Need help? We're riders just like you.
By clicking subscribe, I agree to receive exclusive offers & promotions, news & reviews, and personalized tips for buying and selling on MX Locker.
MX Locker © 2026 Accessibility
MX Locker
Sep 10, 2021
We recently caught up with Kyle Larsen, about his dirt bike builds and unique stories behind the bikes he transforms. Kyle has a unique touch in his building process and the dirt bikes he builds stand out from the rest of the crowd. In this blog, we are featuring the 2002 Honda CR125 Kyle recently built and learn more about the entire process that goes into completely tearing down a dirt bike and building it from scratch.
The 2002 Honda CR125 Dirt Bike is Currently for Sale on MX Locker!
Want to get in contact with Kyle about the bike? Click HERE!
Q: What were your first thoughts when you bought the bike and ideas you originally had for it?
A: My first thoughts was that this bike was completely done. It was on the verge of exploding and you could hear the rod knock so bad. So because I didn’t want to risk damaging the cases, I never even got to ride it before I built it. So the idea was to just do a completely awesome build on it and believe me, it needed it. It needed pretty much all new parts - and it got just about all that plus more!
Q: When you buy a dirt bike that needs to be completely rebuilt, what's your rebuild process look like?
A: My complete process when buying a dirt bike and doing a full build on it usually looks like this:
Q: We're jumping a bit ahead of the interview here, but we saw the final build and were absolutely blown away by it! What was the inspiration to do all gold graphics and kit on it?
A: The idea of transforming the dirt bike into “gold” was actually to replicate a Kashima color. I think it is one of the best coatings used in motocross, which is mainly only used on the forks. I’ve always loved the color so I figured why not make my own Kashima plastics. They ended up looking mostly gold in some pictures, especially once the graphics were put on, but they are much more “Kashima” color in person.
Q: Are there any go-to parts you always put on your bikes?
A: My most go to parts are always what makes the bike run better. If I could choose one part to have on the bike it would be the smart carb. The next gen carb just makes it so crisp I won’t have a bike without one. A lot of guys are always saying “nothing beats a properly tuned PWK” well I dare you to try out a smart carb and let me know if you change your mind -because you will! Also, even if the carb had less power, the advantages of having it well outweigh the disadvantages. For example it’s 100% tunable from the outside, you can make it richer or leaner by just rotating a dial on top. I am a huge fan of the smart carb will definitely get one for every dirt bike I own. Next up is a tie with the Phathead Billet Cylinder Heads! I really like the Phathead Billet Cylinder Heads because they look unreal, and there are several performance advantages with them. The domes are also replaceable to whatever you want: higher compression, big bores, you name it! That head can run anything and Lucas (the owner of Phathead Racing) has incredible customer support and will make a head specific to whatever you need and even engrave your name on it. Those are my go to parts no matter the dirt bike build - I always make sure to get both those parts on any of my builds.
Q: You mentioned the dirt bike pretty much got new everything - can you give us a breakdown of what parts are on it?
A: Here is a break down of all the parts on it!
Q: We saw Carson Brown got the chance to ride your build. What did he have to say about the CR125?
A: Carson Brown loved the bike! He said the performance was very good and it ran just as good as it looked, which was to be expected but there is no way I could rip it as good as him so I have him test the bikes out to see what they are capable of and this CR125 did not disappoint. Here’s his exact words on the bike.
Carson: “Here’s some insight on the 125 🤘 Man it was super fun, you never know what to expect when showing up to ride someone else’s build, but it didn’t disappoint. You could tell every part on the bike was really thought out and had a purpose to make the bike better than it’s stock form. It was nice to be able to ride a track that I’m familiar with so that I could get a real feel for the bike. I had also been riding stock CR125’s a lot so it was nice to get a good feel for all the mods on the bike. Right when I got on it I could tell that it was revving to the moon which is always a good thing for my style of riding. That was fun to get to ride a 125 that someone did not mod to just have bottom end. From bottom to top it ran smooth and clean. Sometimes when these 125’s get modded they feel like the motors are going to get too hot and melt, but this one ran cool all day without a worry. The triple clamps and suspension were set up to give the bike a good planted feel. The bike felt really controllable through the corners but also stiff enough to seat bounce through rhythm sections. With these 125’s it can be a struggle to get them to feel planted since you have to be so high in the RPM’s all the time. Overall the bike was super fun to ride and I’m glad I got the chance to put this beautiful bike to the test.”
Q: We know how much time and money goes into these builds you do - do you build these as a hobby or is it a business venture for you?
A: I build these dirt bikes completely for fun! I’ve always been a designing type and I really love to mix things up and make awesome stuff - and dirt bikes happen to be one of those things that I can somewhat afford to build. I’d love to do cars, planes, boats, anything I can get my hands on but I just can’t afford to do it with those! I also love riding dirt bikes, so I put my designs into making badass one of a kind dirt bike to show off. It’s also a good community I get a lot of messages from people asking for design tips or help with their dirt bike they are building, or even just compliments on my work - which makes it all worth it. I typically just sell them for about what I have into them to fund the next awesome build!
Want to get in touch with Kyle?
What Is the Best Premium Motocross Boot?
Premium motocross boots all promise serious protection, comfort, and control, but they do not all fe
WHAT IS THE BEST MOTOCROSS GOGGLE?
Introducing the Top 5 Premium Motocross Goggles, tested by AMA Motocross and Supercross legend Jeff
Everything You Need to Know About the Alpinestars Tech-Air MX AirBag System
In this video, Jeff sits down with Alpinestars specialist Brent Jaswinski to break down how the Tech
First Impressions: Dunlop MX14 Tire
Jeff Emig shares his first impressions on the Dunlop MX14 — the ultimate scoop tire built for soft t