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The first dirt bike I ever owned was a 2007 Yamaha TTR 125 and I still have it to this day. In this post, I’ll be talking about my experience and doing a full review of the TTR 125.
I’ve owned this bike for 12 years now and mostly use it for trail riding during hunting season. The reason I use it for this is that it’s lightweight and easy to move around on and it’s also nice and quiet. That’s why it makes the perfect bike for this.
That being said, even though I see no reason to sell the bike in the future, it’s still not a perfect bike and in this post, I’ll be sharing the pros and cons of the TTR 125.
Durability
Like I was saying before, I’ve had this bike for 12 years now and even though it doesn’t have a crazy amount of hours on it it has always performed well and there have been no serious issues with it. Here’s what’s happened in those 12 years:
- After a fairly light fall, the front brake lever bent a bit and the rubber grip on the throttle side ended up tearing. It was just the edge of the grip so it wasn’t really a big deal and I’ve left the brake lever because it’s not that bad either.
- When I was taking the bike through fairly dense forest the footpeg hit a tree and it bent a bit. It still worked perfectly fine but all I had to do was take some pliers and a hammer and I was able to straighten it back.
- After about 5 or 6 years the bike was having a hard time idling and would just die when you stopped. What we ended up doing was an all-around tune-up on the bike and it worked great after. We changed the spark plugs, replaced the air filter, did a good clean on the carburetor and it seemed to clear everything up.
- The biggest issue I had with the bike was the choke seizing up. For some reason, the choke on my bike (I’m not sure if it’s all of the TTR bikes) is just in front of the handlebars. Every time I washed the bike water would run down the choke and it seized up over time and I had to get that replaced. It wasn’t very expensive and it didn’t take too long.
That’s pretty much it! There have been some scratches and bends in the plastic but that’s expected. All of the issues I mentioned above are general dirt bike problems. The only one that might be different is with the choke. On most of the other dirt bikes, I’ve been on the choke has been below the seat with the engine. Those could still have the same problem though.
Height & Weight
The TTR 125 is a great bike for teenagers and someone just getting started with dirt biking. I got mine when I was 13 and it was the perfect size for me and it had plenty of power (I had been riding bikes for years before this). It’s not the fastest bike out there but it does make a great trail riding bike.
I have the TTR 125 bigger wheel version (the front wheel is slightly bigger) and the seat height on that is 31 inches. This means that most teenager will be able to touch the ground and still have room to grow into the bike. I was pretty tall for 13 when I got it and I definitely felt comfortable on it.
It didn’t take long for me to be able to put my feet flat on the ground (which is a sign the bike could be small) but it really helped me gain experience and confidence for moving up to a bigger bike. Just because you can put your feet flat on the ground doesn’t mean you can’t ride the bike because I’m still riding it to this day and I’m 6 feet tall and 175 lbs.
The weight of the bike is around 200 lbs which is going to be a lot easier to learn on compared to a bigger bike which would be quite a bit heavier.
Speed
The TTR 125 is NOT a bike designed for speed and is not the best race bike. It’s designed to be a bike that’s reliable, durable, and comfortable to ride on for long periods of time. I’ve been on bigger bikes, smaller bikes, and 2 stroke bikes and my TTR was one of the more comfortable ones on rough terrain.
The top speed on the TTR 125 is between 45-55 MPH and it really depends on the rider. If I’m riding the bike it’ll go a lot slower than if someone who’s 100 lbs is riding it. Somewhere in that range would be safe to say and you could probably get a bit more out of it if you do some mods (I haven’t done any but have heard of people doubling the horsepower).
Engine
The TTR 125 comes with a 124cc four-stroke engine and is one of the more durable bikes out there. It is also air-cooled which means it requires the bike to be moving to cool it down.
It has a manual 5-speed transmission that uses a clutch to switch gears. I’ve never had any issues with the engine or transmission and that’s all you can really ask for in a bike.
Price
I bought my TTR brand new back in 2007 and paid somewhere around $2300 for it. Prices seem to have gone up though because I just looked at the Yamaha website and new ones are currently around $3300 (you might be able to get it a bit cheaper from your local Yamaha shop).
These bikes do hold their value pretty well though and if I were to sell it I could probably get $1600-1800 in my area. It all depends on where you are though because I’ve heard people say they can pick one up for just over $1000. If you can find one for around $1000 I’d say pick it up right away.
Is A TTR 125 Road Legal?
Your standard TTR 125 is not allowed to be driven on the road. Apparently, you can make changes to the bike in order for it to be considered street legal but I’m sure every country and every city has different rules.
It just seems like a lot of work to make the changes and you’re probably better off buying a bike that’s already street legal and also has some off-road capabilities. That’s just my opinion anyway.
TTR 125 vs CRF 125
I’ve only been on a CRF 125 a couple of times but there were some clear differences between them:
- The CRF was able to warm up quicker.
- The CRF had a slightly more responsive throttle.
- The TTR had more torque through all the gears.
- The TTR has a 5-speed transmission while the CRF has a 4 speed.
- The TTR was better on hills.
- The CRF had a stiffer suspension and wasn’t as comfortable.
- The TTR was more fun overall.
TTR 125 vs YZ 125
This all really depends on what you’ll be using the bike for and your skill level. The YZ is much faster than the TTR and is easier to lose control on. That’s why the TTR would be better for a complete beginner.
The YZ is a racing bike and is designed to be on the track. Is that what you’ll be using it for? The TTR is designed for trail and leisure riding and is much more comfortable but has a lot less power.
Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!
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