1980 Yamaha YZ125

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[@garettanderson6772]

This was the first "real" motorcycle I bought with my own money when I was about 14. I bought it used in about 1982. Man I loved my 1980 yz125G!

[@robertrishel3685]

It’s beautiful 😍😍😍 I had RM125’s in 79 and 80, but I really wanted a YZ in 1980, my 1980 RM was essentially identical to my 79 which was kind of a bummer….

[@smallbore7025]

I don’t think the video does justice for how loud that bike is. I was 14 year’s old at the time. I drooled over that bike.

[@rwbz28]

Love my1980 YZ250. It rips! I'm 54 and still send it!

[@joelfildes5544]

Yes ! I don’t know how I missed this ?!?! I had one,it was light,and mean and nasty...it broke my leg on my first outing (jumps) I LOVED THAT YZ !

[@madeogarcia1020]

Awesome!!

[@roynelson7613]

I just got a young man started on your channel he's about 20 years old and he is so into this I love it ima help share the knowledge that you know is truly amazing you know more about vintage bikes than anybody I know that's for sure keep on rocking Kaplan America 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼✊🏼👊🏼👊🏼💯💯

[@hillbillyhorticultureselki7899]

The last year of REAL MX bikes. True. Simple. Cheap. After 1980 it turned into a high tech high money sport. In 1980 almost any one could afford to race. By 1985 it was mostly the rich kids. GORGEOUS BIKE. I would keep it in the livin room just to stare at it!!

[@outdoorshack7541]

Yeah that's so true about the rich kid thing. My dad had a yz 60 growing up and he said it was awesome! Nowadays a ktm 65 $4999 msrp! Love the old Yamaha At, Ct, Dt, It, and Yz!

[@pickleberryyum404]

Just to stare at it. Lol ......u made me laugh

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Nope, you are a few years off. It was the 1986 production rule, (forced on the industry and USA only by the FIM), where bikes really started going up in price, and it hurt the market share quite a bit. From 86 to 91, the bikes tripled in price compared to 85, and leveled out at about 5 grand until the EPA forced the 4-stroke on the industry. It is outside intervention (governments) that damage every industry free people built. My 2019 YZ250 2-stroke is more refined than my 1982 YZ250, but technology is not much more advanced. I have better suspension and better center of mass, the little brother YZM 1988 works bike aluminum frame, (see, Yamaha did not stop making works bikes in 1986 either), and a powerjet carb. I started racing in 1984 with no parental support and for the next 8 years, (I did only race about 6 times a year, but rode a lot every summer), making $4.00-$8.00 over the span of that 8 years, and earned a small college degree at the same time.

[@mrbigg7255]

Yamaha’s last air cooled bikes are killer. Sound great when they come up on the pipe!!!

[@mikebressler8951]

Great advice about doing what you dream of.., and a fantastic restoration of a classic.. 🏁🇺🇲🏁

[@philipjohnson2608]

Good afternoon Ken beautiful job on the insight of the machine. I had one years ago wow the memories brother. We gotta keep team Kaplan at the forefront of motorcycle history God bless brother.👍

[@anthonybressler4404]

Had a 1979 YZ 80. Love it.

[@paulwatsonLN]

Anthony Bressler sweet! I had the 78 yz80 and an 82 YZ 125

[@anthonybressler4404]

Paul Watson Cool my friend had the 77 yz80.

[@bobbycrawford5744]

I had a 1975 yzb 125 I loved it

[@justinjreabcm1381]

I have a 1979 yamaha 100cc looks exactly like that

[@newkidintown6559]

Nice video!! I was 16 when I traded in my 1977 DT125 (green machine) for a brand new YZ125G and that's when life took off! The only mod I made was a Boyesen Power Reed upgrade to provide more mid-range and the perfect powerband! No other 125 could catch me my buddy had an 81 RM125 and kept close but never could pass me. So I was no longer eating rocks and sand on the DT and you didn't want to be behind me on a gravel road either!! Great memories I still have the bike and it looks really nice as I took care of it I mean the seat is still hard I barely sat down fully with all 130 lbs of weight ... I still have the bike but weigh a bit more today haha

