We review the latest 125cc scooter offering from AJS, the AJS Barletta.
You may be thinking of taking your CBT or, perhaps, you have just completed it and now you’re thinking about buying your first scooter. You look around and…well, not that much information out there is there?
Most magazines and publications tend to ignore what is actually one of the most important sectors in the motorcycle universe, the learner bike or scooter.
The learner rider is the future of the motorcycling world. At ACBT London, as a motorcycle training school, we are very aware of this and part of our motorcycle training method is to educate, support and encourage new motorcyclists. We like to offer you impartial advice by way of our training courses or via our forum where our customers still have access to advice and guidance even after the training course is finished. We also have this information blog where we can offer guidance to those that are beginning their motorcycling journey. It makes sense, we want to be part of your motorcycling journey from initial interest, through CBT and then onto DAS or PAS or beyond.
With that in mind we are publishing unbiased reviews of motorcycles and scooters we think offer a great introduction to the world of motorcycling. We have already published an article about what it is that makes a good learner motorbike and to help you consider whether to ride a geared or automatic motorcycle. Having published an article about a new AJS motorcycle we would like now to introduce to you one of the scooters in the AJS line up.
About AJS
The AJS story goes back to 1909. The name was at the forefront of the British Motorcycling industry, through it’s glory days and is one of the few survivors of its demise. At one time it was part of one of the largest British motorcycle corporations together with Norton and Matchless.
Today, most people are surprised to find they are still operating, manufacturing great quality and value for money light motorcycles and scooters. They are built in China like many other manufacturers these days but with proven mechanicals and components. We have several AJS motorcycles and scooters in our CBT training fleet so are very well qualified to assess their quality and attest to their undoubted value for money.
A motorcycle training school is dependent on its collection of vehicles. If they don’t work neither do we. We first gained an interest in AJS because the factory used to be in Plumstead, Royal Borough of Greenwich, approximately ten minutes ride from our training area. This fact together with the fact that we love classic bikes meant that AJS was a great stating point. It made historic sense to use AJS motorcycles in this area of London.
What is the deal with scooters anyway?
They say the literary world is split between those that have read The Lord of The Rings and those that have not. It can be said that the motorcycling world is split between those that appreciate and ride scooters and those that don’t, after all, scooters aren’t real motorcycles. Believe it or not but many people still believe this.
The fact is that a scooter is possibly the most efficient form of urban transport yet devised. In an age where everyone seems to be obsessed with finding “urban transport solutions” the humble scooter is quietly doing its thing in the background, unnoticed and ignored by the establishment, yet doing its thing with quiet efficiency even beyond personal mobility.
It is the tool of choice for the majority of delivery riders for whom a scooter’s qualities of agility, practicality and frugality forms the key requirements for that work. Scooters are also used by emergency services to fulfil basic transport needs. In countries such as Spain, France and Italy they are used for a huge range of services. They have been converted into taxis, small vans and light trucks and even utility vehicles. Even whilst many are trying alternatives such as electric bicycles and such like nothing has yet been designed that offers such a versatile and effective combination of transport options and needs as the humble scooter. After its origins in post war Italy, the scooter is a worldwide phenomenon.
The AJS Barletta 125
In late 2023 AJS released the Barletta scooter in 50cc and 125cc versions. It is named after, appropriately, an Italian city. Styling wise it is a modern take on the retro style with styling queues from Vespa and Lambretta but with modern touches. We have four in our CBT training fleet. We have two 50cc and two 125cc versions of the Barletta. As all our bikes have names we named ours Fiona, Lesley, Judy and Maggie (after the famous British actors Fiona Shaw, Lesley Sharp, Judy Dench and Maggie Smith, favourites of our own Lisa who runs the office and is known to many of you).
The Barletta is aimed at the commuter sector. It has a single cylinder four stroke 125cc (or 50cc) engine and is equipped with sensible equipment as standard.
The scooter comes with a double saddle, LED lighting all round, a USB charger socket with a storage cubby, a bag hook, a capacious under seat storage compartment, a luggage rack, disc brakes front and rear, side and main stands and an auxiliary kick start. The idea behind the Barletta is for an easy to ride, comfortable, practical, simple and efficient commuter scooter. The good looks with attractive colour ways were combined with an attractive price tag of £2099 inc vat.
A comparative rival in the scooter sector from one of the major manufacturers may be seen in the form of the Yamaha D’elight. Similar characteristics and specifications but from a premium manufacturer and with a price tag of £3203. This makes the Yamaha and effective comparison to view against the Barletta. Looking at the two side by side it is definitely the Barletta that catches the eye being streets ahead in style, matching performance. and beating the price tag of the Yamaha by a whopping £1104!
Fit and finish
We have owned our Barlettas for approximately one year now and they are holding up very well. Training bikes work hard and if anyone can find quality shortcomings trainees can. In fact our trainees universally love riding the Barlettas. They report them as being comfortable, light, quiet running with decent performance in traffic. The finish appears to be good quality. Painted surfaces are well finished although the matte paint of the rear rack has faded somewhat with UV influence. Frame welds look to have been well tooled. The electrics and electronics function as they should, to a point. In short, we have found no major issues with the quality of the finish.
Engine and performance
The idea of the Euro 5 compliant engine is for a smooth ride. This is a commuter scooter therefore will be operating in the heaviest of traffic, at the busiest times, on the worst roads. Claimed power is 6.2Kw (8.3hp) at 7750rpm. Compare with the Yamaha D’elight’s 6.2 Kw at 7500 rpm.
