Retro MX Reviews #1: 1993 Suzuki RM 125
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- Here it is at last, my pilot episode of "Retro MX Reviews." Taking a look at and a lap on the 1993 RM 125 at Riverdale Raceway in Toutle, WA. My goal is to review a wide variety of old MX bikes, not just my own of course. So I'm soliciting volunteers haha!
Oh, I forgot to add this part to the video... but my best lap on the 125 was only two seconds off my best lap on my 250F. I don't feel that's entirely accurate as the track had just been watered when I was on the 250F, and was much better when I was on the 125. But still quite an eye opener for what a 25 year old bike is capable of! My experience in the past also shows that this track is very good for 125s in terms of laptimes because it is flat and relatively tight.
Feel free to leave comments if you had one of these bikes, know of some cool resources, or are building one now!
I had a 1993 RM 250. That bike had sweet low end that just exploded when you blipped the throttle. Very fun bike.
Early spring 1993 I walked into a dealer with intentions of purchasing a brand new CR 125. In 1993 the CR was pink!! It just wasnt doing it for me although that wasnt a deal breaker as I could just get new plastic. But since I was there and they had all four major brands side by side; I started looking at the others. The Cow was just plain ugly with that number plate molded into the fender, the Yamaha of that year, just had crappy quality you could see it right there on the show room floor. Things just didn't line up and then purple and white wasn't much better than the pink. Walking into the store the RM was my last choice as I hated Suzuki. I wanted a Honda!! The RM looked very good, everything flowed, its build quality looked good and sitting on it it felt better than the others. I ended up wheeling out that RM and loading it up. The 1993 AMA suppercross 125 championship was won on a RM, all bike mags of the time gave it the best reviews against the others. Soft front fork and I think too stiff of seat was only negitives. Dirtbike magazine called it the bozooka!! That RM ripped and i had a lot of great times on thing.
I’m getting back into vintage because that’s all I can afford
Nothing wrong with that!!! I wish more people would figure that out. These 90s bikes are very fun and very capable. If they sold these exact bikes for what they cost new, our sport would grow overnight! Have fun!
I had a 1988 Honda xr80r but it blew up
Very cool, Mark. Good job.
Great video man
I have a 1993 rm125 mikuni carb with Boyesen reedvalve aluminium. Its awesome and fast. Love the 90 bikes and here in Sweden its alot of them for Cheap prizes
Has the same bike. I was 14 in 1995 and outgrew my 1990 RM 80. Found this bike used but in great condition at a local shop and worked all summer with my dad doing drywall to pay for it. Turned out to be a great machine in a great time for moto. Nice review! Thanks for the memories🤙🏻
I'm 15 a d just got 1 sitting for 15 years some new oil coolant and a park lug and carb clean and she fired the first day I got her home and I swear she gets faster every ride
That’s the bike I road as a teenager , still have it been sitting in the garage for 20 something year now maybe I’ll get it going for fun
interested in parting it out
@@brodystoltz5750 I completely restored it 2 years ago when we were home during Covid
Awesome vid!!! I grew up reading MXA and dirtrider, i wouldve killed to have that thing when I was a kid
Very nice video !! I have this bike since 2008 and I race with that until this days. It's a very good bike, low maintance and have a long live engine. For me is not a cheap maintance, because i live in Brazil and we doesn't have a lot of parts like in the US or in Europe. Were in Brasil, motocross is very very very expensive sport, sadely. Now the upgrades. I made some upgrades in cylinder, with transfer window opening and a Wiseco piston, put a new V-Force reeds and new break hoses. Now I wanna upgrade the forks and shock with racetech kits.
Thanks for the comments Diogo! I went with the Boyesen Carbon pro reeds because I was just being cheap, but when they wear out I will probably go with the V Force also. Great choice. Did you do the porting yourself? I'd like to look into porting also. Also, I rode the bike with the stock forks and now with the 1994-1995 forks, if you can find a set of newer ones to put on it is really worth the effort, especially if you can find a set from a 250 with the stiffer springs.
