Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Cycle News 2004 06 30

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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the 125 got much mo re than tha t. The 125 has been tot ally re de signed fro m t he frame to t he sus pension to the e ngine. T he engine is to tally new with t he aim of be ing competitive with the powe rful 250cc fo ur-st ro ke s and to be the lightest in t he class . Yamaha claims that the 2005 125 weighs an honest 196 pounds. The other big news about the '05 yz 125 is th at it has gone back to the six-speed transmission. While the two-strokes go t most of the improvements, the four-sto ke s did ge t attent ion, most of wh ich was focused on refining the already powerful bikes and making them more rider frie ndly. The valves and piston we re redesigned for a different power characteristic, and the airbox was resh aped to increase the airfiow. These changes were aimed at smoothing out the power delivery - making them easier to ride - while still increasing power. YZI25 The fou r-st rok e Yam ahas have always be e n t he horsepower kings of the class , so it was important for Y amaha to reta in that same level of power - or better. Unlike the two -strokes, though , the fo ur-stro ke s did no t receive any mind-boggling updates but did share one im po rt ant modification with the ot her bikes: the for ks. All of the bikes are fitted with brand-new redesigned Kayaba fo rks. The '05 forks have a new air/o il se paration system tha t allows for smoother, more controlled damping. This new design enables the suspension to feel smoother than past years. The shock is also refined to allow for a smoother fee l to it in all conditions . Another small but significant ch ange to t he e nt ire Yamaha lineup is the add ition of Renthal bars on all the models . eN www.cyclenews.com

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