The Rm250z 1982 perhaps the fastest vicious motor and handled. These RMs dominated MX until 1983 Honda finally got it's act together. RM 500 was nice I raced . Smooth handled well never broke down much . Rear suspension was best .
The 82 RM125 was a revolutionary bike when it came out. Water cooled with one of the first rising rate suspensions in a production bike. A true classic.
I never rode that bike, but I understood that the rear suspension "Original Full Floater", worked very well. It actually compressed the shock from both ends, but i am not sure how much of a factor that was. The later "Bell Crank "Full Floater", was never up to the original par from what I understand. I don't think we can tell how good it is on the smooth tracks today. We had 12" of travel,---before we had big jumps.---because the tracks were rough. :)
It definitely was different. On hard spike-type hits like square-edged braking bumps on hardpack tracks is where it really shined. None of that jolting you'd feel on other brands of the era.
The full-floater was superior to anything else at the time. I rode a 1981 RM125. It was less powerful than other Jap bikes but the handling was on another level. You could keep the throttle pinned over the roughest sections of the track and pass other riders and it would track straight and smooth.
40 + years old or not, you can still recognize the benefits of that sweet, sweet Full Floater system. I used it on both my '83 RM 80 and my '85 RM 125 and the way it feels trumps all else of that particular era. Its design of allowing the shock to work independently of both the frame and swingarm and has a very distinct and smooth feel unlike anything else I ever rode.
My first "real" dirtbike that I bought for $300 in the early '90s. Loved it to pieces(and back together again) and learned a lot on it. Long gone bu now as I used it for a partial trade for my first 500, a ratted-out '85 KX500 that I rehabbed that was later stolen out of my garage.
I was 14 in 1981 and had a 74 Honda XR75 my parents had bought me when I was 11 for $200 and I learned to ride and work on it, but it was not much to ride anymore. I had all the magazines and was bugging my dad to let me get a RM/CR/KX/YZ 80 as I had been on a few and was 2 stroke hooked, He seemed to be for it, but kept stalling me, Finally one day he said how about a 125, I think you will outgrow an 80 too quick, I already knew the RM was every magazines top 125 in 81, and my favorite as well, so as soon as the 1982 RM125Z came out and was the best bike again, We got in the truck one day and drove to a nearby City that had dealers with more Motocross race bikes in stock than our little dealers had motorcycles. $1550.00 and it was in the back of the truck coming home. That bike was so good, and so unbelievably cool back then, I even got a Simpson model 52 full face helmet, Scott goggles and gloves. I was the shit....Although I have had several bikes since then, that is the only bike I ever bought brand new. Good memories for sure.
Awesome story! My father did the same. I wanted another 80cc bike after my '83 RM 80 blew up, but my old man said nope. I was only 5 feet tall at the time, but I quickly learned how to get my brand new 1985 RM 125 in motion on a downhill, jump up onto it, and kick it over in a matter of seconds.
Nice build. 1:25 But your compression measured a bit low because of the non-compressed o-rings on the head, (if you can't clamp it tight.). The added area is worth about .5mm of stroke. All that weld deposit scares me a bit, because I know the stress as it "pulls" as it solidifies, is great. But it machined out nicely and should not be a problem IMO. Not a high stressed part really. It is a nice build. Good job. Doug in Michigan.
This bike , or the 1981 model which was exactly the same apart from the decals , was the game changer that started the trend of major development in the world of motocross. Radical styling for the time , great suspension and liquid cooled. This bike absolutely dominated the 125 classes in 81 and 82 , nothing came close.
Owned that exact bike ling ago Set it up for trail bike riding - brilliant motor , very light able to flick over logs etc - infact doing this iwas just the best - felt way lighter than a 2005 kx125 i owned In the top 3 best dirt bikes ive ever owned
Bought one of these in 86, with a view to race. but sadly that didn't happen as the person that was going to be taking me, let me down and at the time i only have a motorcycle on the road. brilliant bikes.
