[monmendoza]

hi, im from the Philippines. I will take delivery of my z125 next week. In the Philippines we don't have the manual version, only the semi-automatic which i don't really mind as i prefer it over the manual version.

 

[WOT]

Welcome to the club.

What bikes have you owned in the past and what made you want the Z125 over anything else... like the Grom? Didn't the Phillippines get the Grom?

 

[monmendoza]

Welcome to the club.

What bikes have you owned in the past and what made you want the Z125 over anything else... like the Grom? Didn't the Phillippines get the Grom?

I have owned 2 dirt bikes before a Honda XR125 and a Kawasaki KLX150S but I seldom use them ( less than once a month ) and I got tired having to call a mechanic to clean my carbs so I disposed them. I was informed that If you seldom use your bikes ( meaning once a month or less ) its better to buy a fuel injected one rather than one with a carbs so recently I bought a 125cc Yamaha Fino Fi scooter and is expecting delivery of my Kawasaki Z125 next week.

Both The Honda Grom and the kawasaki z125 are not officially available in the Philippines. It is only available in the grey market. I prefer the looks of the Z125 more than the Grom and I plan to modify my Z125 into a mini scrambler looks.

 

[KawiGirl]

What's a grey market?

Can't wait to see you mod the Z125 into a scrambler! What mods are you planning? Some nice knobbies with spoke rims, maybe mount the exhaust higher for more ground clearance?

 

[monmendoza]

What's a grey market?

Can't wait to see you mod the Z125 into a scrambler! What mods are you planning? Some nice knobbies with spoke rims, maybe mount the exhaust higher for more ground clearance?

Grey or gray market are products that are imported by the non-official distributor.

knobbies, change headlights to round, retro-fuel tanks, and retro seats and probably higher exhaust.

 

[FangShui]

Grey or gray market are products that are imported by the non-official distributor.

knobbies, change headlights to round, retro-fuel tanks, and retro seats and probably higher exhaust.

This would be an awesome round led headlight on a Z125

http://www.amazon.com/GENSSI-Round-Headlight-Multi-Beam-Housing/dp/B01675NYCW/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1460736614&sr=8-7&keywords=7%22+jeep+led+headlight


Here it is on a Grom

 

[monmendoza]

Just receive delivery today.

My Z125 was delivered just awhile ago.

 

[FangShui]

My Z125 was delivered just awhile ago.

Nice!

Get ready for a bunch of questions from Forum members.....:smile2:

 

[monmendoza]

First impression

I am looking at my Z125 and built quality is better than my other previous bikes.

It took me sometime before I realized that the compartment opener key hole was under the seat. picture d.

A view of whats inside the seat compartment picture f

And a view of the underside of the seat, where I placed a photocopy
of my invoice and DR. Its nice that the motorcycle came with standard basic tools. picture g

Philippine version comes with a 4 speed semi-automatic transmission which I prefer versus the full manual.

To Change gear you have to push up N-1-2-3-4 (picture g)
To change down you have to press 4-3-2-1-N

Since it does'nt have a clutch, you just release your accelerator to change gears. (picture h)

Also have a picture of display panel. Nice thing is that it has a gear indicator, So it will tell you which gear you are currently in. It has an Odometer and Tripmeter A/B . It also has a clock. Aside from the usual Speedometer and Tachometer. The Tachometer is not accurate at low rpms. Idling RPM as shown is at 1,500 rpm. I think this is too high. Besides I just can tell my motorcycle to be purring. (picture i)

 

[KawiGirl]

Congrats on the new Z125! Have you taken it out on a ride yet?

 

[FangShui]

I am looking at my Z125 and built quality is better than my other previous bikes.

It took me sometime before I realized that the compartment opener key hole was under the seat. picture d.

A view of whats inside the seat compartment picture f

And a view of the underside of the seat, where I placed a photocopy
of my invoice and DR. Its nice that the motorcycle came with standard basic tools. picture g

Philippine version comes with a 4 speed semi-automatic transmission which I prefer versus the full manual.

To Change gear you have to push up N-1-2-3-4 (picture g)
To change down you have to press 4-3-2-1-N

Since it does'nt have a clutch, you just release your accelerator to change gears. (picture h)

Also have a picture of display panel. Nice thing is that it has a gear indicator, So it will tell you which gear you are currently in. It has an Odometer and Tripmeter A/B . It also has a clock. Aside from the usual Speedometer and Tachometer. The Tachometer is not accurate at low rpms. Idling RPM as shown is at 1,500 rpm. I think this is too high. Besides I just can tell my motorcycle to be purring. (picture i)

I think the semi-automatic version will be the version sold in most Asian countries because the primary use for small bikes (250cc or less) in those countries is for commuting, where there's lots of traffic. Not having to use a clutch is a benefit for that use.

