#motocross #twostroke #dirtbike #racing #sports
Dirt Bike Magazine tests the 2024 Yamaha YZ125 two stroke at Cahuilla Creek Motocross Park in Southern California. Yamaha nursed the previous YZ125 motor for over 20 years before giving it an update in 2022. Even then, the changes were conservative. The bike remains much as it has existed for years. It has a mechanical powervalve, a Keihin carburetor and a kickstarter. The most significant changes were in bodywork and rider layout. Yamaha gave the bike a smoother seat/tank junction, more spread-out ergonomics and a taller seat height. The KYB suspension components were updated, but they remain similar to those of Yamaha’s other motocross bikes, with steel coil springs in the closed-cartridge Speed Sensitive System fork. The version you see here is the 50th Anniversary Edition, which differs from the standard model only in cosmetics. The standard version sells for $7099; 50th Anniversary livery adds $200.
STRONG POINTS
We have said over and over that the YZ125 is the best handling motocross bike on earth. We might continue to say it forever. We do have to add one qualification; the YZ125 is at its best for expert level riders. The Austrian 125s are just as good for rank and file novices and sportsmen. That’s because the YZ suspension is a little stiffer and caters to faster, harder riding. At speed, there’s no suspension package that’s better than the YZ’s. Strangely enough, in this group the YZ also has the hardest hitting, fastest motor. It’s been a long time since we have been able to say that. It’s all about context. Two years ago, we were comparing the YZ to the previous generation of Austrian bikes, which had more sheer power than anything in the current group.
WEAK POINTS
The YZ is a little harder to ride than the others. It has a sudden and distinct hit. If you go back to the 2021 YZ125, that bike had slightly more power way down low and was a little more beginner friendly. This one is faster but more demanding. The YZ also has a very tall seat height. Most full size adults won’t care, but it can be a struggle for a young ‘un. The lack of electric start can also be a limiting factor for true beginners.
BOTTOM LINE
In the big picture, the YZ125 hasn’t changed that much in 20 years. Everyone knows what it is and what it can do. That’s become its biggest strength of all. While the rest of the motocross world is swirling with change, the YZ125 remains an island of quality and reliability.
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