Description
Additional photos of this Honda RS125 are available here for your perusal.
There are very few bikes that get riders riled up like Honda’s RS125R. If you’re just looking at displacement, you might struggle to understand why that is. But the many fans of the little racebike tell a story of momentum, agility, and absurd levels of excitement. Want to really learn how to ride on a track? Start with the little GP bike that could.
The RS125R was the last factory Honda to compete in the 125 GP class, and from the beginning it was an excellent privateer race bike straight off the dealership floor. They were offered for over a decade and were the launching point for most of your favorite modern racing heroes.
MSRP was $13,000, though racers at the highest levels would spend another 13 grand in mods by the time they were hitting the track. Wet weight is around 160 pounds and some riders were getting 45 horsepower out of the little two-stroke motor. Here’s a tale from Emma Franklin, Production Editor at MCN, who shares why she loves her ’98 RS125 so much:
“All these factors combine to make a riding experience that’s just simply out of this world. Full throttle, sixth gear, tucked in, shut off slightly then barrel in; the RS’s lack of mass makes for corner entry and mid-corner velocities that are simply unthinkable on bigger bikes…It doesn’t matter where I’m riding it or for what reason, whether it’s testing, racing or just a trackday, it leaves me trembling for hours afterwards. I’ve been lucky enough to ride a lot of bikes, but nothing, nothing, compares to this.”
This example is VIN: JR019610504. The seller acquired it from a private party ten years ago.
During his ownership, the seller has covered roughly 1,000 miles. True mileage is unknown, though there are 100 miles on the bottom end and zero miles on a top end rebuild.
This bike pairs “a 1996 RS125 chassis with a CR85 big-bore engine (92cc). The bike is great at both kart tracks and big tracks. It includes all spares needed for racing and trackdays:”
* Brand new Dunlop slicks
* Extra bodywork
* Front and rear stands
* Jetting, including main and pilot
* Crank
* New top-end
* Engine rebuild seals, gaskets, etc
* Handlebars
* Rearsets
* Exhaust pipe
* Exhaust silencer
* CR85 manual (helpful for engine maintenance)
* Water pump rebuild
* Top-end o-rings (the head/cylinder, use o-rings instead of gaskets)
* Extra piston rings
* Extra piston bearings
* Extra spark plug boot
* Air filter (we never used it)
* Transponder bracket
* Extra brake handles
* Gearing front and rear
Maintenance:
“The bottom end has 100 miles and the top end has zero miles. The bike was completely apart. As part of the build everything has been re-lubed and greased. The engine has brand new transmission fluid. I also replaced the fluids on the forks and the brakes, and of course, all joints were greased.” Please see the album up top for more photos documenting the work.
Modifications:
“I purchased as a big-bore engine already. The only change we made was replacing the dashboard with an AIM Dashboard. The AIM dashboard provides laptimes and two temperatures, water and exhaust gas temperature (EGT). The latter is very helpful for tuning a 2-stroke engine.”
Cosmetic Blemishes:
Inside of the tank:
The seller has provided his own “Frequently Asked Questions” section:
* Do you have the 125 engine? No. I purchased the bike as you see it
* Who did the engine mounts? I bought the bike as you see it, more or less. I had the engine mounts and brackets re-assessed by Carlos Neves from CN Racing in the Bay Area. Notably, Carlos re-enforced the hangers and added a bracing rod which goes across both hangers.
* What type of fuel does it use? We used the bike in conjunction with an RS125. As a consequence, we only used the same fuel premix as we used with the RS125. For the RS125 we used Sunoco Supreme with Motul 800 at a 24:1 mix (Roland Cushway was our engine mechanic and there are some things you just don’t argue with him on… trust me). If you do not want to use Sunoco Supreme, I’d recommend any other 100 octane fuel and do some experimentation. After all, this engine is still a CR85 and much more resilient than the RS125.
* For what weight rider is the bike sprung? The bike was used by a rider that weighed 120 pounds. I have stiffer fork and shock springs, but they are only relatively stiffer. So if you are 140 or less I may be able to swap the springs for the stiffer ones.
* Can you deliver the bike? I’m in the Sacramento area. I may be able to meet you within a 120 mile radius.
* Do you have setup data for the bike? Yes. We have archive data from the MyChron.
* How fast is the bike at a big track? Pretty fast. It can do 2:04s at Buttonwillow’s big track.
* Why are you selling it? The rider is no longer interested in racing 🙁
Currently located in Rocklin, California, this Honda is offered on a Bill of Sale only. Have any RS125 stories or questions about this listing? Let us know in the “Comments” tab!
