every track condition from hard-pack to
loam. The YZ was without equal on the
hard-packed Carlsbad Raceway circuit.
The Suzuki RM125 was the next in
line. The RM has the hardest low-end
and midrange hits of all the bikes, but it
seems to flatten out on top. The RM was
incredible on stadium-type tracks, a~ it's
peppy powerband made even our leastskilled jumpers feel confident as they
approached tricky obstacles that had
hardly any run at them. Throttle
response was good, and the RM was the
weapon of choice at Starwest Supercross
and Castaic MX Parks. The RM's weak
point is a lack of top-end overrev. On
loamy, sandy and fast tracks, the RM
required the most upshifts.
We were a bit disappointed in the
Honda CRill engine this year. Though
there were few changes made to the traditional power king, we suspect that a
new ignition robbed the CR of most of
it's low-~nd power. Don't get us wrong,
the CR.is without a doubt the fastest of
the '96 125s, but only faster riders will
be able'to appreciate the CR powetband.
The CR's strong low-end hit has been
replaced by a rather shallow basement,
but the Honda's midrange and top-end
pull is unequaled by any of the other
three machines. On stadium-type cours-
es, riders were required to keep the revs
super high in order to clear the same
obstacles that came easy to the Yamaha
and Suzuki. On fast, choppy tracks like
Rainbow II MX Park, however, the CR
began to shine. When riders could keep
the throttle pegged, the CR was a
favorite.
Yes, that leaves the Kawasaki KX125.
The weakest of the four, the KX has iittle
to offer down low, but has a decent
amount of midrange and good power
on top. Oddly enough, the bike feels like
a rocket ship when you first take to the
track - the engine barks with authority
as you wick the throttle. Sti11, the KX
drew mediocre reviews from all but one
tester. Though the KX was our least
favorite in the power category, it is by
no means a loser. Compared to past
YZ125s, the KX is a monster. Unfortunately, this year's YZ, RM and CR all
produce more power than yesterday'S
YZs. Die-hard Kawasaki fans keep your
chins up, however, as we've already
modified our test bike and can attest to
its excellent hop-up potential. Like we
always say, it's easier to make a slow
bike fast than it is to make a poor-handling bike work well.
The RM had the best-feeling clutch
and transmission combination. The but-
