i am thinking about getting a ktm 125 sx this spring. i have never owned a dirtbike before but have ridden them before. i have rode a kx80 xr100 and yz125. i really like the power and speed of the dirtbikes. it also is more practical to have a dirtbikr in massachusetts as there is no atv parks but there are dirtbike parks. from reading the review in dirtrider the motor is the fastest in the 125cc 2-stroke and 250cc 4 stroke catagory. it makes 36 horsepower! thats compared to my tb250 thats 22hp and 461 pounds slowing it down as the ktm weighs in at 207. i am 5'7 155 pounds. the reason i am looking at such a fast bike is i dont want to outgrow it fast. im too big for a 80cc bike and i will get bored of the power. i rode the yz absolutely fine and it was my first time on a bike that size. give me your opinion on if this is a good idea or not.thanks

 

KTM makes some really fast bikes, thats true, but stepping up from a 22 horse, 461lb. quad to a 36 hp, 207lb. bike is a way bigger difference than you think. Although now that i think about it, i really cant see 36 hp from a 125. are you completely sure about that? Also, if you calculate the power to weight ratio, the KTM, (if the 36hp thing is true) has only 5.75 lbs per hp. Thats damn good. To give you an idea, your tb has 20.9 lbs. per hp. (to calculate hp:lbs ratio, take the weight of the bike and divide it by hp.) The only bad thing i have to say about KTM's is theyre very tall. I think the 125sx has a seat height of 37". thats really tall, so theyre not the best choice for lower-speed trail riding, if thats what you plan to use it for. Technically, the EX/C is designed for enduro, the MX/C is for MX, and im not sure about the SX, but i would assume its probably pretty much like the MX/C.

How old are you? and what experience do you have on bikes other than the YZ? and how long have you been riding quads? Personally i used to ride quads, then i bought a Kawasaki KDX200, it was very fast and really fun, but the thing is, it was very tall and most of the places around here designed for bikes are slower trails, and since the KDX was an enduro model, it was always wanting to get out in the open and didnt like the slow stuff at all, and since it was tall, it was very hard to balance in slow stuff too. I sold it and went back to quads, (first a blaster, and now a banshee, and i couldnt be happier). If you think this is a good move for you, then go with it, but dont jump into it if you arent completely sure (like i did).

Anyway, anything you get is going to be very different from your TB, whether its a quad or a bike.

 

The Ktm is the power leader out right now, but it does lack some what in the suspension dept. It is set up pretty stiff from the factory, and I would not recommend it for off-road. If you do have your heart set on a Ktm I would STRONGLY suggest the Ktm200. They are a great woods bike, and have more torque than a 125, but still the light weight, and turning ability. I rode dirtbikes from 93-02, and attest from first hand experience that the Ktm's have come a looonngg ways. They are now every bit as good as the big Japanese 4. But be ready! That dirt bike has Waay more power than that trail blazer you've been running. Again I'd suggest the 200mxc, or 200exc over the 125sx for what your talking about condition wise. Whatever you decide be safe, and have fun. I got love for all types of the sport [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

And yes Johnny the 125's really are making around 35hp these days! The 250's are putting out between 45-55. Some of the factory bikes are even claimed to be putting out close to 60hp! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img] Its wild how far bikes and quads are coming. In a realtive way the technology gets trickled down(eventually) to the quads as well, so we ALL benefit from the engineering in the dirtbikes.

 

i am 15 years old no experiance on any 125''s but the yz. the only mods the yz had were a k&n filter and a v force reed cage (might i add the ktm 125 comes stock with this year). heres a quote right off dirtrider.com ''Were you beginning to think the CRF would top every category in this shootout? When it comes to the engine, it's time for others to shine. On the track and on the dyno, the KTM 125 SX is king for sheer power output. The four-strokes have longer spreads of usable power and the Yamaha YZ250F tied the KTM in the ratings, but the KTM positively crushes the two-stroke competition. At more than 36 horsepower, the 125 SX corrals roughly the same amount of horsepower as the KTM 250 was making 10 years ago! The engine is a little soft right off idle, but anywhere else in the rpm range the Katoom is singing loudly and proudly. You can't find a berm deep enough to bog this engine. Just hit the clutch and you are gone. The other truly muscular and gnarly motor in the group is bolted in the Yamaha YZ-F chassis. The F barks hard off the bottom and pulls strongly through the midrange. It seems to go flat compared with some of the other bikes, especially the four-strokes, but riders found it cleared jumps the other bikes shorted in the same gear. It starts effortlessly, has a strong clutch and shifts well. The clutch could be a little easier to pull, but aside from that minor point, the YZ250F has a great powerplant. It is both fast and easy to ride. If you ride tracks with obstacles right out of turns, you'll want the YZ250F. read the bold i think i did it right that is how much it nakes and they have a dyno in the mag i tried to scan it but its too blurry.

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