B
egular readers are likely to know I’m
quite fond of a horsepower or two –
for me life is generally better with
more of it. As a basic rule of thumb, I think
dirt bikes require a minimum of 50hp and
road bikes at least 100hp to be in the
pleasurable ride zone. I know, I hear you,
one hundred horsepower for a road bike is
on the light side... but, you know, I’m getting
older and the police are quite plentiful. So,
you can imagine my face when Vege – KR’s
publisher – rocked up at McLauchlan
Heights and rolled Yamaha’s new YZ125X
out of the van. The bastard obviously knew
what he was up to as he delivered a cheery
wave from his van window as he drove off.
I’m not sure if he knew more about the
capacity-challenged ‘stroker than I did, but
I must admit a degree of surprise [as much
as is shown by an ex-hill farmer... - Ed] the
first time I rode the teeny YZ-X. Honestly
– this thing absolutely hauls arse!
Ok, before I get into the riding, I want to
talk a little about the bike as a model for
Yamaha. The 125X model is new addition to
the Yamaha range this year. It increases the
depth of Yamaha’s offerings in the enduro/
XC range, showing the brand’s commitment
to these codes of motorsport. The 125X is a
enduro-light/XC machine with an 18-inch
rear wheel, sidestand, sealed O-ring chain,
reserve fuel tap and re-tuned versions of
the YZ125 motocross motor and suspension.
It’s a liquid-cooled, single cylinder twostroke
with a 54 x 54.5mm bore and stroke
and produces around 35 horsepower.
50 KIWI RIDER