This 2001 Suzuki RM125 project found its way into my garage thanks to Daniel Schmid. Daniel is the owner of DSC Motorsports, a suspension shop in western Montana. Daniel is not only an expert suspension tech – but one of the fastest racers in Montana. In fact, he’s aiming to race some Pro Nationals in the 250 class later in the series.
This RM125 was a customer project that was abandoned years ago, and ending up Daniel’s possession. Daniel asked if I would like to finish the build, with the possibility of raising some funds to go towards his pursuit of the Pro Nationals.
I said hell yeah, let’s do it.
Early January the bike appeared in my garage while I was down in Arizona for Christmas. I got home in the New Year and began planning, reaching out to sponsors, and ordering parts.
3 months later, I couldn’t be more proud of the outcome. We ended up raising $7,000 for Daniel, which covered the cost of his race engine being built by Twisted Development.
The giveaway livestream for this bike will be held on Monday, April 21st at 6pm MST where one lucky person will win the RM125!
This bike build had no expenses spared and cost over $8,000 to build. Here is a highlighted list of parts used on this build:
Fully built DSC Motorsports suspension with ti-nitride coated tubes
After 4 successful bike builds and giveaways (the YZ300, CR250, KLX143, and KTM 200), I decided it was time to give back to the community that has helped to change my life. After watching a ski film called Mountain in My Mind that bring awareness to mental health issues in America, I wanted to do something to further this awareness.
This was my friend Riley’s childhood YZ85, and we wanted to put it towards a good cause. Thus, I decided to build this bike where a deserving kid would win it 100% free. Riley also gave away a snowmobile where the proceeds went to BYEP, a Montana organization that helps troubled teens find their way in the world through adventure based outdoor programs.
During this build, Cameron Niemela passed away after a long and hard-fought battle against cancer. I dedicated this build to Cameron, hoping he would be proud at the cause it’s going towards. I’d like to thank Cam for everything he did for this wonderful community, and if you would like to donate to support his wife Haley and their children you can visit the GoFundMe right here.
After watching over 300 entries, I selected Lucas, a 12 year old from Minnesota as the deserving winner of this dirt bike. His 16 year old brother entered for him, and we met halfway in North Dakota to deliver the bike before last Christmas. Check out the video here:
This project would not have been possible without the help of these amazing companies and people:
DeCal Works not only provided graphics and a seat cover for this build, but actually covered the cost of the bike itself. This allowed me to focus my efforts and funds into high quality parts and necessary OEM replacements.
Companies and people who made this project possible:
This is Cameron Niemela’s company that has transformed the way I build bikes. It is still up and running thanks to Nik and Cam’s wife Haley – show them all of the support you can!
Charley from Oregon won this KTM 200 and a 2-day riding trip to Montana! We had an epic time exploring single track in the mountains! Check out the recap of Charley’s trip here:
This 2006 KTM 200 XC-W just might be the most customized and capable ’06 200 on the planet. Complete with electric start, new front end, oversized tank, protection parts galore, radiator fan, and so much more – this small bore 2 stroke is ready for battle. I set a personal challenge to see if I could finish Silver Kings Hard Enduro on this bike and built it for the occasion. You can watch me tackle Silver Kings on it by clicking right here. Since Silver Kings, I have refreshed the bike to prepare it for one lucky winner. This refresh included a new ProX piston, new Shinko Tires, new FMF Gnarly exhaust, new plastics and graphics from DeCal Works, a clean NoToil air filter, fresh oil, and of course a thorough cleaning all around.
Check out the full build recap video here:
Believe it or not, the bike didn’t sustain much damage at Silver Kings thanks to the skid plate from SXSlideplate and rotor guards from Bullet Proof Designs. The bike itself has 32 hours on it since the full rebuild, with all of the items noted above being brand new. With this said, the wheels have scratches, the rotor guards have been tested, and the skid plate has, well… skidded. And all of this testing has given me a high level of confidence in the bike you will be winning.
Now let’s take a closer look at this bike…
Engine and Fuel Delivery
This engine has 30 hours on a complete top to bottom rebuild with brand new engine cases and zero hours on a brand new ProX piston. The cylinder was replated and the crankshaft was rebuilt by Millennium Technologies and utilizes a Wossner rod. A Hinson clutch pack and springs provide perfect clutch engagement. Fuel is delivered from a 3.2 gallon oversized IMS fuel tank through a 36mm SmartCarb. This SmartCarb not only improves fuel efficiency and linearizes the power to become more tractable and usable than the stock carb, but auto compensates for altitude changes as well.
