Expert Review
Rieju Aventura 125 (2023 - ) review
An adventure bike you can ride on L-plates and a CBT, the Aventura channels Rieju’s off-road expertise to new ends
Words by: Dan Trent
Published on 17 July 2023 | 0 min read
The Auto Trader expert verdict:
4
Car buyers love their SUVs and crossovers, just as adventure bikes have grown in popularity for those on two wheels. And for similar reasons. The tough looks are appealing, while the suggestion of off-road ability hints at your ambitions to take the road less travelled when the mood takes. Whether it ever actually does or not. Practically speaking the taller seating position of both SUVs and adventure bikes is both comfortable and confidence inspiring on our crowded roads, and simply more pleasant more of the time than the sportier alternatives. But what if you want the adventure bike style but are yet to progress beyond your CBT? Given most are bigger capacity bikes your options have been limited. Enter Spanish off-road specialists Rieju (we’re going with the anglicised ‘Ree-joo’ pronunciation on the advice of the UK team!), which has turned its expertise in small capacity bikes into this 125cc Aventura, an L-plate friendly adventure bike helping to open up this popular format to new riders as well as more experienced ones.
Reasons to buy:
- Big bike style for small bike costs
- You can ride it on L-plates
- Comfortable and easy to ride
Design
“The Aventura is the most road-oriented machine in its line-up and has plenty of big-bike swagger despite the small engine”
Rieju’s speciality is in small capacity moto and supermoto style bikes, so it knows its stuff when it comes to off-road inspired machines. The Aventura is the most road-oriented model in its line-up and has plenty of big-bike swagger despite the small engine and modest power. There’s more than a hint of junior BMW GS in the looks, which is unsurprising given this is, to many people, the benchmark by which all other adventure bikes are judged. By sticking to a 125cc engine the Aventura is meanwhile cheaper and more accessible than BMW’s ‘baby’ 310 GS, which looks comparable but needs a full A2 licence to ride. With its fixed half fairing, upright riding position and stature the Aventura is a more grown-up and refined proposition than most other 125s, making it just as suitable for city commutes as it will be for light off-road use.
Expert rating: 4/5
Riding position
“The Aventura will be very accommodating of smaller riders, and less intimidating at low speeds than bigger adventure bikes”
With a seat height 50mm lower than even that 310 GS the Aventura will be very accommodating of smaller riders, and less intimidating at low speeds than bigger adventure bikes. But where some small bikes can appear swamped by larger riders the Rieju doesn’t look out of proportion, and the riding position felt roomy and comfortable for this six-foot tester. The upright riding position takes the strain off your arms and raises your eyeline as well, meaning good visibility over and around traffic. Which will be a bonus when filtering on a busy urban commute.
Expert rating: 4/5
Practicality
“For a change of work clothes or whatever else you want to carry you should be able to lug what you need”
The Aventura is a new model in the range and comes ready with a rear rack and mounts for panniers and other accessories Rieju promises will be made available in due course. Whether you’d want to rack up big touring miles on a 125 is another matter but for a change of work clothes or whatever else you want to carry you should be able to lug what you need. If you’ve passed your CBT and can carry passengers it also comes with a proper double seat and additional pegs, though the already modest performance will likely take a big hit.
Expert rating: 4/5
Performance & braking
“Because the Rieju is relatively light it still feels quite sprightly”
Rieju has a fancier, Motori Minarelli-built (and Yamaha derived) 125cc engine on the Marathon 125 supermoto we also tried, this butting right up against the 11kW/15 horsepower limit for CBT-friendly A1 category bikes. The Aventura meanwhile uses a more basic, Chinese-built motor instead with just shy of 12 horsepower. A liquid-cooled, single-cylinder unit it’s actually reasonably refined and pulls smoothly through a slick six-speed gearbox, comfortably settling to a 60mph cruise on country roads. You won’t have much left for overtaking beyond that so you’ll be going with the flow of the traffic but, because the Rieju is relatively light, it still feels quite sprightly. And if most of your riding is around town it’s got more than enough to keep up with the traffic, or nip round stuff when opportunity arises. The linked brakes are, meanwhile, predictable and easy to use, with adequate rather than stellar stopping power. We’d be interested to try it fully laden or with a pillion to see how well they stand up to some more weight.
