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/128167
2003 Kawasaki KX125 letting to know Kawasaki's new tiddler in the Evergreen State (Lett) The author took an Immediate liking to Kawasaki's new 125cc motocrosser, calling i1 "a huge leap forward" from the 2002 model. [Above) Visibly, Kawasaki's Us have been near1y Indistinguishable from one year to the next, but the '03 uni1 bares little In common with i1s predecessors. The new chassis is narrow and comfortable. Lfrom the cHi modification and riders the caliber of By CHRIS JONNUM Ricky Carmichael, Mike Brown and James Stewart Jr. - they can come out on top. Apparently, however, Kawasaki feels that it has finally squeezed about all the blood it can out of this particular rock, as the 2003 KX 125 PHOTOS BY KINNEY JONES nt's safe to say that Kawasaki has U gotten just about everything it can out of its tired old KX125 design. Once popular with the press, the Kwacker has been judged more harshly of late (it finished dead last in has been completely re-done from the ground up (whereas the '03 our 2002 125cc MX Shootout). But despite its being long overdue for an overhaul, the little green bike that KX250's motor is merely modified for '03, its little sibling gets both a new could has garnered four of the last chassis and a new mill). We recently five 125cc National Championships - got the chance to tryout the new KX 125 during its press introduction at legendary Washougal Motocross Park, and we came away extremely and it appears headed to yet another one! Not that the comparison-placings haven't been accurate - trust us, Kawasaki has built some dogs lately - impressed. Just imagine what Bubba can do with this thingl eN but clearly, the Kwackers have had enough potential that - with heavy Inlro Info TRACK Washougal Hatocrass Parl<: Washougal. Washington TRACK STYLE Sweet (It's freakln' WashaugaU) High-speed; natural-terrain: big uphill CONDITIONS Shallow loom over slick hard-pack; elevation: 500 feet WEATHER 90'. sunny & humid TIHE ON BIKE .............•.............................Approxlmately three hours RIDERS , .. ,.,., One Vet Intermediate SETUP ............•...... , .•.....Set ride height: 1click more compression damping & 1click less rebound damping In fOrk 12 AUGUST 14, 2002' eye I _ n __ s Man, am I bummed. Shootouts have been hard enough as it was. with all of the quality equipment to choose between, but you could always count .on Kawasaki to field an uncompetitive bike. Not that the thought of bad bikes makes me happy, but it's nice to be able to immediately eliminate one machine from considera· tion for the winner. Not any· more. So improved is the 2003 KX125 over its '02 incarnation that I don't remember another bike making such a huge leap forward. If you read my review of the '03 10<250 two weeks ago (I rode it at the same intra), then you know I was fond of that motorcycle. lUke the 125 even more. The old bike felt bulky, and you had to ride around it. This one, on the other hand, is so narrow that you don't even know it's there. It steers great. but is also quite stable, and it's easy to move around on, encouraging the rider to experiment with different body positions. Its rider cockpit also strikes the perfect compromise, feeling neither big nor cramped, and it doesn't catch or snag anywhere. The chassis was where the KX 125 needed the most help, and Kawasaki got it right. I normally have a difficult time judging power until I either ride a new bike back-toback with its previous rendition or try it out alongside the other new offerings in its class. I have yet to do either with this bike, but I am already confident in reporting that the motor has taken a substantial step forward. Although I'm still not sure exactly how it will stack up against the competition (our upcoming shootout should reveal that), there's little doubt that it will be competitive. The KX feels strong off the bottom for a 125 and pulls well through the midrange. Again, I'll have to ride it more to speak authoratitively on its topend, but it certainly felt good going up Washougal's Horsepower Hill. The one area where Kawasaki hasn't made huge changes is suspension (that was the bike's strongest area last year), but then agaIn, sometimes changes elsewhere can affect this area. Whatever the case, it works. Both ends felt compliant on small stuff and resistant to big hits. Normally, I dial out compression damping slightly and add in a bit of rebound, but at the behest of Kawasaki tester Mike Fisher, I went the other wayan the KX 125's fork and liked it. I only added one click more compression damping, but apparently fast guys like Jeff Emig were adding in two to three clicks. Then again, Emig was flat-landing the huge downhill ski jump (needless to say I wasn't). Suffice it to say that I love the new KX125. Then again, I've ridden· separately - four of the five 2003 125cc motocrossers that will take part in our shootout, and I have loved every one. Man, that sucks.