Why the Suzuki SV650 is the best bike

They’re cheap: With early models cluttering the used market for around a grand, there’s not a lot that can equal the SV’s performance and thrills-per-pound ratio. Add another £1000 onto the budget, and there are just as many sub-10,000 mile minters ready for abuse, and all will chew up funkier, classier and more expensive rivals.

Despite the arrival of Gladys, sorry, Gladius – a newer, sleeker, less masculine model – Suzuki continue to offer the SV in its current range, even though development has been discontinued. And at £4,975 for the current asking price, the SV sits pretty against more modern, less able price-point competitors.

CatC/D ‘write-offs’ shouldn’t be dismissed either. Bodywork often tips the money scales of insurance companies and an upside of the SV’s popularity (we’ll get there in a minute) is the subsequent used parts at bargain costs, which are super-easy to obtain. Chucking it down the road or converting into a cheap, crashable trackday scalpel doesn’t necessarily have to mean selling your house or at worse, suicide.

They’re popular: At the last count, there were more Suzuki SV650 frequenting Her majesty’s highways than the combined number of Range Rovers, X Factor contestants and syphilis sufferers in the UK. Everywhere you look, whether it’s urban commuters or rural funsters, you’re guaranteed to see a Six-Fiddy lurking around somewhere.

Apart from financially appealing, the SV’s charm could also include just how easy it is to pilot – whoever you are. The relatively low seat (800mm), sumptuous throttle, frugal fuel consumption, lashings of grunt and light, flickable handling all combine for a newb-friendly ride. On the contrary, feed it some twisties and it’ll munch apexes all day, not to mention stunt on request.

They’re bulletproof: They say a cockroach is the only thing that’ll survive a nuclear strike. Well, that’s horseshit, as the SV650 could endure two. Despite the modest grunt and zippy motor, chasing tenths wasn’t in the design brief so engine longevity is a significant benefit. Spanked, revved, bounced off the limiter and munching miles: you’d have to try exceptionally hard to make one go BANG.

Don’t be afraid of high mileage second-hand steals. SVs will go on and on like Ariston, requiring the occasional oil change to go with fuel and tyre kicking.

They’re sportier than you think: It’s not just a rudimentary novice steed or commuter workhorse. Chuck a set of sticky tyres at a SV650 and there’s an abundance of sporting talent waiting to be unlocked. The economical suspension might be a little bouncy and loose but intrinsically, the chassis is superb and capable of a lot more than its ancillaries can cope with.

The UK patriotically prides itself on inventing sports like cricket, football and egg-chasing. You can add minitwin racing to that momentous list. Yes, that’s it: Minitwins, ‘the 21st century gentleman’s cricket.’ If you’re not au fait with the rules and regs of minitwins, they’re very constrictive (aftermarket exhaust, shock, rearsets, braided brakes and race bodywork is the crux), which means good, clean, bloody cheap racing. It also highlights just how proficient the SV is in standard-ish trim, capable of lapping Brands Indy in 50-seconds.

100bhp is possible without a cube increase: The arrival of the Supertwins class in racing has seen a radical upsurge in development for budget happy shoppers like the SV650 and Kawasaki’s ER6. James Hillier managed a 117mph lap of the TT aboard a (heavily-modified) ER6 and, with all due respect to Kawasaki’s creation, Hillier would have managed it on a Suzuki but for a big, fat Kawasaki contract getting in the way.

Ryan Farquhar triggered the ER6 crusade (and is partly responsible for the Supertwins’ inception) but the Suzuki hasn’t been given the chance to prove its minerals. JHS Racing – Suzuki GB’s official entrant in the Lightweight TT – have worked their magic on the SV and massaged a modest 95bhp from the 645cc motor, albeit at huge cost.

JHS Racing also spent years developing a ram-air system and an intricate (and massive) set of injectors in the quest for horses and success at the TT, yet reverted to all the standard equipment as it made more power. Chucking an exhaust can and fuelling module alone will reap benefits – around 70bhp’s worth of benefits.

