Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

PUBLIC AUCTION SALE to Settle the Estate of the Renowned American Motorcycle Racer Connection provided one of their trick billet-aluminum clutch perch and lever setups (which use a plastic bushing which allows the perch to rotate in case of a crash), frame guards, and motocross skid plate to finish off the modifications and give the bike a definite look of seriousness. Our stock comparison model KX125 was not just a beat-up test model that would get smoked by a KX80, as it looked and felt fairly new and had just received a Wiseco Pro-Lite Piston to freshen things up. Yet on the track, the FMF KX125 outperformed the stock unit in almost every category. The only place we felt the stock unit was better was off the very bottom. The stock KX still pulled slightly better off the bottom, but from there the FMF bike simply left the stock bike in the dust. An improved midrange hit that carried into the upper revs was realized, ~d the FMF bike definitely had better throttle response. The best thing about the mods was that they allowed the bike to rev out more and keep making power in each gear, so you didn't have to short-shift the bike to keep pace like you had to on the stock bike. The FMF-modified suspension worked better than the stock suspension for all of our testers, even the heavy ones. Our stocker was slightly more plush initially (the stock units were probably too soft), but from there on out, again, the similarities ended. On the FMF KX125, you could charge hard going into and coming out of rough and choppy corners, due to the bike's improved ability to suck up square-edge bumps and maintain a controlled feeling. What really set the FMF bike apart was its excellent resistance to harsh bottoming, as well as its more controlled feeling at high speed in the rough. Yeah, the bike would bottom, but you could oyerjump obstacles or slam into the face of a jump or whoop without loosening your teeth. We were definitely impressed with the suspension mods. So what's the bottom line? The 1997 Kawasaki KXI25 had an anemic motor in stock trim, and FMF's motor and suspension mods have given the bike the ability to tum faster lap times with anybody but perhaps the most beginnerlevel motocrosser aboard. We say this because the bike doesn't have a lot of bottom-end (and neither did the stocker), and that's what most beginners need. The midrange, to~d, and throttle response have all been improved, and we think most riders will benefit from this, especially intermediates and pros. Overall, we think that FMF has done its homework on the KX125, and just in time for summer vacation. CN ·MoDmCATIONS AND A c a _ FMf <;}'Iinder and head modificatiOlls •.•••..$2S0.00 FMF carburetor and intake mods ......•....$65.00 FMF Gold Series' Fatty' pipe K-38 •.•.•. .$169.99 FMF P(mer.core silencer 7-27 S79.99 FMF fori< re-vaive (plus oil and parts) •.•.•..S150.00 FMFshock re-valve (plus oil and parts) "" .$150.00 FMF Cobalt sprocket 51-tooth •.........•.$59.95 FMF Ellipse graphics $49.95 . FMF E1~pse seat cover $69.95 Wori

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