SUZUKI WORKS RA125

[brad747]

Hey,
Is there anyone out there that can give me any info or pics on a 1973 ra125?
I want to restore one or make a replica. Any pics?

Brad

[firko]

Welcome back Brad........Unfortunately you are out of luck looking for a '73 RA Suzuki. The World 125 Motocross Championship didn't start until 1975. Suzuki signed little Gaston Rahier to contest the title and to do it properly they produced the first RA 125, the RA75. The bike was a ripper and went on to win the title and repeated the deed in '76.
Shown below is a shot of the RA76 which is almost identical to look at as the RA75. If that bike is the one you want to replicate you couldn't go wrong by having a look at Mark Cotterells RM125 B in VMX #15. It's a tad too blingy for a proper replica but it has the genuine ex Rahier RA swingarm I supplied him.

[brad747]

Hey,
Thanx for your help but i'm looking for the more tm look, like decosters rn73.
I Found this one pic cliaming to be a 1972 ra125. So i thought if there is a 72, there must of been a 73?
might have to contact suzuki ay!
I'm thinking i could get a tm125 frame, move the shock mounts forward and make a custom swingarm.
 

[Lozza]

That swingarm looks like a standard arm with new lower mounts and a rib running round it.The engine looks to be identical to the RM miles away from the TM

[Maico31]

Brad that lower picture certainly does look like an early works 125 Suzuki prior to the '75 RA that Gaston Rahier rode. My guess is it's in the Japanese championships before the World 125 championship began.

[firko]

 I'm still pretty certain they didn't make an RA 1973. There is no record of them in my Suzuki literature, although they may have used the designation in Japan. Maybe Dave Tanner can clarify the situation.
The swingarm on the RA 75 is fabricated from sheet titanium. I had it in my shed for years until I swapped it fir a pair of Fox Airshox.
 

[Doc]

that's a fair swap Firko 

I'm no expert on factory stuff or any stuff for that matter but I can't remember much in the way of RA's until Gaston hit the scene. Still the bike I'd most like to own 
Brad, you are in a good position here, if no-one knows what they looked like then you can build it anyway you like and no-one can argue the point. Incase you didn't notice, I just built a rare '74 RA125 but they still won't let it in pre '75 

[brad747]

Hey, Oh really, what frame did you use? tm?
Does it have to much suspesion travel for pre 75?
I wouldn't mind seeing a couple of pics, You can email them to me if you like, [email protected]

Brad

[Doc]

sorry, was just kidding Brad the bike mentioned is just an RM125S engine in a TM.

[bigk]

I have a '73 TM125 frame & a couple of '75 RM125S frames if you need a starting point. Oh, and an ugly but 90% complete '74 TM125.
Cheers,
K.

[TM BILL]

Brad where did you find the bottom picture ? do you have any more.
The fork legs on that bike are different to the TM 125 forks but look similar to those on the pre production TM 125 K .
I have a picture of one but dont know how to post pics here 

[brad747]

Well, I found it a couple of days ago searching ra125 but when i went to search it again i couldnt find it, but lukily i saved it in my photos. I will check my history!

To load photos just go to photobucket.com
And the load your pics and get the code that says [IMG] and paste it into here!

BIGK, Where abouts are you located?

Brad

[brad747]

Hey,
I found it on the suzukicycles site
http://www.suzukicycles.org/RH-RN-series/RA125-articles.shtml


It says
1972 Suzuki RA125 picture. Scott Andersen from USA mailed me this interesting picture of a very rare bike, a '72 RA125. Scott got the picture from Christian Gouverneur of Belgium, who raced the bike in 1972. Scott tells us that only two bikes were made for racing in Belgium. The bike was extremely lightweight — evidently it was so light you could pick it up and carry it around. The RA125 had radial finned head, chromemoly frame and aluminum tank. Basically it was a shrunk-down version of the RH250.

[brad747]

does anyone now if a rm125m/s clutch cover fit a rm125a?

[Doc]

no, they won't interchange with an A. The RM-M or S covers swap with TM125