2023 YZ125 Race Build - Best Bike Ever?!

We're out at Fox Raceway putting our race built 2023 Yamaha YZ125 through its paces, and it did not disappoint! With a few easy and affordable mods you can get your smoker ripping and have what we think is the most fun possible on 2 wheels.
Make sure to stay tuned til' the end to hear this baby sing with a few minutes of raw footage from the day!
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[@JacksonD489]

Ping, I love that you are doing these budget builds... 90% of the public doesn't need a full blown race spec bike. I'm digging the content! Thanks for all that you do...

[@willreid6966]

Love the yz125 builds. Great to see you didn’t change too much!

[@mxracer158]

I miss my YZ 125. That bike was so much fun to rip on.

[@64maxpower]

That's so excellent that you run the stock pipe

[@garylayton5719]

Love seeing you on the 125s, Ping. That bike sounds absolutely NASTY!

[@gregroybal348]

Still Ripping Ping!!! Keep doing these garage builds👍👍👍

[@rg807]

My God, does that sound GREAT! An absolutely fantastic build.

[@kruse1105]

Love❤ those Yamaha smokers !

[@jerryhill4893]

I raced behind you at Lorettas in 91'. Ive always respected your skill, Ping. Still rippin. I see you've added the stand up game in the corners. You can teach an old dog a new trick. Great stuff.

[@lancerains4185]

Looks like you have perfect track conditions for the day... I have the 2019 version.. As a veteran rider the bike is wonderful in stock trim we blinged it out with carbon fiber stuff and some custom graphics pro circuit pipe silencer also just the hinson cover not the full basket.. All the controls remain stock They are really solid stuff and work well kind of overkill to change them The seat also remains stock don't care for a hump or ribs for a 125 I think it's important to have a smooth transition from tank to rear Fender transition as you will be moving forward and back quite frequently ribs and humps will hinder that movement... Bars are Renthal with full dimond grips don't care for any waffles unless it's breakfast time, like the thin feel.. The bar pad spinner strap was removed from the front number plate because I personally think it's the dumbest thing I've ever seen on a dirt bike....As a Texas resident most of what I ride is pretty soft so we finished it off with a set of MX33 sneakers... Over the years I've come to the conclusion that I have more fun on a 125 than any machine I've ever thrown a leg over... Even for a spectator theres nothing more exciting than seeing a pack of 125 hammer around the track.... Lastly Thanks for the posting Ping let's keep the 125 dream alive....

[@Dsm152]

You removed what from the front number plate?

[@tolonicks1]

Ping you ride that like a factory pro 💯💯🔥🔥🔥🔥amazing

[@tcparker2]

I like these “real guy builds”. Us weekend dudes just like a sweet bike that’s fun and don’t need 10k dollar suspension

[@Jacobskibros]

I remember in 2010-2013 in yamahas dog days when 2 strokes were dead and the 250 and 450 were not that well liked. They are on it right now and it's cool to see. I have never owned a yamaha dirt bike. The 2024 yz250f is going to be SICK, but I'm done chasing the newest bikes every year. Seeing all the new stuff makes it difficult.

[@brandonfoley8070]

You gotta show us how to do that to the pipe

[@ericdebisz9458]

I could listen to Ping talk dirt bikes all day long. Lots of great information in these build videos

[@Efemedio1]

Very good looking bike, your kit looks amazing, and you still look like that young guy I remember seeing in MXA when your clean shavin! Thank you for the awesome content!

[@kineticfix]

Love the simple builds! It's what most of us would do anyway. Really enjoyed this one!

[@tomiverson9716]

Ping you still got it buddy. Bombay Beach Tom buddy

[@cbh148]

0:50 Man, I'd kill to be able to cut a turn on-throttle like that on my '05 YZ125. Every time I add even a little throttle mid-turn, it just washes the front or the rear steps out, so I end up pussyfooting it around every turn until the exit of the turn, where I can safely get on the gas.

