I concur. I'm not fat, just short for my weight. 80kg naked (There's a horrible thought) (All mirrors broken at my place) about 85kg with gear @ 5'6".
I run a 250 shock and spring out back with standard springs & forks but an IT175 rebound tubes an spring out front. gives me 1" rear & 3/4" front more travel with the benefits of the stronger shock for my fat arse.
If I was told I could only ride one bike it would be my YZ125. 125's are so much fun. Everything that's been said is true, you have to ride them flat out but the beauty is that most of us can ride them flat out. The best racing I've ever had was on the 125 especially the last 125 race of the season at Barrabool a few years back.
Nick Smith had sewn up first overall for the year and I had done the same for second. He had taken the 125 crown off me for the first time since I started Viper and there was nothing to prove for either of us in the last race but we looked at each other on the line and we both just knew. I holeshotted only to have him pass me 3 corners later sliding around the outside. Half a lap later I wrestled the lead back only to have the same happen again soon after. The lead changed about 8 times in a three lap race and we banged handle bars for most of it with Nick the eventual deserved winner. He came up to me later to say it was the most fun and best race he had had in ages and I wholeheartedly agreed. Another couple of blokes (Spectators) came up with similar comments. I know this sems like me pissing in my own pocket, and yes I suppose I am a bit but it is one of the few races that stick with me. The point here is on any other bike, 250 & up, (I have raced Nick in the 250 class) I would not know (And didn't know) which way Nick went but on a 125 he had to earn it. If he had of slackened off for just for a few seconds that would have been enough for me but he didn't and I didn't. 125's are the great evener upperer.
I say go for it. Apart from aftermarket reedvalves and some port cleaning my 125 is bog standard and I dont think it has ever been accused of being slow. Sure it's geared up a bit to compensate so some tracks she runs out of legs on the longer straights but this can be gained back under brakes. My 125 karts my fat arse around no worries and if you run in Evo classes the 80 model YZ has more useable power & better suspension again. Other makes still had Evo 125's in 81 & beyond. You could always get someone who knows to hot one up but I prefer standard reliability. Some 175 IT motors bolt straight into the 125 frames but that would technically be cheating under the 10% rule.
Viper666
Come on Ravenswood
