This bike, for many of us, was a dream bike – even editor Bertie Simmonds really lusted after one. Like many of you guys, I desired the DT-R and the TZR from Yamaha’s stable. So if you fancy a trip back in time, follow me into the smoky haze…
The DT model designation can be traced back to the early to mid-1970s, although it wasn’t until the early 1980s when the bike gained liquid-cooling and then later YPVS (Yamaha Power Valve System) along with rising rate suspension: the first of the ‘modern’ DTs, if you like…
The DT125R was introduced in 1987/88 as a replacement for the DT125LC Mk.3, which itself was an update of the DT125LC which came out in 1982. The new model took its styling cues from the YZ motor-cross bikes and looked far better than anything the other manufacturers had out at that time. It always just had that extra edge on the competition when it came to pure aesthetics.
Understandably then, the DT-R took the learner off-road market by storm leaving the likes of Suzuki’s TS125X, Honda’s MTX125R and Kawasaki’s KMX125 a little in its rooster dust. To be fair, by the time the DT125R in front of you hit the streets (this is a 1990s machine) Suzuki and Kawasaki had upped their game and introduced the TS125R and the KDX125
