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/127975
Suzuki RM125X The RM125 has a lively but ridable motor and is surrounded by a stable chassis. mention that he felt the c1utcl1 pull on the Kawasaki was a little on the stiff side and didn't have the best feel. Also, a few rider mentioned that the KX and SX do not shift as cleanly as the others, especially compared to the supersmooth-shifting Suzuki. The KTM has the only hydraulically operated clutch in the group and was met with approval. "The KTM's clutch is magnificently smooth in its engagement, with a feathery but feedback-rim lever pull," said one Beginner rider. Only the Suzuki's clutch matches the KTM's clutch when it comes to a light pull. In the braking department, none of our testers had mum to say - which is a good thing. It seems iliat all of ilie manufacturers have mastered this area years ago, so we've come to expect nothing less than outstanding brakes from all of these bikes, and iliey all deliver. Only the KTM's rear brake takes some heat for being a little toumy. Oilier ilian that, they're aU good. MISCELLANEOUS All five of these bikes seem to be built well, as we experienced no mechanical failures during our testing period. As far as details go, we liked the KTM's aluminum handlebars as compared to the soft steel bars tha t come stock on the Japanese bikes, and we also liked the K1M's one-piece rear-axle nut assembly. On the other hand, why KTM felt the need to use two rim locks in the rear wheel is beyond us. (Easy fix, though.) The KX has the coolest-looking rims, and we also liked ilie YZ's new Excel rims. We didn't particularly care for the YZ's graphics, which quickly turned ugly. The KX's graphics, for that matter, aren't mum better. SUMMARY Just like the 1999 250cc MXers, there is no clear-cut winner in this shootout, but put a gun to our heads and most of u will blurt out "Yamaha" - just like last year. We'll give the Suzuki a close second, followed by the other three, but in no particular order. All of our testers agreed that they would be happy racing anyone of these bikes but would seriously take into consideration things such as local dealer support, financing, and manufacturercontingency programs before actually buying one. Otherwise, take your pick. You can't lose, unlike 20 years ago. CI/I RATINGS AND COMMENTS Classification: Pro 1. Yamaha: "Best-handling; motor pulls from bottom to top." 2. (TIE) KTM/Kawasaki: (KTM) "Strong motor; solid handling." (Kawasaki) - "Feels light; tracks like tp.agic." 3. (TIE) Suzuki/Honda: (Suzuki) "Good motor, but could use more on top; shaky handling." (Honda) "Strong motor; nice ergos; sketchy handling." 11