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/127801
RIDING ·IMPRESSION 1997 Yamaha YZ125 Yamaha didn't make too many earthshattering changes to the '97 Yamaha YZ125, but, then again, It didn't need to. (Below) New handlebars Improve comfort. By Kit Palmer \0 ~ ,....; 00' ,....; l-< OJ ad Yamaha totally left the 1996 YZ125 alone for 1997, perhaps change nothing but the graphics, we would have been perfectly happy with the bike for another year. Sure, we might have grumbled a bit about a couple of things like its annoying relunctance to shift under a load and overly swept-backed handlebars. Of course, a little more power would not hurt, either; after all, have you ever met a 125 owner who was content with his stock bike's power output? Thought so. Still, it comes as no surprise that Yamaha made a number of changes (none of them very drastic, though) to the new, '97 YZ125, now dressed up to look identical to the bikes ridden by factory Yamaha racers Kevin Windham and John Dowd. In the high-revving, cutthroat world of the 125cc class racing, you don't want to be caught napping at the starting gate when it comes to technological advancements. So, Yamaha pressed on and went through the '97 YZ125 with a fine-tooth comb. H Just one lap on the new YZ reveals significant improvements over the '96 YZ. For one, the '97 YZ shifts. It's time to c:elebrate. For years now, we've complained about the YZ's relunctance to shift at high rpm, especially through the lower gears. Grab a handful of throttle coming out of a tight, tractionless tum on the '96 YZ125 and the tranny would simply refuse to budge. Sometimes it would take three or four stabs at the shiiter to catch the next gear, all the while the other guys are hooking up and pulling away (from you). No longer is this the case with the '97 YZ. Yamaha increased the width of the transmission's main axle and first-wheel gear, and redesigned the stopper-lever torsion spring, so now, not only does the YZ transmission shift better, but it also has improved feel. It's still not perfect, mind you, as we would later find out. We took the Yamaha to one of our private test tracks, a very high-speed, dry and slick circuit with lots of wideexiting turns which really put the YZ's transmission to the test, and there still was a couple of times it balked. But, then again, so did one of the other '97 125s - a Honda CRUs - we were testing that day. Still, the YZ shifts a thousand times better than before, and that right there is worth the price of admission. Yamaha could have left everything .else alone and we would have been happy. But they did not. Powerwise, not a huge difference over last year's bike, but what difference there is, is for the better. Even though the '96 YZ pumps out good power, the '97 YZ dishes out even more. A lighter piston and pin (for less "piston reciprocating mass"), a recalibrated YPVS power-valve, different ignition timing and a 3mm shorter exhaust pipe, work together to provide slightly more bottom end and definitely more power and over-r~v on top, all the while not harming the YZ's already-potent midrange hit. In fact, there might be a little bit more. The motor also revs quicker (and longer) and throttle response seems crisper. Compared to our slightly used '96 YZ, the '97 YZ Simply feels more powerful overall and, surprisingly, even easier to manage. A lot of that has to do with the bike's much better shifting action, though.