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My Wallet Did The Talking (Now With a Bike Review!)
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The Shop
Harry,
do you still have the yz 250 with the slipdog motor mods?
I rode the 2015 at a Yamaha demo day @ Glen Helen earlier this year and loved the bike. Also rode the YZ250, 250F, & 450F, the suspension was great even with my fat butt on it and seemed to be the best balanced bike I rode on the day.
Don't they normally come with Black rims though?
I've been racing YZ125s for a few years now and keep them mostly stock.
This bike will be staying stock. Really. Seriously, OK? I'm not kidding.
-The Narrator
Pit Row
https://youtu.be/4SYc_flMnMQ
Congrats on the 1-2-5
The general quality of the machine is about what I would expect from Yamaha. The stock components are quite good. Things such as grips, bars, fasteners, plastic and overall fit and finish are very good. As you may know, I also purchased a new 2013 YZ250 back in December of 2012, and one thing I noticed between the two bikes is that the 2015 has dirty welds. The welds appear fine, but they have some soot on them. I did not see that on the 2013. Perhaps, in order to keep the cost down, they no longer clean up the welds. Just a guess.
The wider footpegs and upgraded forks are nice. I did not think I’d notice a difference in the pegs, but I have. I can’t say there is much difference in the forks between the 13 and the 15, but I’ve had my 13 forks revalved for quite some time, plus there is no doubt the lighter 125 is going to feel better no matter what. I’m too heavy for the bike and will have to have it resprung in the near future, but out of the box, the suspension is excellent. I set the sag, rode it, ran the clickers in 2 clicks on the forks, and turned the rebound in one click on the shock and the high-speed compression about ½ a turn and it is good to go with the exception of big jumps. I do bottom hard on big hits though, and as already noted – definitely need heavier springs.
Power – this bike makes great power – and you can really tell when the YPVS opens as the bike revs out. At 195 pounds, more than once it has caught me napping and almost put me on butt while revving out on fast straights and getting traction. The low-end hit is there, but is weak compared to the mid-range and up hit. To me, the YZ125 loves to be in 4th gear and on the pipe. The bike revs out sufficiently enough for this old man. Your mileage may vary.
Shifting – I have an issue here. There are times when I cannot get the transmission to grab 5th. This is really annoying, and I have no idea why the bike will sometimes not shift. There have been times when I’m approaching a jump and want to grab another gear and can’t get it. I pull up with my size 12 boot and nada, zip, zero, nothing. I’ve pulled up so hard it is a wonder I haven’t broken the shift lever. I shift under power – using the clutch – and have always done that. This 125 does not like that, and most of the time will not make the shift. Strangely, my son’s 2006 YZ125 has the same problem. I’m interested in hearing solutions – should you know of one.
I raised the forks in the clamps about 5 mm. Doing so really improved turning, and I’ve not noticed any decrease in high-speed, straight-line stability. This bike goes where you point it, and laughs off braking bumps going into turns and the chop commonly found out of the turn.
On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate this bike like this;
Plastic – 10
Fasteners – 9
Components (levers, bars, etc.) – 9
Power (This is subjective, depending on your skill level, preferences, etc.) – 8
Transmission – 5
Suspension – 10
Handling – 9
When you shift your 125, do you let off on the power? As noted in my previous post, I almost never do. When I do, it shifts fine.
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