Spanish manufacturer Rieju is bringing ADV looks and capability to the A1 market with its Aventura 125, which we've tested on UK roads
ONCE upon a time, the 125 sports bike was king. This made sense - at the height of the super sport segment’s popularity, most freshly CBT’d riders would surely be lusting after the 125 equivalent of their favourite 600cc screamer.
Fast forward to today, though, and the arse has fallen out of the sports-bike market. Yes, fully-fared, sporty-riding 125s still matter, as evidenced by the excellent all-new Yamaha R125 we rode earlier this year, but it’s adventure-style machines that have seemingly taken over as the bikes on most people’s wishlists.
It’s not hugely surprising, then, to see Rieju bring out a 125 adventure bike - the Aventura - to bring ADV looks and some of their rugged capability to the A1 market. While not the first 125 ADV (the Sinnis T125, which we rode last year, has been going since 2018), we fully expect what is currently a niche segment to grow.
Riej-who?
Rieju (pronounced with a silent ‘j’) isn’t what you’d call a household name, but the Spanish brand is one of the older ones in the world of motorcycles. Its history can be traced all the way back to 1934, when it started as a bicycle accessories manufacturer, going on to make its first moped in 1947.
International sales didn’t begin until 1994, and a UK market debut didn’t happen until 2007. Rijeu bikes are now distributed here via the MotoMondo group alongside Moto Morini and Mash machines.
Rieju’s main focus for much of its history has been two-stroke enduro bikes, for which it’s held in high regard. The Aventura 125 is new territory for the brand, but clearly one it’s keen to explore further, evidenced by a second ADV bike in the range, the Aventura 500. The bigger-engined of the two - which borrows its 47bhp parallel twin from Honda - is yet to be confirmed in the UK, though.
Rieju Aventura 125 price and availability
The Rieju Aventura 125 is available to order in the UK now for £4199. That might seem a little pricey compared to the £3599 Sinnis T125, especially since that bike comes with panniers as standard. A sturdy-feeling rear rack will make fitting aftermarket luggage easy enough, though.
As is often the case for 125s, there's no PCP deal available for the Aventura, although the manufacturer is offering traditional finance at 24.9 per cent APR, which will see you paying £112.06 a month over 36 months if putting down a £1,000 deposit. There are only two colours available - grey and red.
2023 Rieju Aventura 125 review
For a 125, the Aventura looks substantial and feels it when first getting on. It’ll be a good option for taller riders in the 125 market, feeling roomy even for someone - AKA me - who’s a smidge over six feet tall, while also being reasonably accessible for shorter riders with a seat height of 780mm. It also looks the part, with wire wheels, chunky tyres (which still have a road-biased shape) and a twin, vertically stacked headlight design on the sizeable half faring.
It doesn’t take long for the Aventura to remind you it is definitely a 125, though. Its liquid-cooled, four-valve, single-cylinder engine - a licensed Chinese motor used in several other Rieju bikes - makes 14.7bhp and 11.6Nm of torque, so getting up to speed is the usual lengthy process we associate with 125s. It’s not significantly heavier than the average 125 commuter bike, at 138kg dry, so it doesn’t feel any more laborious getting up to speed. It is worth pointing out, though, that the engine doesn’t have quite the pep of the Yamaha-branded (and Minarelli built) engine used in some of Rieju’s other 125s.
Once you’re finally up to about 60mph (you might just scrape 70mph with the help of a hill and a speed tuck), wind protection from the non-adjustable screen is decent. You wouldn’t hesitate to use the Aventura 125 on a longer commute, which will be a cheap one, too, thanks to the bike’s frugality - we haven’t tracked down an official fuel economy figure, but 100mpg should be possible. Considering the fuel tank capacity is a healthy 14 litres, you’ll be able to travel far on this bike without needing to top up.
Helping comfort further over longer distances is a lack of vibes through the bars, although the ride from the suspension - comprised of long-ish travel upside-down forks and a rear monoshock - is firmer than you might expect. Then again, you’re never going to get much in the way of suspension sophistication at this end of the market.
We had no comfort issues from the 100/90/18 front, 130/80/17 rear CST tyres. They’re blocky enough that light green laning shouldn’t be an issue (we’re yet to try the Aventura 125 away from the asphalt, so can’t say for sure), but not chunky enough to significantly compromise road riding, either in terms of ride or cornering ability.
Some more premium rubber might open up a bit more mid-corner feedback, but as it stands, the Aventura is a fun bike to take on a twisty road. It inevitably needs firmer inputs to tip it in than sportier 125s, but is more than willing enough. On the way up to the corner, braking is taken care of via non-ABS, linked brakes with twin-piston callipers at the front and a single-piston calliper at the rear, each squeezing wavy discs. It's an effective enough setup, and there's no excessive diving during firmer applications.
In terms of quality, the Aventura is pretty middle-of-the-road. Not bad by any means, but elements like the multitude of conspicuously exposed silver screw heads and a bit of rough finishing on the top yoke cheapen proceedings a little. And while it's a minor detail, I'm the kind of person that finds it somewhat irksome the 'Rieju Made In Spain' sticker with the little Spanish flag doesn't line up properly with the edge of the chain guard. Nit-picking I may be, but if you’re going to put on a sticker, at least get it on straight!
The display is a smart-looking colour TFT, and while it doesn't offer a huge amount of information, the key things it does show are all nice and clear. There is a bit of lag between what the engine's doing and what the rev counter displays, but most of the time during riding, this isn't particularly noticeable.
While not quite the bargain we might have hoped for, the Rieju Aventura 125 makes a strong case for itself for anyone on an A1 license, whether they just intend on using it for commuting, or even some touring, if they’re happy with the slower rate of progress possible on a 125. At the moment it’s short on rivals, although in time that may well change.
