2022-23 YZ125
A finely-tuned 125 two stroke may be the most fun you can have on a dirt bike. With the Austrian bikes featuring EFI and electric start, is the YZ 125 the right decision?
EVERY HOME NEEDS A 125
There could be myriad reasons you are looking into getting a new (or used) 125. I’ve come to learn that any reason to get a 125 is a valid reason and you should get one! They are that much fun! Even if you are the “hard core racer”, you deserve to treat yourself to the fun factor that only a 125 can provide.
As much as I like the idea of getting one simply for fun, I was in the market out of necessity. My son grew 8 inches in a single year and watching him ride his 85 was becoming comical.
125 Two Stroke or 250 Four Stroke?
Motocross is a sport of calculated risks and as dad I didn’t want my son trying to handle a bike that was too much too soon. However, I was open-minded to different perspectives and experiences, so I reached out to Kris Keefer since had recently “been there, done that”. Kris gave some great advice. In summary, he thinks that too many parents are in a rush to get their kids on big bike four strokes, when in fact young kids don’t NEED the big four strokes; that they would be better served to ride a 125 for a year or so before making the jump.
I am sure there are plenty of kids that successfully make the jump to 250’s, but I’ve also heard from countless people that 125’s force kids to learn things about bikes that are difficult to duplicate on a four stroke. It seems as though everything I want my son to get out of riding a dirt bike is best done on a 125, so I focused my attention on which one to get.
THE OPTIONS:
Yamaha and the KTM corporation (which includes Husqvarna and GAS GAS) are the only companies left producing 125 two strokes. (Thank goodness for them!) The main differentiators are the following:
Electric Start vs kickstart
Electronic fuel injection vs traditional carb
Suspension (air vs spring)
Horsepower
Power delivery
Weight (192lbs. vs 202lbs)
Price. Yamaha ($6,999), GAS GAS($7,349), KTM ($7949), Husqvarna ($8,049)
Clearly there are several differentiating factors about these bikes. So, why did I choose the YZ and am I happy about my decision? After reading the reviews, here are some of the main takeaways:
In ‘22 Yamaha shifted it’s power delivery to mimic the KTM, but it still doesn’t have the same mid to top end power. If you are a serious racer, this is something to pay close attention to, however, my son didn’t need crazy top end power, he needed a more linear power delivery. Advantage Yamaha.
Suspension is one of the most important aspects of bike performance. Every reviewer raved about the Yamaha suspension and unanimously prefers it over the stock WP air forks. Personally, I don’t really mind air forks, but why spend another $1,000+ if I don’t have to, especially considering that the KTM is already almost $1000 more expensive than the YZ. Advantage Yamaha
The EFI on the KTM bikes is awesome. Living in Utah I experience huge temp swings and I’m riding at 4,300ft above sea level. I don’t consider myself an expert carb tuner and I’d rather spend my time riding than tuning carbs. KTM and Husqvarna’s fuel injected 125’s provide the ultimate solution to my altitude and extreme temperature swing problems. The new KTM and Husky also come with electric start which is another upgrade for convenience, but it doesn’t influence my decision nearly as much as the electronic fuel injection. Advantage KTM/Husqvarna.
Durability. Both Yamaha and KTM build solid bikes. The only difference is that sometimes KTM parts can cost a little more and availability isn’t quite as good as Yamaha’s.
I’ve mentioned in other articles that there is no singular, absolute solution; there are only trade-offs. What’s important when deciding which bike to get is to be crystal clear about what problems you are trying to solve and what’s most important to you when making a decision.
From what I can gather from the US and European reviews, the Austrian bikes a better choice for the serious racer, however for my purposes (a son that isn’t a serious racer, smoother powerband, parts availability, bulletproof platform, great suspension, best pricing), the YZ125 was the best decision.
OWNERSHIP OBSERVATIONS AND THOUGHTS…
In multiple user reviews I heard the YZ’s jetting was not great. So right from the showroom floor I installed a Lectron billetron. Unfortunately, I still had issues getting the jetting dialed, and so have other utah-based owners. Complaints include fouled plugs and hesitation/bog when cracking the throttle too fast. I worked closely with Lectron to remedy the issue and although we were able to make modest improvements, the solution finally came with their new “pro bowl”, which is a new float bowl that eliminates the hesitation and bog. Once I installed that, it has been awesome.
Suspension is as good as stock suspension can get, and unless your weight is outside the intended boundaries of the stock spring rates, you can get away with a lot on the YZ.
Fun factor is off the charts.
Engine reliability and ease of maintenance has been 10/10.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:
Pro class friends of mine say that when compared to the new 2023 KTM 125, the ‘22-’23 YZ 125 feels faster which shouldn’t be the case since technically the KTM generates more power. Keep in mind that suspension and handling play a big role in how a fast a bike feels. It’s entirely possible that the YZ is not as fast as the KTM (it shouldn’t be based on dyno data), but to them it “felt” faster. Either way, it’s a good indication that the YZ is not noticeably lacking power, and when combined with the excellent feel and top shelf stock suspension, it is a solid buy.
There are a few things that I am going to try next season.
With the bogging issue solved, I am going to test a few different carb settings to see if any additional gains can be realized.
Aftermarket pipe and silencer.
The YZ came with Bridgestone Battlecross tires. I’ve had good luck with the Perelli Scorpion MX32 mid/soft, but I may also try a pair of Dunlop MX33’s.