Source: 44teeth.com

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British motorcycle engine uses Honda VFR1200

British carmaker Ariel planned new product launches with 1,237 cc engine of Japanese cars in the coming weeks.

Events where the bike He will appear as the Goodwood Festival of Speed. In addition to the power source, the car also uses Ariel's gripping single Honda VFR1200 and will demonstrate the phases mountain pass at Goodwood.

Ariel motorcycles will be produced in the form of bespoke - more according to customer preferences. The company also revealed that one of the options might be sitting up straight. Ariel is also the maker of the Atom, a unique form of sports car design with no doors, no roof and glass front. Each of the Atom are made on demand and preferences of each client, and upcoming bike also has similar criteria.

According to Simon Saunders, Director of the British car maker, Ariel motorcycle saddle with 3 different styles, 2 or 3 type fuel tank, the design of the car and different wheels. 170 horsepower engine VFR means vehicles can come dual-clutch gearbox with Honda's automated mode and 6-speed semi-automatic with numbers. Stepless gearbox DCT can also be optional.

Goodwood Festival of Speed ​​event will take place from 26 to 29/6 at Goodwood House, West Sussex, England, with the screen thrilling racing over hills. Is held every year, visitors can admire here automotive and motorcycle racing models from many periods and under different brand names in the world, among them the latest F1 machines.

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2017 Ford Fiesta hattrack

The Ford Fiesta is the best-selling new car in the country – in fact, more Fiestas have been sold in the UK than any other car, which is quite an achievement. But why? Well, it's good-looking, great value for money, fantastic to drive and cheap to run. 

All of these are important attributes in any popular new car, but you may find that the Fiesta a little wanting when it comes to practicality – its rear seats and the boot are small compared to those of rivals like the Vauxhall Corsa and Skoda Fabia. It also doesn’t measure up well next to the Nissan Note and Kia Rio, but they were designed from the outset to be more practical than the average supermini, so you can’t really blame the Fiesta for that. 

Where the Fiesta does star, however, is in the engine stakes and how it drives. There's a great range of petrols and diesels – all of which offer a great balance between performance and economy. If you do high mileage, the 1.5-litre diesel is probably the one to go for, but for everyone else, we’d recommend the 99bhp 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol. It offers flexible performance, as well as good economy and low CO2 emissions, which means low running costs.

From behind the wheel, the Fiesta is by far and away at the top of its class. Not only does it offer an entertaining drive – the steering is sharp, direct and full of feel, while there's also plenty of grip and body lean is very well supressed – but it also rides comfortably and is reasonably quiet, too, so long motorway journeys aren’t a chore.

Inside, however, it's beginning to feel its age, with rivals like the VW Polo and SEAT Ibiza surging ahead for both material quality and in-car technology – Ford's SYNC system lags behind the rest a fair bit.

The entry-level Studio model is very sparsely equipped, but it's also only available with outdated engines, so it's best avoided anyway. If you go for a model in Zetec trim with the aforementioned 99bhp EcoBoost engine, then you should be pretty happy, as you’ll get useful kit such as Bluetooth phone connectivity, DAB digital radio and air-conditioning. Top-of-the-range Titanium X models are very well-equipped, but choosing this trim level makes the Fiesta quite expensive.

The Fiesta is safe, too, scoring the full five stars when it was crash-tested by Euro NCAP in 2012. You get seven airbags, stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes. If you feel it's necessary, you can specify loads of extra safety kit, too.

In terms of reliability, the Ford Fiesta came 41st out of 200 cars in our 2015 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, which is pretty impressive, although owners were clearly concerned about build quality, as it managed just 131st place in this regard.

Source: carbuyer.co.uk

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2016 Seat Leon Cupra 290 review, good idea

Revisions to the Leon Cupra have increased power and introduced a new, lighter sports exhaust. Do they make it a more compelling hot hatch?

What is it?: 

Seat’s performance boffins have been busy beavering away to make their quickest hot hatch even faster. The already rapid Leon Cupra 280 model has been replaced with this new 290 version that gains an extra 10bhp over the old model. That takes power up to 286bhp.

