mr 80 Kg on the back, you might want to go with a 125 instead. OTOH, light and 125 don’t always go together. I’d try to find one you can try out to see if a 100cc might work out for you.
For a small 125, you might check out the Yamaha GTR. It’s more traditionally-sized than the Cygnus, and a little lighter than the BWS:
GTR is a good bet.
Though if you can avoid the fat boyfriends riding on the back i would get a CUXI or RSZ100.