2000 Model YZ125 - Still awesome

[Dangermouse449]

Went out for a ride with the guys in one of our great local areas today and took one of my sons with me.
I offered him my TE449 and then rode his YZ125 all day.
What a great bike it is! Held it wide most of the day.
Lots of clutch work in the the tight stuff and up the steep hills keeping in the band but I'm STILL grinning thinking about keeping up to and passing the bigger bikes.

 

[lankydoug]

Went out for a ride with the guys in one of our great local areas today and took one of my sons with me.
I offered him my TE449 and then rode his YZ125 all day.
What a great bike it is! Held it wide most of the day.
Lots of clutch work in the the tight stuff and up the steep hills keeping in the band but I'm STILL grinning thinking about keeping up to and passing the bigger bikes.

Now go ride an 06 or newer. I have an 08 with suspension done and about every trick part you can think of. It's an absolute blast to ride and since I traded an old trials bike and some cash for it I have less then 3K invested in it.

 

[racemx904]

I love riding a tiddler.... and no better feeling than passing a 300 on one..... and people seem to move over for you too...

 

[JPinNC]

I agree ... 125's are fun! Got my son a 2003 RM125 in the fall of last year. He has ridden the wheels off the thing and loves it. It has been a project for us and I think we have it looking pretty good. Graphics are from a 2005 RM125. He has always wanted an RM125 and honestly all of his friends just don't get it. Most of them are on 250 4 strokes. He rode some gnarly single track on it last weekend and did really well with it.

 

[lankydoug]

After commenting on this thread I hopped on my YZ125 and rode it for an hour or so. It's going to be hard for any company to build a better 125 but there's a lot of good ones out there and even a 15 year old one will put a smile on your face.

 

[Dangermouse449]

Now go ride an 06 or newer. I have an 08 with suspension done and about every trick part you can think of. It's an absolute blast to ride and since I traded an old trials bike and some cash for it I have less then 3K invested in it.

This bike cost us about $2000 around 5 years ago to buy & rebuild, since then it's had a set of rings and a couple of plugs.
It's earned its keep & is still properly quick. It doesn't look as pretty as the alloy frame ones, but doesn't loose out much in outright go =)

After all my 'wouldn't have a 2 stroke enduro bike' ramblings, a 125 enduro would be ok

 

[ray_ray]

It's going to be hard for any company to build a better 125

This is what is interesting and I can't quite get my head wrapped around even the age of 57 ... ESP living on the front-side of wave in the states and now living on the back-side of the wave in this country. It is like being a time traveler backwards ... Lots to learn from this aspect of life and living life with many levels of BS peeled away from the top side.

It's something to do with economics or an economy? Never had any formal education on the subjects so I can only apply common sense to the subject at hand ... With that in mind, we all should know every bike and every other new device that comes out is better and faster and lighter and easier and everything else better than the last model and it costs more. The only thing that is close to being absolutely true is the cost part. Taking money, more money out of our pockets for the new, same devices that might not be any better actually than the last model, drives an economy I guess. What is an economy? Not sure as stated above.

Does this mean each new version of a can-opener is better? Maybe ...maybe not... Beauty is in the eye of the beholder ... I'm a firm believer these new fangled 4t 250cc bikes are just glorified 125cc bikes with a price tag to go with the glorification and a trail of maintenance costs that do not help my bottom line. Might be a little harsh but what was that phase spoken about PT Barnum over a century ago about people?

 

[lankydoug]

The potential to build a better two stroke is there for sure. If the bigger companies spent as much on R&D on the 2 strokes as they did the 4ts they would at the very least have much better engines. The 4 strokes are way ahead of where they were 20 years ago. I'm always looking for a good used 2 stroke that has locked up a rod bearing or seized a piston. I buy them cheap and go through the entire bike, bearings, brakes, forks, shock ect. When I'm done I usually have about $1,500 in them and I sell them to one of my son's friends that wants to start riding. Some move on to different bikes and others move on to something besides riding off road, either way I help them find a buyer for their bike. I figure if I get more young kids riding the future generation will fight to keep the trails and riding areas open so my grand kids (when I have them) will have a place to ride.

 

[racemx904]

I absolutely love 125s... the Yamadog is not my favorite.... The handling is just funny to me.... it dont do anything great or bad.....

The old Husky is awesome to me.... the KTM is a smaller chassis and I dont like it.... the new TC is great also...

I can do just as good on a 125 at an eastern XC race as a 300.... I make up tons of time in the tight stuff and sometimes have a little harder time on hills.... but usually dont get stuck with paying attention on the hills and hit them hard....

I wish more kids started or moved up to 125s instead of straight to 250f's....

Best part is you can get a 125 super cheap and fix it up.... then if it breaks its easy to fix.... I love passing a guy on lapping a guy that is a C rider on a $10k bike with everything you can bolt on on it and I'm on a 10 year old $1000 125 and fly by....

 

[Motosportz]

I find it real hard to beat the 09 and up italian husky 125s. They nailed it for me.

 

[LandofMotards]

I'm nervous to try a 125, i don't want to want another bike, the list is already so big lol

 

[racemx904]

I agree thats a great bike.... large chassis, skinny, good ergonomics, good power... whats not to like

 

[racemx904]

Walt needs a 165 kit for the TC125.....

 

[lankydoug]

I find it real hard to beat the 09 and up italian husky 125s. They nailed it for me.

I'd love to give one a try but there's not many around my area and I've been watching craigslist and cycle trader for a couple of years and haven't seen any in the under 2k price range. They are either new or pretty much destroyed. I almost bought an 09 new for under 4k but went with a new wr250 at $4,900 instead thinking that it would be better at altitudes over 8,000 ft.

 

[Miezie666]

I ve owned a couple of YZ125s and RMs in the past, still have a 05 YZ125 which i ll keep till the end of the day.
My WR125 2013 has got some points where it has been better than the yam- it s been plated, its been taller and bigger petrol Tank. But Thats it really. Apart from that there is no reason not to own a 1996 onwards YZ125

 

[Motosportz]

I've been watching craigslist and cycle trader for a couple of years and haven't seen any in the under 2k price range.

Not going to find a good 09 or newer for under 2K

 

[lankydoug]

Not going to find a good 09 or newer for under 2K

Which is why I have a YZ and probably will for a while unless someone comes along with $2,500 that likes it better than me.... even then I'd have to think on it

 

[Dangermouse449]

See how the new Sherco 125 stacks up next year....of they make it.

 

[lankydoug]

here's a vid for all 125 lovers. It's Gared Steinke who has been qualifying in the 250 class on a 125 this year. I was a Yamaha until Unidilla when it turned orange and I'm not sure if KTM gave him a bike or what happened

http://www.vitalmx.com/videos/membe...405?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

 

[ray_ray]

SP \ KTM are studly enough to try and win on a 2t bike here ... Not sure on how smart it would be though on the sales front.

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Long time sponsor Motosport Hillsboro hooked him up with Two KTM 125’s. If it weren’t for the rules there was a chance you were going to see Steinke pull a Jerry Robin by bringing back his favorite 125 ever: an 2005 Yz125. Though never having raced a the KTM 125 Models, Stank Dog feels more comfortable and faster on the KTM’s as they feel similar to the KTM 250sxf that he rode during the 2015 Amsoil Arenacross series. Not only did he ride this brand during the Arenacross series, but he took them to multiple main event wins including the season finale in Las Vegas.

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Another arenacross rider sticks his head into the mix ... Is arenaCross NOT driven by the ama?

He's a precision mixer caught in the act ....