It vibrates harshly above 8000rpm, however, and I generally cruised in the sweet spot around 7800rpm, at a genuine 85km/h.

In a week of (mostly) freeway riding, nearly always above 60km/h, the GTR125 recorded a creditable 4.24 litres/100km – not, however, in the same class as the previous model's 2.76 litres/100km.

The clutch on the R is not as sweet as the earlier model's – the test bike had an irritating judder on take-off – but it's just as light and easy to manage, and will teach novice riders not to ride the clutch but to get it home as quickly as possible and get on with riding the bike.

The five-speed gearbox is still notchy and I find the 1960's-style rocker gear lever uncomfortable (I found it just as uncomfortable in the 1960's) but that's personal and it has the big advantage of not marking your shoes.

That's important for office workers who need to look good for the customers and can't go to work in MX boots.

Clutchless upshifts

After a few days on the bike, however, I found that gearbox works better at high revs and began changing near the torque peak at 7500rpm – and was able to pull off almost imperceptible clutchless upshifts.

Didn't try changing down without the clutch, though – I have too much mechanical sympathy.

The GTR125 has conventional cartridge forks without the GT's shrouds and neat dual rear shock absorbers adjustable for preload. The rider's footrests are bolted to the underside of the engine casings as before but the pillion 'pegs are mounted on neat cast-alloy brackets rather than on the swing-arm.

The frame is much the same but the swing-arm is made of rectangular-section steel tubing and slightly longer than the previous edition, increasing the wheelbase 80mm to 1280mm.

The only problem De Lijster found with the first series was a tendency to break spokes when well loaded with beefy South Africans and he insisted on cast-alloy wheels for the GTR, along with a 210mm Wuyang disc front brake.

It has a lot more bite than the previous drum brake but is in some ways more difficult to make; the test bike's disc was very slightly warped and, although it worked perfectly throughout the test period the lever pulsated disconcertingly against the rider's fingers.

Modern image

All the bike's cosmetic components have been chosen to project a more modern image, starting with the instrument pod, which has two white-faced dials, a Suzuki-style gear indicator and a surprisingly accurate fuel gauge – something many more expensive machines would do well to copy.

The flight deck is housed inside a neat little bikini fairing, matching the curving lines of the fuel tank, side panels and tail unit. The slightly stepped dual seat is deeply padded – a vast improvement on its predecessor – and the look is finished off with a cast-alloy rear carrier incorporating a passenger grab handle.

The Gomoto has 18" wheels front and rear, making it vastly more stable than most of its smaller-wheeled scooter competitors. The suspension at both ends is a little bouncy, oversprung and underdamped in typical small-bike fashion, but the steering is accurate and the bike holds its line admirably, even when near its top speed on long freeway bends.

It turns in as quickly as you'd expect of a bike with a 1280mm wheelbase and high 'bars, cutting through the city-centre logjam in short order. The upright seating position gives more than adequate visibility despite the bike's small size.

Fun factor

Its clutch and gears make it harder work to ride than a scooter but its comfort and handling put it at the top of the commuter class – with enough Fun Factor to get you to work with a naughty grin on your face.