A lot of folks get in on the motorcycling lifestyle because of the style. There's no denying that today's crop of neo-retro-inspired scramblers and cafe racers are truly eye candy, but a lot of them pack a lot of power, and are incredibly expensive – two things that don't usually fit the bill for beginner riders.
Luckily, there are a few manufacturers who produce retro-style, small-displacement motorbikes to fill precisely this need. We've seen it in the likes of the Royal Enfield Hunter 350, as well as the Asian market-specific Kawasaki W175. Now, in the U.K., a popular label known for its beginner-friendly motorbikes has recently released a retro-style model designed specifically for beginner riders. It's called the RSS Street 125, and it ticks all the boxes when it comes to neo-retro styling.
For starters, the bike sports a round headlight, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, and a flat saddle with a cropped tail. From the bike's bone line alone, it's clear to see that this thing was designed with style in mind. As for everything else, however, it's obvious that Lexmoto has beginners in mind. The bike's low 32-inch seat height is perfect for both first-timers and shorter riders, on top of that, its 56-inch wheelbase means it's easy to learn the ropes on as it's surely an agile machine.
On the performance side of the equation, the bike is rocking a 125cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder engine that pumps out no more than 14 horsepower – close to the limit of A1-designated beginner motorcycles. Power is sent to the rear wheel via a six-speed manual transmission with a chain final drive. Lastly, the bike is suspended by standard telescopic forks up front and a standard monoshock at the rear. Other tech features consist of a full-color TFT display and LED lighting – apart from that, the bike is a rather barebones machine.
Overall, the Lexmoto RSS Street 125 reminds me very much of the styling of Yamaha's XSR700, albeit customized slightly with a sleeker tail section. Lexmoto is offering the bike in two colors consisting of Crimson Red and Tuscany Yellow, with a price tag of just £2,900 (approximately $3,369 USD).
