Our 2010 Yamaha YZ125 test bike has been put through the paces and this is our first test report. Enjoy.
The 2010 YZ125 is quickly following in the tire prints of the last four YZ125 motocross bikes we’ve tested at Dirt Rider Magazine. The path goes like this: We get the bike from Yamaha, we ride it for photos and then we fight over who gets to race test it. I, smartly, won the race test spat and I’ve been riding and racing the bike at every track I can drive to since. I’ve skipped work. I’ve ignored deadlines. I’ve invited fellow 125 lovers to come along for the ride and we’ve had the best time ever in recorded motocross history. And that is a scientific fact.
Since the 2010 YZ125 is mechanically unchanged this year there isn’t much to reveal on the performance side of things. But I can tell you a few moto enhancements and side effects it can bring to your races. This is coming from a guy that has been away from them for a while. Generally, I ride and race 250F’s and 450s like the rest of misguided, misled America (It’s the media’s fault! Conspiracy!).
First: The Yamaha YZ125 is surprisingly fast out of corners. It has torque, but that’s not what is fast. What’s fast is finding that sweet spot in the transmission, manipulating the rpm with the throttle and a touch of clutch and keeping the motor in the money. Do this and you’ll literally gobble 250F’s up like a hungry-hippo munches marbles. Dial in the tricky next shift in the straight after the turn and you’ll really be making people angry.
The 2010 YZ125 has plenty...
The 2010 YZ125 has plenty of berm-blasting power. Joe Melton isn’t a pint-sized pilot. But he can make the bike work by riding it with purpose. Once you try it, you’ll be hooked, too.
the Yamaha YZ125 gets no respect. It’s true. People get angry when you pass them on a 125. Most guys in my class know when they’re out-gunned and kind of get out of the way or, at least resist the wide line that sends you to the dirt in a race. I do, anyway… and I get passed a lot. But the same respect is not given to a 125 pilot. While you’re having the time of your life on your little dirt bike the behemoths of moto can and will start to come into your personal space. I’ve seen the sweetest old guys turn into 125-haters in seconds. Even during open practice days the 125 attracts more brake checks and elbows than any bike I’ve tested in the last five years. It’s odd, but still fun to pass guys that are angry.
Third: The Yamaha YZ125 gets mad respect. This, too, is true. Nothing will give your ego a bump as well as make you shine in the eyes of your peers like a day railing a 125. Few bikes get more attention at the track and you’ll see more than one rubbernecker whiplash into a tornado trying to see where that strange noise is coming from. You should have seen Brett Metcalf look at our new YZ125 in the back of my truck as I cruised by Boyz n the Hood style. It was like he found his lost puppy. They make people that happy.
Fourth: No matter what, you have to shift. This is probably the first thing people forget to do when they come back to the 125. Your left leg is going to get tired. Especially your shin and the muscles that live there. Shifting up is the sun to a 125’s photosynthesis. Do it and the bike will keep blooming. Forget and it will wither. You don’t have to fear the speed that is produced from precise shifts and aggressive throttling because it’s manageable and fun. But you do have to remember to shift.
Fifth: The suspension is really good. Yamaha two strokes are not of the new-school, hyper aggressive, quick-steering world of four-strokes. They’re light-steering enough in their two-stroke nature, sure. But the geometry does feel more relaxed than a 2010 Yamaha YZ450F or CRF450R or any of the last few KTM’s when you go to enter a corner. You can start to steer with the rear on this little sucker and it’s probably best to stay out of the slower diving-to-the-inside lines so keep it high and let her eat. High-speed stability is good on the YZ125 and bump compliance is great. It’s funny how this bike floats over acceleration chop. It’s almost like someone is carrying it over the chop.
Fly with the lightest-feeling...
Fly with the lightest-feeling bikes in the world. The 125 class is the king of airborne fun. Yamaha’s great suspension means you don’t have to worry about the landing as much, too.
A two stroke line isn’t necessarily...
A two stroke line isn’t necessarily the shortest around a track, but it’s easily the most fun and the coolest sounding. Notice the finger on the clutch? That’s really a YZ125’s throttle. Use it.
It’s amazing that such a little...
It’s amazing that such a little bike can make such a big impact. You can’t tell but Joe is smiling.