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/128092
2001 KTM 125SX THE ZULU'S ZINGER Over the past couple of years, KTM 125s have gained a reputation for possessing powerful mills, and our time on the 125SX confirmed this. This engine is wonderful, from the bottom end, through the midrange and up to the top-end. This is one seriously potent tiddler, allowing you to ride a gear high at times and use the torque to carry you like you would with a 250. In fact, this is about the best way to ride the thing, using the broad powerband to its fullest potential. Overall, our testers loved this healthy, crisp powerplant, with a slight second-gear bog and a relatively notchy transmission (it's sometimes hesitant to shift under power) being our only complaints. Another minor snivel we had centered on the suspension, or the Iinkless rear shock, to be precise. The back end rides a little high, and it doesn't want to settle under acceleration - a sensation that is magnified by the rock-hard seat foam. This is good in that it allows all of the travel to be used for absorbing obstacles, but it also makes for a lack of traction, with the back end sliding around when By CHRIS JONNUM PHOTOS By BLAKE CONNER T hough KTM has had the most success of any non-Japanese manufacturer in the modern American motocross world, the Austrian company is far from satisfied with its current position in that realm. In fact, getting its first ever AMA National win last year (Kelly Smith, in the 125cc class at Mt. Morris) only served to stimulate KTM's hunger for orientlevel success. This year, the team has notched up its pro-racing campaign again, signing on hip new title sponsor Red Bull and focusing its effort down to just the 125cc class, for which it has hired hip young riders like David Pingree, Brock Sellards, and, most importantly, Grant Langston. As most motoheads are aware, Langston took last year's 125cc World Championship on a factory KTM, but now that the South African is Stateside, he's got to rely on largely stock equipment. (The AMA stipulates that motorcycles be production-based, especially in the 125cc SX series.) 22 FEBRUARY 21.2001 • cue Apparently, Langston doesn't miss the factory equipment of his old Champ KTM team, as he has been impressive in the early part of this season. Despite extremely limited stadium experience, Langston won a pre-season Supercross at Glen Helen, and he took a very close second to Ernesto Fonseca's mighty Yamaha YZ250F at the Phoenix round of the and he expects to win the AMA/Chevy Trucks 125cc National Motocross Championship. For the past couple of months, we've been spending time at local Southern California tracks on the bike that Langston's is closely based upon. Here's what we ---=:::=:~~~~ii~::i~fO~U;'n~d~o~u~t.~..~~-:;~ 125 cc Western Regional Supercross Series. He wants to get a win before that series KTM Is concentrating on the 125cc class for 2001, with World Champion Grant Langston spear.headlng the more-focused effort. Has the 125SX benefited? Read on. .... you nail the throttle. Other than that, the shock works fine, taking the big hits well, remaining stable and not giving any weird kicks. We like the fork as well. It's supple and plush, and unlike the shock, it settles down nicely for turns. This is good for front-end bite, but it only accentuates the high rear. The fork takes braking bumps just fine, not giving any harsh feedback to the