We thought we would give you the straight no BS answers on a few of the most asked questions about the 2022 Yamaha YZ125 and give them to you without all the fluff. Here are some 22 YZ125 questions answered with zero filling.
I have last year’s YZ125. Is the 2022 YZ125 engine better than the 2021 version? That depends where you like your power. The 2022 YZ125 makes better power through the mid-top end than the 2021 or previous years. The low end feel is slightly less than the 2021, but honestly where the 2021 is better, it’s such a short window that some riders don’t notice the low end loss of the 2022. I noticed less low end, but lighter riders, like my son (135 pounds) or Leum Oehlhof (130 pounds) didn’t notice it as much! The 2022 YZ125 has increased second and third gear pulling power, compared to last year and now can compete with the Husqvarna TC125 as well as the KTM 125SX near the upper rpm ranges.
What About The New Ergonomics Of The 2022 YZ125? Let’s put it this way… I wish the Yamaha YZ four-strokes were as good in the rider triangle area as the YZ125 now is. The flatter seat as well as the narrower feeling shroud area gives the YZ125 a more “on top” feel than the old “sit in” feel of the older bike. Small to bigger riders alike all could agree that the cockpit of the 22 YZ125 was a step in the right direction for Yamaha to show that it actually can come up with a good ergonomic package.
3. Can You Actually Feel The Difference In Suspension From Last Year? The updated KYB bump sticks feel like they have more damping and bigger riders will actually feel like they have hold up when riding aggressively. The problem with last year’s KYB settings was that it felt hollow through the mid stroke (once broken in) and any rider that was over 160 pounds had to go up a spring rate ASAP (which is stock for 2022). The new settings have a modern feeling when riding and provides that sam great KYB comfort that you’ve come to expect from a Yamaha/KYB setting.
4. Will Any Of The 2022 Parts Fit On My Older YZ125? The short answer is most of the engine parts will not cross over to your older YZ. The suspension can as the frame/triple clamps are the same as the 2021 machine, but the modern 22 plastic layout will not cross over.
5. Does The 2022 YZ125 Handle Better? A resounding YES! The 22 corners better thanks to the updated suspension. Diving is not as much as an issue (actually dives less than the 22 YZ250 two stroke) so the rider is able to get into corners with less of a stinkbug feel. This allows the front tire to have more lena angle grip and give you more rear wheel traction upon exit of corners. Stability is also better as the suspension allows for a more aggressive stance as well as throttle hand when hitting square edge or braking bumps.
6. Is It All Cotton Candy And Pink Lemonade Keefer? No! There are a couple shortcomings to the 2022 YZ125. As much as it pains me to say this, you can do “The Jody” to the gearing (going one tooth up, to make it a 13/50) and that helps low end rpm response as well as get us fat boys into third gear a little sooner/easier. I do think the Hitachi Astemo Keihin PWK38S carburetor is a little rich on low end so going a little leaner on the fuel air screw does help low end rpm response a little.
7. The Brakes! Are The Brakes Better? Yes, the updated brake system which is now the same on the YZ125 as the other four stroke models has more of a powerful/more linear feel. Even though the YZ250F/450F brakes are not the best in the class, on the YZ125 they feel amazing! The YZ125 brakes are powerful yet not too grabby and I think the reason why they feel better than the Yamaha four-stokes is due to having such a lightweight overall feel. Lighter bike equals better feeling brakes.
8. Should I Sell My Older YZ125 For A 2022? If you have some work done to your older YZ like engine work, suspension, pipe/silencer, etc., but if you’re riding a stock 2021 YZ125, this new one is hands down better in most areas and worth the $6,899 price tag. You probably can get at least 2-3K for your older YZ so for another 3 and change it could be your best investment. My kid thinks he wants one now because he had so much fun on the 2022 and he came off of a 2020 YZ125 that was built. Grrrrrrrrreat!
