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Intermot review: new 125cc
Beginners on the rise
Something is happening in the small class. Various manufacturers showed new interpretations of the 125cc theme at the Intermot. A positive development that makes motorcycling more attractive again for beginners thanks to its upbeat design and affordable technology.
The problem is known. The average age of motorcyclists continues to rise, as only a few young riders move up. Why is that? Certainly not due to a lack of interest, like the Ride Now! Campaign initiated by MOTORRAD! has impressively proven. costs-
off to do the first test laps with the motorcycle under the guidance of instructors, that was what burned for the second
Edition of the campaign more than 3500 interested parties. Luck-
all participants, because of the large number of participants
had to be drawn, almost without exception got off the motorcycle with a euphoric grin after the first few meters and were themselves
sure they really wanted a license to ride a motorcycle.
So it is up to the industry and its products as well as the driving school associations to promote the existing interest and to make the entry into the 125cc class as attractive as possible for the youngsters with an attractive range of models and uncomplicated driving license regulations.
This year, the market was revived by Honda with the CBR 125 R. With 4,230 new registrations up to and including August, the small CBR is third in the registration statistics for motorcycles and light motorcycles; It is only thanks to this that the downward trend of recent years in 125cc sales was halted. The Taiwan-built Honda offers a lively four-stroke engine whose exhaust gases are cleaned by a U-Kat, a sporty look reminiscent of its big sister, the CBR 600 RR, and all at a reasonable price of 2740 euros. For 2005, the successful model remains technically unchanged, but in the colors of the MotoGP racers it is a bit more aggressive. As the next coup, Honda plans to revive the legendary Dax with 125 cc.
Some other manufacturers have now discovered that attractive 125s not only attract new motorcyclists, but also make money with the number of units that the CBR 125 has to show. They also want to cut a large piece of this pie in 2005 with a large number of new models.
Above all, Yamaha. The second largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world presented four new models at the Intermot. The DT 125 X attracted the most attention. Special fairing parts give the X version the typical Supermoto outfit. But also technically it has changed from the enduro
Derived X adapted to Supermoto requirements. So one works in front
thick 41 fork, and the black aluminum rims have road tires that are decelerated by a single-disc brake that is powerful for this class. The lively two-stroke engine should provide corresponding driving pleasure. Unfortunately, these efforts come at a price. A proud 4295 euros is not only a good item for a 16-year-old driver license holder.
The YBR 125 shows that Yamaha can do different things. At 2150 euros, it is one of the cheapest options for driving a new 125 cc. The styling looks very conservative compared to more expensive competitors, but the technology with the twelve hp four-stroke engine, two springs-
legs and one on the single-loop pipe-
frame-supported swing arm can be described as proven and robust.
With their new models, Derbi and Sachs are targeting more young customers for whom a cool look is important. The Spanish manufacturer Derbi has with the
GPR 125 Racing and its undisguised sister 125 Nude have two racers in the program that are technically derived directly from the racetrack. A 40 cm upside-down fork, swing arm with stiffening upper cables and radially screwed brake calipers bring the purest racing technology into the eight-liter class. This is beguiling
Design of the nude variant, with a mixture of Benelli TnT and Triumph Speed Triple on the bigger and bigger-
The fan base of naked bikes and street fighters counts.
Diversity is the new strength of the 125s. Sachs makes a decisive contribution to this with the Mad Ass 125. As a mixture of moped and naked bike, it should create a whole new species. In principle, the 125 Mad Ass is a grown up 50. The frame, brakes, rim and tire dimensions grew with the cubic capacity.
In contrast, the weight remained pleasantly low at 85 kilograms. This makes it easier for the engine with horizontal cylinder manufactured under a Honda license, the bike with only four gear stages up to
to accelerate to 95 km / h. The visual highlight – as is now common with modern, large super sports cars – is the exhaust system under the seat. Despite extensive equipment such as kick and e-starter, the Mad Ass at 2199 euros costs little more than its 50s sister.
A completely different caliber is the Sachs X-Road, which is advancing into the highest regions at a price of 4199 euros. Fair-
The high acquisition costs are made possible by extravagant technology such as the tubular space frame and by tire dimensions – 120 / 70-17 at the front and 160 / 60-17 at the rear – which a few years ago still looked good on a 600. The appeal of
X-Road again lies in its design,
an interesting mix of supermoto and naked bike with a touch of Italian charm.
Trying to gas the hard way
Gas with the Endupamp 125. As a leisure enduro or better as a hybrid between crosser and trial motorcycle, the Ghe gas on the chassis of the 400 series, combined with an air / oil-cooled 125 series four-valve four-stroke engine that produces 15 hp.
So selection is provided, but that doesn’t mean that the other manufacturers are allowed to rest. After all, competition stimulates business and thus also the 125cc class. MZ already sent a positive signal with the announcement that it would fundamentally overhaul the 125cc program next year. If the other big manufacturers such as Suzuki and Kawasaki, for example with a GSX-R 125 or ZX 125 R, follow suit, the upswing in which the 125cc class is currently finding itself should continue for a long time.
Buy complete article
Intermot review: new 125cc
Beginners on the rise
What else is there?
The offer is growing. Not only on funny and technically high-quality 125 cc, but also on inexpensive alternatives. Jawa and Zongshen offer models for well under 3000 euros. With the two XT models, Yamaha is slightly below or just above this limit.
In between is the naked bike from the Spanish manufacturer Rieju.
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