Not only is it more powerful, the Leon’s peak torque output is available over an extra 550rpm: it now arrives slightly sooner at just 1700rpm and hangs around until 5800rpm. Despite the increase, emissions and economy are unchanged.

Helping performance and also generating a sportier sound is a new exhaust system. This has a lower backpressure than the previous pipework and is also 5.8kg lighter. Rounding off the changes is Seat’s Full Link infotainment system that supports Mirrorlink, Android Auto and Apple Carplay.

As before, you get a limited-slip differential up front to keep things under control, plus the option of a Sub8 Performance Pack, which adds bigger Brembo brakes with four-pot callipers and lightweight 19in wheels. If you’re really serious, you can have sticky track day spec Michelin Cup 2 tyres, too.

What's it like?: 

You’d be hard pushed to tell a Cupra 290 from the outgoing Cupra 280. Externally, the only difference is a change to the boot badge to reflect the car’s additional power.Behind the wheel, it’s a similar story. There’s no doubting that it’s a seriously rapid hatchback, but then, you could say the same about the Cupra 280.

Ultimately you’ll be hard pushed to notice the difference unless you drive the 280 and 290 back-to-back. Even then, we doubt you’d really feel the extra get up and go. You’ll certainly appreciate the broad spread of torque, though.

The Cupra 290 starts pulling hard from around 2000rpm meaning that even on the twistiest of roads, you can happily leave it in third gear and still make brisk progress. If you want to go faster, the manual gearbox is slick while the dual-clutch auto is predictably smooth, intelligent and swift to change gears.

The rest of the package is as effective as ever. The VAQ electronically controlled limited slip diff may work in a more subtle manner than those fitted to the Renaultsport Megane or Honda Civic Type-R, but it still helps the front tyres find impressive traction. On smooth Spanish roads, our car's Cup 2 tyres no doubt played more than a small part.

Dynamically the Cupra 290 is still less agile and aggressively set-up than our favourite fiery front-wheel drivers. A closed stretch of Tarmac showed the Seat could carry remarkable speed down the equivalent of a British B-road, but it never felt particularly involving.

The steering is precise but not overly feelsome and there’s not the real sense of adjustability that makes the best hot hatches such a riot. It also doesn’t sound quite as fierce as some rivals, despite the new exhaust. The optional Brembo brakes do deserve a mention, however; even after a hard workout they remained fade free, something that gives you a great deal of confidence when pushing on.

Should I buy one?: 

If you were tempted by the Cupra 280, then the 290 should prove even more of a draw. You still get a choice of a three or five-door hatch, plus the option of a practical estate, while the Sub8 pack makes it a genuinely more aggressive offering. That said, you’d really only appreciate the latter on track, we suspect.

However, with the range starting at £28,375, rising to £32,780 for the DSG-equipped estate before you’ve added any options, there are other cars for similar money that are outright faster, and even more fun. First and foremost, despite not trying one in the UK just yet, and if you can settle for something with five doors, we’d be tempted by a recent introduction from Ford that has an R and an S in its name.

Source:autocar.co.uk

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Rent a Volkswagen Passat with Sixt| News Motobikes

Sixt car rental is proudly the Volkswagen Passat for car rental. This classy sedan is a popular rent a car option due to its spaciousness, style and performance.

A Volkswagen Passat rent a car from Sixt can add some excitement and character to your travels. Treat yourself to a high performance, smooth ride with a Passat car rental. Here are just of its benefits:

Comfort: This full sized sedan offers plenty of cabin and cargo room making it perfect for any kind of travel. It has great handling and a quiet cabin so you can relax and enjoy the ride.

High Fuel Efficiency: Despite its ample size the Passat does not sacrifice on gas mileage. It can achieve 43 miles per gallon on the highway, exceeding most midsized hybrid sedans in its class. This means you can save on costs and on time at the pump.

