Buck 25 Challenge – More Than Spare Change – Dirt Rider Magazine

By: Jesse Ziegler

Monday, May 23, 2011

$/></a> <p class="wp-caption-text"></p> </div> <p>If you wanted to get into motocross for the first time, or wanted to revisit the roots of the sport on a budget, how would you go about it? If you have a regular job (and regular bills), that question probably comes up a lot. Well, we think we found an answer.It’s strange to think that just a few years back the entry fee into motocross was fairly cheap. True, it wasn’t like signing up for a season of soccer league, but it didn’t run close to $10,000 for a first-timer’s bike, either. Eighth-liter bikes, or Buck 25s, were the traditional gateway bike into our sport, and this is still true.First, they’re inexpensive. Not only in initial cost but also in maintenance bills throughout multiple seasons of riding and racing. In fact, top-end kits for 125s are still so reasonable and easy to install that it’s like working on a toy compared to toiling with the complex, and sometimes costly, high-wearing four-strokes of today. Second, they are the single finest motocross learning tools on the face of the earth. If you learn to go fast on a 125, your MX skill set will be on a higher level than those jumping directly to bigger, more powerful bikes. Last, these bikes are an immense amount of fun to ride.If you truly want to get into motocross or off-road riding but don’t think you can afford it, look toward the increasingly crowded market of used 125cc two-strokes. There’s a lot of good riding and ear-to-ear grins to be had for a fraction of the cost of buying new. That’s why four of us DR staffers dropped down our own cold hard cash for used bikes. But which one of us could make the most competitive bike while still staying cheap? Well, read on and find out who won the Buck 25 shootout.<br /> <h2>Flexible Fun: 2002 Honda CR125R</h2> <h4>By Chris Denison</h4> <p>When I first found my Buck 25, it was sitting in a dusty, desolate corner of Fay Myers Motorcycle World near my parents’ home in Denver, Colorado. Walking past, I noticed a large puddle under one of the 125′s fork legs-the little Honda was crying! As a steady stream of oil rolled from its Dumbo-size eyes and down the fork tube, I was filled with great compassion. Nobody wanted this bike, and it was obviously very sad. Needless to say, I found a salesman and bought the CR on the spot.Buying used from a dealer can be risky. In this case, I ended up with a decent, four-year-old machine, though it was well used and massively crashed. I gassed her up, rode a 70-mile trail ride and then started the rebuilding process. The previous owner must have been a freestyler, as evidenced by the damaged bar, clamps, controls, subframe, plastic and gnar-gnar Fleshgear graphics. I replaced these, along with the beat tires and brake pads. The motor looked clean, but the bike sounded like it had pennies in the exhaust-an A piston in the B cylinder turned out to be the culprit. After one day of absolutely trashing Jimmy’s garage, I had the engine whipped into shape. The pipe, silencer, clutch, sprockets and chain were all in great condition and just needed a bath, but the suspension was nothing short of hideous. I popped for a revalve from RG3 to help get some comfort back. Some corners were cut along the way: I installed a used handlebar and a salvaged throttle assembly and glued dollar bills onto number plates at midnight the night before our test. Still, I was darn proud when I finally finished the project.When the little Honda hit the track, it was everything I had hoped for: tight-feeling, versatile and somewhat stylish. The motor doesn’t feel like a race engine, but it’s more than adequate for a fun day of recreational riding, and with a bit of maintenance I am sure that the top end can last another four years. Thanks to the aluminum frame and modern plastic, my new ride doesn’t feel or look like a dinosaur, either. My ace in the hole with the Honda lies in the spark arrestor; as opposed to the other Buck 25s, my ride is just as prepared to trail-ride as it is to moto! I had RG3 aim for this when doing the revalve, hence the all-around suspension settings. Roughly $1800 of parts and modifications may seem like a hefty investment, but I was able to transform an abused, dilapidated crash victim into a crisp, ride-ready machine that makes both of us smile every time the little motor turns over. No two ways about it, this Buck 25 is a keeper.