STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY MATT BERNARD
Grant Reynolds is better known as Fifty Six Clix around the motocross industry, he takes a mean photo and has been published in Dirt Action many times. He is an avid staffy lover, has a bad arse vintage car and most importantly, a pair of Kawasaki two-strokes take pride of place in his collection. I was desperate for a ride on his KX125 and Grant didnt take much convincing to let it happen.
“I purchased the KX125 for $1100 and it already had a black frame and swing. But it had more hits than Elvis and was a bit of a basket case. I took it to Glenn Macdonald at Garage 36 and we stripped it down and got the frame and swing arm acid dipped. Once that was complete I got the frame powder coated black and polished up the swing arm with abrasive sanding pads.”
Sitting on the stand, it looks very, very trick. Although it’s ridden and spent plenty of time at race tracks, it’s an excellent example of a Kawasaki KX125.
“Engine-wise, it’s got a Pro Circuit works pipe and Pro Circuit R304 muffler with PC clutch and ignition covers and we added a Vortex ignition. The Engine was pulled apart and the cases split to make sure it was in tip-top condition. I replaced every chassis and engine bolt as well as every bearing. I couldn’t help but get the forks Kashima coated for that factory finish, the linkages were soda blasted back to brand new. I fitted a 2013 model front fender as well as black plastics and the graphics were done by Moto Kit.”
I jumped onto Grant’s 125 as soon as I could. Firing it into life presented a crisp and alive engine. I ripped out onto Appins track for a few laps. It only took about three turns to be having fun on this KX125. You do sit a little more “in” the bike which is a reminder of the bikes 10-year age, but the engine and handling was brilliant. The suspension was set for a similar weight to me, so I was confident to have some fun on the screaming 125.
More people should ride bikes like this, the KX125 is a brilliant bike and a bucket load of fun. There is still plenty around on the market for a decent price. It’s so light and nimble and a solid reminder of my loss of finesse when it comes to precise gear shifts and clutch and control. It was almost a training session in everything I had forgotten about riding.
If you can’t afford the latest 250F, jump on a 125, you might struggle to pull a holeshot, but you will most certainly have the biggest smile in the pits.