Kawasaki Eliminator 125 Specs and Review • Road Sumo

Are you in the market for a small displacement cruiser? If you want something that you can rely on to take you on long-distance rides, then you need to check out the Kawasaki Eliminator 125. What are the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 specs?

The Kawasaki Eliminator 125 was a small cruiser-style motorcycle that was in production from 1997 to 2010. The Eliminator 125 has a top speed of 63 miles per hour. It can produce a maximum torque of 7.3 ft-lbs at 8,000 RPM. This motorcycle can reportedly produce 11.8 horsepower.

Read on to learn more about the iconic Kawasaki Eliminator 125.

Kawasaki Eliminator 125 Specifications

1. Displacement

As its name suggests, the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 has a displacement of 124cc. Kawasaki did not risk going over the 125cc limit for tariff reasons.

2. Engine

The Eliminator’s engine is a single-cylinder and four-stroke with a carburetor. Because of the relatively simple configuration, the Eliminator 125’s engine is quite reliable.

The Kawasaki Eliminator 125’s engine could supposedly produce up to ~12hp and a torque of 7.3 ft-lbs. The reliable engine, coupled with a 5-speed gearbox, allowed the Eliminator 125 to reach a top speed of 100 kph or 63 mph, which is impressive for such a small engine.

3. Suspension

When it comes to the suspension, the front fork has 36mm hydraulic telescopic shock absorbers, and the rear uses twin shocks with preload settings. The front uses a 90/90-R17, and the rear is a 130/90-R15. All of them are readily available in any motorcycle shop should you need replacements.

4. Brakes

The Kawasaki Eliminator 125 also comes standard with front disc brakes and rear drum brakes. The brakes may not seem that impressive, but they are more than enough for stopping the Eliminator 125 as it only weighs 283 pounds.

5. Fuel Tank

The Eliminator 125 also has a 3.5-gallon fuel tank. This bike has an astounding fuel economy with mixed driving fuel mileage of 77 mpg. You can potentially ride from downtown Los Angeles to Las Vegas in just one full tank of gas.

Is the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 a Good Beginner’s Bike?

If you are a beginner at riding and you want a reliable motorcycle that you can practice on, the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 is the one for you. It is a relatively small and light motorcycle, so it is much easier to control. You can weave through traffic with ease as it only has a 58-inch wheelbase.

The 27-inch seat height allows small-framed riders to reach the pavement two feet when stopped at a traffic light. The high handlebars and forward foot control also provide a comfortable neutral riding position. Because none of your body weight is bearing on your wrists while riding, you can comfortably ride for hours without too much fatigue.

To say that the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 is the ideal beginner’s bike is an understatement. It was the bike of choice of many riding schools throughout its production run. There are so many riders these days who learned on the Eliminator 125.

Is the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 Reliable?

The Japanese know how to make affordable yet reliable bikes, and the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 is no exception. The bike runs on a single-cylinder, 4-stroke gasoline engine, and the fuel and air are supplied using a carburetor. Not having any sophisticated electronics means maintenance and repairs are fairly simple.

Maintenance is also quite easy, seeing as almost everything is out in the open. You can change the oil and oil filters yourself even if you do not have a bike stand and only have the basic tools. If you treat this bike right, you can most likely get more than 100,000 miles on it before you need a major engine rebuild.

Speaking of repairs, it will not cost you that much if you take the Eliminator 125 to a mechanic’s garage. Because it was quite popular, many Eliminator 125s rolled out of the factories, so finding authentic spare parts will not be challenging. In addition, OEM parts are still produced today, and they are not that pricey.

Also, the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 motorcycle is so cheap to insure. You can easily find a provider who will be more than happy to insure it for less than $50 annually.

Again, what does the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 offer? Kawasaki made the Kawasaki Eliminator from 1997 to 2010. It is a small cruiser-style motorcycle yet has a top speed of 63 miles per hour (mph) and can produce a maximum torque of 7.3 ft-lbs at 8,000 RPM and 11.8 hp.

Kawasaki Eliminator 125 Ride Quality

Riders who are of average height will find the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 comfortable. The seats are nicely cushioned. It also has a one-up seat when you have a passenger. The riding position has you with your back straight, and your feet slightly stretched forward. This makes for a comfortable riding position.

The 125cc engine also does not produce that much vibration. This means you will barely feel the bike underneath you when you are riding. The front and rear shocks have a lot of travel. It would be enough to shield you from the common bumps and dips that you would find in the city.

Overall, the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 is a nice bike for cruising around the city. It also works if you want to go on 3-to-4-hour road trips.

With that said, I highly advise taking the side roads if you are going on a somewhat long-distance ride. Avoid the highways as much as you can, too. Although the Eliminator 125 looks like a big bike, it is not heavy enough to prevent cars and trucks from accidentally blowing it off the road when they pass.

How Fast Can a Kawasaki Ninja 250 Go?

Reasons for Owning a Kawasaki Eliminator 125

Although the Eliminator 125 has been discontinued from production for over 10 years, many people are still actively looking for it. Here are top reasons why you should own it:

1. Highly Reliable

The biggest reason why the Eliminator 125 is still a sought-after bike is its reliability. If you are looking for a bike for utility purposes, like getting around the city or commuting to and from work, this is the ideal motorcycle. It is smaller than a chopper, so weaving through stalled traffic will be a breeze.

