125-200cc New CR125/144 Owner - My Story

[Mhevezi]

Get a cup of coffee and settle in...

Hello- newbie here. Martin is the name. 43yrs old, retired amateur MX racer. Raced 250F's with the Over the Hill Gang for 5yrs before a nasty crash busted up my left arm pretty good (double, compound fracture with dislocated fingers). I retired on the spot!

But I knew that I wanted to return to MX, just to practice and ride with my buddies. It was such a HUGE part of my life for years- even for an old guy. I rode as much as my schedule allowed and raced 2x a month. I was a Board Member, put on races, worked with promoters and factory sponsors- it was a great time for me. Tough and hard on the wallet, but racing was just my deal.

After 3 surgeries to fix my arm, and 3 years out, I did my final race last October (wanted to go out buy FINISHING a race and not go out in a meat wagon)- and I raced on a borrowed 1999 YZ125cc bike that was the definition of 'clapped out.' It ran, and was fun, but I was happy to notch my final race. I had a lot of life event since then (new house, marriage, etc) and now it's time to revisit my true love- Motocross.

Had my heart set on a 2006 or newer YZ125 and I planned on adding "large person" springs and a 144 kit. LOVE the KTM 150's but Holy Moly those things are spendy! Looked around and didn't see much that interested me, and then something caught my eye- a 2013 Husky CR125. I had always liked those and a local dealer had a smoking deal on a brand new model. I called and he had already sold it! --- Looked outside the area and found another 2013 CR125, that was $1000 cheaper! But, it wasn't new- it was a 'Factory Demo.' I called the shop and the guy knew nothing about the bike and sent me some crappy, cell-phone pictures. Had numbers on it- #21. Honestly, he wasn't a very good salesman, and the price is what convinced me to drive 7hrs each way to pick it up. The Sales guy assured me it already had the 144 kit installed.

Turned out to be very clean- obviously ridden, and likely raced. (lots of roost damaged to the fork guards). Tires were fair, full FMF-fatty pipe and the suspension had already been done by MX-1 for a rider named SUN. I figured it was for an out-of-town Japanese or Asian-american rider.





Made the deal and got the bike home safely.

After wiping it down (he SOAKED the bike in SC-1), I noticed another MX-1 sticker on the shock. Rider Name: CHUCK SUN. Holy Cow! THE Chuck Sun? I did some digging and sure enough, this was the bike that Husky prepped for Chuck Sun to race in the MTA 2-Stroke Championships at Glen Helen last year! I found videos of the races that showed a former World Champ beating on my little bike. How cool! And some cool photos of him and a few others I recognized from my days in MX racing.



So that is how I came into the Husky family and I hoped you liked my story. I am going to take the bike out to the track this weekend to break it in. It's got a full tank of pre-mix, so I'm going to set the tire pressures, lube the chain, dial in the sag and head on out. I'll post up a full ride report when done.

I did have a question for all you knowledgeable Husky folk- How do I tell if it has the 144 kit installed? I'd assume there is a part number on the Cylinder which gives away the displacement.

Thanks in advance for your help, and for reading my long-winded story.

 

[justintendo]

very cool find..to someone that appreciates the brand, that is quite the find..ill let the italian guys set you up. lots of 125 platform guys here! being into the swedes, he did alot of good racing for huskies back then.

 

[juicypips]

Awesome, 14 hour drive for a bike? Fair play though you deserved the chuck sun payoff more than most!
Welcome to the family there are plenty of power upgrades for the 144.

 

[MotoMarc36]

I read a magazine article where they talked about that bike and Chuck's experience racing it. They did state that the 144 kit was installed along with the full FMF system. I'm not sure if there is a way to tell outwardly by looking, I've never scrutinized mine next to the 125 cylinder. It is a fabulous little bike, mine has brought me from a 5th place guy back to the top in +40 expert. Enjoy yours, it certainly has a cool history already with the legendary Chuck Sun being the former rider!

 

[Motosportz]

Very cool. thanks for sharing. Have a blast and no busting yourself up again. Should be faster and turn better than the Yami.

 

[john01]

Congrats. I look forward to your ride report and like the other members said " it's an awesome bike"! Enjoy .