I have a 1980 last year air cooled twin shock and i dont care what anyone says or thinks they are the best looking dirt bikes ever manufactured i mean think about it all of a sudden Yamaha was painting their bikes yellow and black i wonder why hmmm
Very nice! I especially like early '80s bikes, it is when I became interested in them and started riding. I am curious about the welding you did on the rims. I have done that, too. Looked OK, soon cracked next to weld. I had assumed that they were probably weldable 6061. Mine were not...after some research found that most are 2024. DID and Takasago typically are, anyway. It is considered unweldable. They are ERW welded from new- electric resistance welding. Which works OK, I guess, but that is where they Crack for me. My TIG welds did not last. 2024 is very strong, but crap for welding. Al/Cu crystals don't form or distribute correctly during cooling. (?) Most aircraft sheet metal (wing & fuselage skin, etc) is this alloy. Sun rims are 6061. Any thoughts? Do you know your alloy? Are welds holding up? Mine re-cracked after one rocky, brutal eastern PA woods ride. Nice that you do your own machining and welding. I do, too. If you can't do all that, you're a parts replacer! Forming a squish area in that combustion chamber is something many people wouldn't think about. Beautiful bike, thanks for the video.
3_D printing has come a long way with materials they use. 30 years ago, the plastic used in the auto industry (for a model of a part that is dimensionally accurate, like a grill, for example.), was very brittle. They were handled very gingerly. If you dropped it, it would shatter. I wish somebody would figure out how to 3-D print subscription Rx goggle lenses to be clear and tough, that will fit in popular goggle frames. That would be a $300.00 lens I would buy.
It corners better than modern bikes when sitting, just for the fact that it is a lower seat height. Lowered bikes. Not just for 15 time champ RC anymore. :)
Riding a 125 2-stroke fast seems to be a dying art. All we heard in the 80's was full on, or full off,---all the way around the track. Pretty much pinned, when no on the brakes, and using a lot of clutch for the pinned throttle, (and trying to pull a taller gear with no bog, which also forced us to enter the corner faster.). Looks like 4-strokes have made us pretty lazy riders. A good 125 Pilot may have had more skills than a Jet Fighter pilot.
The 1981s used the “Power Reed” design that had a piston port intake with a 2 petal reed in the bottom of the intake port. The 82 used the “Full Reed” like is used on most engines and then in 1983 they went back to the 1981 cylinder.
Leaning up against the side of a home in 88 a never raced 82 rm125z stock with trick air box & alum adj floater struts brought home fired up shifted 6 gears fog trail behind it rt crank seal needed,3 moves later 2014 missing the bottom end in box,have a cheater roost factory ported 82 cylinder obtained rebuilt 81 125n bottom end have 81 stock top end read 81 had harder hit probably get rid of it 82 shock better then 81 of course will need rebuilt an chassis paint,seat cover plastic fenders,side panels & tank restored,rims&spokes are straight Floater rear end walked away from the competition in the day.
I had a 1983 in 83 loved that bike super great bike. Wish I still had it
I raced a 1992 RM125 just like this and loved this bike. It’s nice to see you saved this one from certain death. It looks and sounds fantastic.
Grew up in a Yamaha shop since 1968, Man I miss those bikes Simple cheap and a whole lot of fun !!
Reminds me of the best times of my childhood
Yes, sir, it does.
Love it! My favorite bike of all time!
Those full floaters were real handlers. I had the 465 back in the day I'd give my eye teeth for another one.
I wanted that bike so bad back in 82 !
HELLUVA BIKE in its day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RAIL CORNERS LIKE A PRO!!!
In 1988 I redid a exact bike rebuild of a Bromleys Sukuki race RM125 out of Trevose,PA. Ohhh the memories!!!
You Struck Gold getting that Bike😵🔥
Enjoyed my 81 and 82 .. Made a Regular kid feel as Factory as possible.. Great memories of my RM day's 💪👏✌️
Had a 81 loved it
That bike in '82 was the best!! I had a '82 CR125R; great bike, but the RM had an edge.
The Rm250z 1982 perhaps the fastest vicious motor and handled.
These RMs dominated MX until 1983 Honda finally got it's act together.
RM 500 was nice I raced . Smooth handled well never broke down much .