2. Exceptional Fuel Efficiency

Another benefit of owning an Eliminator 125 is its exceptional fuel efficiency. If you use the bike for commuting purposes, you only have to fill its tank once a week. Sometimes, you can go up to two weeks before the needle reaches empty.

Even though it only has a 125cc displacement, it does not look like it. This means that if you are a beginner biker and a bit conscious about how you look while riding, the Eliminator 125 will not let you down. The wide gas tank and chrome fenders make the bike look like it belongs in Myrtle Beach Bike Week.

3. Reasonably Priced

For most people, the bike being cheap is also a huge plus. Back when it was still in production, the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 cost around US$2,400. Now, you can find a secondhand Eliminator in pretty good condition.

In most cases, it only has a couple of thousand miles on the odometer. You can get one like that at over $1,000 or less. If you shop around a bit more, you will even find an Eliminator 125 in decent shape that sells for around $500.

4. Inexpensive Upkeep and Maintenance

Aside from being affordable, the upkeep of the Eliminator 125 is also quite cheap. If you have basic mechanical skills and own a couple of basic tools, you can do all the maintenance tasks yourself. These include oil changes and battery replacement, among others.

There are lots of people who did a project out of restoring Eliminators because parts are readily available. If you have teenage kids, this is the perfect project bike for you to work on. You can let them keep it once finished.

If the time comes that you need to have it looked at by a professional mechanic, you will not need to spend a lot of money on repairs. The bike may not even need to spend more than a couple of days in the garage.

Kawasaki Eliminator 125 Pros

1. It Sips Gas

The Kawasaki Eliminator can get up to 77 miles per gallon (mpg) in mixed driving conditions. This means fewer trips to the pump, equating to you saving quite a lot of money.

2. It Is Easy to Control

It may look like a big bike, but it is a lot more compact and lighter. This means even if you do not have a muscular frame, you can control this bike with relative ease. Although it has the stylings of a cruiser, it also serves well as a city bike.

3. Repairs Are Easy and Cheap

There are no computer-controlled electronic fuel injection, no liquid-cooling systems, and other complicated components. With that in mind, repairs are relatively easy. There is also an abundance of spare parts for this bike, both original and aftermarket. This means you will not have a hard time hunting down replacement parts.

4. There Are Lots of Aftermarket Parts

Because the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 was a popular bike in its time, aftermarket parts manufacturers made a ton of mods for it. This means you can find many performance upgrades to make it a bit more exciting to ride. There are also a lot of aesthetic mods that you can use to personalize your Eliminator 125.

5. It Is Quite Reliable

Properly taken care of, the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 can last up to 100,000 miles without needing any major repairs. If you properly maintain it, like regularly changing the oil and filters, it will likely last for many years without any major problems. It is also advisable to ride it responsibly so that it will have a long lifespan.

Kawasaki Eliminator 125 Cons

1. Its Tiny Engine Struggles When Climbing Hills

If you find that the road ahead is at 15% grade, prepare for the Eliminator 125 to struggle climbing it. The small 4-cylinder engine does not produce enough power to conquer moderately steep roads confidently. The bike will not stall, though, but it will slow down significantly.

2. Brakes Could Have Been a Bit Stronger

Although you might not be breaking land speed records on the Kawasaki Eliminator 125, the brakes should have been a lot stronger off the line. If you are buying a secondhand Eliminator, consider upgrading to a stronger aftermarket brake kit.

3. Riders Over 6-feet Tall May Find It Uncomfortable

The Kawasaki Eliminator is a rather small bike despite its appearance. Riders up to 5’9” will find this bike to be a perfect fit. However, if you are taller than 6’, then the foot forward controls may become a bit too close.

Kawasaki ZX25R Review

Known Issues of the Kawasaki Eliminator 125

Carburetor Issues

Even though the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 is an overall reliable and durable bike, it does have a couple of quirks. The common problems that you will encounter with this bike are carburetor issues. Just like many older bikes with a carburetor, it gets quite dirty. It also tends to interfere with the fuel-air mixture.

Trouble with Electronics

There have been other people who reported that they had trouble with the electronics. The main reason is that the voltage regulator either runs too high or too low. This causes the engine to misfire and eventually stall.

Luckily, issues with the Kawasaki Eliminator are few and far between. Unless the bike has run more than 100,000 miles, repairs would not cost too much. This bike is relatively easy to fix, and parts for it are easy to source.

Conclusion – Kawasaki Eliminator 125 Specs and Review

The Kawasaki Eliminator 125 is a cruiser-style, small-displacement motorcycle in production from 1997 up to 2010. It has a maximum output of 11.8 horsepower. It also boasts a top speed of 63 miles per hour. Also, it can produce up to 7.3 ft-lbs of torque.

Although many bikers regard the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 as a beginner’s bike, that does not mean you cannot enjoy it for what it is, which is a fun and reliable city cruiser. You might not be able to take this out into the highway.

However, you can weave in-and-out of the rush hour gridlock traffic almost effortlessly. This might not be the most fun motorcycle, but the Kawasaki Eliminator 125 is among the most reliable.