03 125sx vs rm125

[bully_23]

well I am goin to start motocross and I would like to know what bike would be better what bikes top end would last longer which bike is faster which has better handling etc. and which will make me hang with 4strks. The Rm has TAG Metal T2 bars, Full One Industries Kit, Wiseco Piston/rings, Acerbis hand gaurds, gripper seat Handgrips and clamps, D.I.D X-ring chain, Excel rims, Renthal front & rear sprocket and new IRC front and rear tyres. The ktm has -Pro Taper fat bars, Excel rims, DOXO sticker kit and seat cover. both are the same price which one would be better.
thanks BuLlY

 

[crazybeef]

Both are good bikes so you can't make a bad choice. Performance wise neither bike will hold you back.
The KTM makes plenty of power and the motor is very easy to use. The KTM will easily outlast the RM as it's constructed with better materials and higher quality components and craftsmanship. A KTM remains tight and fresh feeling even after a year of racing. As a used bike purchase that should weigh heavily on your decision.
The 03 KTM did not have the best suspension stock, so if you want it to work as well as possible plan on spending some money. The 03 doesn't handle as well as the 05 model. The 05 got a revised more rigid chasis and the 06 has the same new chasis with the addition of a new more rigid swingarm. And yes, the 05 and 06 models handle much better than previous years imo.

 

[weez440]

my buddy has an 01 RM 125 and i got an 02 SX 125 and well he outruns me from bottom end to top end and the whole bike feels smoother the powerband and even the seat is more comfy i would say RM all the way.

 

[Chili]

We ran an 03 RM last season and it was a good bike for us. Short of a few busted clutch plates we had no issues and it performed well. As far as the KTM being better constructed and the rest of that malarky, yes the KTM's came with a few things that most people tended to change like the bars ( a bend most people changed anyway mind you) but if it was raced by anything other than a little old lady it's going to be no tighter and fresher than a similarly used RM. Bottom line both are very capable bikes and I would tend to favor the bike that was in the best condition and cared for the most.

 

[sinner 04]

My buddy runs a 03 125sx. It's a really fast bike, the biggest complaint about it is the turning radius. On the trails any sharp corners or turning around tend to be a pain but that shouldn't be as big of an issue if your just using it on the track.

 

[bully_23]

here is the Rm125
and this is the ktm
now after looking at them what do you think?

 

[crazybeef]

Both bikes look nice from the pictures.
Suzuki's tend to disintegrate after 3 years of hard use though. Low quality high tensile steel chasis, cheap paint on chasis, levers and perches that break like twigs, triple clamps that look like something I sand casted in my garage(while drunk), poor grade fasteners and sofa grade seat foam etc.Well most guys replace all that stuff anyway don't they?
I've owned several RM's over the years and they're decent bikes, but you can't escape the fact that ,Suzuki build quality is not very good. That's no malarkey.
A KTM will easily outlast a Suzuki provided both bikes are equally maintained and ridden. In fact, my experience with both brands has taught me that the KTM will require less maintenance.
I guarantee you will never get the foot pegs to droop down on a KTM. I can't say the same about a RM.
Whatever bike you decide to buy, I wish you luck with it.

 

[bully_23]

anyone else have any comments after looking at the adds

 

[Chili]

Very difficult to tell from the pictures but both bikes "look" decent. As far as crazybeef's latest response perhaps if he is comparing a 1977 Suzuki to his 05 KTM there may be build quality differences otherwise the rest is malarkey. We've raced 3 different RM's hard over the last 3 seasons with nothing other than usual race related failures. I can list numerous local acquaintances with similar failures with their KTM's. BTW my 02 RM250 was raced hard by a top local pro for a season and I've got 3 seasons on it with my 200+ pound frame and so far I haven't droopped a peg on it, nor has either of my son's RM125's. Fine your not a Suzuki fan but don't clutter up someone's WTB thread with unsubstantiated crap.

 

[robwbright]

I have an 02 Rm 125 purchased it in May. Prior owner was 180 lbs and raced it.

We recently changed the top end and took right case cover off to check out the clutch. Other than the cylinder being 4 ten thousandths out of spec, everything looked BRAND NEW. My dad was highly impressed - he commented that it appeared that I had in essence a new bike as far as the internals we could see.

It handles LIKE A DREAM. I haven't had any build quality complaints, save a bit of paint coming off the frame. The bike is now 4 years old and feels new to me . . . Engine is strong with a nice hit in the mid-top. Apparently 01-05 RM's sometimes have a problem with clutchs and cranks, so if you buy it you might want to go with a Wiseco crank/rod - thankfully mine already has it!

I've never rode a KTM, so . . . I'm under the impression that the parts for the KTM's are a bit more expensive. If that is the case, that would push me towards the ZOOK.

 

[robwbright]

From riding in the 80s when I was a teenager, I would NEVER have bought a Suzuki. However, after significant research here and other places, I discovered that their build quality apparently went up substantially after Roger DeCoster became the team manager in the late 90s or 2000 (something like that. They are certainly much better than they were in the 80s.

 

[bully_23]

well I assumed they were both good quality the Rm seems to have more add ons and newer parts im still not sure anyone else have any ideas

 

[bully_23]

anyone ?????

 

[2-Strokes 4-ever]

My sons and I are woods riders. Here in Missouri, the woods are heavily populated with orange and blue. Logic tells me that KTM has many pleased customers. I've never even ridden a KTM, so my knowledge is limited. I do have a riding buddy who's had some issues with his 450 EXC... more issues than I've had with my RM... but small stuff (ignition problems that left him stranded, seals going out in calipers) but these issues haven't driven him away.
We bought a 98 RM125 in 1999 from a local pro who MXed/SXed/AXed it for a season... it needed a clutch basket (based on my experience, ALL RM's will.) The pegs HAVE drooped and one even broke off. However, a dot of weld on the peg mount and some grinding was a free fix. We have many high-mileage years on this bike, have been thru the lower-end twice, and all maintainance issues with this bike seam normal and expected to me.
We have owned all the Jap brands thru the years... and I've found none to be "perfect." The handling of an RM is the reason we are staying with the brand. Some details about Zuke's really impress me, like sealed bearings in the chain rollers... and I have heard from one of my dealers experienced/educated mechanics the Suzuki puts more development/research time into the new model year than any other factory. And I'd go out and buy an 06 RM tomorrow if it would fly with my wife, but she's getting tired of me breaking bones...(my fault, not the bikes) The surgeons are getting to know me on a first name basis. And no, she dosen't dig scars.