Here's the Philippines Kawasaki site. It shows the wide variety of Commuter Bikes available there, almost all of which are not sold in North America.

Larger bikes in the Philippines are considered Leisure Bikes.

Kawasaki Motors Philippines | Commuter Bikes - Leisure Bikes

 

[monmendoza]

I think the semi-automatic version will be the version sold in most Asian countries because the primary use for small bikes (250cc or less) in those countries is for commuting, where there's lots of traffic. Not having to use a clutch is a benefit for that use.
Here's the Philippines Kawasaki site. It shows the wide variety of Commuter Bikes available there, almost all of which are not sold in North America.
Larger bikes in the Philippines are considered Leisure Bikes.
Kawasaki Motors Philippines | Commuter Bikes - Leisure Bikes

You are absolutely right Fang Shui, the market for bigger bikes in the Philippines is still limited. Most of the people who buy motorcycles here buy it because they cannot afford a car. My estimate is 98% of all motorcycles sold in the Philippines are 125cc and below scooters or semi-automatic bikes. But the market for motorcycles in the Philippines is huge, about 6 million units a year. roughly 20X bigger than the car market.but people who can afford bigger bikes here would rather buy a car.

One big factor preventing people from developing an interest in riding a bigger bike for leisure is the weather. During summer in the Philippines, the temperature index soars to 51 degrees centigrade or 124 degrees farenheit, too hot to do leisure biking and during the rainy season, of course you know how inconvenient it is to ride a bike when it is raining.

 

[FangShui]

You are absolutely right Fang Shui, the market for bigger bikes in the Philippines is still limited. Most of the people who buy motorcycles here buy it because they cannot afford a car. My estimate is 98% of all motorcycles sold in the Philippines are 125cc and below scooters or semi-automatic bikes. But the market for motorcycles in the Philippines is huge, about 6 million units a year. roughly 20X bigger than the car market.but people who can afford bigger bikes here would rather buy a car.

One big factor preventing people from developing an interest in riding a bigger bike for leisure is the weather. During summer in the Philippines, the temperature index soars to 51 degrees centigrade or 124 degrees farenheit, too hot to do leisure biking and during the rainy season, of course you know how inconvenient it is to ride a bike when it is raining.

6 million a year is a LOT! The U.S. has more than three times the population as the Phillipines (318.9 million vs 98.39 million), but total motorcycle/scooter sales in the U.S. were only 483,000 in 2014. Best years ever were in 2004 & 2005 when about a million were sold each year. The Global Financial Collapse cut those numbers in half...

I can see how the heat and humidity there would discourage motorcycle riding for leisure in the Summer, especially if you're wearing full gear!
And, yes, rain isn't fun to ride in, anywhere you live.

Here in Colorado Springs, Colorado, it's the cold and snow that slow things down for motorcycling between December and April. It snowed 5cm here last night but is almost all melted off now, but the high temperature is only 41F (5C) today. It's much colder up in the mountains and there's lots of snow on the roads up there.

I look forward to seeing photos of your progress in modifying your Z125. You should do some videos of that, as well as some ride videos. I like watching the videos of riders in other countries. It's great to see the different landscapes and scenery and a good way to learn about other cultures....

Here's a good one in Thailand I discovered recently.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrPUnJxJHy8YsrA5X6s9Njw?&ab_channel=MikeMonkeyMonKeyRIder

Magkaroon ng kasiyahan sa iyong z125

 

[monmendoza]

I slept very late last night thinking about what I can do with my Z125. Hahahaha excited.

At the top of my head I am thinking of:
1. 14" front tires - Scramblers normally have taller tires in front
2. Round headlights
3. Scrambler type seats
4. Dual sport tires

I will have to pay a visit to the area in the Philippines where they sell a lot of motorcycle accesories and parts.

I'm planning to have a short build thread soon. I will probably start by next week.

 

[KawiGirl]

Can't wait to see your build thread. I guess you're going for a Scrambler orientated build?
If Grom parts would fit the Z125, I think you can get Ohlins suspension parts for it.

 

[monmendoza]

Can't wait to see your build thread. I guess you're going for a Scrambler orientated build?
If Grom parts would fit the Z125, I think you can get Ohlins suspension parts for it.

KawiGirl, I am not thinking of anything radical for my build. I have also no intention of modifying suspension or bike geometry except for replacing the 12" Front wheel with 14" to make the stance bolder.

 

[FangShui]

KawiGirl, I am not thinking of anything radical for my build. I have also no intention of modifying suspension or bike geometry except for replacing the 12" Front wheel with 14" to make the stance bolder.

You might at least want to consider an aftermarket rear shock, especially if you ride it off-road.

