Looked at all the above. Had road the YZ last two years at a demo day, and I guy I ride with has one. Could see spending 2k more for a leftover White KTM. More will be revealed. Note: Still have 3 huskys!
Yamaha's have such a good feel. But for me as far as tech goes freaking Kato/Husky raised the game with the C/B shaft 2t machines, that for me is the factor, estart is great too (but does not 100% have to be a decision maker. Before the C/B shaft in 17 every Beta 300 I rode felt so much more smooth than my 2014 TE300 and I even looked in the parts catalog to see if Beta had a C/B shaft. For me that C/B shaft is the ace.
Haven't heard too many negatives about the 250X models, both the 2 stroke and the 4 stroke. Would jump at the chance to ride one because the price, the suspension, and the reliability/constancy seem to be all positive decision points. The standard YZ250 can be made into a solid trail bike with a few modifications, so the 250X is probably a great all around bike. Could it be the one bike quiver, not sure, but it is at least going in the right direction. Would like to hear your thoughts after you get some seat time on it.
2K can go a long way to close the gap and I wouldn't trade the Yamaha KYBs for any KTM/Husky forks. Here's a video of a local kid who rides a yz250x in the Missouri Hillbilly GP series which is usually rocky and technical View: https://youtu.be/_EtJsPuhb50
Out of all the Japanese bikes a yz 250 with a flywheel weight works well and has a good feel.. Aer forks with a revalve feel as good to me as kyb sss forks.. The kybs that were on my red bikes revalved or not did not feel as good or versatile as my Aer forks.. That being said the yz 125 forks stock felt better then my revalved red husky 144 kybs.. The counterbalenced engine although not new technology does make a difference.. I've bought Japanese bikes to resell or have a spare but I'm not a cookie cutter kind of guy.. I saw a used yz250x with like 10 hours on it for a great deal so there is value in riding something else..
It's funny that you would say that about the aer forks. A couple days ago I was talking to Matt Borgic http://www.jm-racingmb.com and he said that the AER was the only air fork that he didn't dislike and that it worked well. He had good things to say about it but still preferred the KYB over all the others, including Ohlins. He also said that Yamaha lets other companies use the KYB technology but not exactly the same stuff as Yamaha which Yamaha has gradually improved over the years so the Italian Husky would have the same components as the 2006 Yamaha. Apparently your seat of the pants dyne is dialed in.
It seems that the loss of the Italian Huskys has left a few people without a bike to ride I'll keep my CR150 for now, but even though I prefer the Euro bikes, and I lust after a Beta 125RR, a white KTM is not a Cagiva, and they're all just too damn expensive. It looks like I'll probably buy a couple year old YZ125, put the extra $5k in my pocket and still have a grand to make it the way I want.
I filled the void by picking up a 2013 cr125 Husky for fairly cheap just to be able to take a rip on a 125 when I get the urge. I like it better than the completely blinged out yz125 that I used to own. A 125 is not the ideal bike for me but of all the 125s out there the Husky is the best for a tall guy.
Here’s my CR125 that I have a total of about 2K invested in. sometimes things need to be put in perspective. Lol. It’s pretty close to as fun as any bike out there to ride and for The price of what I usually spend to set up a bike.
Perspective indeed. How spoiled we were for so long when we could buy them new for a fraction of what other bikes cost
The strange thing is I had two bikes at the same time a new 125red and a 150red both revalved and better then stock and my buddy was with a big ore yz125 I believe it was and 06 or so.. And we kept switching back and forth.. For some reason the Yamaha felt better in whoops rocks pretty much everywhere.. I asked him where fe got the suspension done... He replied, Yamaha.. Lol darn thing was stock! The xlite chassis and 144 kit and I ran a 12 tooth front overall felt better then his big bore yz.. But dang it was close!
Ha u bet! I I've had a crapload of those with the biggest thing I didn't like.. Seat height and how wide the shrouds stick out.. Lol.. Had piles of broken shrouds from those. I recently saw a new never started cr 125 with 144 kit still in box 2014 sell for under 4k! I thought about it.. But like u said a guy spends so much setting the bikes up!
I'm 5'6" and I don't mind the seat height. To me they feel too long, but very stable. Which is great on the MX track, not so much in the woods, and why I'm looking at a YZ125, which feels short and twitchy to me
I'm picking up my 2003 EC125 GasGas Friday. It's a blast, rated at 36HP. Haven't rode a CR125 yet. And I still have all three huskies
... I know its been a while. First ride was more of a get a feel for the bike, but that day i must have left my riding skills at home. Just got back from a moto trip to Highland Park in Georgia. Sessions 2-5 I brought my A game. ( little history, dirt bike riding started 10 years ago New WR250 , New TXC449 and a SM610, with a littel Gas GAs ec125 thrown in.) The X is the Best bike I've had to date. Better suspension, More power, build quality pretty nice. leaving next week for another trip to Kentucky, Danial Boone National forest. Redbird Crest Trail about 100 mile loop. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5352624.pdf
The Appalachian riding looks mint! Waiting for a Yamaha demo day to come around here. The X seems to be as close to a full package as you can get straight from the factory. Thanks for the posts! That Kentucky ride is going to be epic.