<br /> <h2><i>SPECIFICATIONS</i></h2> <p><strong>Cosmetics</strong></p> <li>One Industries Snow Camo kit (includes fenders, shrouds, graphics and seat cover): $179.95</li> <li>One Industries right-side number plate: $38.60</li> <li>One Industries left-side number plate: $37.98</li> <p><strong>Engine</strong></p> <li>ProX piston kit (includes piston, rings, wrist pins and circlips): $93.94</li> <li>Uni air filter: $26.95</li> <p><strong>Chassis</strong></p> <li>RG3 front fork revalve (including labor and fluid): $207.50</li> <li>RG3 shock revalve (including labor and fluid): $202.50</li> <li>RG3 20mm-offset upper and lower triple clamps with stem, bearing and seal: $599.85</li> <li>Innova Urban Camo rear tire: $104.96</li> <li>Innova Urban Camo front tire: $97.46</li> <p><strong>Controls</strong></p> <li>Works Connection Elite clutch perch: $139.95</li> <li>Sunline MX Tacki Full-Waffle grip kit: $16.95</li> <li>Stock Honda rear brake pads: $39.16</li> <li>Stock Honda front brake pads: $39.16</li> <p><strong>Salvage</strong></p> <li>Used KTM 450 SX-F oversize handlebar</li> <li>Factory Effex Honda CRF450R front number-plate background</li> <li>Used throttle assembly</li> <p><strong>Totals</strong></p> <li>Base: $1553.50 (Includes $1370.50 selling price, $129.50 documentation fee, $43.50 tax and $10 delivery charges) </li> <li>Total modifications and repairs: $1824.91</li> <li>Grand total: $3378.41</li> <h2><i>Opinions</i></h2> <p>I’m really glad Chris participated in this story. First, it gives me free rein to ruthlessly make fun of him, and second, I knew his bike would be different. While I totally kicked his butt in the shootout, he pulled through pretty well with his Honda. First, his bike is one of the coolest looking with his FMX-inspired One graphics and hip-looking camo tires. Also, his number-plate creativity was great. On the track, Chris’ CR felt light and stable, but the bike felt tweaked out a little in the turns and chop. Somehow, he received a 20mm-offset triple clamp, which, in my opinion, ruined the turning. These bikes corner pretty awesomely stock. Another downer was that his bike had zero bottom-end. Once you babied it into the midrange, it came alive and was fine, but the bottom was no bueno. Traction issues also sort of surprised me as the silly camo tires basically slid wherever they wanted. This bike was awesome in the air, though, as it had the lightest feel and was the most fun to flick around.<br /> <strong>-Jesse Ziegler/5’10″/175 lb/Intermediate</strong>I thought Chris had the best-looking bike out of all these-well, that is, except for my ’86 YZ. I found the power to be just OK, but it had a smooth-feeling rev to it. I think I could have really liked the motor with the proper gearing. The bar and clamps were way too high for my riding style. I rated Chris’ bike second.<br /> <strong>-Joe McKimmy/5’8″/145 lb/Intermediate</strong>Having Chris by your side at test day is like having your own personal Travis Pastrana around. The kid jumps like a fool, looks smooth and relaxed on a bike and does everything else on the edge, but somehow you can’t help liking what he’s doing. I thought his bike looked cool. I especially liked his sidepanel treatment. But his bike’s engine was a real dog off the bottom-no low-end. Come out of a corner down in rpm and the bike wouldn’t move. I’m not a 125 pilot, and this bike pointed that out to me better than any of the others. At least the ergos felt great. Really, though, the worst part about Chris’ bike was suffering through all of his dumb jokes about the camouflage tires: “Hey, who took the tires off my bike? I don’t see ‘em.” Not funny. And really not funny when you have to hear him wheel the bike around to everyone else and repeat the same lame jokes. I hate those tires.<br /> <strong>-Pete Peterson/5’10″/150 lb/Vet Novice</strong> <div><a href=$