Electric Start and Radiator Fan
The engine of this KTM 200 utilizes cases from a 2016 KTM 200 XC-W. This opened the doors to add electric start. Using all brand-new OEM parts for a 2016 KTM 200 XC-W, I added electric start to this machine. The system is powered by an AG-801 lithium-ion Antigravity Battery, which also powers the Tusk radiator fan that keeps this bike cool through the most treacherous terrain. The fan is controlled by a manual switch mounted on the handlebars, and the thermostat is easily readable through the left radiator shroud.
At the controls the handlebars are mounted to a set of Urmosi soft bar clamps, which reduce vibration and fatigue. A retrofitted Magura 167 clutch master cylinder gives this 200 the easiest clutch pull I have ever felt. A set of wraparound Acerbis handguards protect your hands and controls. Also mounted to the bars is the electric start button, kill switch, and manual switch for the radiator fan. This 200 utilizes a pair of IMS core enduro footpegs for ultimate rider connection to the bike.
Protection
Protection parts are crucial for a hard enduro bike, and this KTM 200 is ready to take some abuse. This bike boasts Bullet Proof Designs rotor guards front and rear, Acerbis handguards, a completely custom skid plate from SXSlideplate, and Moose Racing radiator braces. This bike is also flat proof, featuring a bib mousse in the front and Mr. Wolf mousse balls in the rear. The Urmosi enduro-specific wheels features heavy duty spokes and high-grade aluminum and have survived every test I have put them through with mere scratches.
The support on the both the YZ300 and CR250 giveaway builds was nothing short of incredible, and I received an incredible number of requests to build a pit bike next. I bought a $600 2005 KLX110 from a friend of mine, and many months later I decided that it would become the next build for someone to win.
Alongside the KLX143 build, I did my first ever merch drop! Thanks to everyone who picked up some merch and for spreading the stoke!
You can watch the complete start to finish transformation of the KLX110 to a KLX143 right here!
This build features the following upgrades:
BBR high performance camshaft
BBR big bore cylinder and piston
BBR forged output shaft
BBR heavy duty fork springs
BBR extended damping rods
BBR CB910 edition handlebars
BBR kickstarter
BBR high flow air filter kit
BBR skid plate
BBR rev box
BBR heavy duty footpeg bracket
BBR heavy duty aluminum rims
BBR heavy duty spokes
BBR shift lever
BBR stock comp signature swingarm
BBR intake manifold
Mikuni VM26 carburetor
DeCal Works custom graphics
MX Plastics plastic kit (2022 style)
DNM rear shock
Ti-nitride coated fork stanchions
IMS footpegs
2022 KLX110 fuel tank
Tusk tires
All new bearings and seals
All new cables
Custom Cerakoted parts
2023 Honda CR250
Ron from Indiana was selected as the lucky winner of this bike, and he drove out to Montana to come pick up his new bike! Check out the experience here:
This 2023 Honda CR250 build began with a blown up and neglected 2002 Honda CR250. I drove down to Driggs, Idaho to purchase this bike for $700. A few months and countless hours of hard work later, I brought this machine back to life with a huge list of upgrades. Check out the 30 minute build video here:
Here is an abbreviated parts list highlighting some of the specialty parts and upgrades:
This was my first giveaway bike! Congratulations to Trenten from Wisconsin for being selected as the lucky winner!
This Yamaha YZ2300 started out as my buddy Danny’s 2005 Yamaha YZ250. This bike was well loved and had seen countless miles of Montana single track. I wanted to keep the bike true to its roots, and decided to do a big bore 300cc electric start woods build. I stripped the bike all the way down to the frame and got to work. With the support of some amazing companies in the industry, this beast was born.
This bike features custom holographic graphics from DeCal Works along with a gorgeous custom seat cover. The cylinder was bored out by Millennium Technologies to achieve 300cc displacement. The bike is equipped with Shinko tires and ProX rebuild kits throughout. A Wiseco crankshaft and clutch basket ensure optimal engine performance. A Phathead cylinder head not only provides a beautiful finish to the engine, but performance upgrades over stock as well as the ability to interchange domes. An IMS oversized tank and footpegs ensures ultimate rider connection to the bike while being able to go the distance. The AXP extreme skidplate with linkage protection is the best skid plate on the market, and allows sliding over logs and obstacles with ease. Fast Metric fasteners provided shiny new bolts all around so the bike has no signs of being nearly 20 years old. Cerakote was used for coatings, and Deja Moto provided help with the suspension.