Dude....excellent job! I am a 42 year-old ex-racer that is just now getting back on an MX bike. Actually, that's not true. I am looking for a bike to buy to start racing the vintage/vet class. My last race and ride was on an FMF modified '93 RM125.
Thanks John! The RM is a really fun bike to ride and handles like a dream. The power is lacking so you have to work a little harder. Vintage is a great scene -- do research with your local organization to get a good feel for the class structure before you buy a bike. I'm 46 - 90s bikes are still a blast to ride and are pretty cheap, not to mention when you ride them it seems like muscle memory almost takes over if you raced these same bikes as a kid. And lap-time wise... 90s bikes (at least for me) are only 2-4 seconds a lap off of my modern bike times, depending on the track. They are no joke!
My son still rides my old original 93 rm125 and gives the new bikes a run for the money key to these bikes is keep the rpm in high it loves a high rpm
Good job bro. How do you think it compares to the 96 YZ125 you had. And must say I'm surprised your first review want on your CR500...lol
It was clean and I didnt want to get it dirty haha, plus I had just done a few things to the RM so I wanted to shake it down. As for yhe YZ, I never got that thing running right so I cant really compare. Definitely a longer powerband than the older 125s I have ridden. Power spread may be similar to my 04 yz 125, but less juice everywhere. I'd guess these were around 30-31 hp?
Just got done restoring one of these I got in a million peices in a box , bike is much fun my primary trail bike
My favorite years of the RM I want to find a 93 RM250 make it show room floor stalk and put it in my living room
I’m in the process of rebuilding mine now
I had a 1997 rm 125& 250, but speaking of the 125, I liked the bike so much that I spent some money on it, new pipe and silencer (PC), new reeds (vforce block and reads) modded forks and shock (race tech) and bars pro taper. I still really had to stay on the pipe, to compete. I really miss it, still have the rm250, my son rides it a lot, but it was a great bike, ive always liked Suzuki, no matter what, and it was hard to in the late 90's.
@UC-votApa9YDIeHoAMjNF9CA in 88' I rode a kx80, I'll love that treasure forever, I got one for my 13th bday....brand new in 88'
Oh the reason, for Suzuki... I fell for it when I found out about McGrath was gonna be riding one, now I know how much he hated it! He even had the conventional forks changed out for inverteds!
Get a 250 in that year full pro circuit with shorty and pwk carb tight bore with 105 fuel and flywheel weight bikes a beast with a cheater tire lol best bike over all not like these new ones they don’t seem like the older ones
Will it lift the front wheel easy?
Oh yeah, no problems there, just not as fast as a Honda of that year!
Ok I’m looking at getting a 1994 rm125 for $1500 I got a 2006 yz85 rn pretty fast for its size lol it’s fun wheelies in every gear
Does any one know where I could pick up a 93/94 rm125 any help would be appreciated
Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are my usual go-to places. If you use Searchtempest you can search Craigslist in multiple cities. Hope this helps!
Mark Swart Thanks
Would 1993 rm125 be worth 1600? It runs great just has some cosmetic damage
If it is mechanically great, then probably so. Since COVID, bike prices are crazy now anyway, it's a seller's market. But if it just needs plastic or seat cover and stuff like that, those are easy to find and not crazy expensive.
Jai acheté y'a 2 ans comme 1ere moto et je me regales tres binne assise par ça selle bien large lol
Vélo très amusant, profitez-en! Oui j'ai utilisé Google translate pour ce message lol !
Make 1983 yz250 if you can
Want makes the RM 93 125 is a blue printed motor.
Mr. 93 rm 250 bloody tries and kills me every time I ride
Ur not afraid to jump but your cornering is so bad and slow.
Good looking bike tho
Gee thanks. Why be a dick?
Geez what an ass
Had one and loved it. Still have some sweet spare radiator shrouds hanging up for it. If you have never ridden this model you will burn your leg on the pipe the first few time due to the angle and height of the pipe.
I didn’t . Just bought new . Like new for under 2 grand . Happy with it
I liked that sit down in it feel. Makes you feel one with the bike. New bikes feel like your on top of it .
