I was after a smaller bore bike since it suits my riding style more. The 250's are great all-around bikes, but just more power than I need. I ride singletrack and always have to modulate the power of the 250. Feels like I only use 1/2 throttle or less. I did have a short time period on the KTM 200EXC and was a faster rider versus the 250's. I like the challenge of carrying my speed through corners, shifting/clutching, and picking better lines. The 125 will reward you when ridden correctly or you will suffer the consequences of poor judgements. For now, the 125 represents the mindset that I'm currently in. Who knows if I will hate it in the future. I can always bump the displacement to 144cc if needed.
After doing a bunch of research and considering my options, I was down to two bikes: 2008-2010 Yamaha YZ125 or 2008 Husky CR125. Yes, I would have been happy with the 2009/2010 Husky WR125, but the 2008 CR125 was the first preference.
Here are my reasons why...- The 2008 model has the older style frame and gas tank. This provides me with a larger IMS gas tank option (3.2 gallon if I recall correctly). The stock tank is 2.5 gallons which is nice compared to the 2009/2010 bikes (new frame style). The 2009 only had 1.8 gallons. The 2010 bike will have slightly more at 2.1 gallons. Gas tank size was a big factor for me.
- The CR125 has the lighter flywheel that I was interested in. The WR125 has the larger flywheel (like the GasGas EC bikes.) The CR125 will give be a better platform for converting it into a cross country/hare scrambles style bike. Note: the CR125 has no lighting capabilities, but this is fine for me.
- The 2009 WR125 has several issues that needed to be fix. The PV and exhaust pipe needed to be replaced. Also, there was an upper engine mount that was recalled. While these are warranty items, the bike suffers from a midrange bog with the newer Mikuni TMX carb. The 2010 WR125 comes with the new fixes, but apparently still has a midrange bog.
- The 2008 CR125 has a more proven track record with the older Mikuni TMX carb, no issues with the exhaust or PV, and good engine reliability from several racer's reports.
The only downside for me...
I will have to build an 18" rear wheel. This gives me the ability to run my studded Trelleborg tire in the winter. I'm using Kold Kutter screws at the moment but I really miss my Trelleborg studs! It does have a side benefit though since I will have the option to run either 19" or 18" tires in the future.
I will post up a ride report in the near future!