info@motofeed.com
1996 Honda CR125R Project Bike Riding Impression
Two-stroke revival.
By Andrew Olda, www.dirtrider.com
Two-strokes are alive and well at riding areas and motocross tracks all across the country. In addition to being a blast to ride, ease of maintenance and being less expensive to rebuild are certainly contributing factors to the resurgence of premix-burning machines. Rather than buying new, some elect to purchase a used two-stroke off Craigslist, throw a new top end in it, and go ride.
Then there are bike builders who likewise scour Craigslist and other used ads, but go all-out in terms of rebuilding and refreshing the motorcycle from top to bottom. Sometimes it’s warranted though, as was the case with Kris Puffer’s 1996 Honda CR125R project bike he built in collaboration with Jay Clark. A former supercross race mechanic on the IB Corp Yamaha team, Puffer now owns and operates Sano Metal Finishing in Murrieta, California (just up the street from KTM North America headquarters). The combination of his mechanical expertise and running a shop that specializes in vapor blasting, REM finishing, Cerakoting, and bead blasting proved to be an ideal skill set to resurrect the 26-year-old motorcycle.
Related: Factory Motocross Bikes—Guy Cooper’s 1988 Honda CR125R
“This 1996 Honda CR125R was bought from my neighbor as a project I was going to do for my wife,” Puffer said. “As time went on, I realized it was not for her and she would never want to ride it. Then I came up with the idea to build the bike for my neighbor’s 12-year-old daughter, the [same] owners I bought it from. This idea came as it was the neighbor girl’s mother’s first bike and I thought it would be a cool thing to do for her and [that way they could] keep it in the family.”ADVERTISEMENT
Puffer described the condition he purchased the bike in as giving a whole new meaning to the term “basket case.” Disassembled with parts in crates and boxes, he went to work on cleaning more than two decades of unburned two-stroke oil on the swingarm, air filter oil in the airbox, and just as many years of grime and neglect.
“I was originally going to go with a motocross build, but that turned into an off-road theme as Ocotillo Wells is where the neighbors mainly go to ride,” Puffer explained. “A lot of builders like to do an original restoration. I decided to do what I think of as a ‘resto-mod’ on this and give it a little bit of a modern look and feel as it’s going to be a first bike for a new generation rider.”
The good news was that once he began digging into the bike, Puffer realized it was actually not that bad. The bones were solid. A complete teardown was done and a parts list was created. Many items were still available for the old CR, but mostly through the aftermarket and very few OEM. Some of the components not available from Big Red anymore included the axles, airbox, fuel line, and chain guide.
“We think Honda wants you buying new bikes and not fixing up 26-year-old models,” Puffer joked. “For the parts that were no longer available new, I began searching the internet and found some [items from] NOS Parts Now, and was able to have a local shop, IndeeSource, make some new axle blocks and a skid plate. For the plastic, UFO still has stuff available [for this bike] and we cut the side number plates to be a bit more modern looking. DeCal Works matched the graphics to them.”
A full engine rebuild was completed using a Hot Rods Bottom End Kit and Vertex Pistons Pro Replica Piston Kit. Millennium Technologies replated the cylinder and cleaned up the cylinder head from past damage, then Tom Morgan Racing (TMR) modded the cylinder and head to make sure it would run well. An All Balls Racing Carburetor Rebuild Kit and fuel vent lines were used along with a new All Balls Racing petcock for the Clarke gas tank.
FMF Racing provided the Fatty pipe and Shorty silencer, Race Tech went through the suspension, and Pivot Works supplied bearings for the linkage, wheels, swingarm, and steering stem. The full list of companies involved in the build can be viewed in the parts list below. Shortly after the resto-mod was completed, we shook down the fully rebuilt CR125R on the tracks and trails of Cahuilla Creek Motocross.
After effortlessly kicking it to life, I reveled in warming up the small-bore Honda smoker. Its crisp throttle response and the sweet smell of VP race fuel put a smile on my face before I even clicked it into gear. Beginning on some tighter trails, I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by how long it pulled in first gear, which made for hardly any shifting when connecting from one technical area to another.
The motocross track was a different story. As expected for a 125cc two-stroke, my left foot got a workout and I even found myself downshifting into first gear while hugging the inside line in some tighter corners. Second gear and some clutch work fit the bill for most turns, while third and fourth kept the bike in the meat of its power on straightaways.
