Husqvarna TC 125

Avoid 2016 sx/tc 125. They had problems at gear boxs.
Go for a 17/18. Great bikes, super light, great fork/shock. Won't regret getting one.

Had a 19 TC250 and then got a 18 TC125 also have a FC450..... now the 250 is sold and the FC450 is up for sale...
I love the TC125 hands down my favorite bike just put a VHM head and top end in it with complete HGS system and vforce she now sings and has enough power to haul my 46 year old ass around the track fast enough the scare me

Deja New wrote:

Had a 19 TC250 and then got a 18 TC125 also have a FC450..... now the 250 is sold and the FC450 is up for sale...
I love the TC125 hands down my favorite bike just put a VHM head and top end in it with complete HGS system and vforce she now sings and has enough power to haul my 46 year old ass around the track fast enough the scare me

Nice to hear! It seems they’ve gained a bit of power over the years, I’ve never really got on with the bigger 2 strokes, tried a few over the years but looking forward to getting back on a 125.

How do you find the suspension?

I’ve had worse but it’s going in for a revalve and work over. The handling is amazing I find it up with my old rm250 that I had for 4 years before getting the TC250.

Now at 46 some bikes are just to much but the TC125 is so nimble and light I can put it where I want when I want. Not having traction control is ok I loose time out of corners with wheel spin but seem to be able to leave breaking till my later coming into corners.

Now with the upgrades on sand or loamy surfaces it wants to stand up and scream but it’s very controllable.

Great bike and with small upgrades becomes a fantastic option if you’re on a budget.

Deja New wrote:

I’ve had worse but it’s going in for a revalve and work over. The handling is amazing I find it up with my old rm250 that I had for 4 years before getting the TC250.

Now at 46 some bikes are just to much but the TC125 is so nimble and light I can put it where I want when I want. Not having traction control is ok I loose time out of corners with wheel spin but seem to be able to leave breaking till my later coming into corners.

Now with the upgrades on sand or loamy surfaces it wants to stand up and scream but it’s very controllable.

Great bike and with small upgrades becomes a fantastic option if you’re on a budget.

Sounds good, seems like it will work as a good all rounder. I’d look to get the suspension set up for my weight anyway, especially buying used. They seem to hold their value pretty well so will keep my eye out for a nicely maintained one.

185 hours on my 16 with no problems.

I love how people say not to buy 4 year old machines with today’s technology.

I’m running a 2012 350 and it’s awesome.

It’s a dirt bike.

16 4cs forks, keihin carb
17 aer forks, mikuni carb
18 upgraded aer forks
19 new plastics, upgraded Bellville clutch

On newer (2015-20) 125, approx. how many hours before doing a top end......average riding conditions and novice level mx'er?

Go buy 13, 15, and 17mm wrenches and sockets.
When my kid got his KTM, I realized that the 12, 14 were useless.

sparker245 wrote:

On newer (2015-20) 125, approx. how many hours before doing a top end......average riding conditions and novice level mx'er?

25 hours or so. If he's a top end rider then closer to 20 hours, mid range rider you can push to 30 safely.
Single ring race piston new ring at 10 hours and piston at 20.

sparker245 wrote:

On newer (2015-20) 125, approx. how many hours before doing a top end......average riding conditions and novice level mx'er?

I'm a 58 yr old Vet rider. I change the 125 every 25 hours and the piston ring gap is barely worn. It's just cheap insurance.

sparker245 wrote:

On newer (2015-20) 125, approx. how many hours before doing a top end......average riding conditions and novice level mx'er?

HighPlainsSquid wrote:

I'm a 58 yr old Vet rider. I change the 125 every 25 hours and the piston ring gap is barely worn. It's just cheap insurance.

Have you ever measured the gap and what was it.

DA498 wrote:

I love how people say not to buy 4 year old machines with today’s technology.

I’m running a 2012 350 and it’s awesome.

It’s a dirt bike.

Yes. Bikes last a long time now days. A friend and I just won the Vet 60 class at a 3hr scrambles on a 2004 KTM 200. The bike was flawless.

