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/126424
which is a little shorter then what was tried last year, while the new frame design and a lower seat height make for a bike which is really easy to ride, Weight is probably at the FIM minimum ofl 76 pounds, Suzuki already is considered _10 have the best production bike in the 125cc class with their RM-125N, and if they bring out a production version of this new RA-125 at the end of the year as has been their practice in the past, they should have a real winner on their hands. Kawasaki KX·125SR . Team Kawasaki certainly surprised when they introduced a 125cc size Uni-Trak at Hangtown in the hands of Jeff Ward. Then they proceeded to surprise everyone even Further by proving the bik.e to be highly competitive its first time out. It had taken Yamaha years to perfect their monoshock and yet here was Kawasaki seemingly having perfected overnight (actually, rumors of the UniTraks had been circulating almost a year earlier) a mon~shock system of their own. which used a special Kayaba deCarbon reservoir coil-over shock much smaller and operating under more stress than Yamaha's design. The aluminum box tube swingarm was thought to be much too weak for good handling as well, but Kawasaki has again proved the ann-chair engineers wrong with a unique rear axle cam adjustment system that clamps the axle and rear wheel so tightly to the swingarm the whole assembly becomes much more rigid in torsion and side flex than anyone but Kawasaki figured possible. Front forks are Kawasaki designed Kayaba air/spring works units and suspension travel at each end of the bike looks to be 280mm. The KX-125 SR may be a little peavier, around 185 pounds, than the other works bikes because its production-based engine which utilizes aluminum center cases and cylinder reed induction to the Electro-Fusion iron plated cylinder bore. A watercooled bolt-on head is available if needed, and Jimmy Weinert rode an engine so equipped at last year's U.S. 125cc Grand Prix. Plans are for the complete line of Kawasaki factory Uni-Trakers to become production bikes available late' this year. ' ~ryone Honda RC-125-79 JE/MF This is the other factory team experimenting with a new twin front downlube frame for their 125cc works bike. Honda's first effort. though, may not be too successful and problems are being encountered with flexing. The rear frame section isn't too well braced and. the addition of bolt-on frame rubes behind the engine isn) helping any. Factory riders like Warren Reid and Jim Gibson have yet to ride an RC with the 23-inch front wheel which Honda has designed their CR-125R production bike around. The larger diameter wheel doesn't help handling as well as expected. due in part to the lack of a good knobby tire design. The suspension includes factory Showa spring forks up front and Fox AirShox on the back hooked' to an aluminum swingarm. All the Honda team riders seem to favor the AirShoxs and MolO-X Fox works- closely with them in development. Travel is 285mm at each end and the bike's weight is right on the FlM minimum of 176 pounds. Honda's factory engine is nothing more than the excellent CR-125R production motor with slightly lighter magnesium side cases bolted up 10 the standard aluminum main cases. The only major difference is the cylinder where the new center pon exhaust design is -now employed so the expansion chamber fits between the new frame's front tubes. • 19