If you’re in the pit bike racing world, you’ve definitely heard of the debate about which brand 110 is the fastest. But, could the SSR 125 top speed be the fastest of all?
In this post, we’ll cover what the SSR 125 top speed is and what impacts it. Let’s dive in.
SSR 125 Top Speed
One of the largest pit bike series in the country, Master of Minis, in the Northeast, allows Chinese 125cc pit bikes to race against Japanese 110cc pit bikes.
Why would that be?
Because Chinese bikes are usually lower quality than Japanese bikes and therefore a bit slower.
What does this mean for the SSR 125 top speed?
This puts the SSR 125 top speed at about 40 mph.
This is about 5 mph slower than the KLX 110 top speed. It’s also about 5 mph slower than the CRF110 top speed.
Why did I pick these two bikes to compare the SSR 125 to?
The CRF110 and KLX 110 were both chosen to compare the SSR 125 to because they are the most common pit bikes people ride and race. There are other brands, like a Kayo dirt bike, an XPro, YCF, Piranha, and others, but the KLX, CRF, and TTR are the most common 110 pit bikes.
In many pit bike racing series, you’re able to run a Chinese 125 (such as the SSR 125) in the Japanese 110 class (against KLX 110, CRF110, and TTR 110). This is done because they’re seen to be comparable in speed, despite the SSR 125 having a bigger engine.
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What changes the top speed of SSR 125?
It can be tough at times to calculate the true top speed of a dirt bike because there are quite a few different items that can impact it. Let’s take a look at them.
Engine Work and Aftermarket Parts
This might be obvious to some, but engine work and aftermarket parts are going to impact the SSR 125 top speed. Arguably, most of anything.
If your SSR 125 has engine work (especially a big bore kit) and a pipe, that’s not really comparable to the top speed of a stock SSR 125.
The top speed of SSR 125 that hasn’t had any work done to it will be significantly lower than the top speed of SSR 125 that has undergone mods.
The more work you do to the bike, the greater the difference in speeds will be.
There are other factors at play here too – such as gearing, riding conditions, and more.
Gearing
The second most important factor in determining the SSR 125 top speed is its gearing. Gearing refers to the size (and ratio) of the front and rear sprockets.
For reference, the stock gearing for this bike is a 12-tooth front sprocket and a 37-tooth rear sprocket (depending on the year of your bike).
Riders normally pick different gearing depending on the situation they’re riding. If the rider is racing supercross, they would typically want more acceleration (referred to as more bottom end). To achieve this, they’d use either a smaller front sprocket or a larger rear one. This is known as having a low gear ratio.
Yes, I realize no one is going to be riding supercross on an SSR 125…
Although, they could be racing an indoor pit bike race — that’s kind of like pit bike supercross.
If the rider is racing motocross, they may want more top speed (known as top end). To do this, the rider would use a larger front sprocket or a smaller rear sprocket; in other words, they would be changing to a higher gear ratio.
Riding in the woods can require an entirely different gearing combination than that of supercross or motocross.
This might not sound like much to some people, but it has a large impact on the top speed of SSR 125 (or any dirt bike, for that matter). Depending on the gear changes made, it can significantly increase or decrease the SSR 125 top speed.
An SSR 125 with a 6-tooth front sprocket will have a different top speed than one with the stock 14-tooth front sprocket (I made the difference wide to make a point — no one is running a 6-tooth front sprocket on their SSR 125….).
Additionally, a change to the front sprocket has a greater effect on the SSR 125 top speed and bottom end than changing the rear sprocket. Going up or down one tooth on the front sprocket is not equal to one tooth on the rear sprocket.
Rather, changing the front sprocket by one tooth is equivalent to 3-4 teeth in the rear.
Rider: Size and Ability
The top speed of SSR 125 is going to be slower if the rider weighs more because it takes more work from the bike, while the bike and engine maintain the same ability/capacity. The heavier the rider, generally the lower the SSR 125 top speed is going to be.
Since this is a pit bike, there can be a wide range of rider sizes. You can have an 8-year-old child riding it in their backyard, and you can also have a 35-year-old man racing it in their local pit bike racing series. The SSR 125 top speed in those two situations is clearly going to be different.
Riding Conditions
The SSR 125 top speed can also be impacted by riding conditions, including both location and surface.
For example, a dirt bike’s power output is generally higher closer to sea level than at high altitudes. So if you’re planning to ride your SSR 125 in the mountains, it will likely have a lower top speed than if you were riding at sea level.
Or, even if you’re not in the mountains necessarily, but you’re just riding in Colorado, you’re much higher above sea level than the coasts of the US. That will cause your SSR 125 top speed to be lower.
Smaller-size bikes (bikes with small cc engines) are more impacted by elevation changes than larger bikes, too. Take an SSR 125 for example. This bike is going to be more impacted by the elevation changes than say a CRF450R.
Are you riding in the woods, on a motocross track, or on a paved road? If it’s in the woods, your top speed might be limited. If you’re racing motocross, you can only go so fast while remaining safe and within bounds (and, don’t forget, sometimes slow is fast).
Apart from the elevation and location, another factor that affects the SSR 125 top speed is the surface on which it is being ridden. The top speed of SSR 125 ridden on flat pavement will be different than if it were driven on a tight, sandy motocross course; even the type of tires can make a difference.
A Few Other Factors that Can Impact the SSR 125 top speed
Your SSR 125 top speed can also be impacted by a few more things, including the condition of your bike, the weather, and how you’re recording the data.
A bike that is regularly maintained will run faster and more efficiently than one that isn’t. For example, an SSR 125 that has had consistent maintenance done to it will be able to reach a higher top speed than one not taken care of properly.
The weather and temperature can both affect your SSR 125 top speed. If it rains, the pavement will be wet and your top speed will probably be lower than normal. Similarly, if it’s an abnormally cold or hot day, that could impact how well the bike is running, which could then lower the top speed.
If you want to get an accurate reading of the top speed of SSR 125, use an onboard GPS device rather than relying on someone pointing a speed gauge at you as you zoom past. This doesn’t mean the bike will actually go any faster or slower, it just changes what you end up seeing on paper.
Waving the White Flag on the top speed of SSR 125
As we pass by the white flag of this article and enter into the last lap, I want to summarize what I’ve covered so far.
Ultimately, most people want to know their bike’s rough top speed. Yes, mods and other items impact an SSR 125’s potential, but at the end of the day, people just want to have an idea of how fast their bike is.
With that in mind, an SSR 125 top speed is about 40 mph.
Frequently Asked Questions About the SSR 125 Top Speed
These questions come directly from readers of our site, Dirt Bike Vault, and are updated regularly.
An SSR 125 has a 4-gear transmission, which means it has 4 gears.
An SSR 125 is made for kids 6 to 10 years old, but is often also ridden by adults in the pit bike world.
Yes, SSR is a Chinese brand and therefore its bikes are Chinese.
Certain models of the SSR 125 bikes have a clutch. There are 3 models: one with a manual shift, which is a clutch, one that is semi-automatic (no clutch, but still needs to be shifted), and one that is fully automatic (no clutch or shifting).
No, the SSR 125 is not a 2 stroke. It has a 4-stroke 125cc SOHC engine.
