Power: The CR 125 engine churned out a wide, and strong, power spread through most of the RPM range. The low-end power was rather weak though. After the engine reved out of the basement, it pulled strong and smooth through the RPM range. Inexperienced riders found the engine a bit difficult to keep on the pipe. When ridden by an experienced 125 pilot, the ’90 CR 125 would beat the ’91 model in a drag race every time.

Suspension: The cartridge equipped forks soaked up big bumps and high altitude landings easily. The forks were awfully stiff however, and didn't respond well to little bumps. Even though the ’91 CR 125 forks were a vast improvement over the ’90 model forks, many ’91 CR 125 owners still wanted the ‘89 CR 125 forks! The rear suspension offered fair bump control. The rear suspension tended to skip and hop around a little when entering rough and hard packed corners.

Handling: The ’91 CR 125 was a comfortable bike to ride. It was a razor sharp turning machine and was actually a little stable at speed. After serious CR 125 owners revalved the suspension, the bike was "reasonably" stable at speed.

Reliability: It was a very reliable bike and relatively trouble free. A few owners complained that the bike engine would make "popping" noises at high and sustained RPM's.

Odds & Ends: The ’91 CR 125 can be an okay trail/play bike. Be prepared to deal with the rather wheezy low-end power.