Best 125?

Falcon
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Falcon 12/3/2019 5:04pm
12/3/2019 5:04pm
^PS- I also used to run Vertex pistons. I don't know for sure, but I think I remember they were lighter than the stock and more reliable than Wiseco. I did the Factory Yamaha trick and put a "B" piston in an "A" cylinder.
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Rickyisms
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Rickyisms 12/3/2019 5:08pm
12/3/2019 5:08pm



PC mod bike top to bottom. 2nd gear really snaps out of a corner quick but once you get to 3rd and up the bike just pulls and pulls. It is hands down the best bike I have ever ridden. Sounds mean as hell and definitely smokes the stock 150 I have on every level. Personally I'm not big on the 150, the low end is nice but you have to shift a lot more than a stock 125.
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Harv379
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Harv379 12/3/2019 6:33pm
12/3/2019 6:33pm
No question the newer ktm/hus/TM are better than the other 125's but that doesn't mean you should buy one of those, especially since they are a lot more $ than the other 125's. Buy what excites you, you can have fun and be fast on any bike. If you like the CR and it gets you more stoked than the other bikes, have at it. I've been on the search for a 04/05 KX125 for a couple of years now. It's not the best, but it gets me more stoked than any other bike out there, and for me, that's what makes it the best.
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Bruce372
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Bruce372 12/3/2019 6:44pm
12/3/2019 6:44pm
Rickyisms wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2019/12/03/388419/s1200_IMG_2887.jpg[/img] PC mod bike top to bottom. 2nd gear really snaps out of a corner quick but once you get to 3rd and up the bike...



PC mod bike top to bottom. 2nd gear really snaps out of a corner quick but once you get to 3rd and up the bike just pulls and pulls. It is hands down the best bike I have ever ridden. Sounds mean as hell and definitely smokes the stock 150 I have on every level. Personally I'm not big on the 150, the low end is nice but you have to shift a lot more than a stock 125.
Nice! What carb did PC have you use? We went to pwk stic on our 125 and 150 and the difference is amazing. Cant imagine what it would be like attached to a hot rodded engine!!

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HighPlainsSquid 12/3/2019 7:46pm
12/3/2019 7:46pm Edited Date/Time 12/3/2019 7:47pm
Kelz87 wrote:
I mean, I like the KX125 (especially the last 2 designs ‘99-‘05) but I know they aren’t the “best” Lol I see mostly KTM 125s racing...
I mean, I like the KX125 (especially the last 2 designs ‘99-‘05) but I know they aren’t the “best” Lol

I see mostly KTM 125s racing so I’d have to think there’s a reason behind it. It’s all subject though tbh
Agree here. I love KX's.... we just sold our '04 to a local kid who REALLY wanted it... and I can go pretty good on one, BUT... the Husky is a better overall bike. Better brakes, clutch, power, and just all the little things that add up. Likewise, my son's '19 KTM 150 SX is incredible. I LOVED my '02 RM's turning and _thought_ I was faster on it, but the stopwatch doesn't lie... I was faster on the KX, so I sold the RM. Haven't had a YZ125. Every Yamaha I've had (4 of them) has thrown me on my head. They're like horses. They smell fear.

125's, for me, are all about fun. Ride the one you have the most fun on. At one point, my son and I talked seriously about owning one 125 from Suzuki, KTM, Husky, Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki. Because they're all fun.

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Rickyisms
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Rickyisms 12/3/2019 10:27pm
12/3/2019 10:27pm
Rickyisms wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2019/12/03/388419/s1200_IMG_2887.jpg[/img] PC mod bike top to bottom. 2nd gear really snaps out of a corner quick but once you get to 3rd and up the bike...



PC mod bike top to bottom. 2nd gear really snaps out of a corner quick but once you get to 3rd and up the bike just pulls and pulls. It is hands down the best bike I have ever ridden. Sounds mean as hell and definitely smokes the stock 150 I have on every level. Personally I'm not big on the 150, the low end is nice but you have to shift a lot more than a stock 125.
Bruce372 wrote:
Nice! What carb did PC have you use? We went to pwk stic on our 125 and 150 and the difference is amazing. Cant imagine what...
Nice! What carb did PC have you use? We went to pwk stic on our 125 and 150 and the difference is amazing. Cant imagine what it would be like attached to a hot rodded engine!!
It's the stock Keihin from the 2016s oval bored.
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Kenzie_Hanson
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Kenzie_Hanson 12/4/2019 3:16pm
12/4/2019 3:16pm
RF145 wrote:
I have a 2019 Husqvarna FC 350 and love the bike as it is near perfect. Even got the forks working better than average. That said...
I have a 2019 Husqvarna FC 350 and love the bike as it is near perfect. Even got the forks working better than average.
That said, for fun rides at a track, and some racing, I choose a 2011 YZ125. First off, the engine is super easy to use. Broad powerband like I never seen on a 125, ever. Not the most powerful, for sure. But fun and easy to ride. Secondly, the suspension is near perfect as is. No matter your weight or speed. Third, a little easier to work on then either my old KTM 350 or my new Husqvarna 350.
If however you are a serious, I want to be a pro by 15 years old, go KTM/Husqvarna 125, spend a shit load of time perfecting the forks and go win.
Is the yz125 pretty beginner friendly then ? Been considering getting a tc 125 or yz 125 but the husky is sounding like it would be a bit much for me rn.
HighPlainsSquid 12/4/2019 4:58pm
12/4/2019 4:58pm
Kenzie_Hanson wrote:
Is the yz125 pretty beginner friendly then ? Been considering getting a tc 125 or yz 125 but the husky is sounding like it would be...
Is the yz125 pretty beginner friendly then ? Been considering getting a tc 125 or yz 125 but the husky is sounding like it would be a bit much for me rn.
The Husky is a mid-top end bike ONLY. I mean, when a KX125 has more low-mid, you know we're talking a top end bike. My '02 RM 134 had an adjustable powerband and was VERY user-friendly. I thought very, very seriously about turning it into an off--road bike instead of spending $$$$$ on the KTM, but in the end, I wanted to try a KTM before I die.