[@deborahchesser7375]

My gosh, two beautiful blue DT’s side by side. Just to see and touch all those bikes

[@scottm7341]

I really like this channel! I have had a lot of these same bikes. I had a 79 yz125 in 1980. Before that I had owned twin shock yamahas, zukies, hondas, bultacos and a Husky. Lemme tell you, riding the narrow monoshock yz for the first time was just stunning. After that, all twin shock bikes felt crazy wide to me, almost unrideable. Suzuki was the first to go to 'laid-down' shocks in 77 I think, which made the wide feeling even worse, but the late 70's rm's were still really good too.

[@marksommerville5857]

Yes please. Reminds me of my white 80 YZ80G and 81 YZ80H I raced when I was 10 years old.

[@lawrencefoster2120]

Those were the days.

[@andyanaoutdoors2487]

Had a 79. It was a lot of fun. Cops couldn't catch me.

[@kurtvonfricken6829]

There is something super cool about right side drive motocross bikes. AFAIK only Honda and Yamaha had right side drive MX bikes.

[@greggwilson8055]

I raced this bike in 1980 in Arizona. It was a great bike and I did very well racing this in local races. Good memories.

[@scottm7341]

Did you race at Canyon?

[@allanturner9902]

I'll never forget that bike that thing was a monster in its day. I rode my neighbors jumping off my XR75 and I couldn't believe how much power it had in fact had more than 125s in the 90s.

[@jeffhubbard5660]

Absolute stunner. Had 2 Rd350lcs and a 125 lc in Kenny paint.....

[@andro8642]

Greeting from Russia,cool technique,cool channel!!!

[@bradbassett1240]

Thank you. 1980 YZ was the best in my opinion!

[@MrGuvEuroman]

You just hear the ring from the air cooled Fins, that sound is so recognisable.

[@bruceweller873]

Bob Hannah approves!

[@gregroles69]

Literally scared the pants off my first girlfriend with the stocko version of this bike, thanks for the memories!

[@dodgybodger3124]

Personally my favourite bike. 😉👍 They came in red & white over here in the UK.

[@nowimps06]

Sweet as all the bikes you show, I love it😀

[@chrisbeekley1887]

I had a 1979 yz125. Bought it blown up and rebuilt the engine my senior year of high school in 1997. I went to a trade school and took small engine repair. Still have the air cleaner housing somewhere. Sold the bike to one of my class mates because my car at the time broke.

[@machelesteve]

Love the 1973 AT1 125's sitting there also. Beautiful

[@jenniferbradshaw298]

thats my dream bike,hopefully one day.

[@glennmulhare9124]

Had a 1980 YZ 125. Raced it til I blew the head. Then I found cars.. was 15. This bike was awesome.

[@obundrick]

This bike got me salivating!!! Absolutely beautiful!!!😍😍😍😍😍😍😊😍🤤🤤🤤🤤 honestly!!! Hands down one of the most astetically pleasing bikes I have seen in a while.

[@annlefrancois5960]

Had the same bike bought it with a blown motor rebuilt it but the rest of the bike was mint. Guy bought it for his son 2nd tank forgot to put oil in the gas blew it up so I rebuilt the engine and sold it and brought a a husqvarna wr250 woods weapon. Great times the 80s.

[@sonnyseabury4051]

Gotta Love Those Beautiful Vintage Racing 2 stroke dirtbikes. Awesome Video, Ken! Reminds me of my very young childhood years, dirt biking at 2 campgrounds we used to go too. Both of my Parent's Rode, as well as my Grandmaw. Grandmaw bought a Honda St 90 (I think it was), that was street legal in the late 70's, and I'll never forget her letting out on the clutch too quickly, while giving it too much gas, causing her to ride an accidental wheelie down the street. 😂😂

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Back in 1990, a good buddy of mine and I were racing the 1988 CR250's. We also went trail riding with another guy he knew, an 85 year old man on a XR250 named Howard Ferguson. He was not fast, (sans freeway off ramps, to pass people, on our way to a pro MX race one day), but he was doing it.