Rear suspension was best .
I had a 81 awesome bike !!!
The 82 RM125 was a revolutionary bike when it came out.
Water cooled with one of the first rising rate suspensions in a production bike.
A true classic.
Bike is absolutely mint!
Best looking bike ever made
Great work Arn! You and Haydon should be proud!
Nice job great looking bike
I never rode that bike, but I understood that the rear suspension "Original Full Floater", worked very well. It actually compressed the shock from both ends, but i am not sure how much of a factor that was. The later "Bell Crank "Full Floater", was never up to the original par from what I understand. I don't think we can tell how good it is on the smooth tracks today. We had 12" of travel,---before we had big jumps.---because the tracks were rough. :)
It definitely was different. On hard spike-type hits like square-edged braking bumps on hardpack tracks is where it really shined. None of that jolting you'd feel on other brands of the era.
The full-floater was superior to anything else at the time. I rode a 1981 RM125. It was less powerful than other Jap bikes but the handling was on another level. You could keep the throttle pinned over the roughest sections of the track and pass other riders and it would track straight and smooth.
Awesome!!!
40 + years old or not, you can still recognize the benefits of that sweet, sweet Full Floater system. I used it on both my '83 RM 80 and my '85 RM 125 and the way it feels trumps all else of that particular era. Its design of allowing the shock to work independently of both the frame and swingarm and has a very distinct and smooth feel unlike anything else I ever rode.
Fastest 125 i ever had not even close hell the Lil 50 and 80 will dog most 150s from like 95 till 2010
I had a 80 that would hit 60 to 70mph and my 125 was easily hitting 85 shit could ride wheels in 3rd gear with my 300lb step dad at the time..
My first "real" dirtbike that I bought for $300 in the early '90s. Loved it to pieces(and back together again) and learned a lot on it. Long gone bu now as I used it for a partial trade for my first 500, a ratted-out '85 KX500 that I rehabbed that was later stolen out of my garage.
I was 14 in 1981 and had a 74 Honda XR75 my parents had bought me when I was 11 for $200 and I learned to ride and work on it, but it was not much to ride anymore. I had all the magazines and was bugging my dad to let me get a RM/CR/KX/YZ 80 as I had been on a few and was 2 stroke hooked, He seemed to be for it, but kept stalling me, Finally one day he said how about a 125, I think you will outgrow an 80 too quick, I already knew the RM was every magazines top 125 in 81, and my favorite as well, so as soon as the 1982 RM125Z came out and was the best bike again, We got in the truck one day and drove to a nearby City that had dealers with more Motocross race bikes in stock than our little dealers had motorcycles. $1550.00 and it was in the back of the truck coming home. That bike was so good, and so unbelievably cool back then, I even got a Simpson model 52 full face helmet, Scott goggles and gloves. I was the shit....Although I have had several bikes since then, that is the only bike I ever bought brand new. Good memories for sure.
Awesome story! My father did the same. I wanted another 80cc bike after my '83 RM 80 blew up, but my old man said nope. I was only 5 feet tall at the time, but I quickly learned how to get my brand new 1985 RM 125 in motion on a downhill, jump up onto it, and kick it over in a matter of seconds.
Best looking bike IMO
Mark "the bomber" Barnett would be happy with this bike.
Sounds and looks amazing..
Nice build. 1:25 But your compression measured a bit low because of the non-compressed o-rings on the head, (if you can't clamp it tight.). The added area is worth about .5mm of stroke. All that weld deposit scares me a bit, because I know the stress as it "pulls" as it solidifies, is great. But it machined out nicely and should not be a problem IMO. Not a high stressed part really. It is a nice build. Good job. Doug in Michigan.
This bike , or the 1981 model which was exactly the same apart from the decals , was the game changer that started the trend of major development in the world of motocross. Radical styling for the time , great suspension and liquid cooled. This bike absolutely dominated the 125 classes in 81 and 82 , nothing came close.
the motors were quite different, case reed 1981 and cylinder reed 1982
Owned that exact bike ling ago
Set it up for trail bike riding - brilliant motor , very light able to flick over logs etc - infact doing this iwas just the best - felt way lighter than a 2005 kx125 i owned
In the top 3 best dirt bikes ive ever owned
I had one of these I bought gently used in 83. Loved the rear suspension and handling. Great bike. Couldve used a bit more power though.