[@mikebrown41182]

Interesting to see ETS fuel in this one, would you say what you used on the day from ETS is their equivalent to lets say VP c12? The bike looks solid, i am team since well my youth in the 90s, but i am on the verge to agree that the Yamaha yz 125 platform might be the best 125 package through the last 3 decades, and it it was nice that Yamaha Japan revamped that engine package.

[@davidpingree9254]

More comparable to MRX02… but they have a more affordable two stroke option.

[@straighttimestirrups]

⁠@@davidpingree9254 do you have to adjust the jetting when switching between the two types of fuel? You should try using an Apex Head on the bike. It fixes the squish issue. Other than that, you’re correct the engine needs nothing.

[@jdc8352]

I did 3 laps on your bike when you wandered away from your truck to talk to somebody 😎

[@davidpingree9254]

Well played. How’d you like it? 🤣

[@cwtoyota]

Ping, you should be doing the dream race on one of these builds next year! Washougal on a 125 is a special thing! See you there in 2024?

[@tylerbrandon7961]

I used to love my bills pipe and silencer but no doubt pro circuit is the business to 🤙

[@juliusevola8806]

I loved my YZ 125. I went from that to a YZ 250F, and what a pig compared to that YZ 125.

[@blandyjones4463]

Thats a propper nice bike 😊

[@claytonsmoothy314]

Ping I love the Yamaha 2 strokes.wheres the 250 at?

[@kruse1105]

YZ 250 ❤ my favorite bike, so far . Forks so good !

[@davidpingree9254]

Working on a 250x

[@brandonvaccaro2960]

Hell yeah ping

[@M3FTMFW]

For two strokes I would go HGS exhaust all the way. Nothing against PC but HGS are the bees knees

[@anthonys5170]

Damn the 03 kx,

[@vwgtdturbo]

best bike 2023!!

[@podreels7932]

What jetting did you end up with? Im running the pro circuit spec, and its doing very well!

[@brandonfoley8070]

Makes me want to go grab a yz 125 to sit next to my 250f

[@SoCalMisfit712]

What did you set your jetting at. Got my son the same bike and the jetting is way off. I’m close but still have a little flat spot off the bottom.

[@spacejaime]

Ping, a bit confused because the '22 engine revamp actually has a horse or two less (peak) than the previous one. I believe (please correct me) that they improved the upper midrange at the expense of peak hp.

[@davidpingree9254]

Don’t get sucked into peak dyno numbers. Front side is way more important than the peak. This package is better all the way up the front

[@spacejaime]

@@davidpingree9254 - thanks for your response, and you are correct. I haven't raced a 125 since I sold my 1979 YZ125 in 1981 (12 years before you started pro racing). Back then, getting peak over the useful 800 rpm top power curve was the main focus. Much respect for what you do for our sport. Cheers!

[@WINCHESTER89]

What tire ya run on that ping?

[@davidpingree9254]

Mx33…. They didn’t have any 34s for it yet.

[@mickcain7397]

how do you "Blue" an existing weld

[@quintbetts4703]

What’s a new 125 costing these days?

[@BigBeastfull]

At 240lbs and 6'3", I just need to lose about 35 lbs to ride this bike heh. 250 is in order for me

[@Bruhman514]

I’m from San Diego. Where can I buy this fuel. I seen it on line but not trying to pay 70 for shipping.

[@bobhannah9944]

I do not understand why people install the short silencers, I have better luck running the longest silencers available- found this out years ago on my 92-96 CR250 model years, I run the stock silencer with a pc pipe on my new YZ250

[@davidpingree9254]

They sound better and improve throttle response and bottom end power. Depends on what you’re after… I like to boost the low end on a 125

[@nextgen46]

ive heard the 23 is slower then the last gen 125 doesnt seem like youre saying this..... what is the actual truth?

[@jimmiebuckler997]

Faster up top, one more HP, less bottom end power.

[@justinclackler8990]

Lmao just roosted the shit out of a pw rider!!!

[@anthonys5170]

You stop lying