Consumer Popularity: The mid-size luxury sedan is a model that has been steadily growing in popularity over the past decade. Drivers are enthusiastic about this design because of its ability to accommodate a large number of passengers while still being generous with its storage space without becoming stripped down on the interior.

Renting a VW Passat from Sixt

Sixt strives to provide their customers with affordable, top quality car rental services in each of its 4,000 locations worldwide. You can browse our website to find the best price on a rent a car for your travels. We recommend to book online or directly with our team and include upgrades and add-ons for an optimal driving experience. Please note,  Sixt cannot guarantee you to receive a VW Passat, however you will be able to get an equivalent vehicle in the same chosen category.

Source: sixt.com

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5 impressive car debuted at the New York car show 2016

New York Auto Show 2016 is where many of the world's major car manufacturers launching new products and the most impressive of his concept.

New York Auto Show is one of the five largest car exhibition, held shortly after the Geneva Motor Show. This exhibition does not have the presence of two large car firms Bugatti and Lamborghini, but not so that this year's event lacks the impressive debut.

2017 Acura MDX is considered one of the cars with high pragmatic in this year's exhibition. The latest version changed a lot compared to the previous generation. The front end grille equipped with a new diamond. This is the style seen on the Acura Precision concept. Additionally, MDX 2017 version also has the option to use a hybrid system powerful and more fuel efficient.

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was introduced only a short time before going on exhibit in New York. Sports cars, muscle coming from the US is still equipped with a supercharged V8 engine as on the brothers Corvette Z06 and the Cadillac CTS-V performance should be expected to bring many surprises. Block V8 engine capacity of the vehicle produces 640 horsepower and maximum torque of 868 Nm. Camaro ZL1 exterior of attention with muscular lines, masculine.

From Japanese supercar Nissan GT-R 2017 received a lot of changes and upgrades compared to the older generation. The overall design of this car has not changed much, but the details on the car has been rectified. New interior design, with the first details on the car appeared. In addition, the engine of the Nissan GT-R 2017 is also compared to the previous upgrade. "Heart" 3.8L V6 producing 565 horsepower capacity (extra 20 horsepower) and torque of 633 Nm maximum.

At the New York show this year, South Korean automaker Hyundai introduces visitors to the city car concept Concept Genesis New York. This is considered a rival of the BMW 3-Series. Providing power for this concept is the twin-turbo 2.0-liter engine capacity of 245 horsepower. Meanwhile, the exterior and interior of the car is designed and visually impressive. Recently, Hyundai is clearly showing the ambition to compete with premium brands in the world, while adding premium brands open Genesis. Son of Hyundai products have caught the attention of G90 luxury sedan Genesis. More likely future concept in New York will be the next product launch to compete with German car makers.

MX-5 Miata models of Mazda are bringing great success for the Japanese car maker, especially when the car won 2 of 2016. It is therefore not surprising that the version Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster also generate RF much attention in New York car show this year. Owning sleek, with KODO design language, the MX-5 Miata RF is considered one of the most beautiful cars exhibition

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Toyota GT86 preview

While the Toyota GT86 isn't the most powerful car in its class, the engine begs to be revved and offers plenty of performance for keen drivers. The lightweight body and rear-wheel-drive layout make it one of the best handling sports cars on sale too, especially at the affordable end of the segment where the GT 86 competes.

It’s practical too, once you’ve accepted the limitations of a nominal 2+2 seat layout.

MPG and CO2 efficiency aren’t GT 86 highlights, and neither is the feel of the interior, but if you want the most engaging drive of anything in its price bracket – and some way beyond – the Toyota coupe delivers.

Our Choice: Toyota GT 86 2.0 D-4S

Toyota launched the GT 86 to address criticism that its line-up lacked excitement for driving enthusiasts, resulting in a back-to-basics, rear-drive sports coupe with a bargain list price and plenty of driver appeal.

The GT 86 was named after two of Toyota's (arguably) most inspiring cars. These are the 1960s 2000GT, which also donates some styling cues to the GT 86, and the mid-80s AE86, which has become legendary amongst the ‘drift’ fraternity for offering fun rear-drive characteristics in a cheap hatchback body.