I have a 2021 TC125. Love this bike. There is a large jetting thread over in the Tech/Race Shop forum here on Vital with tons of good info for this bike. If you follow the jetting in there it turns the KTM/Husky 125 into an awesome machine. In the past I've ridden YZ125's and CR125's that had no-cost-spared motor builds from PC and other top builders and this stock TC125 with jetting is easily better than any of them.

I previously had a YZ125 that I liked very much. Coming from that to this TC125 I like that the bike is physically smaller (I am 5'8) and the handling is better. I would describe the handling as similar to the 02-07 Honda CR125. I love the suspension on the TC125 and I would say it's right up there with the world-renowned suspension on my YZ125, which I also loved. Only changes from bone stock I have made are went up on air pressure from 8.1 to 8.5bar, went in 1/8 turn on HSC on the shock and went in 1 click on rebound on the shock. I am 175 pounds and a fairly fast +40A rider and only do moto for reference. I can't speak on the older 16-20 TC 125 suspension as I never rode them.

FGR01 wrote:

I have a 2021 TC125. Love this bike. There is a large jetting thread over in the Tech/Race Shop forum here on Vital with tons of good info for this bike. If you follow the jetting in there it turns the KTM/Husky 125 into an awesome machine. In the past I've ridden YZ125's and CR125's that had no-cost-spared motor builds from PC and other top builders and this stock TC125 with jetting is easily better than any of them.

I previously had a YZ125 that I liked very much. Coming from that to this TC125 I like that the bike is physically smaller (I am 5'8) and the handling is better. I would describe the handling as similar to the 02-07 Honda CR125. I love the suspension on the TC125 and I would say it's right up there with the world-renowned suspension on my YZ125, which I also loved. Only changes from bone stock I have made are went up on air pressure from 8.1 to 8.5bar, went in 1/8 turn on HSC on the shock and went in 1 click on rebound on the shock. I am 175 pounds and a fairly fast +40A rider and only do moto for reference. I can't speak on the older 16-20 TC 125 suspension as I never rode them.

My KTM 125 is built by PC. I didn't think the bike could get any better but it is an absolute monster from mid to top, the thing never wants to sign off.

2016 did have a transmission gear issue, but still a great bike. The carb on this year is very good!

The biggest upgrade is a JD jet kit and spring forks.

I've rebuilt my bike twice at 100 hours. I always do pistons at 25, could probably do more, but they are cheap. Going on 215 total hours on the complete bike.

Some great info in here. Good to hear they stand up to a lot of use, the ones I’ve been looking at range from 50 hours up to 120 ish, but as with anything maintenance is key. This thread has made me even more excited about getting one. I had looked at yz’s as that was the last 125 I had but the value of them is ridiculous, not much less than a 17-18 husky and they’re pretty much the same bike I had around 12 years ago. As good as they used to be I’d rather put my money into a bike that’s been developed and the husky’s in my opinion look a pretty special machine.

CarlinoJoeVideo wrote:

2016 did have a transmission gear issue, but still a great bike. The carb on this year is very good!

The biggest upgrade is a JD jet kit and spring forks.

I've rebuilt my bike twice at 100 hours. I always do pistons at 25, could probably do more, but they are cheap. Going on 215 total hours on the complete bike.

Joe, What year gears did you replace in your 2016? I remember you doing it in your thread but can't remember what year you used.

The boy has been racing these for the past couple of years.

If you can swing a 2019 or newer, go that route. In 2019, KTM started CNCing the exhaust port and changed the pipe design, It makes a nice difference on the power over the 2016-2018 bikes.

Jetting can be tricky on the 2017 and up, there is a little tiny gasket that deforms and makes it impossible to tune. A lot of people give up and throw on a Lectron or switch back to the Keihin, (JD jetting sells the replacement gasket and a little kit for $6-7) once jetted, they run awesome. I run VP MS109 and Maxima 927 @ 40-1 and is the bike is jetted for it. (I love the consistency of race fuel) We easily get 25 hours on a top end or until the bike won't start on the first kick....

