Suzuki T-125 Stinger
SUZUKI T-125 STINGER
CYCLE WORLD IMPRESSION
This Miniracer Stands Tall
ANYONE whose heart's desire is one of those jewel-like, small displacement road racers can now step into his local Suzuki store, squint his eyes a bit, and take a look at the new T-125 Stinger. This all-new piece of machinery looks competition quick. Standing still it invites substitution of those wrongly wide handlebars for clipons to facilitate the racing crouch. Indeed, when the shopper straddles the Stinger, his initial impulse is to thrust his rump rearward, and plaster his chin to the sleek tank behind an imaginary fairing. He tends to hum faintly the high-pitched sounds of grand prix gear changes.
A ride on the T-125 is every bit as much fun as the indoor racer had imagined. The two-stroke Twin will scream upward through its five gears in true GP fashion, and the rider can fling it through the bends with the abandon of Itoh being pursued by Read and Ivy. The tachometer, redlined at 9500, occa sionally shows 11,000 rpm. Handfuls of brake haul down the tiny missile as brisk toe-tapped gearchanges are made for a rapid exit from the hairpin.
What is this machine, this undersized excitement generator? Whereas some motorcycle manufacturers tend to follow Detroit practice and each year announce “all-new” models that are simply last year’s models given surface restyling treatment, Suzuki’s T-125 Stinger truly is a new machine.
The engine, which is the major contributor to the Japanese bike’s flavor of Italy, is a parallel Twin, tilted forward 68 degrees from the vertical, and assembled in-unit with the gearbox. Bore and stroke are square at 66.5 mm. Total piston displacement is 124.8 cc. Compression of the tipped Twin is 7.3:1. Suzuki’s rating of the engine is 15.1 bhp at 8500 rpm.
This powerplant delivers its output through a smooth, positive clutch to the five-speed transmission, and single-row chain final drive. Standard overall ratios, first through top," of 22.60:1, 16.55:1, 12.48:1, 9.93:1 and 8.73:1 proved well spaced and fully adequate to meet any road situation up to a top speed of approximately 75 mph. Changes are of the quick, crisp, accurate variety.
The engine/gearbox unit is suspended by three throughbolts, two at the top of the gearcase, one at the bottom, well below the swinging arm pivot, from what Suzuki fancies to call a tri-form frame. Tri-form it may be, but it resembles nothing so much as a cantilever bridge truss-and exhibits like characteristics of strength and rigidity.
From the steering head, two tubes extend rearward, underneath the tank, to form the saddle mounting loop. These are paired to two downtubes that extend downward and rearward to the gearbox mounting points, then upward to join the flanges that anchor the rear suspension upper mounting points. Both pairs of tubes are cross braced, gussetted and filleted for added strength and resistance to torsional stresses. The swinging arm pivot is in a plate structure at the angle of the downtubes.
Front suspension is by a conventional hydraulically damped telescopic fork; and the shrouded coil springs at the rear are damped by telescopic shock absorbers. Tire sizes front and rear, respectively, are 2.50-18 and 2.75-18.
Little can be said about the T-125’s internal expanding brakes, front and rear. As one test rider put it, “They’re bloody good—and that’s it.” Deceleration is rapid under full braking pressure, yet the transition from go to stop is exceptionally smooth.
So far, in this report, only major components have been discussed. However, the little things are what enhance the overall reflection of the Suzuki Stinger.
Prime example is the flip-top saddle. This unit, on release of a right-hand cat~h. swings upward to expose the oil tank filler pipe and cap, and neatly insulated electrical circuitry-complete with a small, clear plastic pouch which contains two spare fuses. Among other niceties are dual instruments-an excep t ion ally accurate speedometer/odo meter, and a tachometer-with white on black numerals, and easily readable scales. An enduro style he~idlamp, amber turn signal lamps, side reflectors and an exceptionally large taillight are part of this pleasing package.
Contributing to the businesslike look of the T-125 is the pair of upswept exhaust pipes. However, these pipes terminate in extensions that protrude beyond the circumference of the rear wheel. Their functionality is debatable; their contribution to the looks of the machine is nil. A safe guess is that Stinger owners will choose removal of these extensions as the first step to paring down weight for production class racing, if not simply to improve the appearance of the bike.
Overall, the finish of the Stinger is better than anticipated. Chromium plating is flawless. Alloy castings show refinement in the patternmaker’s art. And, the paint on the tank, fittingly called “Roman Red,” is without a trace of orange peel or runs. If Suzuki craftsmanship is to be faulted in any way, it could be for somewhat ragged welding practice.
Though the Stinger stands tall with regard to finish, the machine is small in size. Wheelbase is 44.75 in., seat height is 31.0 in., and width of that too-wide handlebar is 29.5 in. The T-125’s ground clearance is phenomenal—7.0 in. at the center stand, 10.0 in. at the crankcase. Footpeg height of 11.25 in., coupled with that ground clearance, make possible cornering lean angles more acute than either adhesion or sanity permit.
In street trim—with lights, battery and exhaust pipe extensions—the Stinger weighs 228 lb. Set up for racing, with alloy rims, pared-down saddle, and sans unnecessary electricals, the bike’s overall weight could be reduced to below 200 lb. And, it’s a cinch a lot of young men will order the T-125 to go racing.
After parting with approximately $470, the new Suzuki T-125 owner will be convinced he has put in an order for a fabled racing iron. If he stops to consider for a moment, he will discover he also has ordered smooth, vibrationless, quiet everyday transportation, a delightful machine which is sufficiently flexible and docile for wife or galfriend to ride, and a bike that is sporting enough to please the teen-aged motor sophisticate. That’s a very large order for a very small motorcycle. The Suzuki T-125 Stinger fills that order in every respect.
