Is kx125 1998 a good bike to start on?

**oldskool** · 9th April 2009, 17:30

Originally Posted by Ktmboy

Hey, shit I'm in the same league as oldskool. 500 posts. Beer for me

yeah I'm cerebralating with a woodstock.
Oh how one can mount up the posts with extraneous dribble hey! Chalk and cheese this debate. Enduro Viz MX bike for trail conditions, errr no brainer. Maybe I'll invest in a 9oz FWW for the short term until next summer.

Now that begs the question. If it is high revs that wears out rings and you put on a flywheel weight to increase lowend torque..thus not having to hit those silly highs to produce torque then wouldn't the KX125 last longer between re-ringing? Lower the compression with an extra barrel gasket blah blah blah

**honda_power** · 9th April 2009, 17:37

Originally Posted by oldskool

yeah I'm cerebralating with a woodstock.
Oh how one can mount up the posts with extraneous dribble hey! Chalk and cheese this debate. Enduro Viz MX bike for trail conditions, errr no brainer. Maybe I'll invest in a 9oz FWW for the short term until next summer.

not quite, id still choose mx bike any day

**oldskool** · 9th April 2009, 17:39

Originally Posted by honda_power

not quite, id still choose mx bike any day

I did too!

**Ktmboy** · 9th April 2009, 21:38

Originally Posted by honda_power

anythings compeditive with the right rider... just think what he could have done if he had a REAL bike :P

No...thats wrong.. for the riding he does its about suitability.

I go so much better on an enduro bike than a MX bike for the riding that Josh does. Luke had the option of using a KX125 (he had 2 in the shed) but choose the KDX for the reasons I stated. The 125 would have blown up as had done previously, many times and with different brands, yes Booom he road Honda, Ktm etc.

This is not about your choice, its about what is suitasble for this particular rider.

If he said he spent most of his time at Ardmore, Harrisville and was into jumps and MX then the 125 would be more suitable!!

Give the guy an unbiased opinion!

**honda_power** · 9th April 2009, 21:56

Originally Posted by Ktmboy

No...thats wrong.. for the riding he does its about suitability.

I go so much better on an enduro bike than a MX bike for the riding that Josh does. Luke had the option of using a KX125 (he had 2 in the shed) but choose the KDX for the reasons I stated. The 125 would have blown up as had done previously, many times and with different brands, yes Booom he road Honda, Ktm etc.

This is not about your choice, its about what is suitasble for this particular rider.

If he said he spent most of his time at Ardmore, Harrisville and was into jumps and MX then the 125 would be more suitable!!

Give the guy an unbiased opinion!

notice the :P at the end? normally means theres a hint of sarcasim somewhere...

seriously though, iv ridden kdx200's and they did nothing for me. thought it was boring, heavy, and handled like shit. Nothing to do with being enduro bike, ridden WR's and they wernt to bad

oh, and crf-x's

**Ktmboy** · 9th April 2009, 21:58

I'm taking the KDX up tomorrow if anyone wants a try. It will be good to get back to real riding with no added aids.

**Ktmboy** · 9th April 2009, 22:03

Originally Posted by honda_power

notice the :P at the end? normally means theres a hint of sarcasim somewhere...

seriously though, iv ridden kdx200's and they did nothing for me. thought it was boring, heavy, and handled like shit. Nothing to do with being enduro bike, ridden WR's and they wernt to bad

oh, and crf-x's

Yeah, missed that

Always a good and boring debate to be had when a noob comes along. What we need is an affordable new generation multi purpose bike.

Unfortunately, I can't see the japs giving us one in the near future.

**Reckless** · 9th April 2009, 22:10

Originally Posted by Ktmboy

Yeah, missed that

Always a good and boring debate to be had when a noob comes along. What we need is an affordable new generation multi purpose bike.

Unfortunately, I can't see the japs giving us one in the near future.

The Ktm200 does a pretty good job at that. Oh except for the affordable part?? Parts aren't to bad but a bit dearer up front for the bike. Although you do get braided lines and Brembo brakes etc standard?? ooops I suppose everyone think that about there own bikes LOL!!!

**Ktmboy** · 9th April 2009, 22:24

And real suspension. You have no argument here. But its still 12k as opposed to under 10k..well under 8k really.

If only the KDX got a make over. Even just the front end with KX125 forks and triple clamps as std.

**Reckless** · 9th April 2009, 22:35

yeh mate would be a good idea. But they initially build bikes to win competitions so they build Enduro or Mx bikes and joe bloggs like me who want a bike to do everything well misses out. Mind you if they did try and build an eveything bike I suppose theyd be bagged by either camp as the bike wouldn't make the grade in their particular area. WR springs to mind as a suggestion as well?

**oldskool** · 10th April 2009, 08:44

Originally Posted by Ktmboy

If only the KDX got a make over. Even just the front end with KX125 forks and triple clamps as std.

So now we're talkin a KX125 roller with a KDX200 motor implant. Well I've got a '97 KX125 roller, anybody got a donor KDX200 implant?

**scott411** · 10th April 2009, 09:07

Service honda are said to be building a KDX200AF, its a KDX200 motor in a KX250F frame,
have a look at some of the other bikes they have built, they are the 2 stroke kings

www.servicehonda.com

**clmintie** · 10th April 2009, 10:14

Originally Posted by oldskool

So now we're talkin a KX125 roller with a KDX200 motor implant. Well I've got a '97 KX125 roller, anybody got a donor KDX200 implant?

Been there, done that with '89 200 motor in '91 kx125 frame (both bought new for the job..

) I've not ridden anything as good at crosscountry/trail since I sold it to my neighbour in '95... I keep asking, but he still won't sell it back (at any reasonable price...) Norm Cobb did good port job for more top end without losing anything noticeable anywhere else in the rev range, modded pipe and suspension.... I rode it round my section a little while ago and although pretty tired, it's still wonderful......The best bike Kawasaki never made. Stupid Kawasaki, stupid...

I grabbed one of the last KX125s, so we can do it again, should we want to.........

End of nostalgia trip........

Must go and see the neighbour again.................

**IIIRII** · 10th April 2009, 10:16

To answer the original question,
Depends on what your preference is for, with regards to type of riding.
If you have come off a 150 4 stroke, and you have been riding tight slow stuff, you will not like a motorcross bike ....
If you want to take up motorcross, perfect ....
If you want to do all the charity trail type rides, I would recommend a kdx200 or ktm 200 enduro bike.
Reasons:
You wont like trying to ride the kx up something that is steep, slowely with a direction change half way up.
Unless you have the balls + experience to ride it fast where you need to, you wont be able to.

Get on an enduro bike as a step up, then when you can blow away everyone else, get a mx bike.