The Toyota GT 86 is identical to its sister car, the Subaru BRZ, in all but its badge, sharing the same 2.0-litre 197bhp boxer engine and six-speed manual gearbox. A six-speed auto is also available as an option.

The Audi TT and Nissan 370Z are two possible rivals for the Toyota GT 86 along with the Subaru BRZ, but the low price of the both of the ’Toyobaru’ cars makes them more of a value proposition. Buyers might also be looking at the VW Scirocco, Renault Megane Coupe or any number of hot hatches.

The Subaru BRZ is now cheaper than a manual Toyota GT 86 thanks to a £2,500 discount and has more exclusivity. Toyota, however, has a wider dealership network should anything go wrong.

The GT 86 has been on sale since 2012, and is available in a limited choice of specifications. There's the basic GT 86 Primo, which does without the standard car’s keyless entry, climate control and automatic headlights, as well as a couple of high-end special editions called the GT 86 Blanco and GT 86 Aero. The latter adds a sporty bodykit and huge rear wing, but retains the same 2.0-litre engine. 

Toyota also makes a tuned Toyota Racing Development (TRD) version of the GT 86, which adds some tuning parts and has a more aggressive looks. However, it's a lot pricier.

Engines, performance and drive

Great balance and nimble steering make the GT 86 a joy through the bends – but more power would be good

With its low price and impressive handling, the Toyota GT 86 has few rivals that come close to beating it for driving enjoyment at such a low cost.

The rear-wheel drive chassis on the Toyota GT 86 is perfectly balanced, and the relatively low overall weight of the car, coupled to a low centre of gravity, means it excels in corners.

There's loads of feedback from the GT 86's steering and the brakes are strong without biting harshly, meaning the driver gets loads of confidence when driving quickly.

An even weight distribution means the car feels well balanced, while responsive steering allows you to catch tail slides with relative ease. On track, you can easily turn a slide into a drift by keeping the power on, although circuit use also demonstrates that the GT 86 could easily cope with an extra 50bhp, which would make it all the more entertaining.

The interior can get a bit noisy at speed and the firm suspension is a bit bouncy on the motorway – but the GT 86 will put a smile back on your face as soon as you turn onto a twisty A-road.

Engines

The 2.0-litre flat-four boxer engine generates 197bhp and 205Nn of torque. Those are relatively modest numbers for a car of this nature, and to keep the power flowing, the Toyota GT 86's gearbox needs to be worked quite hard. Keen drivers won't mind too much, and the car will reach 62mph from rest in 7.6 seconds with some nimble shifting.

Opt for the auto and you get a traditional torque converter unit rather than the preferred dual-clutch set-up, although Toyota reckons its gearbox has software that mimics the feel of a dual-clutch box. It saps power though, to the extent that 0-62mph takes a rather pedestrian 8.2 seconds. 

The Nissan 370Z offers much more torque than the GT 86, and some may prefer its muscular 324bhp V6 engine to the free-revving unit in the Toyota. All versions of Audi’s TT are quicker than the Toyota, too.

However, if you’re prepared to push for performance and are more interested in the actual drive than comparing vital statistics, then the GT 86 can prove extremely rewarding.

MPG, CO2 and running costs

Economy and emissions lag behind class-leaders, and depreciation is significant too

Despite its small 2.0-litre engine, the Toyota GT 86 is surprisingly expensive to run. The six-speed manual version returns just 36.2mpg and emits 181g/km of CO2. 

With the sporty bumpers and huge rear wing of the Aero model, fuel economy drops to 34.9mpg. With a fuel tank capacity just shy of 11 gallons, that would mean you’ll be visiting the fuel station every 380 miles – or fewer with something in reserve.

The truth is, of course, that driving the GT 86 in the manner intended is likely to see consumption drop to the wrong side of 30mpg. 

To put the figures into perspective, a similarly specced Audi TT with the 1.8-litre TFSI petrol engine returns 44.1mpg on the combined cycle (a mixture of urban and out of town driving) – which is all the Toyota can manage as its out of town figure. The Audi is also cleaner thanks to CO2 emissions of 149g/km.

