Top 10 two-stroke 125cc sports bikes
The pocket rockets every self-respecting teenager's lusted after #125cc #motorbikes #Yamaha #Honda #visordown
FOR MOST 125cc buyers the bike itself is a means to an end – a mere stepping stone towards something bigger, faster and more desirable. But there’s a subset of 125cc sports bikes that are beautiful and desirable in their own right, regardless of capacity or performance.
We’re being subjective here but this top 10 largely reflects the fact that the later 80s and early 90s were a high water point for 125cc sports bikes. Two strokes still reigned supreme and there were enough wealthy teenagers out there to support a competitive marketplace, with manufacturers vying to make the most radical, lightest and fastest bikes in a segment where every last mph really did count.
As usual, if you think we’ve missed something, let us know in the comments.
10. Honda NSR125
WHILE widely available and with typical Honda quality, meaning they’ll last rather better than some of the bikes on this list, the NSR120 – whether in 88-94 J20 form or 95-2002 JC22 ‘Foxeye’ guise – is just a little bland to be ranked higher. Most are restricted, and while there’s endless debate over their potential when the blockages are removed, even then they’re more likely to be around the 25bhp mark than the 30bhp-plus promised by some of their less-reliable competitors.
Watch the review of the Honda Africa Twin model
9. Gilera CX125
YOU WILL either love the CX125 or absolutely despise it. The culmination of a line of ever-wackier Gilera two-strokes (for an alternative, seek out a Gilera KK125, with belly-mounted fuel tank and weird telephone dial wheels) the CX was a concept bike made into showroom form. Single-sided telescopic fork, single-sided swingarm, 28bhp race-bred engine and super aerodynamic styling meant it’s still one of the most head-turning bikes you’ll ever see. Or stomach turning, in some peoples’ eyes.
8. Derbi GPR125
RATHER newer than most of the machines on this list, the GPR125 in two-stroke form continued until 2009, but even so finding a used one isn’t easy which suggests they’ve suffered a hard life since then. The fact their engines were reputed to be good for 33bhp could explain why so few have survived. The modern four-stroke version is much easier to find, but can’t hold a match to the two-stroke in performance terms.
7. Yamaha TZR125
NOW WE'RE talking. If you were a teenager back in the 80s, a TZR was the bike your rich mate was most likely to have. With 26bhp and race-rep looks it seemed to offer everything that a young man could desire. Look a little closer and the drum rear brake seems a bit out of place, though. These days they’ve reached the stage where people are seriously restoring them, so beautiful examples can be found.
Watch the Kawasaki Versys 650 compared to the Yamaha Tracer 700
6. Suzuki RG125
WHILE THE 80s RG125s were good, the post-92 model was the one that really hit the spot in terms of looks and performance. A claimed 33bhp combined with a 125kg weight to make for a bike that was truly exciting, particularly if you were only 17. Most were afflicted with Suzuki’s awful 90s paint schemes, though, with far too much fluorescent pink and splattergun graphics. Best paired with Fieldsheer Acid Worm leathers…
The top 5: bit.ly/2v3PC1T
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