The fork and shock were not as progressive as what I’ve come to appreciate on modern dirt bike suspension. Albeit a bit firm, it seemed OK on the trails, but the fork initially felt somewhat harsh and the front end a bit busy on the track in square-edge bumps. Once I got up to speed, comfort increased but head shake was still noticeable in some choppy areas of the track. I would chalk that up to the components being set up for someone heavier than I, in which case Race Tech did a swell job, especially considering the age of the suspension and the corresponding limits of its performance.
Although not as light feeling as a modern 125cc two-stroke, the little Honda still maneuvered wherever I wanted with ease. Aside from the front end being a little busy in some areas, overall handling was solid. Because it’s noticeably sloped at the rear and pocketed in the front, I found myself in a consistent forward position while sitting, which helped with cornering but made it a little difficult to slide back on. A minor ergonomic quibble, but it definitely makes me appreciate the flat seats on most modern-day motocross bikes that much more.
From a box of parts to a fully built project, all of the hard work that Kris Puffer and Jay Clark put into this 1996 Honda CR125R certainly paid off. A restored motorcycle doesn’t always get ridden much as it may be kept as a garage queen to retain its spotless appearance. This bike spent the past quarter century in similar living quarters, but for different reasons. In the hands of its next owner, hopefully this CR125R spends a lot less time in the garage and gets ridden, which is, after all, what is was meant for in the first place.
Gearbox
Helmet: Shoei VFX-EVO
Goggle: Oakley Airbrake MX
Neck Brace: Alpinestars BNS Tech 2
Jersey: Fly Racing Evolution DST
Gloves: Fly Racing Evolution DST
Pants: Fly Racing Evolution DST
Boots: Alpinestars Tech 10
Parts List
Sano Metal Finishing
Vapor honing
Cerakoting
REM finishing
Custom skid plate
Chain blocks
Vertex Pistons
Pro Replica Piston Kit (piston, ring, wrist pin, and circlips)
Hot Rods
allballsracinggroup.com/hot-rods
Hot Rods Bottom End Kit
Hot Rods Transmission Bearing Kit
Hot Rods Output Shaft Kit
Hot Rods Water Pump Kit
Tom Morgan Racing
Cylinder porting
Head modification
Carburetor setup
Millennium Technologies
Strip, repair, and replate cylinder to stock size
Cylinder head repair
San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings
Sandblasting
Race prep masking
Powdercoat with super durable clear
UFO Plastic
Full plastic kit
Mud flap
Hand guards
Chain slider
ICW Radiators
Radiator straightening and bracing
All Balls Racing
Carburetor Rebuild Kit
Clutch cable
Upper chain roller
Lower chain roller
Front Master Cylinder Rebuild Kit
Rear Master Cylinder Rebuild Kit
Front Caliper Rebuild Kit
Rear Caliper Rebuild Kit
Front Brake Pad Retaining Pin Kit
Rear Brake Pad Retaining Pin Kit
Fuel Tap Repair Kit
Upper Shock Bearing Kit
Uni Filter
Two-stage air filter
Hinson Racing Clutch Components
Billetproof clutch basket
Billetproof inner hub
Billetproof pressure plate
FSC clutch plate and spring kit
Cushion kit
FMF Racing
Fatty pipe
Shorty silencer
Moto Tassinari
VForce4R reed valve system
Pivot Works
Steering Stem Bearing Kit
Front Wheel Bearing Kit
Rear Wheel Bearing Kit
Linkage Rebuild Kit
Swingarm Kit
Specbolt
Full Nickel Würks custom restoration bolt kit (engine and chassis)
Faster USA
Complete wheelset with Faster USA hubs
ODI Grips
Podium 7/8-inch handlebar (Champ bend)
Half-waffle motocross grips
Dunlop Tires
Geomax AT81 front, 80/100-21
Geomax MX33 rear, 100/100-18
DeCal Works
Semi-custom graphics kit
Preprinted number plate backgrounds
MotoSeat
Seat cover
Seat foam
Supersprox
Front sprocket (13-tooth)
Aluminum rear sprocket (51-tooth)
Motocross chain
Motion Pro
Full throttle assembly
Titan throttle tube
Throttle cable
Works Connection
Elite clutch perch
Front brake lever
Factory 4 stand
Brake caps
Oil fill plug
Hourmeter
Hourmeter mount bracket
Rear caliper guard
Air caps
Rotating bar clamps
Galfer USA
Oversize rotor
Adapter bracket
Rear rotor
Front and rear brake lines
Front and rear brake pads
IMS
Footpegs
Race Tech
Suspension revalve and setup
Klotz Synthetic Lubricants
R-50 two-stroke premix oil
VP Racing Fuels
C12 fuel
Tusk Off road
Shifter
Clarke Manufacturing
OEM-style/sized fuel tank