[@michaelbroadhead4706]

I had one very fun and badass the 250 was great too the 100 and the 490 were kickers too

[@renedeveze-aguirre1963]

Nice 1980 YZ 125 but the 1972/73 YZ 125 in the back also look nice

[@grantdeisig1360]

I had a 79' yz 125. It was awesome.

[@troymcdougall6170]

Check out the old school graphics! Sooo cool! The white lettered tires really set it off.

[@derrickzenner9300]

I love it. 1980 yz125 is best

[@jharrissocal]

In the later 1970s I remember seeing Bob Hannah beat Honda's Marty Smith in the 125cc class. Guess I'm getting old.

[@kurtvonfricken6829]

I believe you are referring to 1976 when Bob Hannah was riding a water cooled works OW 125. Honda had their new type 2 works bike but Marty smith only rode it for 3 races before they stopped using it because they thought they would lose it because of the claiming rule.

[@ethanmaxwell7456]

Now that's a real bike 👍👍👍👍👍

[@muzzmatrix]

Stupendous! Need to have Broc Glover come in & do a walk around with a mic & discuss the brilliance of this & his factory version.

[@annlefrancois5960]

Had a 79 was the fastest bike in my neighborhood at the time. Bad ass

[@roy1966hill]

i had a yz 125 and the yz 100 and i miss my bikes they both where stolen and i could not ever afford to buy bikes again i had to work my butt off to get the bikes i had

[@squarenailco1747]

I've got the 79 yz 125, don't look like that! But I has been played on a lot! Have some rebuilding to do, but it ain't gonna cost that!! I plan on riding it, not museum!

[@bruceweller873]

Donnie Cantaloupe was AMA rookie of the year on this bike.

[@herbertsmith6416]

Man that thing is crisp.

[@SUNshine-uu8hs]

AWESOME BIKE LOVE IT

[@Livehonestly2024]

Yamaha International gave me one plus parts for one season in the AMA district 22. Trust it me Z or X in this video. Mine was an X. Highly modified to get the most HP. I had to ship it back thru A local Yamaha dealer after point races was over. It was not available to the public.👽

[@kevindillon5352]

Nice....my first bike as a young teen 1979 yz125 how ide like to have it now...

[@dylanwillyams]

my granpda just picked me up an 82 but with an 80's motor in it. for free. gonna be a fun restore hard to find parts for this engine tho...

[@EarthSurferUSA]

The cylinder probably needs to be bored and fit with a new piston/ring. They started running like an enduro when it starts losing compression. Of course, as a kid with mine, that was the last thing I checked. Learned a lot about working on a bike with that one. :)

[@markb7067]

Beautiful bike! I had one. It was great except I kept bending the forks. I think they were only about 38mm.

[@thomas_mitchell3680]

I have a 78 yz 125 and I love it only paid 250 bucks for it

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I bought the 79 125 new in 1980 for $850.00. I made $1.00/hr part time at my Dad's store from 10 to 16 years old and bought 3 brand new bikes in that time for about that price. The YZ125 was the most expensive by $50.00. That is why the sport was 10 times bigger back then, (and we could ride anywhere).

[@michaelbroadhead4706]

That sound man

[@ianmangham4570]

She's beautiful

[@davidwood1923]

She's a Beauty!... I Love it

[@DAVE_WHITE]

Bought this bike used in 1984, hit 5 jumps with it broke the frame in half..

[@buff10805]

That's bad!! Bob Hannah bad!!

[@evanhrelec7213]

What premix ratio, fuel, and premix???

[@rickshum8550]

I had a 1979 Yamaha YZ125 that I got for Christmas and so wish I hadn't sold it to buy a 1982 Honda CR480.

[@anttonydamico2578]

Rick Shum wow I had the 1979 YZ 80 f & purchased The CR 480 RC & never looked back 😈🤘

[@rickshum8550]

@@anttonydamico2578 Nice ! And I actually had a 1976 YZ 80, outgrew it and sold it to my cousin. I bought the cr480r in 1984 as I left over still in the crate and paid $1,500 for it back then. Kept it a number of years and sold it for $500. :(

[@robertbruning1510]

Nice! Has BIG Blacks rear brake been repaired???

