MTX 125 - A little advice

[Raven]

I intend to do some green laning on my 'Alp next year. In the meantime I have been looking at something cheap (around £500) to practice on so that I don't wreck my 'Alp first attempt off the tarmac. I have found an MTX 125 on eBay, what are these things like? Are they actually any good off road? Any advice appreciated before I contact the seller...

[russh]

I used to dream of owning the MTX 200 when I were a lad.

In their day they were though of as a pretty good trail bike, light, but a bit gutless with the standard 12bhp.

My worry with any seventeener special is the fact it may well have been pratted around with to get that extra 2 bhp out of it. (the things I did to my DT125LC ....eek) Also, 32K miles IMO is a lot for a small capacity 2-stroke single. I'm thinking shot crankcase oil seals, main bearings on their last legs etc.

If the bike is OK though it would be fine for light trail riding, just very short of power.

[Raven]

Cheers Russh

It looks like its not going to sell, so if it doesn't I will ask the seller if he would consider letting me come up to see it after Christmas with cash in hand and give it the once over and a quick ride and then re list it on eBay for me to buy off of him.
Of course if it is knackered I'll just walk away...

[MCsanandreas]

I used to dream of owning the MTX 200 when I were a lad.

i have two MTX200'S now. luv em both.
anyway 125? it looks ok mostly original not been "improoved" my a numpty.
give it a good look over and pay a close ispection of water pump ceramic seal,if leaking v.v.expensive to fix. oh and second gear can be a weak spot too.
cant think of anything else off the top of my head.

[doglegdon]

Used to run them in the mid '80s in western Thailand, as trail rentals. As said before, bit gutless compared to the 200's but we used to rebore them to 150cc, to give them a bit more ummph. Put a set of knobblies on them and they are a pretty fun, light way to enjoy off road trails (We used to take them into Burma before the Karen war vs. the Burmese, through the 3 Pagoda's Pass, all jungle, oxcart tracks and mud, truely excellent fun!)

[minty0_10]

ive had a few mtx 125,s years ago and found them good fun bikes............but there was a problem that i found happened on all of the ones i owned and also my mates 200.
if the chain comes of the rear sprocket witch dose happen it has a habit of wrapping around the front sprocket and smashing the water pump casing a righ pain in the ass but i always managed to fix it with a bit of harildite on the out side

[Mudwiz]

Good on ya, Raven. Alps are a brilliant green lane bike, proper good fun for the 25mph vol. limit!

Let me know when, and we'll come and play too!
.

Any little trail bike will be ace, may be better with a 4stroke, power more like the alp??

[doglegdon]

Also, 32K miles IMO is a lot for a small capacity 2-stroke single. I'm thinking shot crankcase oil seals, main bearings on their last legs etc.

If the bike is OK though it would be fine for light trail riding, just very short of power.

That's strange, as the ones sold in Thailand were definitely 4 stroke, just under 100kg weight with about 9 litre tanks. They were the first 4st water cooled trail bikes ever made in Thailand.