125 Kawasaki's

[Coby]

Hi Again,

I live and work in the same little village and I used to walk to work because the manual choke on my little Suzuki 410J would still be half way on by the time I got there.
Anyway my legs were getting worse and I was becoming a bit unpleasant with people as a result, so I gave it some thought and decided to buy a KLX 125 to go to work on.
What a laugh that thing turned out to be! I did 6000 miles on it in a year, belting around the back rounds of the three counties (Glos. Worcs. & Hereford). I'd had a KLX 250 when I lived in Wales and once I changed the ECU in order to match the Indonesian ECU with the British exhaust, that was a belter of a bike; so I kinda knew what I was getting when I bought the 125.
Anyway eventually the same old problem came up again with 'trail' bikes; you take people by surprise (pedestrians & car drivers) because you end up just going too fast in places where people don't expect you to: Speed ramps, level crossings that sought of thing. Anyway I decided it was time to grow up (the Police car waiting for me at the level crossing on the way home from Waitrose was the final straw, luckily I'd bought half a dozen eggs so I wasn't airbourne when I saw him); and traded the KLX125 for a Z125.
If I thought the KLX was good the Z was even more fun; you know that advert about the battery assisted push bike that is supposed to remind you of when you first started riding a two wheeler as a kid? Well that's the effect the Z125 had on me!
I've done 8000 miles on it since last February so not only has it kept the miles off of my 750 but I've been smiling through every mile, it's such fun to ride.
You can only do 72mph (it's got an over-rev limiter in top) but I stuck a one tooth smaller front sprocket on and the Arrow 'homologated' exhaust, so it accelerates quite well in any gear and sounds great.
The exhaust has no silencer just something laughably known as a 'decibel limiter' and you can make it burble, pop, fart and back fire at will. It handles well and it's got ABS which is good for the winter months (especially on new rubber)!
All in all, I say if you want to relive your youth try getting one of these new 125's or 250's/400's there great!

Oh yeah; the road tax went up to £20 this year!

[bhinso]

I had a KMX125 (2002 model) for several years.
2 stroke but i did 15,000 miles on it without a rebuild. I miss it

[jeffyjeff]

pardon my ignorance. is the Z125 comparable to the Honda Grom?

[Coby]

I've not heard of a 'Honda Grom'.

Is it some form of sarcasm?


Thrashed the crap out of the Z125 yesterday, going well on the 97octane gas!

[Scrap]

Honda Grom = Honda MSX 125

Kawasaki Z125 (USA and Asia) =/= Kawasaki Z125 (Europe)

The USA and Asian Z125 is similar and is a competitor to the Grom/MSX125, both being 'mini' bikes, e.g. 12" wheels.

While the European Z125 is like a Z250SL with a 125cc engine in it, with mostly big-bike proportions, e.g. 17" wheels.

[pepperami]

[Coby]

OK, now I get what you're saying:

No the British Z125 a 'proper' little bike, whereas the American one is a 50mph, 65octane fuel, 'monkey bike' just for fun really.

Or that's what I was told by the yanks online.

[Coby]

Yer know; the fact that you can have quite so much fun and make quite so much of an unholy row without even breaking any speed limits, will never cease to amaze me!

[Coby]

The use of 97octane gas in the Z125 is definitely ambient air temperature sensitive!

[Coby]

The use of 97octane gas in the Z125 is definitely ambient air temperature sensitive!

[Nobby the Bastard]

Are you on speed?
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[Coby]

No, 97octane gas.


All of the power, all of the time.

I'm telling you Nobby, 97octane gas + high ambient air temperature and the ECU on this Z125 plays tricks!

[truslack]

Are you really delusional enough to think that 97RON fuel makes a difference on a 4t 125CC single?
____________________
Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[Coby]

Yes!

[Coby]

The most obvious thing is how fast it goes at the red-line in each gear:

95octane - 64mph in 5th
97octane - 68mph in 5th

for example.

It's the cleverest little thing.

[truslack]

No, speed is correlated to gearing and engine revs.

The redline does not move.

If it achieves 64mph at (Random redline figure) 10K RPM with 95RON, then it will also acvieve 64mph at 10K RPM with 97RON
____________________
Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[Coby]

Yes I was confused at first as well, but its' the truth.

All winter with the cold air it's been doing 64mph, but now that the temperature has come up, I'm back up to 68mph.

That's why I said "it's the cleverest thing"!

[truslack]

[Coby]

The speedo doesn't lie!

[truslack]

The only difference the air is making to your 4T 125 Single is whether it's blowing at you from in front or behind
____________________
Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Coby]

Ambient air 'temperature' is the key.

Honestly, the red-line hasn't moved.

As far as I can tell it must just be the cleverest ECU I've ever come across!

[truslack]

[Coby]

The difference is a bit hard to miss, because the over-rev. limiter cuts in at the red-line.

[Coby]

Extremely clever as far as I can tell.
As I said the over rev. limiter cuts in at 64mph in winter (with 97oct.) and at 68mph in summer.
The speedo is run of off the ABS so it's accurate even though I've changed the gearing.
If anyone can come up with a better explanation then I'm all ears.