I had that very same bike. It was a ripper!
Way cool .
Bought one of these in 86, with a view to race. but sadly that didn't happen as the person that was going to be taking me, let me down and at the time i only have a motorcycle on the road.
brilliant bikes.
Let’s go!!!!
Took mine to pismo dunes earlier this year, it wasn’t running right (or maybe it was me) so I only took it for 3 spins, she was pretty great though!
I have a 1980 last year air cooled twin shock and i dont care what anyone says or thinks they are the best looking dirt bikes ever manufactured i mean think about it all of a sudden Yamaha was painting their bikes yellow and black i wonder why hmmm
F U C K E N AWESOME!!!!!!!
Very nice! I especially like early '80s bikes, it is when I became interested in them and started riding.
I am curious about the welding you did on the rims. I have done that, too. Looked OK, soon cracked next to weld. I had assumed that they were probably weldable 6061. Mine were not...after some research found that most are 2024. DID and Takasago typically are, anyway. It is considered unweldable. They are ERW welded from new- electric resistance welding. Which works OK, I guess, but that is where they Crack for me. My TIG welds did not last. 2024 is very strong, but crap for welding. Al/Cu crystals don't form or distribute correctly during cooling. (?) Most aircraft sheet metal (wing & fuselage skin, etc) is this alloy.
Sun rims are 6061.
Any thoughts? Do you know your alloy? Are welds holding up? Mine re-cracked after one rocky, brutal eastern PA woods ride.
Nice that you do your own machining and welding. I do, too. If you can't do all that, you're a parts replacer! Forming a squish area in that combustion chamber is something many people wouldn't think about.
Beautiful bike, thanks for the video.
Needs the blue seat put back on it. I painted my frame blue to look like the newer model. Lol
Do you have a link to Hayden’s 3D printing site?
3_D printing has come a long way with materials they use. 30 years ago, the plastic used in the auto industry (for a model of a part that is dimensionally accurate, like a grill, for example.), was very brittle. They were handled very gingerly. If you dropped it, it would shatter.
I wish somebody would figure out how to 3-D print subscription Rx goggle lenses to be clear and tough, that will fit in popular goggle frames. That would be a $300.00 lens I would buy.
It corners better than modern bikes when sitting, just for the fact that it is a lower seat height. Lowered bikes. Not just for 15 time champ RC anymore. :)
Had a Totaly fast 81
Won everything.
Riding a 125 2-stroke fast seems to be a dying art. All we heard in the 80's was full on, or full off,---all the way around the track. Pretty much pinned, when no on the brakes, and using a lot of clutch for the pinned throttle, (and trying to pull a taller gear with no bog, which also forced us to enter the corner faster.).
Looks like 4-strokes have made us pretty lazy riders. A good 125 Pilot may have had more skills than a Jet Fighter pilot.
One tooth bigger back sprocket
Wait, it’s 3d printed? (Sounds like an old guy with a new term). 3d printed?
bought mine new , and have slowly restored it.
The 1981s used the “Power Reed” design that had a piston port intake with a 2 petal reed in the bottom of the intake port. The 82 used the “Full Reed” like is used on most engines and then in 1983 they went back to the 1981 cylinder.
Un vrai vélo pas très puissant mais un moteur facile seul point négatif la boîte.
Leaning up against the side of a home in 88 a never raced 82 rm125z stock with trick air box & alum adj floater struts brought home fired up shifted 6 gears fog trail behind it rt crank seal needed,3 moves later 2014 missing the bottom end in box,have a cheater roost factory ported 82 cylinder obtained rebuilt 81 125n bottom end have 81 stock top end read 81 had harder hit probably get rid of it 82 shock better then 81 of course will need rebuilt an chassis paint,seat cover plastic fenders,side panels & tank restored,rims&spokes are straight Floater rear end walked away from the competition in the day.
Bad ass dude 👍🏻💯