The Toyota GT 86 with the automatic gearbox has slightly better figures. It manages 39.8mpg and emits 164g/km. But that model is best avoided as the manual is faster and far more fun. If you're looking at buying a GT 86, a few mpg probably shouldn't put you off anyway.

Unlike rivals from VW and Audi, Toyota offers no diesel option to further extend efficiency.

Servicing and maintenance costs should be reasonable for the Toyota GT 86 though, and all models come with Toyota's five-year warranty so it’s not all bad news. 

Insurance groups

All Toyota GT 86 models are group 30, which is pretty much what you’d expect given the performance levels on tap.

Depreciation

Sadly the Toyota GT 86’s engaging driving experience does not seem to be translating into strong second-hand demand. As a result, the depreciation curve is much fiercer than that of the Audi TT, whose premium badge gives it a big advantage. We reckon you’ll be doing well to keep more than 45 percent of a Toyota GT 86’s showroom price after three years, whereas the TT could retain as much as 57 per cent.

It could be worse – the Nissan 370Z is not only significantly more expensive than the Toyota, but it'll likely shed more value too. 42 per cent predicted residuals mean you may not be able to consider the £30k+ 370Z as a new rival for your GT 86, but if you’re looking for a three-year-old car they’ll be similarly priced.

Interior, design and technology

The focus is on fun, not premium fit and finish, but the Toyota GT 86 has tons of personality

The Toyota GT 86 is a traditional-looking sports car with aggressive styling, which includes a long bonnet and a short tail, plus a large front grille and rear splitter with twin exhausts. The Subaru BRZ is virtually indistinguishable aside from the badges.

The Audi TT has a more premium feel and appearance, especially on the inside, but the way the Toyota GT 86 looks reflects its personality - it's fun. 

The interior of the Toyota GT 86 is full of cheap-looking plastics, but the layout (flick switches, for example) and the mock-carbonfibre trim make it feel like a road-going racer. The frameless rear-view mirror and optional built-in sat-nav give it the edge over Subaru's BRZ, but hot hatch rivals such as the Ford Focus ST are cheaper to buy and they're nicer inside.

The Toyota GT 86 TRD gets an even more aggressive body kit, which has a different front spoiler, side skirts and special 18-inch alloy wheels, while special edition Aero models add a huge rear wing – without any tweaks to the engine.

Then there's the GT 86 Aero to give a bit of extra visual impact. There's a new bodykit, deeper front bumper and side skirts and a carbonfibre-effect rear diffuser. The most noticeable addition is a huge rear wing which looks a little bit like an awkward aftermarket add-on.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment 

All GT 86 models come with a six-speaker audio system, which is part of the Toyota Touch multimedia package. Featuring a 6.1-inch touch screen, the Bluetooth compatible system acts as the single interface for everything from sat-nav to smartphones.

There are a limited number of apps, including a ‘send to car’ function for google location searches. Upgrading to Touch & Go Plus adds voice recognition and email integration.

Source: autoexpress.co.uk

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Honda CBR125R that's good motorbikes

The Honda CBR125R is a 125 cc four-stroke engine sport bike made by Honda. The CBR125R first appeared on the market in 2004. It is manufactured in Thailand alongside the CBR150R, the latter for the Far East market.

The CBR125 was introduced in 2004 by Honda to fill in a gap in the 125 cc market left by the discontinued Honda NSR125. It is powered by a liquid-cooled four-stroke, two-valve SOHC, single cylinder 124.7 cc engine with a claimed power of 10 kW (13 hp)

2004 to 2006

The models produced during these years resemble the CBR600F4i and use a carburetor in the fuel system.

The Repsol color scheme was introduced in 2005 and remained for the following year only as the CBR125RS5/6

2007 to 2010

In 2007, the CBR125R received some major changes including fuel injection.

The 2007 model received new front fairings to resemble the look of the CBR600RR as well as colour changes to the swing arm and front forks which are now black.

