What~
Thumbs Up
• Forks are a huge improvement over last year's
• Snappy power delivery gets you over jumps easily
• Overall powerful motor
• New "gripper" seat is well thought-out
• Shorter shifter tip is a big improvement for riders with big feet
Thumbs Down
• Last brandin'c1ass with old-style front-brake-line routing arouna the end of the fork
• The hlue plastic bruises and scratches easily a¢ qUickly loses its shine
• Graphics wear off quickly
After a couple of stints out on the
racetrack, Yamaha's Steve Butler
offered to add a tooth to the rear
sprocket, which at first we didn't
easy to keep corner speed before
on the outside, but some of the
inside lines on the racetrack almost
force you to stop mid-turn, and
think the bike needed. However,
after Butler made the gearing
change, we found that it was much
easier to keep the bike up in the
revs on the inside of the corners on
the tight Starwest circuit. It was
that's not usually conducive to fast
lap times on a 125. With the change
of just one tooth, though, the YZl25
ripped out of those stop-start corners with enough aplomb that you
could easily make the upcoming
~
Ne""
• New exhaust and scavenging port shapes, and the timing is also changed
• YPVS (Yamaha Power Valve System) spring setting changed for better acceleration
feel at low and middle speed
• Three. 7mm holes at carbo bypass port (last year's model had one .8mm hole),
allowing for improved throttle response
• Smaller ignition coil for improved over-rev and 89-gram weight savings
• Pipe-body lengthened 5mm for low-end power
• Inner s.ilencer diameter increased L6mm 'for low-end pulling .power
• Length of shift-pedal front reduced 9mm, saving 7 grams of weight 8nd 8ccommodating
bigger feet
• Clutch-wire diameter decreased .8mm to save 63.8 grams
• New 48mm forks with hydraulic bottoming resistance
• "Kashima-coated" outer fork tube
•. New handle-crown to accommodate new forks, with aluminum steering and ring nuts
for less weight
.
.
:
• Titanium footpegs for less weight
• New-compound Dunlop D739FAL (front) and D739G (rear) tires
• New front-brake master cylinder uses new diaphragm and includes a float plate
• Aluminum radiator fitting collar for less weight
• Frosted seat surface for better grip without pUm
