Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126077
DIG Racer 3 andtools are required for assembling major compo!?ents and b,y sing the manual as a guide, y~u can t C?~i~ly omit any step for doing the lib nght. "'O ne look at the GVX ·I BMX specs show you why this moderately rieed little beauty is worth every ~ny of the $149.99 it sells for. c n uin e (stamped for proof) Chromeq! y frame and forks ; Shiman~ oaster brakes and spockets; Takagi 6 ~ inch cra nks. A guard around the O-tooth drive sp rocket (to preve!?t mangled pants cuffs) and plasti c p'ro tective end caps for the rear wheel ~le nuts are additional safety features ~u won 't find on all MX bikes. Th.e flame is warranteed for 90 days . It s the newest bike on the market and can lie purchased only through an authorized Suzuki Bicycle dealer. Fo~ information , contact U .S. Suzuki Nlotor Corporation, 13767 Freeway Drive, ' Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670: lie seven hI' Yamaha Moto-Bik& Yamaha was the first major motorcycle manufacturer to cash in on th e BMX phenom and they're still go ing stron g . Their Mor o -Bike'P wa s peddled through more torture tests than any of the other bikes shown and th e only probl ems our t esters en c ountered were minor. But it wasn 't th e li ght est . qui~k est pie c.e of eq u ip m e n t they tried out ellhe~. Yamaha makes onl y one model a nd It co mes with oil-dampen ed s ho~ks ~ n front . hea vy duty spring suspensIOn In ba ck . which ac counts in part for th e a dded weight . Motorcycle styled handl ebars and gri ps are designed for 1l'rea te~ co n.tro l a nd th e ent ire rea r-drive Unit SWIngs on a pivot (this is where the heavy-duty rear shocks and swing arm assembly comes in handy boy does it bounce!). Wheel rims are heavy duty too , stre ng t he n ed with motocross spokes . Tires are MX style for traction . Sprockets are interchangeable (available in differe~ll ratios) and pedal cran~ come In different lengths. The OIl-dampened front fork assembly is coupled wit~ th~ handlebars to comprise a SIngle steering unit. The frame seems sturdy enough - good strong welded joints - but it's rather heavy. The who le bike seems to represent durability rather than speed, which ~ay ~~ your solution to the boneyard pile crrsrs , All things considered $139 . 9~ , which is Yamaha's suggested retail price , seems like a good deal for a bike designed to take ju st about. all the demanding punishment a kid could dole ou t. Check with th e 'Ya ma ha d ealer in you r a rea, o r co n~a Cl Yamaha International Corporation . 6600 Orangethorpe Ave . . Buena Park. CA . 906 20 . . • Probably the most formidable name in BMX racing. DIG leaves almost nothing to be desired in a racing bike . Our testers aren't pros, but they know the feel of a competitive bike , even when th ey get stuck with the econom y model (which is just what th e Racer 3 happens to be) . Racer 3 was the only bike tested that came with caliper brakes. Accor~ing to th e DIG people, calipers are the hot set up for the fastest guys on the trac~. but our kids didn't like them one bill Good 01 coaster brakes are available (cheape r too) and suggested unless your kid is a pro. . The frame is lightweight mild steel (on ly 4 Ibs.. 12 oz.); forks are DIG Chrome-M oly ; DIG hang.lebars fi~ted with popular Octopus gnps a re tri ck . an d even th e sea t comes from DIG . The economy model is moderatel'y priced at $169 and plenty fast - but If you really want to get sophisticated (a n d expe nsive) there are at least three other models to choose from: The Skib el Replica (tota l weight only 19 lbs .) , for kids 75 Ibs . and under, totallv tricked out for $250 complete - btit you can buy the 2 lb . 15 oz. frame alone for a mere $79 .95. Next , the DIG Racer 1 - Jeff Bottema Signature. weighs in at 22 lbs . total , comes totally pro equipped for $250. DIG Racer 2 has a Chrome-Moly frame , weighs only 23 Ibs. total , lists out at about $190. Just about every part DIG makes for bicycles can be interchanged from one frame to another, from the handgrips to the , wheels including everything else In between. Although their equipment does not carry a warrantee . DIG .will replace defective parts and materials, You p robably won 't have much trouble locating a d ealer . or professional servi ce in your area since DIG is abo u t the biggest name in racing. For information , contact DIG Performance Specialists, Inc. , Bicycle Division , 5552 La Palma Ave. East , Anaheim , CA 92806. •