Engine changes included PGM-FI: electronic fuel injection, IACV (Idle Air Control Valve), which operates with the FI system, and HECS3 oxygen sensor to comply with EURO-3 regulations.

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Yamaha RD125LC Model types preview

The RD125LC was borne out of a potentially disastrous time for UK and European motorcyclists. Pre 1982, the learner laws allowed all over the age of seventeen to buy a pair of “L” plates and instantly gain instant access to a 250 cc machine. For the lucky ones this would have been a shiny new 250LC or X7 and with it the experience of a genuine 100mph plus performance. For the less fortunate things were still not so bad, with the older GT and RD types still having a good bash at getting through the 90 mph zone, although those that chose the four stroke quarter litre option paid heavily both in performance and the street kudos stakes. With the introduction of the capacity reduction also came a serious restriction in horsepower from the no holds barred heady heights of the race replica 250 machines to a more sedate 12 bhp. Of course there were loopholes that could get you on a 250 machine while still wearing those red L’s but it did usually involve fitting one of those awful sidewinder “leaning” sidecar affairs.

RD125LCWhen the new regulations were announced most thought that Yamaha would continue making the aged RD125 air-cooled twin, but the modern times demanded a modern machine and the faithful old girl with its dated engine, coffin tank and flexi frame, was resigned to the subs bench. Not that the twin wasn’t a great little bike, the original RD 125 twin boasted 16bhp and in highly modded, water cooled and tuned to one step away from destruction, form it was responsible for two 125cc world championships back to back between 1973 and 74. Thankfully in 1981 Yamaha saw fit to grace us with a stonking new 125cc machine to take our minds off the limited power now available by law to learners, this all-new motorcycle accurately mimicked the style and handling of its larger RD relatives. The single cylinder RD was everything the ten year old twin never could have aspired to be, stylish, modern and technically up to date with CDI ignition and the latest in chassis technology, above all it became the object of most seventeen year olds desires.

Alongside the roadster came the pure motocross influenced Yamaha RD125LC using virtually the same engine as the RD and capturing the minds and thoughts of a different kind of learner rider who now could have a real “MX racer” on the road.

The first machines hit the dealers showrooms during 1982 at £820 plus the on the road charges, this made the RD the most expensive of all the new 125’s of the time but none the less it was, along with its equally radical DT stable mate, the best seller by far, quickly capturing the youth of the days imagination with its stylish nose fairing, belly pan and sweeping tank seat arrangement. With it came the usual go faster trade and before too long Yamaha shops all over the UK were selling racing reed valves, S&B filters and micron exhausts.

Once these few mods were carried out it also became necessary to fit a Ledar air correction kit to sort out the jetting but when complete a fully unrestricted LC became an exciting machine to be on. They were also pretty exciting to be off too as most succumbed to the perils of the learner rider in one way or another, they didn’t crash too well either with many damaging the nose cone and its fragile mounting brackets. The faster, or road side object encountering, spills often taking out the swirly spoked front wheel as the design was not strong if struck from the wrong angle. Poor maintenance often led to the rear swinging arm bolt becoming seized, this in turn prevented the engine from being removed as the bolt ran through the rear of the crankcases. Several cures were developed for this including drilling the ends off the swing arm bolt and removing the engine with the swing arm and sawing the bolt off between the engine mounts, both were time consuming tasks but with no other options available it had to be done. The front calliper could also prove troublesome, as the large, fine threaded pin that holds the pads in place proved susceptible to corroding and seizing firmly within the aluminium calliper body.

Most doubted the ability of a single cylinder design to match, let alone exceed, the power of a twin, but these fears were soon proved unfounded when the bike was shown to produce a whopping 30 percent more than the old style machine. The new RD also out stopped, and out handled, the old twin, attention was totally focussed on the latest water-cooled single.