The 2016s are a treat to jet for sure. I have a 2016 125 and 150, The 150 was pretty stock so I ran half and half VP 110 and rec 90 with castor 927 @ 32:1.

In the mod 125 I run C12 with the same premix mixture. The forks on the 2016 aren’t that bad for me, I had billy at powerband work his magic and I have no complaints about them. They’re set up for moto but i have no problems with them racing harescrambles by just backing the clickers off.

CarlinoJoeVideo wrote:

2016 did have a transmission gear issue, but still a great bike. The carb on this year is very good!

The biggest upgrade is a JD jet kit and spring forks.

I've rebuilt my bike twice at 100 hours. I always do pistons at 25, could probably do more, but they are cheap. Going on 215 total hours on the complete bike.

Rickyisms wrote:

Joe, What year gears did you replace in your 2016? I remember you doing it in your thread but can't remember what year you used.

I chipped a tooth in 2nd or 3rd. I replaced both with updated part numbers.

That was my first full engine rebuild. I got 100 hours of the bike then rebuilt it again and made it a 150. It’s more of an off road bike now for the winter. Super fun set up!

CarlinoJoeVideo wrote:

2016 did have a transmission gear issue, but still a great bike. The carb on this year is very good!

The biggest upgrade is a JD jet kit and spring forks.

I've rebuilt my bike twice at 100 hours. I always do pistons at 25, could probably do more, but they are cheap. Going on 215 total hours on the complete bike.

Rickyisms wrote:

Joe, What year gears did you replace in your 2016? I remember you doing it in your thread but can't remember what year you used.

CarlinoJoeVideo wrote:

I chipped a tooth in 2nd or 3rd. I replaced both with updated part numbers.

That was my first full engine rebuild. I got 100 hours of the bike then rebuilt it again and made it a 150. It’s more of an off road bike now for the winter. Super fun set up!

I’m thinking of my 150 into a straight up woods bike and using my 125 for moto. Getting bored of flipping a coin on which one to outfit for the woods each time I go.

Rickyisms wrote:

I’m thinking of my 150 into a straight up woods bike and using my 125 for moto. Getting bored of flipping a coin on which one to outfit for the woods each time I go.

Definitely 150 for woods and 125 for moto.

sparker245 wrote:

On newer (2015-20) 125, approx. how many hours before doing a top end......average riding conditions and novice level mx'er?

HighPlainsSquid wrote:

I'm a 58 yr old Vet rider. I change the 125 every 25 hours and the piston ring gap is barely worn. It's just cheap insurance.

numbers wrote:

Have you ever measured the gap and what was it.

I measure the gap of the new rings before they go in and the gap when they come out. I'll have to go get my book to get the numbers but the worn gap is well under the service limit. I'm sure I could run 30-35 hours but it's cheap insurance to replace. And I clean the power valves too.

125's are pretty scarce right now, but I finally found a '21 TC125. What are you guys seeing for pricing on these? Should I expect to pay full pop plus additional fees? The price I was quoted was almost 2k above msrp OTD.

SrfNdirt wrote:

125's are pretty scarce right now, but I finally found a '21 TC125. What are you guys seeing for pricing on these? Should I expect to pay full pop plus additional fees? The price I was quoted was almost 2k above msrp OTD.

The way the market is going right now, you should expect to pay a lot. Don't settle for any more than you have to, however. I'd hit them up with "full price, plus tax." In other words, $7,499 + 8%, or whatever your county sales tax is. Ask them to pay all the freight, setup, doc and registration fees for you. That would be a pretty good deal for you but the dealer would still make some money.
The gist of my argument is this: the dealer does, in fact, have to pay for freight and he does have to put the front wheel on the bike. It does NOT cost $800-$1200 to do these things, however. Also, there are holdbacks that the OEMs pay the retailers for these expenses anyway. (They don't always line up fairly or timely, though - this is why dealers try to recoup those costs up front.)
You'll likely end up negotiating a little, but paying $2K over retail is too much, IMO.