125 class · 80–95 km/h · As of August 2026
80 to 95 km/h. The 125 class for the country roads.
Above 45 km/h a different vehicle class begins: L3e-A1, known in everyday German as the 125 class. It lets you move with the traffic on an open road instead of braking at the edge of it. The price for that is not primarily money — it is the licence. Which is why the licence comes first here.
Prerequisite: licence class A1 — or, if you hold a car licence, German code 196. Without one of the two you may not ride any vehicle on this page.
A1 or code 196 — what is the difference?
Both lead to the same vehicles. They differ in the route there.
A1 is a licence class of its own, with a theory and a practical exam. It opens light motorcycles up to 125cc, a maximum of 11 kW rated power and no more than 0.1 kW per kilogram — and it is valid beyond Germany.
Code 196 is not a new class but an extension of the car licence you already hold. Requirements: at least 25 years old and class B held for at least five years. Then come 13.5 hours of training — nine units of 90 minutes, four theory and five practical. There is no exam. The course costs €700 to €1,200 in total, with €900 to €1,200 all-in the figure most commonly quoted, and you are typically through in one to three weeks.
Code 196's one real limitation belongs up front rather than in the small print: it is valid in Germany only.
What an A1 licence costs from scratch depends heavily on the driving school and the region. We deliberately quote no figure, because we hold no reliable one — your driving school will tell you the price for your case bindingly.
Everything about code 196: requirements, cost, steps →
What changes against the 45 km/h class.
On the road: you move with the traffic instead of being overtaken by it. On a country road between two towns that is not a comfort gain but a safety difference — a vehicle travelling at the pace of the flow gets crowded far less often.
On paper: the insurance plate becomes a full registration with an official plate, and a periodic roadworthiness test is added. More vehicle, a little more formality.
On price: this class starts at €2,999. The step is real, but it is smaller than the step in what the machine can do.
The class below: every 45 km/h machine →
Is around 100 km enough?
For most journeys: yes. On a commute of 10 to 15 kilometres each way, a manufacturer figure around 100 km means charging every three or four days — not every evening.
Charging happens at an ordinary household socket. The battery comes out and goes up to the flat with you; you need no wallbox, no powered parking space and no landlord's permission. For city dwellers without a garage that is the single most practical fact about this class.
Two honest limits: manufacturer figures are best-case numbers, and cold costs range — riders report 20 to 40 per cent less in winter, more in hard frost. The effect is temporary; capacity returns with the temperature.
And what this class is not built for: motorways and long tours. This is the city-and-surroundings case, explicitly.
Guide: e-scooters in winter →
Compare
The 125 class side by side.
This is where the numbers sit closest together — on speed and range alone the machines look interchangeable. They are not: the “what it's for” column is the one that decides.
Swipe the table sideways for speed, range and price.
| Model | What it's for | Top speed | Range | Price |
|---|
| Vmoto CITI 60V | Pragmatic scooterThe cheapest way into the class: step-through, top-case ready, no drama. | 80 km/h | approx. 70 km | €2,999 |
|---|
| Vmoto CITI 74V | Scooter you can extendStart on one battery, add the second later — range in instalments. | 80 km/h | - 1 battery · 30 AhNo verified manufacturer figure
- 2 batteries · 2×30 Ahapprox. 110 km
| from €3,149 |
|---|
| Super Soco TC Max | Café racerRetro silhouette, belt drive, built by the thousand — the classic of the class. | 95 km/h | approx. 110 km | €3,999 |
|---|
| Vmoto TC Wanderer Pro | ScramblerUpright, knobbly in spirit, two batteries — for routes that are not always tarmac. | 90 km/h | approx. 100 km | €4,699 |
|---|
Where it says “no verified manufacturer figure”, we hold no documented range from the manufacturer for that configuration. The sister configuration's figure cannot simply be converted, so nothing is printed here — we quote a number only once it is documented. Ask us and we will tell you what we know and what we don't.
All prices are recommended retail prices incl. 19% VAT, plus delivery. Ranges are manufacturer figures and depend on riding style, load and temperature.
Prerequisite
A1 or code 196 — before, not after.
Every vehicle on this page is a light motorcycle of class L3e-A1. That requires licence class A1 — or, if you drive a car, German code 196. We say it deliberately before the models: nobody should fall for a machine they are not yet allowed to ride.
The route via code 196 is shorter than most people assume: 13.5 hours of training split into nine units of 90 minutes — four theory, five practical. There is no exam at the end; completing the course is sufficient. The requirements are being at least 25 and having held class B for at least five years. The course costs €700 to €1,200 in total and is typically done inside one to three weeks.
The one real limitation: code 196 is valid in Germany only.
What counts for the class, incidentally, is rated power rather than peak power: up to 125cc, up to 11 kW rated, no more than 0.1 kW per kilogram. A vehicle may deliver more in short bursts. Per the manufacturer specifications our entire L3e line-up is classified exactly this way — we check it with you on the actual vehicle before you buy.
For context: we are a dealer, not a licensing authority. What your driving school and the responsible authority tell you about your case is what counts.
Everything about code 196 →
