KYMCO Like 125 Italia – Review

The KYMCO Like has been in the market for quite a while now. Still, it is one of the top choices of budget-conscious retro scooter fans because of its affordable price tag and relatively low maintenance cost. On top of that, the Like has been offered in different variants to attract a steady stream of followers: the Like 125 Dual Tone, Like 200i, and now, the Like 125 Italia.

The Like 125 Italia retains the original 125 cc, carbureted air-cooled engine but it underwent some cosmetic, and some functional changes to set it apart from the previous variants. The large, clear windscreen is very effective in keeping bugs and small debris at bay. It also helps deflect exhaust fumes away from the rider to lessen exposure to air pollution while keeping your clothing smelling fresh. It does add a dose of elegance to the Like Italia’s classic styling and it’s a good place to put your security stickers if you live in a residential subdivision. Talking about stickers, kudos to KYMCO for not ruining the Like’s beautifully sculpted panels with hokey decals. It is probably for aesthetic reasons also why they decided to shed off the rear top box for a chrome grab rail. It is not much of a loss in terms of cargo space as you still get generous amount of storage capacity under the seat. We can always use the flat floor board as cargo bed, anyway.

The Like 125 Italia is perfect for urban commuting. Handling is light and nimble, and it smoothly accelerates ahead of traffic even with a passenger. Running on relatively small, 12-inch tubeless tires allows a seat height friendly to riders of all sizes. It also kept center of gravity low. The wide seat looks much nicer in the new beige-grey color scheme and I noticed that it is also more comfortable than before. The pre-load adjustable dual rear shocks are also more compliant but I still kept them at the softest setting as I recall the previous Like variant I’ve tested to be a bit bumpy. While KYMCO paid special attention to styling and comfort, they did not scrimp on safety. The Like 125 Italia will stop as quickly as it accelerates as both wheels are fitted with hydraulic double-piston disc brakes. They also threw in some big signal lights along with reflectors on each side of the leg shield. The tail light is huge by commuter bike standards and the halogen headlight gives good illumination at night. There’s also that round LED thingy that looks like the one on Iron Man’s chest.

More Kymco Like Photos here

The instrument panel is quite basic, but it does have a digital clock…but wait, there’s more. The 12-volt charger inside the lockable glove box will surely put a smile on anyone’s face…that, and the reasonable P 78,000 price tag. Now that, is hard not to like.