Made for Motorcycle Beginners: Kawasakis Eliminator 125
Kawasakis Eliminator 125 is made expressly for motorcycle beginners. It features a low seat height, it is very light-weight and Kawasaki gave it great styling. But is it really the best starter motorcycle for you?
Kawasaki Eliminator 125
Engine Size: 124cc
Motorcycle Style: Standard
Good Beginner Motorcycle? Their exclusive audience, perhaps
Pros: Excellent learning platform, pretty good looks and styling
Cons: Is anyone else besides the MSF buying them?
Price: $2,649 (New, 2005)
The Eliminator 125 has a way-low seat height of 26.8 inches at a bird-like 291 pounds. Its 3.4 gallon gas tank is huge considering it probably gets like 80 miles to the gallon. It is available only in black, but Kawasaki did see well enough to outfit the front wheel with a hydraulic disc brake. Some cycles twice this size only have mealy drum brakes on the front... yeah I'm looking at you, Nighthawk 250. It's a single cylinder only, and it's air cooled. Don't go driving across the Mojave desert in the middle of July on this thing, but then again, you probably don't need me to remind you of that.
Alright, let's not kid around. A 125cc street bike is a great, non-threatening ride for absolute motorcycle beginners. Heck, I don't think any two-wheeled experience (pedaled or powered) is a prerequisite for throwing a leg over this and taking laps around the nearest parking lot.
But remember... wasn't there a time when motorcycles were unpredictable, dangerous, even a little outlaw-like to you? This little Eliminator will, well, eliminate all those horrible, scary, alien images you may have about motorcycling. Heck, my first ride was a Yamaha RX50 2-stroke, and it was all the cycle my 16-year-old self needed at the time (for about a year, anyway). The forgiving nature of that little Yamaha 2-stroke really inspired confidence in me and helped me learn about motorcycle riding. It introduced me to the fun, daring, exciting, individualized world that motorcycling is in my eyes. And I don't doubt that this Eliminator will do that for thousands of motorcycle beginners.
Recommendation for Motorcycle Beginners
The 124cc engine isn't gonna want your 6 foot 200-plus pound mouth-breathing ass on it. No, I recommend the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 for motorcycle beginners who are, perhaps, still in high school, or the ladies with a short inseam. The rest of you XL sized - look elsewhere. Try the Nighthawk 250, the Rebel 250, or the Buell Blast.
When I read that the warning lights were mounted on the tank of the motorcycle, not higher in the driver's vision, I was upset with Kawasaki. However, the turn indicator lights / high beam / Neutral indicator lights aren't really crucial when you're in motion, defying the laws of gravity, so ... no harm, no foul. Lots of cycles have warning lamps in this location.
Kawasakis Eliminator 125 is made expressly for motorcycle beginners. It features a low seat height, it is very light-weight and Kawasaki gave it great styling. But is it really the best starter motorcycle for you?
Kawasaki Eliminator 125
Engine Size: 124cc
Motorcycle Style: Standard
Good Beginner Motorcycle? Their exclusive audience, perhaps
Pros: Excellent learning platform, pretty good looks and styling
Cons: Is anyone else besides the MSF buying them?
Price: $2,649 (New, 2005)
The Eliminator 125 has a way-low seat height of 26.8 inches at a bird-like 291 pounds. Its 3.4 gallon gas tank is huge considering it probably gets like 80 miles to the gallon. It is available only in black, but Kawasaki did see well enough to outfit the front wheel with a hydraulic disc brake. Some cycles twice this size only have mealy drum brakes on the front... yeah I'm looking at you, Nighthawk 250. It's a single cylinder only, and it's air cooled. Don't go driving across the Mojave desert in the middle of July on this thing, but then again, you probably don't need me to remind you of that.
Alright, let's not kid around. A 125cc street bike is a great, non-threatening ride for absolute motorcycle beginners. Heck, I don't think any two-wheeled experience (pedaled or powered) is a prerequisite for throwing a leg over this and taking laps around the nearest parking lot.
But remember... wasn't there a time when motorcycles were unpredictable, dangerous, even a little outlaw-like to you? This little Eliminator will, well, eliminate all those horrible, scary, alien images you may have about motorcycling. Heck, my first ride was a Yamaha RX50 2-stroke, and it was all the cycle my 16-year-old self needed at the time (for about a year, anyway). The forgiving nature of that little Yamaha 2-stroke really inspired confidence in me and helped me learn about motorcycle riding. It introduced me to the fun, daring, exciting, individualized world that motorcycling is in my eyes. And I don't doubt that this Eliminator will do that for thousands of motorcycle beginners.
Recommendation for Motorcycle Beginners
The 124cc engine isn't gonna want your 6 foot 200-plus pound mouth-breathing ass on it. No, I recommend the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 for motorcycle beginners who are, perhaps, still in high school, or the ladies with a short inseam. The rest of you XL sized - look elsewhere. Try the Nighthawk 250, the Rebel 250, or the Buell Blast.
When I read that the warning lights were mounted on the tank of the motorcycle, not higher in the driver's vision, I was upset with Kawasaki. However, the turn indicator lights / high beam / Neutral indicator lights aren't really crucial when you're in motion, defying the laws of gravity, so ... no harm, no foul. Lots of cycles have warning lamps in this location.
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