This week's Classic Steel is a look back at the awesome 1987 Honda CR125R

tblazier
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tblazier
Edited Date/Time 12/5/2014 4:57am
GP's Classic Steel #95 - 1987 Honda CR125R

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yak651
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yak651 12/4/2014 10:27am
12/4/2014 10:27am
Always wanted one of these, one of the best looking bikes ever made IMO.
P-Nut
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P-Nut 12/4/2014 10:36am
12/4/2014 10:36am
So many hours spent staring at that brochure when I was younger.......
yzweldon
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yzweldon 12/4/2014 10:44am
12/4/2014 10:44am
Why did Gold rims go away? Bring them back, I Fucking HATE BLACK RIMS

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AZ35
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AZ35 12/4/2014 11:38am
12/4/2014 11:38am
At the time I thought my 86 CR125 was the best bike I had ever ridden.

Then I got an 87 CR125, hands down best 125cc production bike of that era. I loved that bike.

It's top on my list of vintage bikes to buy and add to my collection (I have 2 vintage bikes, so I guess that counts as a collection). But haven't been able to find a restored gem that wasn't priced like it was Dymond's factory Honda.
burn1986
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burn1986 12/4/2014 12:28pm
12/4/2014 12:28pm
Man, awesome article! I had 2 86s but never even rode an 87 125. Had a 250 and a 500. I wouldn't mind finding one right now. Great stuff TBlaze!!
Harry Backmon 12/4/2014 12:52pm
12/4/2014 12:52pm
AZ35 wrote:
At the time I thought my 86 CR125 was the best bike I had ever ridden. Then I got an 87 CR125, hands down best 125cc...
At the time I thought my 86 CR125 was the best bike I had ever ridden.

Then I got an 87 CR125, hands down best 125cc production bike of that era. I loved that bike.

It's top on my list of vintage bikes to buy and add to my collection (I have 2 vintage bikes, so I guess that counts as a collection). But haven't been able to find a restored gem that wasn't priced like it was Dymond's factory Honda.
Same experience. I had the 86 and could not get over how strongly that motor pulled. When I bought it in 86, I had not ridden in about 6 years. I thought, "My god...have these things come that far? Did they give me a 250 with a 125 sticker on it?"

Seriously.

Another great story about the 86 is that I met this guy on an 86 RM one day out riding in the woods. He wanted to drag race because he'd heard how fast the CR's were. So, we found a long dirt road and went to it. That CR just left that RM in the dust. I mean totally smoked him. He had me do it again, "I think I got off later than you." We did. Pulled him even further. That motor was a monster. The 87, as Mr. Blazier notes, was a tad more mellow. I preferred the 86 motor over my 87, but that is most likely because I'm just an average rider. They say the pro's like motors with more top end. Understandable.

What I will never forget about my 87 is the night and day difference with the forks. The 86 forks pretty much sucked. The 87 forks, and I still maintain this to this day, were the most plush forks I've ever had - and I have a modern YZ now. Those forks just worked so well, and you didn't have to do anything to them.
tblazier
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tblazier 12/4/2014 3:12pm
12/4/2014 3:12pm
burn1986 wrote:
Man, awesome article! I had 2 86s but never even rode an 87 125. Had a 250 and a 500. I wouldn't mind finding one right...
Man, awesome article! I had 2 86s but never even rode an 87 125. Had a 250 and a 500. I wouldn't mind finding one right now. Great stuff TBlaze!!
Thanks bro
Aceofspades 12/4/2014 5:12pm
12/4/2014 5:12pm
A friend had one in 88 and I was riding an 86 RM250, plus two other friends had 88 kx125's. That 87 CR125 was nearly as fast as my 250, and utterly destroyed those poor 88 kx's. Great bike!
moore433
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moore433 12/4/2014 6:35pm
12/4/2014 6:35pm
My dad had 1 and by the time I could afford 1 they were all sold out, so I ended up getting a 88 cr125. I loved the 88, but it didn't hit as hard as the 87. I also bought a 88 cr250, hated that bike!!!
bvm111
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bvm111 12/4/2014 10:30pm
12/4/2014 10:30pm
I had a 87 CR125, I was too slow then to realize how great it was ... But at least I owned one! I saved my pennies and bought a brand new 1989 CR125, first showroom fresh bike ever... Loved both bikes!!!
downard254
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downard254 12/5/2014 4:57am
12/5/2014 4:57am
AZ35 wrote:
At the time I thought my 86 CR125 was the best bike I had ever ridden. Then I got an 87 CR125, hands down best 125cc...
At the time I thought my 86 CR125 was the best bike I had ever ridden.

Then I got an 87 CR125, hands down best 125cc production bike of that era. I loved that bike.

It's top on my list of vintage bikes to buy and add to my collection (I have 2 vintage bikes, so I guess that counts as a collection). But haven't been able to find a restored gem that wasn't priced like it was Dymond's factory Honda.
Harry Backmon wrote:
Same experience. I had the 86 and could not get over how strongly that motor pulled. When I bought it in 86, I had not ridden...
Same experience. I had the 86 and could not get over how strongly that motor pulled. When I bought it in 86, I had not ridden in about 6 years. I thought, "My god...have these things come that far? Did they give me a 250 with a 125 sticker on it?"

Seriously.

Another great story about the 86 is that I met this guy on an 86 RM one day out riding in the woods. He wanted to drag race because he'd heard how fast the CR's were. So, we found a long dirt road and went to it. That CR just left that RM in the dust. I mean totally smoked him. He had me do it again, "I think I got off later than you." We did. Pulled him even further. That motor was a monster. The 87, as Mr. Blazier notes, was a tad more mellow. I preferred the 86 motor over my 87, but that is most likely because I'm just an average rider. They say the pro's like motors with more top end. Understandable.

What I will never forget about my 87 is the night and day difference with the forks. The 86 forks pretty much sucked. The 87 forks, and I still maintain this to this day, were the most plush forks I've ever had - and I have a modern YZ now. Those forks just worked so well, and you didn't have to do anything to them.
I had an '86 RM 125 with fully modded PSI motor and pipe. Then rode a stock '86 CR 125. It felt like a freakin' 250. Needless to say, in '87 I was riding a CR125. I weighed 175 lbs and would pull kids that weighed 125 lbs down straights on Kawi's, Yami's and Suzi's. To this day I can't believe how fast that thing was right out of the crate.

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