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/127857
noid . Th e ignitor ha s been relocated fro m the steering head to the ai rbox. After last year's numerous internal changes, the six-speed transmission was le ft a lo ne, but the fin a l gea ri ng was changed from 13/ 50 to 12/48 for quicker acceleration. Suspensionwise, Kawasaki shortened the fully adjustab le rear -shock-absorber clevis bv 1.5mm (which does not affect rear wheel travel) to lo wer th e bike' s center of g ravity for enhanced co rnering. Replacing las t year's straight-rate 4.7kg /mm rea r spring is a tr iple-rate, progressively wound spring that varies fro m 4.6 to 5.18 to 6.09kg/ m m at the end Of th e stroke . New damping rat es work with the triple-rate spring to give the rear su spension more progr essive acti on to prevent harsh bottoming. The linkag e and swingarm seals are also improved to incr ease bearing durability. The 46mm Kayaba ad ju s table car. trid ge forks rec eived new alu mi nu m upper fork tu bes th a t are smaller in d iame ter at the lo we r clamping area (59mm to 58.5mm ) for sligh tly more flex an d a p lu s he r r ide. Pro g r e ss i ve l y wo u nd fork springs repl ace last year' s stra ight-rat e .39kg / mm uni ts with rates varying from .39 initia lly to .47kg / mm at full compression. New damping rates work with the prog res sive springs for enhanced botto ming resistance and , to go along with th e lowered rear, the fork is no w he ld 5m m higher in the trip le damp, lo w erin g the bike's ce n ter o f gravity for increased turni ng prowess. Th e ha nd lebars on the KX got a s traig h te r a nd taller bend this year, moving 3mm up and 3mm forwa rd for a roomier ridi ng position; a plastic fron tdisc-brake cover is now standard; and 199 7 Kawasaki race-tearn-inspired gra phics a nd a Kevla r-r ein forced seat cover co m p lete th e changes to the eigh th-liter KX. In anticipation of the su pposed newfound power, we we re anxious to throw a leg over the 1998 KXI25 an d cri tique the ne w p o werplant. So far, we have tes ted th e bike at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California; at Competi tion Park in Hem et, Ca lifornia; and at a number of local riding spots - and we are quite impressed with the overall p ac kage, esp ecially the motor. Eve ry tes ter who rod e the bike realized a su bstantial power increase in the midrange and top-end s pectru m o f th e power band . The bik e did pick up a little bottom end, bu t the bike-s emphasis in power is no w from the middle o n up into the high er rev s. Unlike last yea r's scooter, thi s bike pulls on top and has some ove rrev to work with. Wh ile the improved motor packa ge is big news wi th ou t a d oubt, Kawas aki 's use of progressively wound suspension springs in both front and rear is nothing to sneeze at, either. Basically, the springs start off a t th e strai ght rates used last year but becom e progressively stifler as the springs com press, ine vitably, to fend off harsh bottoming. After riding the '97 back to ba ck with the ' 98, a ll o f o u r testers noti ced a more controlled feelin g fro m the bike in th e rough and an imp roved resistance to bottoming. The fo rk received the most praise. while a few tes ters thought the rear end kicked up a bit in big braking bumps. Perhaps more time with the bike and small suspension adjustments will remedy th is . The standard rear sag recommended by Kawasaki is 95mm for fast riders or jump-filled tracks and 97mm for slower . riders or smoother tracks. Like last year's model, the KX is an excellent-handling machine that is fairly stable, yet still carves up the insid e line (Left) Test riders liked the newfound topend power and averrev that allow the stock KX to live up to Its potential. very nicely. Th e bike seems to tu m a little eas ier and sharper, perhaps a resu lt of the lo w ered suspension un its and center of gravi ty Kawasaki hyped u p this yea r. The bike is extremely fla t in its layout and d es ign, making it easy to move around on for a wid e range of riders. The room ier hand lebars w ere also app recia ted, especially by o ur larger testers. Most of our tes ters felt rig ht at ho me on the KXI25, citing how eas y it was for them to sta rt cu tting good lap times in a matter of minutes. The transm iss ion has performed flaw lessly in the short time we have had the bike, shifting under full power q ui te effo rtlessly. The du tch pu ll is very light, and the clutch i tself ha ndles abuse well , even in loamy sit uati ons where abuse is commo n - and a downright necessity. The front and rear brakes are up to par in the class, offering good feel a n d m odula tion wi th average stopping power . Mo st te st er s ra ted th e fro nt bra kes hi gher th an th e rear, citing m ore s to p ping power with less effort on the front binders. Th e bottom line is that Kawa sak i ha s indeed done its horn ew ork on th e 1998 KX125 , d ire ctl y addressing th e problem s that held the bike back last year - at least in shoo tou ts, a nyway. The bi ke s till h a s i ts g rea t-ha nd ling chassis and top -n otch suspension components, and now has a potent motor to complete th e pa ckage. Kawasa ki d idn't pull any punch e s when it ca me to fi xin g the mot or, eit her, spending big bucks cas ting a new cylinder and ad ding Keihin's . Pow er Jet carbure tor. Yeah, it could use a little more bottom end a nd sl ig htly stronger brakes, bu t it has only gon e up in price $50 and comes with an accessory package that ind ud es a top-end kit . brake pads, dutch lever, and more. Let's put it this wa y: Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, KTM and TM had better be prepared for t':\ war when shootout time comes. While Cycle News believes the foregoing test reliable, it is the opinion of the reviewers ()Tlly and should not be relied upon in determining the performance or safety of the vehicle. The reader should make his or her own investigat ion. (Right) Progres s ively wound fork and shock springs and revise d damping rates grace the '98 KX1 25, tending off severe bottoming and maintaining a cont rolled ride with aplomb. 1998 Kawasaki KX125 Specifications Ust Price Di splacement Engine type .. $4799 124 .Bcc Liquid-cooled. single·cytinder two -stroke w/ KJPS . (Kawasaki Integrated PowerValve System) Bore x stroke 54 x 54 .5mm Compression ratio Va riable 8.7·10 .3:1 36 mm Keihln P\NK Power Jet Carburetion Ignition . . . ..... .. .. ... . _ _. . Di91tal COl Tran ill.ion speeds Fuel capacity 6 2.2 gal. W ....lba.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Se.t height Front tire Re.r tire Front suspension Rear suspensio n Front brake Rear brake Claimed dry weight . 57.3in . 37.2 in. 80/ 100-2 1 Dunlop K490 100/90· 19 Dunlop 737 IT Kayaba 46mm inverted adjustable fork with 12.2 inches of wheel travel. . . _.. _. .Kayaba adjustable shock with 13.0 inches of wheel travel. Disc Disc 192 lbs. r-, 0\ 0\ ...... r' ...... .... (l) ..0 E 2 0.. (l) CJ) 9