That 2 stroke echo is literally the best sound ever!

This bike is alive and NEEDS a restoration. It DESRVES it and told you so by starting on third kick and running brilliantly. I know it's not sentient but this thing has soul. It still lives so now make it beautiful again.

All i could say the whole video was "wow!" Suprisingly amazing condition and fired right up! That is a diamond in the rough! I vote for full restoration!

I owned a 75, 77, 79 RM's back in day when I was racing motocross. They all performed well and I rode the heck out them between hours of practice and racing. I was around 20 years old then, that was 47 years ago, hard to believe. Those aluminum tanks were really cool back then. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!

This bike is a gem. The 70s RMs were awesome. Its a keeper. As a young rider then, its what everyone wanted....

Have the same exact bike. Found it for 300$ in a shed non running during covid. Have been shipping parts home for my dad to rebuild while im stationed overseas. Absolute amazing little bike to ride. Super snappy alot quicker than I thought they would be. The guys that grew up riding these are animals!

When it kicked over so easy, all my hair stood up from my neck to my wrists. Congrats on one that will probably never leave the collection!

I had a 1977 RM 125 when I was in 7th grade. When I heard the sound as you were riding it brought me back to those days. It was the most fun bike I ever owned. Thanks.

My first MX bike was the 1975 RM125. I sold it, and upgraded to a 1976 RM125 (high pipe). Those were some good days (high school in the late 70s).

No question, this bike screams: Gimme a full restauration! Seldom chance, do it all, strip it to the frame and make all new, inkl. Dampers. Tank is not a big problem to get in shape. I really hope you make a masterpiece out of this lovely 125. Thanks for sharing!

That took me back to my childhood. When you took off across the field, that sound did it. Great buy.

Just freaking awesome. Sounds like brand new.. she's a screamer, and the echo makes it sound even better:) definitely worth a restoration.

Talk about powerbands.Everybody should try an old 2stroke,it's like a on off switch.

That's a very important bike in the history of Motorcross. I had a 1978 Suzuki RM 125. it had the aluminum swingarm, plastic tank, and different graphics .

When you took off across the field for the first time on that bike I had to rewind, crank my speakers and re-watch a couple times. That's a beautiful sounding bike!

Wow! I was 14 when I bought my 1975 RM 125! I sold my 1972 Honda SL 100 and my 1974 Suzuki TM 100 to do the deal. I loved that bike! I side saddle pushed it until my friends house who lived next to Morgan Cemetery which we also walked/side saddled thru in 2nd gear. Once thru the cementary we pushed them another few blocks until the train tracks that ran parallel to the Delaware river. At the tracks, we looked both ways for cops and moto'ed it about a half mile until we crossed Rt. 73, down the embankment and ended up behind the Palmyra Diner parking lot which was next to the Tacony Palmyra Drive in theatre and the miles of dredged sand dunes from the Delaware River being dredged back in the late 60's and early 70's. One gallon of premix fuel in a plastic 1 gallon milk jug would get us a couple of hours of awesome riding and back home for dinner by 5 and time to walk to the Pennsauken Mart to buy Lynyrd Skynyrds new Street Survivors album on vinyl. The good ol'days with no bills, no worries other than homework, cleaning the dog doo in the yard, trash cans out or washing one of the family cars.

Nothing beats the sound of an old air cooled 2 stroke lol. Awesome find

Make a rubber stopper with a schrader valve....Seal it off to tank...Add air pressure gradually.. You can also use a map gas torch to heat the dented areas slowly. The heat will also cause air pressure to expand so go slow and be patient...

Awesome bike! i had a 1978 RM125 I guess I’m an old guy! The gas tank was plastic and swing arm was aluminum. That bike looks all original to me. Instant power from the two stroke, better than four strokes of today, my opinion.

yesterday i purchased a 1974 DT250 ive got the bug. love two strokes from the 70s especially the rm125 and the cr125

I realize you know everything must be evaluated in the long run. This one should always be remembered as a winner as opposed to the ones that weren’t. Congratulations!

When I saw the thumbnail on this video, I smiled and thought "he's going to be surprised". My best friend growing up had a 76 RM125 that would flip out from under you if you weren't careful. It had very little power at the bottom but when that power band kicked in, OH BOY!! HANG ON!! Very nice unit for $500!! I really enjoyed this one.

Geez me and my friends had several of these back in the day, also a couple 250's, then in 79 at age 16 I bought a 74 TM400. Wish we had them all still! Lol.

The sound of that through your field is magnificent!!!

