Yamaha DTR 125 - Newbie looking for advice

[Joe5y]

Hi,

As above really. I'm looking at a few of these over this weekend and having never owned a bike let alone a 125 or 2 stroke I was after a little bit of advice as to what to look for?

Mileage?
Rebuild?
Modified (or not)?
Condition?

How about other options in a 125 off-road road legal (non SM) bikes?

Thanks in advance.

[Joe5y]

podman said:

If you really have no idea, best advice I could give you would be to take someone with you who knows some basics at least, an off road learner bike of this era will have had an interesting life by many previous owners , everything and anything could and probably would have happended to it..

Whereabouts in the country are you?

I'm going in with my eye wide open but, not that it helps I guess, I have bought and sold cars for years (privately) so like to think that I have an idea when it come to looking for pups.

I'm based in Berkshire.

[Joe5y]

I've come across a few that are MY2000 with only 7-9000km on the clock (4-5000miles). 14 years and its only done 5000miles and with only 1 MOT cert - I cry bullst.

I sort of expect them to have been dropped or scratched - its exactly what I'll be doing owing to it being my first bike (@30) and mainly being used to go offroad.

[Joe5y]

littlebasher said:

Personally, i never found them a very good commuting bike (when compared to a 4 stroke 125).

Maybe a good thing as I only intend on using this a fun you for green-laning. I'm fortunate to have some amazing lanes (Ridgeway, Reading - Swindon and further) which are legal (season dependent). So as long as I and the bike are road legal it will mainly be used for fun, light off-roading.

[Joe5y]

Well, I took the plunge and within 4 days have bought a bike, done my CBT, got all the gear possible grabbing one of everything like a kid in a sweet shop and promptly crashed several times (off-road).

Here she is . . . (Didn't she look clean!)



Weirdly looks small in this picture but I assure you it is full sized.

[Joe5y]

rufusgti said:

pointing it up the field and banging that throttle wide open in first second and third before skidding to a halt time after time after time will stay with me for ever.
DT125 There was simply no better bike.

Embarrassingly I am having this same feeling only I am 30!

Went out with a few friends who have Yam 400's and KTM 450's, I and they were mightily impressed with how the DTR performed. Off-road there is very little in it when it comes to ability (of the bike).

It's no longer clean and won't see a sponge for a while!