Trail bikes used to take a small but significant slice of the UK bike market, but apart from Honda’s CRF 230 they seem to have faded away. Now, the choice seems to be between hard-edged enduro bikes and the ersatz dirt style of adventure tourers or street scramblers. The Lexmoto Assault 125 is firmly on the style side of that equation.
The Lexmoto Assault 125 might have a suggestion of off-road ruggedness, but actual changes are few – chunky dual-purpose CST tyres set it off, with a fatter 3.00-17 front to give it a bit more heft. And you can’t miss the high mounted front mudguard. It’s not a new idea, but the Assault does look different to other commuters.
What you don’t get is any extra rugged equipment like long travel suspension, a bash plate and super strong crash bars, all of which would make the Lexmoto Assault 125 more suited to the potholed urban jungle – it’s a purely cosmetic job. The running gear is what you’d expect of a budget commuter, though the SOHC engine with balance shaft is a nice touch.
Lexmoto Assault 125 - On The Road
The Lexmoto Assault 125 fires-up on its manual choke, but if you particularly want a carburettor 125, you’ll need to act fast-ish. Next year (probably summer) all 125s will adopt fuel injection to cope with emissions legislation. And they’ll all have linked brakes, so if you want an archetypal simple commuter, buy one now.
The Lexmoto Assault 125 is a pretty good note for simple 125s to go out on. The carb motor has a quiet idle, but actually goes well, winding-up to its 10,000 RPM redline with no signs of distress, apart from some tingling through the seat and footrests. So it doesn’t have any problem keeping up with urban traffic (once out of the low first gear) and on main roads will cruise at an indicated 60-65 mph (probably 55-60mph true, but still good for a 125). For once, the rev counter on a 125 is of more than academic interest.
You sit in a comfy upright position, with raised tubular steel bars which make the bike light to steer. Despite the semi-knobbly rubber and wider front tyre, the Lexmoto Assault 125 handles pretty well, within the limitations of the standard 125 twin-shock chassis, and it feels stable at speed. The front disc brake works well enough, but the rear drum is weak (incidentally, linked brakes will probably mean an end to drums as well).
There’s plenty of room for two and the Lexmoto Assault 125 has nice chunky footrests that do the job. No underseat space or clock, and the steering lock is on the headstock (not as convenient as an ignition lock), but you do get decent quality switchgear and the whole thing seems well put together.
Lexmoto Assault 125 Spesifications
Engine : 4-Stroke, Single-Cylinder, SOHC 2-Valve, Air-Cooled
Bore x Stroke : 56.5 x 49.6 mm
Capacity : 124 cc
Compression Ratio : 9.5 : 1
Induction : Carburettor
Transmission : 5-Speed, Chain Drive
Power : 10.4 BHP @ 9.000 RPM (claimed)
Torque : 9.2 N.m @ 6.000 RPM (claimed)
Top Speed : 105 Kph
Dimensions : 1.976 x 783 x 1.105 mm
Wheelbase : 1.296 mm
Seat Height : 780 mm
Fuel Tank Capacity : 14.5 litres
Weight : 117 kg (unladen, claimed)
Frame : Steel Diamond Frame
Front Suspension : Telescopic Fork, Non-Adjustable
Rear Suspension : Twin Shock Absorber, Adjustable Preload
Front Brakes : Discs, with 2-piston Caliper
Rear Brakes : Drum Brake
Front Tyre : 3.00 – 17
Rear Tyre : 110/90 – 17
Price : £1100Labels: Lexmoto, New Bike Review, Review