 

[dirt addict]

I bought my 2014 cr125 from Ontario too! The sales guy mentioned they had a "demo" bike for sale, but my heart was set on a new one (the wife pretty much bought it for me). I wish I had looked at the demo . You scored. Those bikes were hardly ridden and set up nicely.
It's probably been gone thru to run good too.
Did you race with the northern othg guys? I've done some racing with the southern guys.
Congrats again on the bike. You're gonna love it.
btw, where do you ride?

 

[shrubitup]

wow, nice score. I read that article I think in MXA about Chuck Sun on the Husky. What a cool machine you have. Beats a bland YZ any day.

 

[jmetteer]

Nice! I picked up the bike Bobby Garrison rode in that event, it has been a great bike so far.

Later,

 

[Mhevezi]

Well,

I was part of the Bay Chapter and I was Race Director, National Chairperson, Race Committee and I do some of the race announcing/raffles and misc mike work.

Raced in CA - Estreet, Glen Helen, Hangtown, Club Moto, 408MX, MMX, Riverfront, Oatfield, Madera Fairgrounds, Little Oakie, Tulare Cycle Park, La Grange, Sand Hill Ranch Metcalf, Hollister GP, Argyll, and Fernly MX in Nevada and 3 Palms GP in Texas.

Really enjoyed my days in the OTHG. Still a member (he, he, he, he, he... I said, 'member') and I'm active in meetings and help with promotions/sponsorships, etc.

Some of the best times in my life.

 

[Mhevezi]

Here is Chuck, ripping up the bike I just bought!

 

[MotoMarc36]

I picked up the bike Bobby Garrison rode in that event, it has been a great bike so far

Hey J that bike you bought has the full Pro Circuit motor on racegas, doesn't it?

 

[jmetteer]

Hey J that bike you bought has the full Pro Circuit motor on racegas, doesn't it?

Uh, I hope not...

I have not had it apart, I do know it rips though.

I have been running pump premium though with no noticeable detonation.

I got no info on the bike at all, it had the stock pipe and silencer, the carb had been heavily modified with some polishing and epoxy work.

I tried contacting Bobby and got no response, zipty gave me the name of the mechanic but had no contact info. The mechanic was Sarge...

That is about all I know.

Later,

 

[Blakelpd5]

Haha, SCORE!!! Jake and I went in and picked up our bikes together. I scored Andrew Silverstein's bike.

And what she looked like in my dining room

 

[Mhevezi]

My wife is not thrilled with me riding again, after my accident, but she understands... MX is like herpes- I got it, and I ain't gettin' rid of it!

I told her, look, I can not ride the bike, but we have to put in the Living Room- Under Glass!

She said, "have fun at the track."

I like that Black rear sprocket and gold chain. That will go on "the list."

I got to ride/race a 2007 YZ125 in Texas and I fell in love with the 125 2-T bikes.


You FEEL like you are ripping! But the video tells another story. Still I don't care- I'm riding now for fun. No need for hoooollllllssssshhheeeeeeeoooooottts!

 

[dirt addict]

The link to your photo goes to YOUR photobucket account. You might want to change that. Anyone can go in there and delete stuff or add things you may not want....

 

[jmetteer]

I have been there too, 2011 sucked.

I have not been back to the MX track much and have only raced a couple off road races since 2011. I am supposed to be retired too. It is like crack though, I rode the bike up and down the street 2 months after the broken Femur. I want to do some MX practice days pretty soon.

Later,

 

[Mhevezi]

The link to your photo goes to YOUR photobucket account. You might want to change that. Anyone can go in there and delete stuff or add things you may not want....

Thanks. Didn't think that was possible, but boom. There it is. I'll stop that link.

 

[Mhevezi]

I have been there too, 2011 sucked.

I have not been back to the MX track much and have only raced a couple off road races since 2011. I am supposed to be retired too. It is like crack though, I rode the bike up and down the street 2 months after the broken Femur. I want to do some MX practice days pretty soon.

