KX125 Revalve or new forks?

11/17/2021 6:30pm
Just got a 2003 KX125 and want to redo the suspension.

Option 1 - Revalve Forks and Shock

Option 2 - 250/450 AOSS/SFF Forks, revalve Stock Shock

Option 3 - New Forks, RMZ Shock

I would also revalve the KXF Forks as well if I went that route.

So what I'm asking, is it worth the extra cost to put new forks on, or are revalved forks good enough?

Most of my riding would be fast single track/desert
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Skerby
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11/17/2021 6:43pm
If your username is anything to go by Id say take the most expensive route.
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11/17/2021 7:31pm
Skerby wrote:
If your username is anything to go by Id say take the most expensive route.
ha! Its not! I'm not opposed to spending some money, but it needs to be worth it!
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brocster
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11/17/2021 7:44pm
Uno
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scott_nz
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11/17/2021 8:42pm
Option 2 is probably the best bet , the single chamber stock forks are pretty simple , but shocks have not changed as much
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The Shop

Nairb#70
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11/17/2021 11:01pm
The forks on your bike rank among the worst ever offered by KYB. Single chamber with rubber bumper bottoming dampers, no cones and little damping. Not so bad on a 125, but unrideable on a 250 or 4 stroke. Anything would be vastly better than stock.
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gristle568
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11/17/2021 11:37pm
I have a set of forks off an 04 kx125 laying in my shop. They are supposed to be an upgrade over the 03 ones. I’d sell em for cheap if your interested.
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11/18/2021 11:25am
If you go with the KXF forks, make sure you measure them and set the fork height appropriately. I had 49MM Showa SFF TAC air forks from my 2015 KX450 on my 04 KX125 and the forks were longer than the stock kayaba's, so i had to run the forks slid up in the triple clamps almost touching the bars. Dropped 3.5lbs off the front end with the air forks! Bike would wheelie out of corners. It was nuts.

That said, i'm currently running the stock Kayabas with Racetech Gold Valve (base valve only on these forks) with a pro setting and they feel decent enough to ride pro tracks here in SoCal. Definitely not the best performing forks, but they work alright. Open chamber forks can tend to fade as they get hot, though.

As for the shock, the stock shock is fine with a revalve IMO.
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ajk423
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11/18/2021 2:23pm
gristle568 wrote:
I have a set of forks off an 04 kx125 laying in my shop. They are supposed to be an upgrade over the 03 ones. I’d...
I have a set of forks off an 04 kx125 laying in my shop. They are supposed to be an upgrade over the 03 ones. I’d sell em for cheap if your interested.
How cheap? I'm redoing a 2004 kx 125 I bought cheap and they had 2008 yz 125 forks on them (I found that out later)
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11/18/2021 2:32pm
If you go with the KXF forks, make sure you measure them and set the fork height appropriately. I had 49MM Showa SFF TAC air forks...
If you go with the KXF forks, make sure you measure them and set the fork height appropriately. I had 49MM Showa SFF TAC air forks from my 2015 KX450 on my 04 KX125 and the forks were longer than the stock kayaba's, so i had to run the forks slid up in the triple clamps almost touching the bars. Dropped 3.5lbs off the front end with the air forks! Bike would wheelie out of corners. It was nuts.

That said, i'm currently running the stock Kayabas with Racetech Gold Valve (base valve only on these forks) with a pro setting and they feel decent enough to ride pro tracks here in SoCal. Definitely not the best performing forks, but they work alright. Open chamber forks can tend to fade as they get hot, though.

As for the shock, the stock shock is fine with a revalve IMO.
I was actually wanting to ask why you went back to the stock forks! With swapping, did the 125 front wheel bolt right up to the 450 forks? And brake work too? Just wondering what all I need. Just forks, clamps, and steering stop?
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gristle568
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11/18/2021 4:23pm
gristle568 wrote:
I have a set of forks off an 04 kx125 laying in my shop. They are supposed to be an upgrade over the 03 ones. I’d...
I have a set of forks off an 04 kx125 laying in my shop. They are supposed to be an upgrade over the 03 ones. I’d sell em for cheap if your interested.
ajk423 wrote:
How cheap? I'm redoing a 2004 kx 125 I bought cheap and they had 2008 yz 125 forks on them (I found that out later)
id sell the forks and clamps for $250 shipped
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Phillip_Lamb
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11/18/2021 8:57pm
if you have the money get better forks. anything from the 06 and newer 4 strokes, the showas and kybs from the 250f or 450f are years better
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scott_nz
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11/18/2021 9:24pm
gristle568 wrote:
I have a set of forks off an 04 kx125 laying in my shop. They are supposed to be an upgrade over the 03 ones. I’d...
I have a set of forks off an 04 kx125 laying in my shop. They are supposed to be an upgrade over the 03 ones. I’d sell em for cheap if your interested.
ajk423 wrote:
How cheap? I'm redoing a 2004 kx 125 I bought cheap and they had 2008 yz 125 forks on them (I found that out later)
The yz forks would be a big improvement
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1
11/18/2021 10:14pm Edited Date/Time 11/18/2021 10:19pm
If you go with the KXF forks, make sure you measure them and set the fork height appropriately. I had 49MM Showa SFF TAC air forks...
If you go with the KXF forks, make sure you measure them and set the fork height appropriately. I had 49MM Showa SFF TAC air forks from my 2015 KX450 on my 04 KX125 and the forks were longer than the stock kayaba's, so i had to run the forks slid up in the triple clamps almost touching the bars. Dropped 3.5lbs off the front end with the air forks! Bike would wheelie out of corners. It was nuts.

