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/1520705
I n the motocross world today, a 125cc MX bike is like a feral cat; it has no home, nobody re - ally knows what to do with it, and if you don't know what you're doing, it might hurt you. On the professional scene, 250cc four- strokes became the new 125cc two-strokes. Two-stroke stal - warts are welcome to compete in the class, and some take on the challenge, likely invoking the blessing of St. Jude Thaddeus, the patron saint of lost causes. Sadly, the little tiddlers just can't compete with the more powerful four-stroke 250s. But not so long ago, it was once the most popular motor - cycle at tracks, both national and local. They endured more abuse than a rental car: pistons pumping at 10,000 revolutions per minute, gearboxes snicking hundreds of upshifts and down - shifts on every lap with the rider playing the clutch like a bow on a violin. Ridden properly, a 125cc motocross bike sounded like Barry Gibb with his finger in a wringer. The market for 125cc two-strokes was fiercely com - petitive, but ask those who know, and they will tell you the best 125cc MXer ever was the 1977 Suzuki RM125B. Cycle News put the '77 Suzuki through a wringer of its own in the January 26, 1977 issue. Three years earlier, Suzuki's 125, then known as a TM model, would've been near the back of the pack in any comparison test of production machines. But by the time Jimmy Carter took over the White House, the yellow zonker was the cock of the walk! Conversely, the Honda El - sinore, which had been the top 125 of 1974, was now consid- ered an also-ran in a compari- son test of the smaller bikes! Last year's bike was a relic in the world of 1970s motocross and this was not a time for any manufacturer to rest on their laurels. CN testers announced up front that the new RM had "...on paper, more of everything. More torque, more peak horsepower, more suspension travel, more trick stuff, and more weight. It also costs more dollars—$1025—but in the case of the Suzuki you can see exactly what made it cost more and why." The "more" in the engine department came with a slightly longer (4mm) stroke and other changes to the porting scheme. A lighter piston, heavier crank wheels, a "new, fatter expansion chamber," and "a redesigned reed-valve" helped the RM deliver 22 horsepower. In the suspension department, Suzuki borrowed technology CNIIARCHIVES P154 JUST LIKE GASTON'S Suzuki's 1977 RM125B BY KENT TAYLOR In 1976, Suzuki introduced the RM125A, which was a huge improvement over Suzuki's previous 125cc MX model but wasn't perfect. The 1977 RM125B (pictured) fixed all the faults of the A model and turned out to be a marvelous motocrosser.