Expert rating: 3/5
Ride & handling
“Good views through the corners and a flickable, agile nature makes it easy to enjoy”
Compared with its most obvious rival, the Sinnis T125, the Aventura’s looks lighter on the spec sheet at 138kg, though Rieju claims this as a ‘dry’ weight. Even so, it should come in a useful chunk less than the Sinnis and offset the small power defecit, which on a smaller-engined bike where every kilo counts is critical. We rode it unladen, and the combination of a commanding riding position with good views through the corners and a flickable, agile nature makes it easy to enjoy. The character of the Aventura means you feel less frantic than you can on other 125s while what you lack in acceleration is more than compensated for in an easy sense of manoeuvrability. The upside-down forks meanwhile mean a precise response to steering commands, while the biggest compliment we can make for the monoshock rear suspension is we didn’t notice it. Which means it must have been doing its job!
Expert rating: 4/5
Running costs
“There are cheaper, off-road influenced bikes available but for the grown-up nature of the Aventura it feels like money well spent”
The Rieju is more expensive to buy than the Sinnis T125 you may also be considering but, starting at just over £4,000, still looks like reasonable value for money. There are cheaper, off-road influenced bikes available but for the grown-up nature of the Aventura it feels like money well spent. The lack of weight and small engine should, meanwhile, keep running costs very reasonable indeed while the 14-litre tank should last you a fair way between fills.
Expert rating: 4/5
Reliability
“Its experience making bikes built to take the punishment of off-road use is well-documented”
Given Rieju’s relatively small presence in the UK it’s hard to make a reasonable comment on the reliability of its products. We’d take some confidence in the fact it’s been around since the late 1930s, though, and its experience making bikes built to take the punishment of off-road use is well-documented.
Expert rating: 3/5
Warranty & servicing
“Rieju has a bigger presence in the UK than its modest reputation would suggest”
As part of the wider Moto Mondo group Rieju has a bigger presence in the UK than its modest reputation would suggest, with the existing network of 30-plus dealers expected to grow to over 50 as more models join the range. So, while it sells direct, you shouldn’t have to go too far to get your Aventura serviced. The warranty cover of two years is adequate, though the Sinnis T125 gets seven years of cover for parts.
Expert rating: 3/5
Equipment
“A USB charging port beneath it meanwhile offers power for the bar-mounted accessories of your choice”
The TFT instrument cluster on the Aventura looks modern and, slightly fiddly graphics aside, is easy enough to use. A USB charging port beneath it meanwhile offers power for the bar-mounted accessories of your choice, which is handy if you want to attach your phone for navigation purposes. We’ll wait to hear on what accessories Rieju has in mind to accompany the Aventura range, but it obviously understands the needs of adventure riders and the desire to adapt their bikes to journeys near and far and terrain smooth or rough. Optional hand guards are one little nod to the latter, while also deflecting a bit of wind on colder days.
Expert rating: 3/5
Why buy?
“Even for those with full licences the Aventura makes sense as a commuter, given it has enough presence to cut it alongside other adventure bikes”
For new riders seeking saddle time on a CBT-friendly 125 before graduating up the licence ladder to bigger bikes the Aventura is a properly grown-up looking machine, and more dignified transport than the often more youth-oriented machines at this end of the market. L-plates aside you’d feel no shame riding this in company with ‘proper’ bikers, while the performance, if modest, is enough to be going on with, especially if most of your riding is within urban speed limits. Even for those with full licences the Aventura makes sense as a commuter, given it has enough presence to cut it alongside other adventure bikes but is usefully more agile in traffic thanks to its compact size and lack of weight. Running costs should be very reasonable, too.
Expert rating: 4/5