TESt 1995 Suzuki RM125
By Donn Maeda
Photos by
Kinney Jones
and Kit Palmer
ast year, .Suzu ki
RM125 r iders
Damon Huffman
and Ezra Lusk domina ted the 125cc
'Western and East ern Regional Supercross Championships, and of course, Suzuki incorporated what they learned throughout
that win-filled season when they
designed the new 1995 RM125.
Refined Twin Chamber Showa forks
and a redesigned engine power-valve
system highlight the changes made to
the newest yellow tiddler, while a few
little changes - like a retro pulley-style
throttle - round out the package .
We must admit that we were a little
disappointed wit h las t year' s RM125.
While the '93 mod el packed an adrenaline -inspiring punch, the ' 94 bike
seemed lazy in compa rison. Top-end hit
was the '94's forte, and the bike had little - if any - low-end pow er. How, we
wond ered, did Huffman and Lusk do
so well in supercross with a bike that
lacked the low-end gru nt that supercross tracks nec essitate? Obviously,
their motors weren't left in stock condition, and this year's RM seems to have
really and tru ly gained some of the
specifications that shot Lusk and Huffman to their respective titles.
Engine-wise, the changes made to
the 124cc powerplant were simple, yet
effective. In addition to their tried and
true Automatic Exhaust Timing Control
(AETC) power-valve sys tem, the new
RM125 boasts a new "Power Chamber,"
which reduces the exhaust capacity at
low rpm. The new exhaust valve system
is designed to improve the engine's
low- to midrange power delivery.
To make the 125 more durable, the
piston features a special molybdenum
disulfide and hard alumite coating in
the wrist-pin .area that is claimed to
reduce friction and improve the wearlife of both the piston and cylinder.
A 36m m Keihin PWK carburetor
feeds the . gas/ oil/air mixture into the
case reed induction system.
Enough of the technical stuff
already! On the track , the new RM125
motor is a blast - maybe even more fun
than the lovable '93 engine. Compared
to last year 's anemic motor, this year's
feels like a rocket. Power starts down
low - hitting as soon as the revs begin to
build - and pulls well into a healthy
midrange punch. Unlike the '93 bike,
however, the '95 motor doesn't fall on
its face. Instead, th e mo tor has a
respectable amount of top-end overrun
that continues to pull.
(Above left) Thanks to a new power valve
design , the new Suzuki RM125 boasts a
healthy burs t at low and mid-range power.
Yes, It's much taster than last year's bike.
(Left) As usual , the new RM doesn 't look
muc h different than Its predecessor.
