Return to dirt = CR125

[tigertim20]

Gday.
I started out on dirt when I was much younger, but havent been on a dirt bike for years and years.
My dad (back when we spoke) and I used to go and buy fucked dirt bikes and do them up, ride them a while and sell them. Went through about 15 bikes in 2 and a half years before I stopped counting, and soon found my way to big sportsbikes not too long thereafter.

As fate would have it, my mate recently got his hands on a very rough CR 125. about the same time his missus announced that he was about to be a dad - so wanting to start saving for the next 18 years of poverty, he offered me the CR. the princely sum of $400 seemed about right to me.

So Im back to dirt. The bike is rough as fuck, but complete. the guys that had it last clearly had little respect for it, but it does run - though not well. She is going to be a bit of a project.

Im wondering if anyone else on here has one of these (1991 CR 125) and can give me some info?
A manual would be bloody handy.

I tipped some gas in her and she fired right up and ran ok - ish. she idles nidely but will not rev out. Im thinking it may have fucked rings judging by the smoke, but thats just a guess. I guess forst step is find a manual, and do a compression test, then go from there.

anyway i have rambled but thought I should venture into the dirt section and say gday

[nzspokes]

Do they use an oil injector or pre-mix. Me and a mate fired up an old TS185 that had been sitting for 10 years outside, the injector had leaked and filled it with 2 stroke oil. Good thing as it now runs mint but took a good ride for the smoke to clear and for it to rev.

Good carb clean would probably be a good start.

Dirt bikes are fun and it doesnt really matter what you ride.

[tigertim20]

yeah the whole thing will be pulled apart, bout would like to have a manual to work from if possible. Honestly havent looked at it thoroughly enough to say much about it, a CR125 is not something I have owned before, but I think its just premix.
hoping someone will have a manual they can email me

[Crabby]

def premix, for mucking around id run a good oil at 40:1 which is 25 mls of oil per measured litre of fuel. change the plug, pull the carb apart and blow out the jets and see how it goes, you don't need a manual for that, just pull the bowl off it, remove float and needle valve, jets etc. I like to do it on a bench with a cloth on it, the cloth stops parts bouncing onto the floor if you drop them haha. white helps parts stand out too, just unscrew the jets and blow them out with compressed air and put them back, assemble it how it came apart and refit and test

[unstuck]

Good on ya TT. Dirt bikes can be so much fun.:Punk:

[Taz]

It's hard to judge the condition of a 2 stroke engine by the amount of smoke if pumps out. But it is real easy to strip the top end down and check the condition of piston, ring and cylinder, while you're in there you may as well just replace the piston and ring, clean the power valve, check the rod for play and with some new gaskets she's all good again. Takes not much more time than it took me to type this.

[ktm84mxc]

Yes it's a premix a ratio of 40-1 wud be a good starting point. Excessive exhaust smoke can hide a multitude of problems eg leaking crankcase seals, leaking head gasket, worn rings etc. When was the muffler repacked chances are it's filled with carbon and oil.
Pretty sure Clymer do a manual for early CR's.

[tigertim20]

Yes it's a premix a ratio of 40-1 wud be a good starting point. Excessive exhaust smoke can hide a multitude of problems eg leaking crankcase seals, leaking head gasket, worn rings etc. When was the muffler repacked chances are it's filled with carbon and oil.
Pretty sure Clymer do a manual for early CR's.

no doubt they do, but Im a bit broke atm, so trying to save costs where possible!
Cleaning the carb will be todays job and i shall see how she's looking afterwards.
from what I can see so far, Ill be replacing wheel bearings front and rear, swing arm bushes, taking a look at the forks, the carb likely needs a good clean.
Ill do a top end as well, looks like I can source a full top end kit including gaskets etc for about $100 from the USA, oversize pistons are readily available too, so no issues there hopefully.

so nobody has an old CR manual laying around they wanna share?

[cheese]

What colour was the smoke? White is normally an indication of crank seal letting go and sucking in gearbox oil. A leak down test will let you know pretty quick though.

[tigertim20]

What colour was the smoke? White is normally an indication of crank seal letting go and sucking in gearbox oil. A leak down test will let you know pretty quick though.
to be honest I didnt really look at the color.
I pulled the carb apart tonight and gave it a clean.
the issue I have is I can kick her over, and she fires up, and runs okay in the lower rev range - will not rev up high, and will only run for a minute or two, then die. then it simply doesnt want to start again.

It does need a new plug no doubt - that may be affecting it too. I will pull the engine down later in the week, as I feel like its probably in need of a new piston, there isnt much resistance from the kick starter, I can quite easily push it down with my hand and it feels like it should be harder - Im guessing this may also be affecting why it runs for a minute or two, then dies.

[cheese]

Have you got a compression tester? 125s have not much compression, but it should be a bit more than that.

[nzspokes]

Sounds like fuel starvation. Not got a slightly blocked tank/filter thats slow to fill the carb?

[tigertim20]

the fuel in the float bowl should keep it running for more than 30 seconds - but pulling the petcock and shit apart will be part of pulling it down anyway.

When I take the top end off and check it, i might as well do the crank seals as well and replace any bearings etc I can see. I am asuming crank seals could cause leaks et etc?