Love the early 90s 125s except for the suspension, just got done rebuilding my 94 CR 125. 👍🏻
Respringing helps a lot for the older bikes, if you can find springs that fit. The Race Tech calculator will give you a good idea of what you need. Old bikes were soft!
Nice video! I really enjoy the 90's 2 strokes. I own and rebuilt my 94 RM125, new crank, plated cylinder at Millenium tech, new Wiseco piston. I upgraded to the Vforce3 Reed setup and a PWK striker Kehin and the bike is very fast. The new Kehin made a huge difference as did the Vforce reeds. I'm also running a used FMF gold series. I think your lack of power may be attributed to the Mikuni. Again great video thanks!
I might pick up a '93 RM125 very soon. Do you remember around how much the build cost you?
36 or 38 mm carb ?
Nice video mate I had a 1992 RM250 back in the day.
I've got a rm 125 1992 🤘🏻
I (my stepdad) bought this bike for me new in 1993 from Federal Way Suzuki. Raced it mostly at SIR, Woodland, Washougal, and the PACWEST series. I think your number plates are from 94 as they have that lower tab. Great to see the bike still going good!
Funny coincidence, in the time I had that bike I also raced it at Pacific Raceways, Woodland and Washougal!! I have no idea on the numberplates, I honestly didn't realize they added the tab, you have a good eye! I sold the bike in November of 2018 and bough my 1993 CR 125. It is....significantly..... faster. I loved the way that RM just dropped into turns but the HP gap is very real.
I had a 94 RM125 as a teenager and it was probably my favorite dirt bike that I ever had, awesome video, brings back lots of good memories
That's great to hear Jon, glad I could help take you back!! It's still a damn fun bike to ride too!
put 250 shocks back front on it new pipes
I just got one last week wondering what you ran threw it and I was thinking 40-1 but that might be to rich
Anywhere from 32:1 to 40:1 is pretty standard, depending on how hard you ride and type of oil. I would not run anything lower than 32:1 though, it will be a smoky mess!
How does the exhaust shielding work on the right side panel on these? My 93 RM250 burned through the panel and I want a solution before putting brand new UFO plastics on.
I honestly cant remember, some of them use little rubber spacers between the pipe and plastic. If nothing else you can buy stick on heat shield material and use it on the inside of the numberplate.
What are jets are you running in the carb? I got a 93 rm 125 with a fresh top end, but doesn't sound nearly as crisp as yours, I'm getting some bogging in 1st and 2nd gear?? Your bike sounded awesome!! I also have the fmf gold series pipe with fmf silencer
How hard is it to find parts for these old Suzuki's?
Hi Ron - actually really easy. I can still order most all regular maintenance parts from dealers. Had to scrounge the silencer on ebay.
Everything is easily available , good luck finding replacement power valves the only part that’s hard to find
Mark Swart point me in the direction of a crank I have looked and looked
i had a 93 rm125 and the crank was 600$
That’s Riverdale! I’m going there Tuesday and Wednesday next week!
Right on! I spun a lot of laps there when I lived in Washington!
I nearly bought an 89 advertised as a 94. Before I watched this video. Thanks
That's great to hear the video helped. The 89 was actually a good bike, but you'd be at a disadvantage if you had to race against the newer ones. 86-88 were pure junk by the way. Good handling but super slow and goofy ergonomics. Good luck with your bike hunt!
I’m 15 I really want a 90s 2 stroke or early 2000s but my parents won’t let me buy one.
Shaun Reaves I really like the 92 rm 250s people say the power bands suck but I think I would like the hard hit.
Shaun Reaves yea id love to get one but my parents won’t let me until I get a car. I was gonna get a 2021 ktm and make payments.
Shaun Reaves yea they are really expensive I just really wanted a nice bike to make a supermoto. If you don’t care about being legal on road it’s probably not worth it
Shaun Reaves I want a nice supermoto and then an old 2 stroke with street tires to learn tricks and stuff so it doesn’t matter when it gets dropped.
hey mark do you have an email we can chat more about this bike as i have one an dont have the answers i need
Sure thing - it’s mark_swart at Yahoo. I sold the bike a few years ago but am happy help as much as I can!