I have been told that kx125's 95-98 are crap!!!!

[blanc]

hi i am in the search for a 125 motocross and have looked at a few,
i was going to go for a kawasaki kx125 cause my friend has one and it seems really strong, and i like the look!

I have been offered 2 kxs a 95 and a 98, the 95 in great condition, cosmetically and mechanically! for 1500!
and the 98 starts 1st kick but needs new plastics for 1800, the local dealer has advised me away from both especially the 98 as they have weak clutches and rearshocks! IS this true?

He is a kawasaki dealer, who knows my dad and has advised me to look for either a a 96/7/8 honda cr125 or 96/7 yz!
I have never trusted about this person, is he being honest or does he want me to buy more parts off him,,,
he does honda parts but dosent sell new ones!
Perhaps he wants me to buy a newer kx off him!!!!!!!!
your thoughts on which bike s that i have named would be appreciated,(woods riding)

 

[marcusgunby]

The 95 and 98 were both setup a little stiff but dont let that put you off-most bikes by now have been altered since new and you must go on mechanical condition as the main concern.As for weak rear shocks and clutches i dont adgree.

 

[tedkxkdx]

At the end of 98 a popular American magazine did an article on the best bikes and this is how it went for 125s
98yz,97yz, 96yz, 98ktm, 98rm, 98cr, 97cr, 97rm, 96rm, 95rm, 96cr,96kx, 95cr, 94rm, 94cr, 95 kx, 97kx, 98kx
97 and 98 kx were hard to ride and not very fast, the magazine states.
So now you know where one source thinks KX's rank.

 

[blanc]

thanks, i was thinking of buying up north or in the uk as the bikes seem cheaper and more available, i have 1600 euros to spend, i already have all gear, so in my price range whish do you recemmond??

 

[Moto Squid]

I use to have a 98 kx125 and it wasn't a bad bike. But then again it was far from stock....

 

[tedkxkdx]

In 96 the YZ transformed 125 power and a new age was born imo.
I rode a friends 97 and 98 yz125 and I was really impressed with the low end response. I rode a 94 rm and it was a dog but still ranked above the 95 97 98 kx's.
If your not a proficient 125 pilot than don't pick the honda. They do require a rider that likes to be on the pipe all the time.
97 rm is for the rider who wants an easy to ride bike rather than a brutally fast one that is hard to ride. Also the 96 rm was good like this.
For your price range I would think you could pick up the three yz's that top the list. Even my wife rode the 97 and had fun on it and don't think it is a girls bike then. She just never got on the pipe but it still gave enjoyment anyway.

 

[blanc]

SO ITS EITHER A 96/7/8 YZ 125 OR A 96/97 RM BUT NOT THE HONDA OR KAWASAKI MX125,S!!! nOW IM CONFUSED I JUST WANT TO FIND A GOOD LOOKING, RELIABLE BUT FAST ENOUGH YET NOT OVERPOWERING 125 TO RIDE IN THE WOODS!!!!!! WRITE BACK PLEASE BECAUSE IM NOW KINDOF CONFUSED!

 

[whitesands26]

Your dealer isn't lying to you......KX125's do have a bad reputation..He's not telling you this because he wants to make money on parts...Actually it's strange for a dealer to actually come out and admit that there actually is a difference in quality between the bikes....

125's are high revving, high maintenance bikes...Much more stress is placed on the engine...Failures can happen on any bike, even high quality bikes..But all of the different parts on a Honda are designed a bit better and made with better materials which lessens the possiblilty of a failure.


I've raced them all and have always had less trouble with the honda cr125...A full season on two cr 125's with practice 4 days a week, racing two different classes every weekend for an entire year and no major problems....Just normal things wearing out like sprockets (aftermarket renthals) and stuff like that....I've always maintained my bikes very well but I've also seen some hard seasons on KX's and all kinds of things went wrong all the time..And at the end of the season it felt like a used bike...

