1982 Suzuki RM125

skirider

Member
Nov 18, 2004
17
0
I'm VERY new to motocross bikes. Owned a couple 20 years ago and just recently moved to the country and have a place to ride again.

Picked up a 1982 Suzuki RM125 for next to nothing. It is stock (as far as I can tell) except for the DG pipe. I'm running PJ-1 Goldfire Oil (that's what was used by the previous owner) at 32:1.

Tell me about the bike as I am eager to learn as much as I can about it!

Thanks,

ski
 

DirtRyder03

Member
Jul 14, 2003
40
0
I used to have a 1982 rm125. It was a great bike for me, never let me down....also they were the best bike out in the early 80's and the first water cooled 125cc model. mine had a winseco pisten, dg pipe, and renthal sprockets and it could keep up with the newer 125's easily in the desert!! the only thing i would look out for, is if it still has the stock pisten they have a tendacy to explode. it happened to me and I had to get chunks of pisten out of my crank case....
 

john3_16

Member
May 17, 2004
808
0
Yeah...The 82' RM125 was the bike to have in the 80's !

You're going to have a blast on that thing! There's a guy at my locl track with an older 80's model RM 250 and he's pretty fast on it...
 

skirider

Member
Nov 18, 2004
17
0
Thanks guys.

Had a chance to ride it a bit this weekend and it seems to really like being "in the pipe" so to speak.

The bottom end was not that great but as soon as it hits the pipe hang on!

I'll have to figure out how to make the low end work a bit better for me as I don't have the space to air it out all the time. Any suggestions?
 

SMMWest

Mod Ban
Dec 7, 2008
160
0
Only thing that that bike really needs is More Stiff Fork Springs. I raced one for 4 Years!

Something I wrote in another board:
Answer Round Silencer! Call Krause Racing/Sidewinder. I raced a 1982 Suzuki RM 125 for 4-Years. With just a Polish Job on the Head (No Porting), A Krause Kannon Pipe and a Answer Round Silencer that was the fastest 125cc bike I have ever raced, and I have race a Full On FMF Suzuki RM125 and A Pro Circuit Kawasaki KX125. None of them have the same Top End Power as that Modified 1982 Suzuki RM 125.
 

Curtis West

Member
Oct 12, 2024
1
0
I used to own this bike. I raced it for 5 years, it was simply an awesome bike. There was none better at the time. So crappy thing, front brakes. Get some emery cloth and scuff up the drums, the shoes get glossy and don't work well. Most amazing thing was the rear suspension, you could jump a house and land like you were on a cloud.

Dirt bike magazine did a bunch of engine mod articles that I did that gave me close to 40 horse power, many friends thought it was a 250 because the power was so surprising.

As you have an older bike, may of the bushings and bearings probably need replacement.
I adjusted the jetting to get a brown plug, milled the head and added a high compression head gasket, I added boysen reeds. I modified the pipe as per Dirt Bike Magazine article, or you can buy an FMF pipe.
I also added a boost bottle, it gave instant throttle response. Easy power was 2 more teeth on the rear sprocket.
I got 6 bike length hole shots with this bike, but too bad I wasn't fast enough to keep it.

I am kind of jealous that you have one, I would love to own it again.

Cheers,

Curtis "Old motocrosser" West.
 
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