That said, i'm currently running the stock Kayabas with Racetech Gold Valve (base valve only on these forks) with a pro setting and they feel decent enough to ride pro tracks here in SoCal. Definitely not the best performing forks, but they work alright. Open chamber forks can tend to fade as they get hot, though.

As for the shock, the stock shock is fine with a revalve IMO.
I was actually wanting to ask why you went back to the stock forks! With swapping, did the 125 front wheel bolt right up to the...
I was actually wanting to ask why you went back to the stock forks! With swapping, did the 125 front wheel bolt right up to the 450 forks? And brake work too? Just wondering what all I need. Just forks, clamps, and steering stop?
Just forks, clamps, and the trickengineering steering stop adapter. Everything else bolts up. Im running the stock forks and clamps again just because i put the forks and clamp back on the 450 to sell it. Im running the 2015 Kx450 front brake caliper/hanger/270mm rotor/master cylinder and tusk impact wheels from the 450 all on the stock 04kx125 kayaba forks and clamp.
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m21racing
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11/19/2021 7:41am
We did a swap of tac forks on a kx250, with stock shock that I valved along with the forks. Bike works well. On that 03, I'd try to find some forks. I like psf forks. They're fine when tuned, but sss are what everyone seems to use on older 2t retro/mod builds. I've not messed with the oc forks from that bike forever, but you may be able to adapt other cartridges to your kx forks. Along with sub tanks and a decent woods tune, they'd probably be good in the single track. The cr125 forks around 2000-01 were pretty good if I remember.
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ajk423
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11/24/2021 3:17pm
gristle568 wrote:
I have a set of forks off an 04 kx125 laying in my shop. They are supposed to be an upgrade over the 03 ones. I’d...
I have a set of forks off an 04 kx125 laying in my shop. They are supposed to be an upgrade over the 03 ones. I’d sell em for cheap if your interested.
ajk423 wrote:
How cheap? I'm redoing a 2004 kx 125 I bought cheap and they had 2008 yz 125 forks on them (I found that out later)
scott_nz wrote:
The yz forks would be a big improvement
Do you really think so?
vtec_
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11/25/2021 8:12am
m21racing wrote:
We did a swap of tac forks on a kx250, with stock shock that I valved along with the forks. Bike works well. On that 03...
We did a swap of tac forks on a kx250, with stock shock that I valved along with the forks. Bike works well. On that 03, I'd try to find some forks. I like psf forks. They're fine when tuned, but sss are what everyone seems to use on older 2t retro/mod builds. I've not messed with the oc forks from that bike forever, but you may be able to adapt other cartridges to your kx forks. Along with sub tanks and a decent woods tune, they'd probably be good in the single track. The cr125 forks around 2000-01 were pretty good if I remember.
the kayabas offered on the cr125s are pretty much close to perfect from what i understand

the kyb stuff on the 3rd gen cr125s are supposedly jst perfect stock
wydopen
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11/25/2021 8:18am
I had an 03 250. Forks were terrible even after a revalve
m21racing
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11/25/2021 8:36am
m21racing wrote:
We did a swap of tac forks on a kx250, with stock shock that I valved along with the forks. Bike works well. On that 03...
We did a swap of tac forks on a kx250, with stock shock that I valved along with the forks. Bike works well. On that 03, I'd try to find some forks. I like psf forks. They're fine when tuned, but sss are what everyone seems to use on older 2t retro/mod builds. I've not messed with the oc forks from that bike forever, but you may be able to adapt other cartridges to your kx forks. Along with sub tanks and a decent woods tune, they'd probably be good in the single track. The cr125 forks around 2000-01 were pretty good if I remember.
vtec_ wrote:
the kayabas offered on the cr125s are pretty much close to perfect from what i understand the kyb stuff on the 3rd gen cr125s are supposedly...
the kayabas offered on the cr125s are pretty much close to perfect from what i understand

the kyb stuff on the 3rd gen cr125s are supposedly jst perfect stock
This is an 01 I did a mv mod on. These worked well. Went much stiffer than stock, and bike rails. Sub Tanks would help too.
Matt Fisher
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11/25/2021 9:53am
03 KXs did not have a high-speed compression adjuster, only low-speed. While not the end of the world, it's worth replacing if you're going all-out on the suspension.

I'd be replacing the forks and the shock, but that's just me.

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