Like I said above, I've not had a Yamaha but everything I've heard labels them as the widest powerband and best suspension.
Dirty Points 12/5/2019 3:21am
12/5/2019 3:21am
WCRider wrote:
RM 125 94
So where should the admitted novice who started this thread go to get, say, a power valve guide (designed wear item) for a '94 Rm125?
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AH387
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AH387 12/5/2019 7:14am
12/5/2019 7:14am
Kenzie_Hanson wrote:
Is the yz125 pretty beginner friendly then ? Been considering getting a tc 125 or yz 125 but the husky is sounding like it would be...
Is the yz125 pretty beginner friendly then ? Been considering getting a tc 125 or yz 125 but the husky is sounding like it would be a bit much for me rn.
I would say yes the YZ is more beginner friendly than the TC. I wouldn't say that the Husky is "too much for you" but if you aren't used to keeping the bike on the pipe, then you would likely be more efficient on the Yamaha. Also, the carb seems pretty problem free on the Yamaha, whereas the Husky is sometimes a bit more finicky. I like having the instant response of the YZ. It won't pull a gear as long as the TC but I don't mind having to shift a bit earlier, if it helps me get out of corners quicker. The tracks here are a bit tighter than out west. Either bike is good but YZ125 is probably my favorite bike (and I've owned a lot of bikes)

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Rickyisms
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Rickyisms 12/5/2019 7:59am
12/5/2019 7:59am
Kenzie_Hanson wrote:
Is the yz125 pretty beginner friendly then ? Been considering getting a tc 125 or yz 125 but the husky is sounding like it would be...
Is the yz125 pretty beginner friendly then ? Been considering getting a tc 125 or yz 125 but the husky is sounding like it would be a bit much for me rn.
HighPlainsSquid wrote:
The Husky is a mid-top end bike ONLY. I mean, when a KX125 has more low-mid, you know we're talking a top end bike. My '02...
The Husky is a mid-top end bike ONLY. I mean, when a KX125 has more low-mid, you know we're talking a top end bike. My '02 RM 134 had an adjustable powerband and was VERY user-friendly. I thought very, very seriously about turning it into an off--road bike instead of spending $$$$$ on the KTM, but in the end, I wanted to try a KTM before I die.

Like I said above, I've not had a Yamaha but everything I've heard labels them as the widest powerband and best suspension.
IMO riding one of my stock KTMs against a YZ back to back the KTM has a far more easy to ride motor. Plenty of pick up from the bottom, a lot more work on the clutch for the YZ to get the RPMs up.
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Dirty Points 12/5/2019 7:59am
12/5/2019 7:59am
WCRider wrote:
RM 125 94
Dirty Points wrote:
So where should the admitted novice who started this thread go to get, say, a power valve guide (designed wear item) for a '94 Rm125?
WCRider wrote:
https://www.pieces-suz.com/suzuki-moto/125-MOTO/RM/1994/VALVE-DECHAPPEM…
The only one available there is for Model S (1995). Model R, 1994, listed as discontinued.
Rickyisms
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Rickyisms 12/5/2019 8:03am
12/5/2019 8:03am
This was a fun bike too. Had to ride the absolute piss out of it to go anywhere but handled really good and had really good suspension after FC went through it. I regret selling it just because it was such a challenge to go fast on and I feel like when I would spin some laps on it I stayed off the brakes and used momentum a lot more.
Moto520
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Moto520 12/5/2019 8:15am
12/5/2019 8:15am Edited Date/Time 12/5/2019 8:19am
I went through this dilemma a couple of years ago except with a 250 two stroke. I wound up buying a 2016 KTM 250SX and put about 12 hours on it. It was a good bike but kind of Hyper-kinetic if you know what i mean. It just wasn't as much fun to ride as i was hoping. I wound up hardly riding it because it wasn't fun to ride (i chose to ride my 450 instead) I sold it and wound up getting a left over YZ250 which i still own to this day and love. That bike helped me find was i was looking for in a two stroke.

I would go with a new YZ125.....ride it for a couple of years....then sell it for top dollar. They hold their value and are in high demand. Bike is really awesome and reliable. You can get a little more HP out of the bike with a few, easy to do, mods. I don't like the AER forks on the new KTM's. I have always switched to the Cone Valves on my KTM's and, once you've done that, it's hard to be happy with anything else.

If this is for racing and nothing else.....i would get the KTM.
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Bruce372
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Bruce372 12/6/2019 9:28pm
12/6/2019 9:28pm
Mxa this week did a modded 125 shootout. The yz125 starts 3hp down, and they got another 4hp with easy mods on the tc125. That's a pretty big gap to catch up for the yz in a class where power is king.

As for beginners bikes, I put my 11 year old straight onto a new tc125, and he's still ripping on it now at 14, six inches taller and 30lbs heavier. The only changes I made was putting a softer spring on and putting the stock one back on recently. Clickers adjustments and a few extra psi in the forks. I weight 250, and the other day I put my own spring and rode it myself.

We used the jets that came with the bike and its the crispest, cleanest running 2 stroke I've ever owned.

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