Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Right and below) The new YZ125 motor pumps out better all-around power than past versions have. Its strength lies in low and mid-range power. (Far right) The smaller, lighter silencer emits an annoying level of noise. (Below right) The white, purple, yellow and red color scheme drew mixed reviews from the testers. we're lucky - time will be the answer, and the gearbox will loosen up as the gears become more broken in. I hope so. Donn Maeda Age:25 Height/weight: 5'10" /160 lbs, Specialty: Motocross Riding ability: Intermediate ernember that nerdy little kid at your school that everybody used to pick on? At my school, there was one such youth that finally had enough. After being pushed to the brink by one particularly abrasive bully, the kid turned around and smacked the ruffian in the face. No one gave him much trouble after that. After producing several model years of painfully slow YZl25s, I think Yamaha may have felt a little like that tormented kid. Endless jeers were hurled in the direction of the white-and-purple tiddler - by both the press and the public - and Yamaha engineers had finally had enough. They hit back, and the result is the 1994 YZl25, a bike that is a downright joy to ride. The engineers' primary concern was to make the YZ's motor fast, and they were finally successful in doing just that. The new motor offers more power in every section of the powerband, with the sweet spot being concentrated near the top. I would prefer a little more "oomph" off the bottom, but if you keep the piston moving, the Yamaha can really scream. The lack of bottom end necessitates liberal use of the clutch, which fortunately offers a nice feel and seems to hold up well under abuse. Unfortunately, the transmission is not as impressive, as it still has that notchiness that Yamaha doesn't seem capable of shaking. Upshifting requires a deliberate prod of the lever, especially if the throttle happens to be pinned, and missed shifts are not uncommon. This same trait manifested itself on the YZ250, but it is even more unforgivable on a 125. Front and rear brakes were strong on the Yamaha, and also provided plenty of feel. Yamaha had less work to do with the suspension than they d id with the motor, as last year's Kayaba units were among the best available. Still, they chose to make a few changes, and the '94 suspenders are nearly perfect. I felt the fork on the YZ250 was a little harsh when dropping onto flat ground from launcher jumps, but noticed no such • trend on the 125. The fork is also quite adept at soaking up fast, whooped-out straights, as is the rear shock. If anything, I would like slightly stiffer spring rates, but the stockers were not far off base . The little Yamaha also gets high ' marks .in the handling department. The stellar suspension.lets the bike track straight, but the steeper head angle means tight turns can also be easily negotiated. I think Yamaha has reached the perfect compromise between straight-line stability and cornering prowess, at least for a 125. When first climbing on the YZl25, I had the impression of feeling cramped but that's usually the case when my long legs are combined with a 125; after a lap or two aboard the Yamah a, I felt right at home. The seat is easy to maneuver back and forth on, although I'd prefer a taller chunk of foam, and the bodywork doesn't catch or snag. I still like the hand-holes in the side panels, and the white tank is translucent enough that you can tell when it's full. Most important of all (at.least to some), the YZ's color scheme looks trick; the purple, yellow and orange highlights on a white background are tough to beat. This is without a doubt the most competitive YZI25 I've ever ridden, and I expect it to fare well in our 125cc shoot-out. With a little more bottom-end power and a smoother tranny, it could be the perfect tiddler. Chris Jonnum Age: 25 Height/weight: 6'3" /170 Ibs. Specialty: Off-road/MX Riding ability: A/Novice n spite of the fact that the Yamaha YZl25 has been giving away horsepower to some of its competitors over the past few years, I've still considered it as one of my favorite 125cc MXers. Why? Because of its suspension. While many may have declared the YZ "slow" over the past few years, I have I felt that wh at the bikes have lacked in sheer horsepower, was made up for in the suspension and handling departments. So you can imagine how I felt when I hopped on the '94 YZ125 and discovered it had horsepower! Yes, horsepower and handling! I'll tell you right now that I like the new YZ125 a lot. The motor is more than capable of hanging with the rest of its class. Okay, so it's still not the fastest of the Big Four, but it's still fast enough for me. There really isn't a whole lot in the way of bottom-end to speak of, but from mid-range on up, the little YZ indeed hauls. On moist dirt when traction is plentiful, the front end will rise as soon as the throttle is twisted open. Yes, the motor is good - there's no doubt about it. Luckily, even though the Yamaha has more beans, it hasn't lost anything in the way of handling. In my op inion, the Yamaha is still the besthandling and best-suspended 125cc MXer around. The fork works well, as does the back end, but most of all, the YZ still feels as solid as ever; I never feel . as though the Yamaha is about to spit me off or do something unexpected. Even on the notoriously rough Carlsbad MX track, perhaps the roughest in southern California, I never felt out of control on the Yamaha. Instead, the YZ soaks up the bumps with ease, giving me the chance to concentrate on other things, like setting up a pass on the guy ahead of me. The only th ing that annoyed me about the new YZ was that I had a hard time shifting the bike. It seemed that whenever I started riding the bike really aggressively, I missed shifts, especially while exiting turns with the throttle wide open. At first I thought it might've been just me, but both Chris and Donn mentioned that they had the same problem. That leads me to believe that the YZ might have a problem in that area, or at least our test bike did. . Other than that, the YZ performed flawlessly. I think it has a good motor, . the suspension and handling are as good as ever, and the ergonomics are, for me, the best of the four. Yamaha definitely has a good thing on its hands. . Kit Palmer Age: 32 Height/weight: 6'1" /160 lbs. Specialty: Off-road/Motocross Skill level: Vet Intermediate While Cycle News believes theforegOing test reliable, it is the opinion. of the reviewers only and should not be reli d upon in determining the pere formance or safety of the vehicle(s). The reader should make his or her own investigation 43

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