At town speeds the engine is super quiet and smooth. The CVT transmission engages the gears smoothly and without fuss resulting in excellent acceleration and progression in traffic and keeps accelerating strongly to it’s top speed of around 55mph.
Throttle is light and easy. It may not be the fastest scooter in the world but is lively enough for most people’s requirements and, whilst the Yamaha may have a slightly higher top speed at 60mph, being honest, does that merit an extra £1100?
Fuel economy is claimed at 122mpg. The 6.5 litre fuel tank is larger than the Yamaha’s 5.5 litre and whilst in real terms we have not achieved the claimed 122mpg we consistently see a return of between 110-115 mpg. That means at today’s prices a full tank will cost £9.10 with a range of around 190 miles to a tank. In terms of fuel it will run without problems with either E10 or E5 happy juice.
Ride quality is good. The saddle is well finished, supportive and is comfortable. I have ridden a Barletta from our base in Greenwich to the Ace Café, then to the Bikeshed and then back to our base in the course of a day and had no issues at all with comfort. The style of the saddle and the spacious leg shields allow you to adjust your seating position if you need to making for good all day riding comfort. Suspension is on the firm side, especially at the rear and this can result in some jarring over potholes but other than that the suspension units cope well enough. Remember, this is a bike that retails for less than £2100. Tyres and cast wheels handle and grip well.
Brakes are more than up to the job of stopping a 100kg machine with the power available. The bike is fitted with a combined braking system consisting of discs front and rear. The Yamaha, interestingly is fitted with a rear drum.
From 2017 Euro regulations called for Combined Braking Systems (CBS) on all bikes up to and including 125cc. All bikes above that capacity must have ABS from that year.
CBS is a system whereby operating the rear brake pedal also applies a degree of stopping power to the front brake. Many experienced riders dislike this and prefer independent braking front and rear however in our CBT courses we have developed a riding system and braking technique specifically designed for this type of brake system. As a new rider therefore you will learn to use CBS brakes efficiently and safely.
Lighting on a commuting vehicle should be an important consideration. The rider will need to see and be seen for safety riding in the most demanding traffic environments, the city rush hour. Visibility is an important aspect of motorcycle safety, as we discuss in our training courses. The Barletta is equipped with LED lights throughout, indicators, front and rear and I was impressed at the brightness of the headlight. Full beam is extremely effective. Interestingly, the Yamaha appears to run on standard Halogen units by comparison.
Ergonomics are also important for a commuting motorcycle. The handlebars are wide and reasonably straight. The standard switch gear and levers are easily accessible with no fuss.
The centrally mounted speedo is clear and easy to read. It is a standard electronically controlled analogue dial reading in Kms with a digital readout for fuel and mileage (or should that be kilometrage?) with a pleasing blue backlight. A bank of warning lights completes the display.
There have been some problems with erratic speedos. The initial batch of Barletta scooters experienced problems with failing speedometers but these have been addressed and fixed on later batches. Any Barlettas bought today will have seen this issued fixed.
Riding position and handling. Seating position is upright with a comfortable, relaxed reach to the controls. Together with the handlebars this results in a very relaxed riding position, even for taller riders. I am just under 6f but we have had taller and short trainees on the scooter and all have been comfortable on the bike.
The 100kg mass is manageable and about the same as the Yamaha. The bike can easily be maneuvered by hand by most people. Side and main stands are a useful feature which is sadly missing from many modern motorcycles and the main stand is a cinch to operate. Another cool feature is the pop-out passenger pegs.
Handling is really very good and actually highlights a flaw in its design. I was surprised by how much this scooter can be thrown into tight turns and how well the suspension and proprietary tyres inspire the confidence to do so.
The bike has impressive lean angles on right hand turns however on similar left handers the centre stand tends to ground out very early. It is almost as if the bike designers were themselves taken by surprise by the Barletta’s handling characteristics. If I were the private owner of one of these scooters I would seriously consider removing the main stand to take full advantage of the excellent handling. I have ridden many scooters in my time and few have given me the confidence to bank strongly into bends like the Barletta has.
Verdict
Our verdict is based on how we feel the Barletta performs in our use and compared to a similar offering from an established rival. We look at how the machine rides as an everyday rider would expect but also looking through the lens of a new rider who has very little prior experience of motorcycling.
We think it is a fantastic looking scooter in any of colourways on offer. We took it to the Ace Café on a day where a Mod scooter club was in town and many of them were very charmed by the look of the Barletta, especially with the legendary AJS badge.
It is comfortable, easy to ride, quiet running, practical, reliable, well equipped, economical and well built. Brakes are effective and fitted with discs all round, as opposed to having a rear drum brake. From the point of view of a novice it is easy to learn on and easy to handle. And the coup de grace over its rivals? £2099 inclusive if VAT. For us, it is a no brainer, especially in comparison to more established rivals in a very competitive market.
Technical Specifications
Engine type: Euro 5 4-stroke, forced air-cooled
Displacement: 125cm³
Max. power: 6.2kW @ 7,7500 rpm
Fuel system: Electronic Fuel Injection
Fuel tank capacity: 6.6L
Fuel type: E10 or E5 petrol
Transmission: CVT twist & go
Starter: electric and kick
Brakes: Disc/disc (Combined Braking System)
Seat height: 775mm
Max Speed: (approx.): 55 mph
Colours: Baby blue/white, Black/white, Orange/black, Nardo grey/black
Price: £2099 inc vat
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