If you can find a way to seal up the tank and slowly pressurize it with water it should push the dents right out, it didn’t look like there were any bad creases. Love the old 70s bikes, I had a Yamaha 175 enduro back in the day, my first taste of freedom!

Love the sound of the old bike.

I have a 1979 RM100 and it is a BEAST! I love the sound of those old RMs. I need to get it out of my barn and get it going again.

What a beauty........ had an old 125 in the 80s when I was 14 that brings back memories.....

What a survivor!!.....ragged from cold missing gears and without an air filter. This historic gem of a piece deserves more respect. $500 absolute bargain, needs restoration but will probably be 'flipped' and we'll never see it again.

Who are in the 125 series was a great bike and 77 I was a teenager riding them dirt bikes I had a YZ 80 YZ 250 and a Honda CR 250 and 2 Hodaka ace 100’s, my brother and I and our friends were very fortunate to have those fantastic dirt throwing machines 😁 Great memories and one of my best friends is still one of my best friends to this day he lives in Ohio I still live in Galveston County, Texas . Every time he and I speak on the phone or see each other in person, we always sit around and reminisce back when we were just young teenagers kids it’s been a lifetime.

I owned a PE 175, 1979. Had so much fun with that bike! As far as the tank dents, I've heard of people using a tennis ball with a Schraeder valve in it to pressure the old aluminum takes and pop out dents. Never done it myself. Look it up on UKposts!

That sound instantly took me back to a boy and a dirt road, a screaming 78 rm 125 and having the time of my life. I'd look to see what parts could be found amd then go from there on how far to restore it.

It looks like a restoration is the most popular comment!! Oh yeah!! What a rare opportunity you have to bring back a beautiful bike that really dominated motocross in those years shortly after the Honda Elsinores were on top!

absolutely love the sound of the RM 125 reflecting off the trees as you whip around the field.

I had one of those. Man, it was fun to just open it up and let it sing. The sound it made while shifting with the close ratio trans was so sweet.

great find! so much fun back in the day on bikes like this. All the good times had on bikes of this era and people now riding 10k bikes and complain about everything and laugh at old bikes, but in reality these machines were so fun and we all enjoyed it very much.

I used to have an old 79 Suzuki DS100 I rode that thing hard. Blew it up and rebuilt it twice. I loved that old machine. Lots of fun and memories. Still ran good when I sold it. Sure miss that.

Joe, 100% restore it just like you planned with an engine refresh and the same style, but new tires. Can't wait to see you make it like new.

Braze a Schrader valve onto and old metal gas cap, screw onto tank and then add air...slowly. :D I've only ever done this once, but it worked like a charm. Or call a paintless dent removal guy. They are pretty amazing. Sounds very good...didn't miss a beat out on the land. And the smoking cleaned up. LOL Perfect! Back in the early 80s, I was still riding one of my two 1971 Ducati RT450s. (Still have them...haven't tried starting them since the mid 80s.) Come winter time I went up to one of the local lakes in the BC interior with a few buddies, our families and a few snowmobiles as well. The night before I was furiously screwing as many sheet metal screws into the knobs of the tires to get ready for the next day. What a riot. I could even run on the harder packed snowmobile trails if I kept the speed up and hung my ass out over the rear fender to keep the weight off the front. Like riding in the sand. The lake was glass smooth and I've never had as much fun laying a bike down at any speed and sitting on the seat and spinning around as you slide for 60 or 70 years. :D.

Winner winner chicken dinner on this one Joe. What a very special bike this was in the late 70s.. I'm honestly not even surprised how it went for the first start, but definitely impressed! That thing was a SCORE!!

I bought a new one in 76. Awesome how easily it came back to life. I’d like to find another one. Good job.

I bought 78 RM400 new. What awesome power band, reliable fun bike. I wasn't surprised how easy this bike fired and rode! This video brought back some great memories. I had a friend riding this same bike in tennies put the kick starter through the side of his foot. Still limps to this day. Thank you, Boe

Holy crap! ... it started. That sounds - exactly like the 1978 RM 125 I had with basically the same engine.

Oh man that echo of that 2 stroke sound is beautiful☺😌

Oh an oldie. Heck yeah!

Also, would love to see you do a series on restoring this bike

Definitely worth a little work. I grew on bikes like this. They were brilliant things, light and simple. Just great fun bikes.

that's crazy an old bike running so perfect !

What a score! This is what was rode by my friends in the 1980's, and we beat the snot out of them. This one is a survivor, for sure! Looks like someone liked punching the gas tank though, lol! Hearing that thing fire up in less than 5 kicks was amazing. Then hearing it out in the fields brought back those teenage memories. This is a 47 year old bike, that looks all original. Amazing.

