Yamaha YZ125T

While most manufacturers are starting to put their 125 motocrossers on a steady diet of BNG, 'bold new graphics', Yamaha have decided to go in the other direction and completely revamp their 125.

Yamaha should be congratulated for showing faith in their 125 two stroke. While the general opinion is that these bikes will go the way of the old 500cc two strokes and die a natural death due to a lack of updates, there is a strong case for keeping the 125 alive. First on the list is that junior riders moving up from an 85cc bike are often too small to handle a 250cc four stroke but can more easily make the transaction to a smaller, lighter two-stroke. Secondly, there are a growing number of riders who are fed up with the high cost of running a 250 four stroke, as these things can be expensive to run and if they go bang you need to mortgage your house to fix it. Thirdly, the average bloke can do his own engine maintenance on a two-stroke because they're much simpler to work on.

Updates
When Yamaha decided to update this bike they certainly didn't hold back, but unless you notice the new aluminium frame it doesn't look a lot different from last years bike. Someone should tell the Yamaha design department that when they build a new bike it's a good idea to make it look new as well, because believe it or not this bike could be mistaken for a '97 model from a distance.

Anyway, this bike is updated and the most obvious change is that shiny new aluminium frame, which is 2kg lighter than last years and uses different types of aluminium in its separate sections to achieve what Yamaha calls 'controlled flex'. Like the rest of the YZ range this bike gets the new twin chamber style, 48mm kayaba forks, Renthal 'bars and Honda style front brake cable routing. The engine is also all new and is 1.7 kg lighter than last years and also contributes to the weight saving programme. Internal engine changes include a new piston, shorter connecting rod, the cylinder is leaned forward by 7.5 degrees and the transmission is now a six speeder. 

Engine
This engine produces terrific power for a 125 and the thing that surprised me the most about it was its flexibility. Now while a 125 can never be accused of being torquey, the YZ had a good transition through the rev range and was easy enough to keep in the power band. The serious power kicked in through the mid-range to the top end and while it won't make four strokes redundant, if you're skilful enough to keep this motor singing you'll go places quickly. The new six speed transmission was well suited to the bikes power-band and the only change I would make would be by adding two teeth to the rear sprocket for tight tracks.

Chassis
Typical jockey sized 125 pilots will have a ball on this bike. It feels super light and agile and has decent manners on fast straights, while still maintaining good cornering agility. Because this bike is so light and feathery it can be hard to tell what the suspension is doing. You could jump or wheelie through gnarly sections on the track, or just hang it out and plough through the rough stuff like an idiot and it didn't seem to matter. Now while it's true that 125's are a bit like that, this bike handled nicely and within a couple of laps I felt completely comfortable on it. The new fork especially felt compliant and offered good feedback on small bumps yet still rode up well in its stroke when attacking whoop sections or under hard braking. The back end was a little twitchy on braking bumps when I first rode the bike and this was caused by the forks being pushed to far through in the triple clamps. When I dropped them back down 5mm and into their original position the problem went away. The Dunlop D739 tyres are a good choice for all round conditions and they worked well on the bone dry, rock hard terrain where I tested the bike. The standard suspension settings would suit a wide range of riders and I was surprised at how well the forks and shock stood up to my girth, because at 85 kg I'm no lightweight.

Ergos
Despite its slightly aged look this bike had a slim and trim feel to it and the foot-peg-seat-handlebar ratio was spot on. The YZ was easy to move around on and the transition from sitting to standing was effortless, with an overall well balanced riding position. The throttle action was super light, the front brake lever response was firm and positive and the grips were too fat. The Renthal 'bars were a nice touch although the bend was slightly retro, with a downward sweep at the ends and if I owned this bike I'd fit a set of 'Windham' bend bars, which are slightly taller and have a straighter bend. The only problem is that I'd then have to fit a new top triple clamp, as this bike doesn't come with adjustable bar mounts. Bugger!

Should you buy one?
Believe it or not I could live with owning a 125, but I'd want one that had some power and this Yamaha has. What I liked most about it was that for a 125 it was easy to ride and the nimble feel meant that when I got tired and out of control on the track (which was often on the second lap) this bike was easy to correct. I'd like to change the 'bars, lower the gearing and slip on some decent grips, but other than that I reckon I could have some fun on this thing. Whether or not you could win races on this bike against 250F's is a hard call though. Most of the teams don't think so, because all their riders are fronting the starting gates on four strokes and the same goes for local riders as well. Unfortunately I think the 125 will die, but if you want to have a chance to ride one of the last really good ones then give this bike a try, I think you'll like it.

Why this bike?
Price- $9199

Over the last couple of years everyone seems to have gone all ga-ga over four-strokes in the 125 class, but here are a few of things that they may have forgotten about the poor old, 125 two stroke.

Two strokes are heaps lighter than four strokes.

Two strokes feel heaps lighter than four strokes.

A 125 puts out the same overall horsepower as a 250F, only over a smaller range.

Two-strokes are easy to work on.

You don't have to change the engine oil every time you ride the bike.

You don't have to check the valve clearances.

It's cheaper to do a top end rebuild on a two-stroke.

It's also cheaper to hot a two-stroke up.

Two-strokes cost less than a four-stroke to buy.

You can lift them onto a stand without getting a hernia.

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