Youth Motorcycles

As motorcycles become more reliable and maintenance intervals get more spread out, one consumable remains on a fairly frequent interval for motorcycles. Tires have made tremendous advances in the last decade, but they are still the most frequent maintenance items for motorcyclists. With the rates for mounting and balancing tires going through the roof (My local shop charges $60 for a pair of tires with the wheels off the bike.), buying a tire changer makes a lot of sense. I’d been eyeing No-Mar Tire Changers for quite a while before pulling the trigger and installing one in my garage. In less than a month and after changing a dozen tires, we’d have already spent about 35% of the cost of the No-Mar Classic HD Motorcycle Tire Changer at our local motorcycle shop, but what’s most important is how convenient it is having a tire changer in my garage available when I need it. I no longer have to load my wheels into my truck, drive to my local shop, wait an hour (or more) for them to be ready, and finally take them home to reinstall on my bike. 

The 2019 off-road new model bike season is in full swing, and Yamaha is the latest manufacturer to announce its full lineup of motocross and cross-country motorcycles. Over the past couple of seasons, Yamaha has made big steps in expanding its model range with the introduction of the FX models in both 250 and 450cc configurations. Additionally, it’s the only Japanese manufacturer to continue producing full-size two-strokes, including the YZ125 and YZ250 motocrossers, as well as the recently introduced cross-country oriented YZ250X.

It’s official, the little green Z we reported on last October is coming stateside as a 2017 model. Dubbed the Z125 Pro, the mini-Z is set to steal some thunder from Honda’s Grom. Last year, we took a perfectly fine Grom, crippled it with a deluge of aftermarket equipment then went racing. The experience was a resounding failure, but a hilariously good time for the entire MO staff. Thankfully, we thoroughly documented every stage of the Grom’s downward spiral, so we don’t repeat the same mistakes with the Z125 Pro, because, obviously, there’s going to be an appropriately goofy shootout between the Kawi and the Honda. Any suggestions on how to go about it?

Good ol’ family fun is the focus behind the CRF line of trail bikes from Honda. From the CRF450X for Dad to the CRF50F for little Junior, Big Red has something for everyone. Now its latest models, the CRF125F ($2799) and CRF125F Big Wheel ($3199), aim to truly fulfill the company’s internal tagline of “having a bike for every butt.”