Suzuki Ts 125 J Duster
SUZUKI TS 125 J DUSTER
Cycle World Road Test
A Reasonably Priced Woods Bike With A Pleasant Disposition On the Street
GETTING A LOT of bike for a minimal price has to be the great American dream. Sometimes it's possible, sometimes not. Really, it depends on the type of riding you have in mind.
If a small bore, dual purpose bike is what you are looking for, you're in luck. A modest $579 will buy a brand new 1973 Suzuki TS 125 J Duster—a bike that combines spirited performance both on and off-road with enough style to turn heads.
Like the Duster’s bigger brothers, styling is a bit more daring than other imports in its size range. The rear fender does not follow the contour of the rear tire. Instead, it juts out in a dominant fashion. Complimenting this is a high mounted front fender, polished forks and a racy looking downswept exhaust system.
Styling like this spells performance to many of the younger generation and to ensure the transmission of this message, TS 125s are painted red with blue and white accent stripes. Suzuki painted its TR 500 roadracers with this same color scheme a couple of years back.
Style and appearance are important marketing considerations, but for the prospective purchaser, rider comfort is far more important. After all, it’s no fun putting miles on a bike that lacks proper feel or is jarring you to death.
The Duster’s seat is wide. Padding is thick and has enough support to effectively cushion sharp jolts. Handlebars and all controls fall within easy reach. About the only two criticisms one can levy against the controls are lack of a handlebar mounted kill button and the presence of a turn signal switch when there are no turn signals.
Street riders will delight in the full compliment of instruments and appropriate lighting equipment. Both tachometer and speedometer are easily read, even at night and the headlight throws a powerful enough beam for the 65-70 mph top speed.
Dirt riders will have no use for the tach, but the speedometer does feature an odometer which can be reset either direction in tenth of a mile increments. Another plus for dirt riders is a smaller taillight than last year. The unit is still in the way for serious trailing but you can’t go too far toward remedying this and still remain legal.
Because the Duster is completely legal, serveral interesting trails can be linked with paved roads to create an interesting ride. On paved portions, the Duster can really make time. If 9000 rpm doesn’t scare you (it’s 1000 rpm over indicated red line), the little Suzuki can attain 70 mph on level straights.
Trials tires with a smallish cross-section and round profile hang on remarkably well in paved turns, at least on dry roads. The machine can be leaned over to an alarming degree before a slight oscillation of the rear end tells you that the limit has been reached.
If trail riding established routes is your bag, the TS 125 is equally at home. Even though the machine has a low exhaust, clearance is sufficient for climbing over most logs and rock ledges. Over large obstacles, a drain plug on the bottom of the exhaust protrudes enough to be damaged.
With a curb weight of 219 lb. and a reasonably short 52.5 in. wheelbase, switchbacks are a breeze. The 32-in. wide handlebars fitted to the Duster are perfect for this type of riding, as their modest width allows easy passage down narrow trails.
Even though the Duster is a superb bike on trails, it does have some shortcomings for other types of off-road sport. That short wheelbase, high center of gravity, and small tires all work against the rider when it comes to sliding turns. On sand surfaced roads, the front end washes out any time a turn is attempted at speed. If the rear end breaks traction, it whips out at an alarming rate and there isn’t enough power on tap to maintain the slide.
As delivered, the Duster is not quite up to use in desert areas, either. Small tires are again one of the major culprits. The rear tire is not wide enough to get up on top of sand and the narrow front cover tracks in all the ruts. The result is a slow, scary ride without a great deal of control.
Hit some rocks and washboard surfaces and it becomes obvious that the suspension needs some work as well. As soon as the rear shocks heat up, they do not dampen effectively. The ride becomes skitterish and the wheel chatters when braking hard.
Fortunately, the front forks are considerably better. Cam type adjusters provide for three-way adjusting of spring tension to suit riders of varying weight. On the softest setting, some bottoming occurs with a 160 lb. rider on board. Still, this setting proved to be the best choice for all-round use, as it eliminates the harsh ride associated with stiffer spring settings.
The Duster may not be as much of a racer as its looks imply, but it is a very durable mount. Wheel rims will bend, but that’s about it. Welds are a little rough on the single toptube, single downtube frame, but it is well triangulated and should be able to handle all the punishment a rider can subject it to. The unit, incidentally, completely cradles the engine and a small bash plate protects the center engine cases from rocks.
The frame is sturdy. The engine is bulletproof. The amazing part about this two-stroke Single is the amount it can be over-revved for long periods of time without damage to components. A claimed 13 bhp is produced at 7000 rpm. Maximum torque is at 6500, and the unit will run happily at 9000 rpm, on an indicated 8000 rpm red line. On one downhill, the Duster reached 9500 in fifth! This definitely isn’t recommended, but it’s nice to know the engine can take it.
The crank rides on ball bearings and the rod features needle bearings at both ends. Lubrication of these components is aided by the Suzuki oil injection system, which pressure feeds portions of the lower end as well as injecting oil in the intake tract.
Remaining engine components are conservative in design. There are four ports (one intake, one exhaust, and two transfers) cast into the iron lined cylinder barrel. Both the cylinder barrel and head are aluminum and sport large cooling fins.
Primary drive is by helical gear to a wet, multi-disc clutch. Transmission is five-speed constant mesh and the engine can be started in any gear as long as the clutch is pulled in. Shift lever travel is decidedly short, and aside from an elusive neutral, shifting is a pleasure.
Because it is a Single, maintenance is a snap. The 24mm Mikuni carburetor is not encased in a shroud as is European practice, so it is easy to adjust. A hinged seat exposes most of the electrics should anything go wrong there.
The air cleaner, however, is typical Suzuki. It is not overly effective when it comes to keeping fine dirt out and it is difficult to service. Fine dirt passes through because the oil-wetted polyurethane foam element is too porous. It’s difficult to service because the rubber hose that connects air cleaner and carb is secured directly to the element housing. Therefore, it must be removed (no easy task) before the element and element housing can be taken from the airbox.
Aside from this design flaw, and the annoying Suzuki nameplates that fell off the gas tank regularly, the Duster proved itself a sound machine. It’s fairly light, reliable and the price will endear it to many who need to combine local commuting with off-road pleasure.
SUZUKI
TS 125 J
$579