My honda's still felt fresh even after a full season

like the previous poster stated...CR125's are very fast, but they require a very skilled rider to make the most of it..You need to be wide open all around the track...They are NOT forgiving of mistakes...If you go into a corner in the wrong gear and you're not wide open then you'll be slow..But, if you can keep it singing you'll be really fast...If you get tired in 5 laps you can forget being fast on a cr125

Don't confuse performance with quality or reliabilty...A great performing bike may require more maintenence and have poor reliability...

 

[whitesands26]

It's going tobe hard to find a good looking Yamaha from 96' to 98' unless they bought some new plastic...That said, it is a reliable, good performing bike....

If you're buying a used bike and relaibility is important to you I'd get a Honda or a Yamaha from 96' on up...A yamaha will be a little easier to ride.

When you go and look for your bike take a really good look at it and you'll be able to tell if it's been taken care of.

 

[tedkxkdx]

Since I guess your living in N. Ireland, I take it that there may be some kind of publication for used bikes. On the main land we use the Trials and Motocross newspaper to look for bikes. The paper comes out weekly and is a good guage of what money can buy these days. Sometimes there are great deals and sometimes people have trashed their bikes so much they are worth about 50 quid.
I found a 96 yz 125 for 1395 pounds and a 96 kx125 for 1250.
I am curious why you would want a 125 if your going to do woods riding. Maybe an older 250 would be better and they don't wear out on the engine quite as quick as a 125. And why not an enduro machine that is street legal. Although those maybe a bit more than your budget can afford.
But the big downer is that most of these cheaper bikes are quickly scooped up by others such as yourself. Every time I try and get a 96-98 kx250 they were bought before I even got my paper in the mail on thursday and the paper hits the news stand on friday.
Hopefully this does not discourage you from getting a bike.
Real curious why a 125 in the woods though. What is the terrain like?

 

[blanc]

Where i ride is pretty open wood tracks!! it is pretty smooth with a few jumps!
I had a bad experience on a gasgas 250 and its torque almost put me off biking! I am from dublin but have relations up north so dont mind travelling, to buy a bike! I am looking for a bike for fun use, that will not intimidate me too much, i have ridden a cr250 with powervalve barely on and a 15 ounce flywheel weight and i couldnt keep the wheel down, it had the ability to take off on its own!!!!!! I want a 125 for a few mounts and then i may up to a 250! any more thoughts? thanks the last few have been great!!

 

[jaction125]

A 125 in the woods isn't going to last long. :( It would be a good idea for a season though, just to get used to dirtbikes. :thumb: I got to the point where I was clapping out a good 125 a year, :think: so I switched to 250's. Man, I love the fact that I don't go through a clutch a month anymore!! :yeehaw:

 

[blanc]

Yeah 1 season would be all that i would use the bike for! maxx!!!
I also plan to buy a good manual or two, new tools, new oils, spare piston and rings, clutch, grips, handguards, sprockets and oring chain from the beginning. I then plan to change the pistons every 15 hours or so and because i wont be racing it should last better right?
When i buy it ill give it a full service eg all oils, grease all bearings, clean and rebuild forks etc
SO i was offered a 96 cr125 for 1700, with spares, i havent seen it but would it be a good bike to buy? Any other ideas?

 

[Wastelandsouljah]

Blanc: I have a 1996 Honda CR 125. I will have to agree with everyone else, dont get a CR if you havent had any experience on a 125. On my CR I have to have it wide open all the time and alot of clutch and it flies! but has no bottom end whatsoever and is tricky to ride in the woods, even after my 2 years of riding it. If you are doing woods riding your probably not gonna want a CR 125. I moved up to my CR from an XR 80 so its possible you may like the bike but the best thing to do is go ride it and see for yourself if you will like it and be comfortable on it.

 

[blanc]

is there a 125 that i will not always have to be on the pipe as you say and is more userfriendly than the others? or will i just add larger sprockets and a flywheel weight?

 

[blanc]

What about a 96yz125??

 

[blanc]

What about a 96yz125?? For woods or a 96/7 cr with a stealth flywheel weight, larger rear sprocket, and a qsilincer?