This is the first bike I ever owned. Rode the hell out of it for several years, never did a top end on it, mixed fuel and oil in the tank with who knows what mixture and it ran perfectly until the day I sold it.

Joe you crack me up, I was waiting for that missed shifting style and there it was at 32 :57

Love to see you get a paint booth / powder coating set up started. Sand blast cabinet. You have plenty of space on your property to build a small out-building to take your work to the next level and start doing your own cosmetic work.

I would love to see you do a really thorough restoration. Love you videos and your skill set is excellent. I have learned so much from you. Thank you!

Had a 250 that year, dangerous as heck! Rear suspension bounces at high speed, crazy how these bikes were built back in the day

Thank you for letting me re live the past. Love these bikes! 41:35

I wrote that RM 125 Suzuki once when I was in high school and it was just too fast for me. I love how it sounds and it’s really awesome you found it. My wife really likes your show too.

Beautiful find! Honestly don't know how you find these deals! Great video! Boy, those tires looked sketchy especially the front, careful!! Would love to see a semi-restore on this one for sure.

Just got a 77 RM125 last August. Same steps as yours except I got a new carb. I did get mine started but an sure it needs a rebuild. I had been following your channel and this showed up today and I was excited! Mine wears 78 plastics and tank and I’d love to go back to 77, and yes those tanks - yikes try to find one. Joe Abbate shows how to do them right on coaxing dents out with a hooked rod and a visegrip, and patience. Please save this one patina or full restore. Thanks for great, inspiring do it yourself videos!

Cool old twins shock bike, if we're mine a definite light restoration is the way to go. Nice one Joe👍

This is the bike I rode when I was first introduced to a motocross track! Love it!

Thats one for the collection for sure 🔥🔥👍. Had one many moons ago & regret selling. Thats crazy how well the fuel held up lol. Thats how fuel⛽️ use to be 🤔💯.Thanks for sharing 🫡

Great video on a cool bike. I just recently got a 78 RM 125 and got it up and running again. Haven't been on official first ride yet but soon. I vote for a light restoration, that bike earned all the dents and scratches. Be a sharm to lose that. Keep up the excellent content. Your videos helped me get motivated to buy the RM.

Hey mate definitely deserves a resto, what a great find this was the bike that got me into a lifelong love of motorcycles.

my word...what a find!.......I that you'll be able to retain as much of this bikes patina, history and battlefield experience, I hope it's history is not obliterated by swapping new for old.........best of luck

Awesome! I bought and raced a ‘75 RM125 (first year of the RM, and with the down pipe) when I was 17. Man how envious I am! Brings back days of DeCoster and Wolsink! Good luck and thanks for posting!

That is a beauty, I would do a full restoration on it and put it the family room as art. Nice job buddy!

The sound of that kicker brings back lots memories of my 1976 rm 250! Cool find

Oooooooooooo Hell Yeah!! I could smell the 2 stroke thru the screen. I had a 1978 Rm 100 in 1981. 10 yrs old running from the farm to town and back everyday!! Ol Skool

Historically this thing is priceless. I would love to own one of these. Great find my man.

Wow..what a little beast.

Not even gunna lie.. I was waiting the whole video to see if it was going to get the cleaning it deserved. Always great work and good finds!

You have no idea how lucky you were to find that bike. My friend had that same year bike in the 70’s and I rode it a bunch of times. I had a Yam MX 250. The RM was a real race bike. Kinda pipey, but the gearbox was really good if memory serves. Enjoy it.

I'd absolutely love to see a restoration on this one. Wow ...what a great find Joe.❤

They don't make bikes like that anymore, very nice find.

Used to own a Japan 100 road it from morning till night all day long this video brought memories back. Thank you for sharing.

I would definitely do a full restoration on it, it deserves to be brought back to its original state

Joe great find. About the gas tank. This when I was younger. It don't work every time. We used to put them in the freezer with water in them. It will expand the tank. Then we got older. We put water in them and heat the dents. Make the water boil. It would come out. Thank you. It reminds of the good old days.

Congrats on reaching 400k subs, you deserve it for all the hard work you put in. Well done.

The Iconic look of RM’s from the 1970’s are second to none. There is a reason these bikes won so many races👍🏼 Awesome bike … I’m jealous!!!

Bikes from the 70s were made of quality materials period. And to find one in that condition is rare. I really hope you will restore and just hang on the wall. Its a history show piece.

