A feeling of overwhelming pride enveloped me when I tightened the last bolt on this 2003 Suzuki RM125. I have now built a handful of bikes from the ground up, and I have learned something new on every one of them. Completing this bike made me take a step back and look where I started. Just a couple years ago I didn’t know how to change a tire or clean a carburetor, and now I have built a magazine worthy bike from a pile of parts. Prior to this bike I had built 125s from the 3 other Japanese manufacturers, but never a Suzuki. Suzukis are notoriously hard to find anymore, and when this bike popped up on Facebook in pieces I drove to Billings and bought it for $1,000.
It is both incredible and nerve racking to know that I have handled every component of this bike. Every gear, every washer and every bolt went through my hands before becoming part of the bike. These are such impressive machines; so simple yet so complex at the same time.
I made a conscious effort on this build to improve my camera work, film quality and editing. Not only did I want to build my best bike yet, but I wanted to showcase it better than ever before. The time and effort that has gone into editing video for this bike is immense, and I am very proud of the final build video I have put together. This is more than a dirt bike; it’s a story. I strived to portray that.
This build wouldn’t have been possible without support from some of the greatest companies in the industry. The ability to build a bike of this caliber is a privilege to me, and these companies helped make it happen.