I recommend a Racing Boy adjustable shock (pre-load and rebound, maybe add damping, too). I put one on my Grom and it made a huge difference. Should be easy to find one in Caloocan. I saw signs for them on many shop fronts on Google Street View....

 

[monmendoza]

You might at least want to consider an aftermarket rear shock, especially if you ride it off-road.

I recommend a Racing Boy adjustable shock (pre-load and rebound, maybe add damping, too). I put one on my Grom and it made a huge difference. Should be easy to find one in Caloocan. I saw signs for them on many shop fronts on Google Street View....

Seems to be a very goog idea FangShui. Is this the shock that has an overflow tube? Do you happen to know the exact part number? Do you think its a bolt-on thing, no modifications needed? There are so few Z125 here in the Philippines, I don't think they would know if i tell the store it is for a z125. As I don't intend to bring the motorcycle when I go to Caloocan as it is too far from here. The heat would give me a heat stroke .

Yesterday I went to a motorcycle store, less than a kilometer from my residence and discussed my desire to replaced my front tires with a 14" mags rims. They said it can be done with some modifications on the rims.

There are no available 14" mags rims for the kawasaki. A lot are available for the Yamaha Mio, but the axle of the Yamaha are smaller than the Kawasaki. So machining is needed on the mag rims to increase the hole so that bearings for the kawasaki would fit and of course the axle. I would also need to change the disk plate for the brakes, I can't use the old disc plate because there is a difference in the mounting hole.

 

[FangShui]

Seems to be a very goog idea FangShui. Is this the shock that has an overflow tube? Do you happen to know the exact part number? Do you think its a bolt-on thing, no modifications needed? There are so few Z125 here in the Philippines, I don't think they would know if i tell the store it is for a z125. As I don't intend to bring the motorcycle when I go to Caloocan as it is too far from here. The heat would give me a heat stroke .

Yesterday I went to a motorcycle store, less than a kilometer from my residence and discussed my desire to replaced my front tires with a 14" mags rims. They said it can be done with some modifications on the rims.

There are no available 14" mags rims for the kawasaki. A lot are available for the Yamaha Mio, but the axle of the Yamaha are smaller than the Kawasaki. So machining is needed on the mag rims to increase the hole so that bearings for the kawasaki would fit and of course the axle. I would also need to change the disk plate for the brakes, I can't use the old disc plate because there is a difference in the mounting hole.

Racing Boy doesn't make a Remote Reservoir shock like you mentioned but there are other companies that do, like YSS, Marziano and GAZI. They're all good quality and all are made in S.E. Asia, so you should be able to get one in the $110 to $140 USD range (c. 5000 to 6500 Pesos). Maybe less....

This is the one I got:

Adjuster S-line Belang

Here's a source in Malaysia that will ship to you direct. You'd just need to know the length you need.

https://www.motorparts.com.my/index.php?route=product/product&path=286&product_id=18982&limit=100

Note that Racing Boy also makes rims, many in 14" size.

Sport Rim

You would probably need to have a machine shop make you a pair of spacers for that new wheel, too. Shouldn't cost much locally. Many people have modified bikes in Thailand, Malaysia, Indpnesia and the Phillipines, so I'm sure it's possible.

Remember that when you put a 14" wheel/tire on front you will be raising the front end by 1" (2.54cm, half the diameter increase). So, you would also need to raise the rear of the bike by the same amount to keep the dimensions the same, again so that the handling isn't altered so much that it's affected adversely. (Raising the front alone will increase Rake angle and make the steering very slow/sluggish, more like a Cruiser has). You can do this with the new shock by buying one that is 1" taller than the stock shock. Or, you can slide the front forks down 1" in the triple clamp to achieve the same result.

A knowledgeable shop there should be familiar with making these changes.

Here's a MSX125/Grom with 14" wheels



Check out these two links for some modified MSX125s for ideas, color schemes.

Racing Cafè: Honda MSX 125 Special

http://ottonero.blogspot.com/2014/07/its-small-world.html

Cheers!

 

[FangShui]

Check out these IRC tires, too. They make them in 12" sizes.. They also make an off-road tire in 14" size.

IRC GP5 ÁÒáÅéÇÇ!!!!! ÂÒ§¡Öè§ÇÔºÒ¡ µÑÇãËÁè ÃÒ¤Òä©äÅ ¨éÒ

29Tire in Thailand is a good source:

?????? irc ???? GP-5 ??????? ???????????? ??? 12 #5666203

IRC iX-05H #5585996

Or these Pirellis

?????? Pirelli (????????) SL60 ??? 12 #6316554

Shinkos

?????? SHINKO(??????) ???? 426 ??? 12 #5581924