Reminds me of my first dirtbike, a 1983 rm125 (first blue seat models). I bought it in a very similar state to yours and had been sitting in a shed for 24 years according to the previous owner. Cleaned the very rough looking carb and immediately fired up. These bikes are tough! Having said that, a common issue with these old rm's including mine is that the frames split real easy right under the engine. Nothing a quick weld can't fix though. Curious to see how this one turns out... Keep up the good work and I'm sure you'll flip it without any issues👍 PS. An amazing life hack I never see you use in your videos is mounting/removing the grips with an air compressor. Makes it 10x easier and saves lots of time and energy!

I just found your channel yesterday and I'm diggin' it! You do realize that your voice sounds exactly like Scott Speedman's right? Great dirt bike, it reminds me of my old Yamaha I had as a kid. This bike is definitely worth a restoration and $500 well spent! Bikes like this make up for the last video I watched when you got scammed.

Wow this brings back memories. We lived on the edge of a unused field that was used by the neighborhood kids to ride. It had hills and long straightaways and burns and everything you could have fun riding. Got chased away by the police all the time. Lived in Indiana and closest competition track was Red Bud in Michigan. I started out with a late 70s Honda XR75. When my brother went into the Marines I got his Honda Elsinore 125. They hall had their own sound. No one got hurt or fought. Just fun with the neighbors and the girls would come out and hand out in the cleared out spot in the back with plenty of ways to run when the fuzz decided to drive their Chrysler cop cars through the weeds. Awesome video thanks for the ride on memory lane.

I had a new 77, 125 brings back memories, best wheelie bike I ever owed.

Yea we love those old dirt bikes

Definite candidate for restauration. I think the biggest challenge will be the tank. Aluminium having been previously stretched by the dents could probably tear when you attempt to take out the dents. You could of course decontaminate and reweld if necessary. Considering your purchase price and the possible retail value of such a rare bike, I personally think that all the time, money and effort you invest will be worth it.

Definitely a cool bike ! In 77 my dad lived around the corner from a Yamaha shop , I would go in there and just look at the bikes . I'm sure the owner would wonder why I would hang out there for hours on end ! Dude you are livin the dream !

That RM was my first dirtbike and you just couldn’t kill those bikes. It was amazing motorcycle

Another great video, you always have great content. 170 compression, wow!!!

Wow brother what a gem. The more you drove it to he less it smoked. Runs well

I agree, this bike is very important and should be at the very least preserved if not restored. This is one of the bikes that made Suzuki extremely competitive in Motocross.

Congrats! You found a real gem. Runs better than some of those rescues 30 years newer👍

Letsgooooooo. Love this channel Joe!!!

Joe i don't think ive ever seen u do a full restoration.. this is the bike.. id love to see the next level of what 2vintage can do.. i know parts r scarce but strip the bike n shine every nut n bolt, paint n degrease the whole bike n get it back to OEM looks.. i think itd b a great project plus it'll b good content u can break down in several part videos, heck u could even start a new resto series 💯

Man, I cant stop watching your videos, I want to skip forward a bit but I just cant force myself to do it your methodical approach flows so well. Every video is like a movie.

I use to own one of those in the 70s and I loved it. It deserves a new tank and tires because this is the bike everyone wanted back then. Definately a classic. Please restore perfectly its awesome.

A guy named Roger Decoster, was a champion Motocrosser, who really made Suzuki motorcycles😊 a household word for motocross racing with his Factory RM250,back in the day. Those bikes were very tough and dependable,very simple to fix, without reed or power valves and although not up technically like the bikes of even a couple of years later, were fun to ride. A very restorable bike, Bud that is in decent shape for 47 years old, and one thatbus old guys were drooling over when we were teens😊

I had that bike back in 1978....great memories....I was 15 years old

I had one just like it a 77 RM125B Bought it off the original owner back in 1983. Sold it in 2006. That is an awesome bike. Always started and never let me down. On mine the side plates faded. i ran through a barbed wire fence and cracked the front number plate. The wire also looped up and put a hole in the seat cover. I also had the original sales slip from the original owner. $475.00 I believe the only thing missing on mine was the front sprocket guard. I'm not sure they are the original grips. the originals had the Suzuki S on them. I couldn't find a front number plate , I looked for one back in the 80's after I ran through the barbed wire fence. Definitley a good candidate for a restoration. I will say the guy I bought mine form really researched things before he made the purchase. It had to be the top bike in Motorcross Action and Dirt Bike magazine for 1977.

Love those 70s! I bought my first new bike when I was 16 in 1977. It was a toss up between the Suz or Yam. I liked Bob Hannah so I went with the Yamaha. Those were truly the good ol days! Nice find!