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One of Hondas smallest motocross motorcycles, the CR125R entered 1997 with new features that put it ahead of previous versions. Hondas motocross bike model numbers match up roughly to the size of the engine, with the CR125R having a 125 cc engine. The CR125R came in Hondas red and white racing colors.
Engine
The 1997 Honda CR125Rs 125 cc engine was a single-cylinder engine that operated with two strokes with Honda power port (HPP) and used a liquid cooling system. A two-stroke engine uses a downward stroke and an upward stroke in order to fire once — the downward stroke pulled in the fuel and air mixture from the crankcase and the upward stroke of the engine compressed the fuel and air mixture and readied it for the ignition. The bore and stroke was 2.12 inches by 2.14 inches, and the engine had a compression ratio of 8.8:1. The bike also had a 1.42 inch flat-side reed valve in the crankcase for the fuel system and carburetor. The reed valve controlled the release of a pressurized fuel and air mixture into the crankcase and eventually to the combustion chamber. The CR125Rs ignition system used a solid-state digital ignitor and an electric advance. You could start the motorcycle with a kickstarter.
Transmission and Gears
The Honda CR125Rs close-ratio transmission used a No. 520 chain on a gear-driven primary drive and had five speeds. The transmission was also a 12T/49T version. The bike had a hydraulic, wet clutch with multiple plates. A wet clutch is a type of clutch that allows oil from the transmission to get between the plates and causes them to get sticky and moist. Riders had to hold down the clutch to let the oil run off the plates before using the bike to keep the transmission from clunking.
Chassis
The chassis of the CR125R had a seat height of 37.4 inches, and the bike had a ground clearance of 13.9 inches. The front and rear wheels used single-disc brakes, and the front brake had twin-piston calipers. The total wheelbase measured 56.8 inches, and the bike weighed 192.9 lbs. without fuel. Honda used Kabaya suspension parts in the CR125R. The back suspension was a Pro-Link suspension with a single shock and included a spring preload. Rear suspension offered 12.6 inches of travel and had eight positions at low speed and two turns at high speed. The front suspension used a 1.81-inch inverted fork, had a travel of 12.2 inches and provided 20-position compression. The CR125Rs fuel tank could hold up to two gallons.