Later,

Ugh, I hate watching those videos KNOWING something not good is about to happen. I didn't capture my final crash on cam, but is would have been horrible to watch too. I had just cleared the step-up at The Oatfield, in lap 1 of Moto 3. I was running about 5 of 12. Passed a guy at the bottom of the jump and when I came over the top, 'oh look- a bike, lying there in the middle of the track.' I had no choice. I was doing great and having a helluva day. My first time getting Ketamine. Never again.

How's your leg healing up?

 

[Mhevezi]

My legs have terrible muscle memory. They are still sore from Saturday!

Got out to Club Moto in Livermore, CA about 9am, got signed in and got geared up. Cool out, maybe 53degF, and breezy. Aside from the wind, great moto weather. Checked the tire pressure and went out to spin a few laps to warm up.

1st Session - Could not get the bike to turn very well, decent, but not what I was expecting. Seemed to ride low in the rear. Brakes shocked the poop out of me. The salesman at the dealer used WAY too much SC-1 on the bike and I had a difficult time gripping the bike with my legs. Power was good- clutch actuation was smooth and the front forks felt very nice. Bike felt VERY narrow. For reference, I last rode/raced a 2009 KX250F with a 269kit.

Pulled in to let the track take shape, get a drink and make some changes. Worked on the sag- it was at almost 115mm. Way too much. Added some pre-load to the rear spring, moved the clutch lever in, added a click of compression and re-bound to the forks and upped the idle. The bike didn't want to idle in session #1.

Session #2 - Went out and the felt MUCH better. Had the sag set to 105-104 and the bike turned with marked improvement. I was able to put the bike exactly where I wanted it. As the SC-1 wore off and the dust stuck to the bike (remember, it was windy) I was able to better grip the bike and whip the motor a bit more. Finally got to explore the powerband a bit and I was not expecting a hit like that! Pretty impressive for a motor the size of my fist. I started clearing more and more jumps and braking later in the corners. Learned very quickly that the rear tire looks OK, but it's shot. Under acceleration, the rear dances for traction and swings for grip. A new rear is going to happen- soon! Was really starting to gel with the bike.

Came in and added a few more turns to the rear spring (I will need to get a new one very soon. Stock is 5.1kg and I will need a 6.0-6.5) Added some high-speed and low speed compression to the rear to slow it down and relaxed a bit.

Session #3- Slapped the GoPro on a got footage of this session. Was able to dice it up with some old friends, make some passes (got passed a few times, too) and hit some new jumps. Still not super in-sync with the 2-stroke powerband, so I was be cautious with most jumps. The LAST thing I wanted to do was take a digger on my first ride back. Was fighting the urge to take a shot at a gap double - I would come out of the left hand turn all setup, pipe is singing, I'm ready and I was shutting down, every time and rolling it. On my last lap I stuck with it and shot over the double. Pretty happy I went for it, as that would have bugged me. Pulled off at that point, as I was money ahead.

Went out one more session to work on body position and line selection. Was really starting to feel the bike and enjoy the fun it can deliver.

And that is the best word to describe the bike- FUN. I'm a 43yr old, Vet Novice and was considered many things, but Fast was never one of them. I'm a decent rider and can hold my own against others in my class, but Stewart and Roczen don't need to check their six. My goal at this point is to have as much fun as possible, with the least amount of ER trips as possible. I guess that is a goal we all share!

Seriously folks, the bike was a lot of fun and had more GO and more STOP than I expected. I expected I would overpower the suspension (and I did) and I expected that the bike would feel small (and it did), but when you get her going, she GOES! and sounds glorious in the process. Cornering is a no-brainer once you get the Sag right and she handles bumps with considerable aplomb. Some new springs, throw some new tires on her, and pack some clutch plates in the tool-box and I am done.

I'm still not enamored with the 'Old school Husky' shroud graphics that I'm sure were made for Chuck, along with the silver tank stickers, and when I was printing up my own number plates, I noticed that the stripes on the number plates were molded in. I like the stock graphics - a lot - and I wondered if they were under the Chuck Sun decals. Well, after a lot of heat, solvent and some 'colorful language' I really like the look that I was able to unearth.





I am still editing the GoPro footage, but I'll have that ready later this week.

I give the bike a 9/10! Awesome!!!