The engine was loosely based on the DT125/175 MX engine, using a similar vertically split crank case design and almost identical gearbox components but with several major design differences enabling the fitment of the water pump and other ancillaries. The gear selector drum was repositioned from high up in the DT’s casing to its new home slung below the gear cluster to make way for the balance shaft now needed to calm the high revving, but dynamically out of balance, single cylinder engine; the vibration created by the engine above 7,000rpm became too spine tingling and would have led to may problems like frame and body work fractures if left unattended.

Yamaha RD125 LCUnlike the LC twins that use cylinder head studs running the whole length of the top end, the 125LC barrel is held in place via four studs situated around the cylinder base, this enables larger transfer and inlet passages and with it, the extra power needed to bring 125cc machines into the next generation. Once this is securely held then the cylinder head can be tightened down as part of a completely separate process enabling the barrel to be removed without upsetting the important water-cooled top end. Of course the base mounted barrel also left the door open for Yamaha’s next toy to tempt the two stroke fans, the Y.I.C.S variable exhaust valve system, although it did take several years before the UK saw this device on an RD125LC.

The handling is sharp, with a fast and responsive steering action, allied to competent and efficient brakes. The single cylinder power plant is the only give away to its learner status, the chassis being more than capable of holding it all together and pointing the right way at speed.

The parts are scaled down copies of the LC twin, which in turn is a complete take off of the 1977 racing TZ’s with its straight running top tubes and monoshock rear suspension. Unlike the larger LC’s however the swing arm is a box section TZ type, although for the RD125 the metal used was steel, painted silver, rather than expensive aluminium. In the world of the learner legal 125 the RD was physically large machine to sit on and be around but within the “big bike” cycle parts, big seat area and body work Yamaha did manage to cram in a small wheelbase greatly aiding the nimbleness. Although it works, the head angle is actually verging on the unstable but this gives a short and rapid wheelbase far more abrupt and agile than any roadster that had produced in the fifteen years before the baby’s RD’s release.

RD125 LCAlthough the horsepower is nothing to shout about, the impact that it creates upon the bikes motion is greater than the majority of larger capacity machines it replaced. The full power engine produces hefty pull, although the dyno informs us that only eleven foot pounds of torque is produced, however this feels far more once the engine steps up on to the pipe and into the power band, the engine will then happily sing all the way to it’s redline at ten thousand revs. The figures do not sound particularly impressive but when faced with the lightweight of the slim chassis, gives a top speed not far off the magical ton figure that totally eluded many of the previous generation of 250cc learner machines for so long.

The 125 LC became the perfect tool upon which to learn ones biking trade and lessons acquired whilst living with this machine will come in very handy in later life. The actual operation of the brakes apart, the only fault I have ever found with the RD125LC is when under braking, the steep head angle and light steering gives a shopping trolley feel to the front end when braking really hard, this can at times be a little disconcerting as the rear attempts to take the lead. It rarely happens of course but that feeling is there none the less. The later sixteen inch front wheel did little to solve this problem, and if anything, made it considerably more twitchy as the smaller diameter wheel reduced the trail and simply didn’t have the built in stability of the 18 inch item. The type, in fully unrestricted form at least, is an exciting and rewarding machine to ride with all the right manners and temperament to prepare you for a life of motorcycling.

Yamaha RD125LC (12A restricted) Specifications (unrestricted 10W in brackets);

Engine – single cylinder water-cooled two-stroke, reed valve induction

Capacity – 123cc

Bore & stroke – 56mm x 50mm

Compression – 6.4:1

Carburetion – Mikuni VM 24SS

Ignition – Hitachi CDI

Max Power – 12.2bhp @ 7500rpm (21.1 bhp @ 9500 rpm)

Torque – 8.68 ft lbs @ 7000 rpm (11.5 ft lbs @ 9250 rpm)

Transmission – six speed wet clutch

Frame – twin loop steel tube

Suspension – 30 mm telescopic forks Yamaha De carbon monoshock rear

Wheels – 2.75 x 18 front 3.00 x 18 rear

Brakes – 220mm disc floating single piston caliper. 130mm SLS drum rear

Weight – 98kgs

Wheelbase – 1295mm

Top speed – 70 mph (90 plus mph)

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