[@oldschool2988]

Where can I find a carburetor for my 1979 yz 125 ?

[@keithhawkins7039]

I had a 82. Not a great bike. This one sounds great.

[@jeffsilver4730]

The wheels were not gold on my YZ when I bought it new from the dealer in 1980.

[@ianmangham4570]

Like a mini yz465 baby

[@DudemanSwede]

Please, explain why you (narrator) disliked that i.e. 1981 YZ 125 LC? Thanks in advance!

[@torevenheim9607]

Nice bike! you have a gift talking like that, its a well oiled machinery!

[@loadthebowl]

That thing won't even throw a rooster tail

[@chuckmarquart]

What year did the Monoshock come out on the Y Z's..... I had bought one as a kid new I just don't remember what year I bought it

[@KaplanCycles]

75/76

[@chuckmarquart]

@@KaplanCycles , thank you I must not have bought it when I thought I did.... I think I bought it in the later part is 79 or early 80s.... Anyway I rode the shit out of it until I lost interest in it..... I know I paid $1,000 out the door for it.....

[@richardkrasicki6086]

The monoshock first came out on the factory bikes in 1973,Hakkon Anderson won the World 250 Championship of that year, they were introduced on their production bikes in 1975, i had a YZ 250B 1975 with a monshock , it was orsome! It and the Ossa 250 Phantom were the best 250's of that year.

[@wendellrountree4899]

Man i want that one

[@mikeporter1649]

I have that same bike. I can't find a rear wheel. Could you possibly give me some advice

[@L2fish]

Love it

[@azispurnomo322]

What is the equation for the 1981 yz 125 cylinder block with the yz 125 ?

[@Roachj09]

My brother rode 1 of these, his had an oversized dg head and fmf tho, and i rode a old yz65 bored to an 80 of this same style... fuck those are awesome bikes

[@wendellrountree4899]

How much??

[@justinweaver8407]

Hi mate x You got a price on a YZ 80h tank brother.. 81 model, the last of the Yamaha 80cc air cooled....

[@paulchambers969]

Thing sounds fast

[@nathanspindel4976]

How much horsepower does it have?

[@jamesanderson8581]

Hello, I am looking for a header pipe for A 1980 YZ125 would you happen to have one?? If so please let me know thank you very much!!

[@static-remission27]

youre so right about yamaha destroying its top of the line air cooled. 1976 was the first monoshock. Trophy bike dear old dad you know

[@jamesbaxterandthebeachball7005]

You wouldn't happen to need a 56 y/O adopted son would ya. I kinda eat a lot but I like to vacuum .

[@MiamiJato]

wow, I sold mine for 600 bucks, original......

[@Livehonestly2024]

It is a YZ125X 1980. Yamaha gave me one.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

125G

[@aryfitriaji9620]

❤❤❤

[@jamesdewer]

How did you get that much rear travel?

[@EarthSurferUSA]

It's stock. Most bikes were 12" of travel front and rear in 1979/1980. The 12" standard was set then for production bikes. From 1968 (MX introduced to the USA from Europe), to 1979/1980, suspension travel went form about 3" to 12" of travel. It still took over a decade to get them working good.

[@static-remission27]

what is sad little boy doing on the wall? New York Jetfighter

[@น้าชาติพิมสนิท]

😃👍👍👍💖💖💖💖💖

[@Jc-ce5gk]

Have one and want to sell and yes it runs

[@davidwright873]

they did destroy them, didn't they!!

[@chrisrestoux4806]

En France Yamaha est blanche. jaune chez vous!!

[@michaelbroadhead4706]

They changed to much

[@2.fresh767]

Sweet as a nut.

[@scottyd2262]

Does anybody know why the US YZ's where yellow and the rest of the world were white ???

[@adventureguy4119]

Jesus Christ is lord

[@sheeznutz2254]

I can smell the golden spectro