125-200cc Walt's (Hall's) WR125 PV Spring Kit: Review & Experimentation

As promised I recently bought Walt's PV spring kit and installed it along with a fresh ring.

First of all, the packaging is great. The springs are neatly separated by size into two bags. There is a huge color photo instruction page on how to remove/install the springs, and a chart detailing the effects of each spring and combination of springs (including the stock spring). In all honesty, the WR125 owners manual is less useful.

I started by installing the Yellow and Silver spring with the linkage about about the 1/2 mark. First impression, the bike ripped from the bottom. A healthy predictable pull off the bottom that easily allowed me to lift the wheel with little to no clutch work. A flat spot in the middle...not a bog, just less pull, then a strong hit on top. The bike is flying on top (the new ring probably helps). I decided I like the hit to come on a bit faster and wanted more pull in the middle.

So, I changed it out for the Yellow and blue spring with the linkage between 1/2 and 2/3. This combination really works well. The bike feels like it revs up fast, but it does not have a light switch powerband like the stock spring. Bottom is strong and predictable...great for slow single track, slow hill climbs, or clearing obstacles. The mid is still a bit flat, but the PV opens sooner and closes the mid flat a bit. The top end is great. It open with a punch but not as dramatic as stock. A very good transition.

Still having a bit of a flat spot I decided to try the yellow spring by itself. This spring felt very similar to the stock spring...just opening sooner....too hard of a hit for trail riding. Maybe good for MX or fast and open double track without any slow downs.

So, I am off to experiment some more tomorrow. I am going to continue to chase the flat spot/bog...which I think is related to the change in temperature here. It went from about 40-50 to 60-80 degrees. Also, before I took the bike apart I was running the PV linkage at the very top...so running it at any less may be causing me a slight bog again.

I am planning on putting the linkage back to the top...and lowering the needle a bit for the hotter temps to see what happens with the bog. As a side note (and dumb question I am hiding in this post) does turning the Fuel Mixture screw clockwise make the bike richer or leaner?

All in all, the spring kit is a great buy. I hope to try more combos and report on their effect. The combos that I am most curious about are the orange spring with the blue and silver small springs.

JS

I will definitely be there if I can finish some work on Saturday. I will PM you on Saturday if I am able to make it. We can meet up and represent the Huskys!

JS

JS,

Clockwise is tightening and reducing the amount of air that the carb lets through on its pilot circuit. So clockwise is richening/less air.

I am using the orange spring with a new spring I located that is half way between the blue spring and the green spring. I am hoping to try it in real life riding this weekend. I really like it around the property but that is pretty limited. If it is a success I will probably send it out as an addition to the kit for the $6 or $7 it takes to buy and send for those interested.

Walt

PS, Thanks so much for your effort and writing a review.

Thanks! I will add to it....and as always pick everyone's minds for their knowledge of these awesome bikes.

Joshua

Thanks for the report! I might play with my spring kit this weekend too. Fun stuff.

Guys I don't want to sound stupid but when I put on my 144 kit I don't remember those springs and I remember the linkage being fixed.
Do you guys have a picture of where these springs go or can you tell me. I would like to try and change the power curve as well.
Oh, and mine is a '06 WR. Thanks.

There is a thread in here with pictures of where the springs go. They are on the right side of the motor under the round cover that is above the water pump/coolent cover.

JS

I did some more testing of the springs and worked with the jetting some.

I decided the bike runs the best for me with the Orange and Blue Springs and the linkage screw adjusted about 2/3 to almost all the way to the top. For jetting, the best I can get is the needle of the 5th clip (bottom clip), 30 pilot (getting hotter here), and 450 main.

I tried moving the needle to the 4th clip and the bike ran but bogged more. I tried the 3rd clip and the bike would stutter and gasp when the throttle was wicked... With the needle on the 5th clip I still have a slight hesitation, which makes me think raising it more would help....or getting the PWK and being done with it.

The Orange and Blue Springs work really well. The best a 125 can, it transitions nicely from the bottom to the top without a wild hit as the PV opens. But the PV opens pretty early, which I like because it allows me to jump from the bottom to the top without stumbling through the middle. Also, it feels like the bike revs forever and takes some of the hit-shift-shift-shift-shift away.

Just to mess around I also tried putting the PV unit back in with the linkage arm pointing up at about 40 degrees instead of being parallel/slightly pointing down. This took away any bottom end the bike has. It was flat on bottom. But it did rev up well.

Well, after I got it all together and running well. I let a guy and his dad (70 years old) ride the bike. They were riding a couple of newer KTM EXCRW (the street legal ones). The guy's dad took it for a spin and planted the bars in a corner and bent the right clamp bolt and the bar clamp. They felt terrible (and left their number to pay for the parts)...no big deal on my end. I was surprised how the bar clamp bent though. It is tweaked diagonally from corner to corner. Anyone know of quality replacement clamps? Or should I just go back to stock?

JS

yer jetting is too lean, esp if you are pulling the needle all the way up! have you done any plug reading to confrim your main?

go 32.5 PJ, N- #3, 460/470 main for a start. tune from there starting with the slowest circuit first. confrim your jetting first then reassess your PV settings.

im running a 32.5 PJ, N-#4, 480 main for 3000'-6000' and a stock PV set up and it rips giant hairy sasquatch nads w/ no bog. the AS rarely, if ever, gets fiddled with.

bog = lean
gurgle = rich

Thanks! I will mess with it some more. I will take a look at the plug. The last time I looked it was a brownish color. No white.

With 32.5 PJ yesterday it was would gurgle off the bottom...but not terribly.

JS

Very good helpfull info guys!

Totally...i printed it all out so I can head to the garage with my daughter later and play work on the dirt bike.

A female with bike parts on the dining room table! You're my kinda gal Woodschick!

I mucked around with it today.

I found the Orange/Blue opened a bit too early for me. It was on the verge of opening/closing at cruising speed for single track.

I switched to Yellow/Green and liked better, but it feels a bit strange at the very bottom. Maybe I need to mess with the linkage?

Fun to play with though!