Gilera RV, KZ and KK 125

Gilera · 1983–1988

Gilera RV, KZ and KK 125: history and buying advice

The water-cooled 125 two-strokes of the eighties.

Nederlandse versie

History

At the end of 1983 came the RV 125, a water-cooled two-stroke with reed valve inlet. It sold well at just over 3 million lire, but was seen as somewhat old-fashioned and not very powerful. The engine did prove extremely tough.

At the 1985 Milan show Gilera showed the KZ, with a derived engine with twelve ports and an exhaust valve. It was Gilera’s answer to the Honda NS125, and according to tests the first production 125 to go faster than 150 km/h. The KK with full fairing followed in 1986. In 1988 the MX-1 took over.

Key data

Engine1 cylinder two-stroke, liquid-cooled, reed valve inlet
Capacity124 cc
PowerKZ/KK: 26 hp at 9000 rpm (claimed)
CarburettorKZ/KK: Dell’Orto PHBH 28
Top speedKZ approx. 152 km/h, KK approx. 154 km/h (measured)
WeightKZ 126 kg, KK 136 kg ready to ride

What to check when buying

  • Many examples have been tuned or restricted. Check that the engine matches the papers.
  • Do a compression test and ask when the piston was replaced.
  • Check the exhaust valve (APTS) for carbon build-up and operation.
  • Plastic parts and original exhausts are hard to find. Check that everything is complete.
  • According to Quotidiano Motori, good examples cost about €1,000 to €2,000; wrecks a few hundred euros.

SourcesQuotidiano Motori: Gilera KZ and KK 125 (Italian)Wikipedia: Gilera (English)

More Gilera

← Back to all motorcycles and guides