I dont have a compression tester, but they arent too expensive, so I will buy one, since it appears that none of my friends have one.
I guess I will have to splurge on a manual since I cant find someone who wants to share, and hit a dead end on free downloadable ones.

[noobi]

I would just give the whole bike the once over, make sure everything is properly torqued, cleaned, connected and greased.
If you can easily turn the engine over quickly with your hand then the piston/rings are probably worth replacing, but 2strokes leak compression so they will turn over fairly easily anyway, 125 especially because the piston is tiny and the ports are huge.
Check for parts and stuff here www.454.co.nz and search 'cr125', you'll get heaps of hits and all those products are available through any dirt bike dealer.
Fresh gas, fresh plug, clean filter and carb. If it still doesn't want to run properly, you may have a dodgy electrical connection somewhere which can be a bastard to find.

You dont 'need' a compression tester, if you want to save money just put it towards a new top end and be done with it. Leaking LH crank seal will cause the bike to run super lean which is white smoke, if the RH side seal is gone the smoke will be darker due to burning gearbox oil.

[nzspokes]

the fuel in the float bowl should keep it running for more than 30 seconds - but pulling the petcock and shit apart will be part of pulling it down anyway.


That depends on how much fuel the idle circuit drinks and if there is a transition circuit that is not getting fuel.

I had this problem with a bike the other week. Was a slightly blocked fuel line.

[tigertim20]

Pulled the top off today.
Have a few questions if people can help me out here.
Two pictures, one of the bore, the other the piston.
Most of it looked fairly clean, but there was a scratch in the piston, but not the ring.
There was aslo a mark on the bore, the one on the bore however, I cant feel when I run my finger over it, so Im not sure if its necessary to get it honed out?
pics are here:
260121260122

Dunno if the pics are enough to see, if they arent, Ill have the wife take it into the local shop and have them take a gander.

One other question too.
On the inside of the piston the only markings I could find were

ART
L
3

Can anyone decipher this? - Im hoping that the absence of anything like .020 etc means that it is still a standard size and hasnt yet been taken out larger.
any help here appreciated folks!

[barty5]

clean the top of the piston they normally stamp the top of them.
hone depends if its plated or not if not id spend the 80 odd bucks an go up one size in piston when you replace it then you know the bore is mint.

[tigertim20]

took it to the local bike shop, they said that the bore looks fine, but it wouldnt hurt to do a very light hone.
if I geta very light hone will I be able to use the same sized piston, or go up a size?

[noobi]

took it to the local bike shop, they said that the bore looks fine, but it wouldnt hurt to do a very light hone.
if I geta very light hone will I be able to use the same sized piston, or go up a size?

Depending on what size the piston in it now is, it probably wouldn't hurt to go up a size. Although in reality the difference between the sizes is 0.01mm, which is pretty much immeasurable by most people, so it doesn't really make a difference.

[ktm84mxc]

If it's just getting a light hone you'd be ok fitting the same size piston, if you desire while it's apart get the barrel checked by an engine builder to see if its square eg not oval, most wear occurs above the exhaust ports.

[tigertim20]

ok thanks for that, Ill take it to the local engine reconditioner and get another opinion - the bike shop commented that it was in pretty good nick for its age.

I just cleaned the top of the piston with a dremmel, and there is nothing that I can see stamped on top of the piston, just a big flat surface, so I guess I need an accurate vernier caliper to measure it and figure out what size the current piston is?

[Crasherfromwayback]

ok thanks for that, Ill take it to the local engine reconditioner and get another opinion - the bike shop commented that it was in pretty good nick for its age.

I just cleaned the top of the piston with a dremmel, and there is nothing that I can see stamped on top of the piston, just a big flat surface, so I guess I need an accurate vernier caliper to measure it and figure out what size the current piston is?

Is it not a nikasil bore mate? I would've thought it was. Worn rings won't make a two stroke smoke...just a cunt to start and it'll have no power.

[noobi]

so I guess I need an accurate vernier caliper to measure it and figure out what size the current piston is?

The accuracy you are trying to get is smaller than the accuracy of even the best verniers. The only thing it will tell you is whether the piston is oversize or not. The bore should be 54mm, and the piston should be slightly smaller, you wont be able to determine the spec of the piston with a vernier. A good engine shop should be able to give you an accurate measurement of the bore though.

[tigertim20]

Is it not a nikasil bore mate? I would've thought it was. Worn rings won't make a two stroke smoke...just a cunt to start and it'll have no power.
i have no idea, im still trying to track down a manual so i can get the info i need, i did notice though that the piston had quite a bit of blackening around a third of its circumference below the ring.
The bike shop confirmed it needs ring, but it was my intention from the moment i bought it to put in a new piston and ring anyway - you never know what you have been given eh?

It does have what I can only presume to be carbon fibre reeds though, is this common? looked very clean like they may well be quite new.

The accuracy you are trying to get is smaller than the accuracy of even the best verniers. The only thing it will tell you is whether the piston is oversize or not. The bore should be 54mm, and the piston should be slightly smaller, you wont be able to determine the spec of the piston with a vernier. A good engine shop should be able to give you an accurate measurement of the bore though.

ok, will try get that sorted out on monday then, plenty of stuff I can be doing like cleaning for now anyway - Im considering getting teh frame powdercoated, it isnt very expensive, but if I do that, I will feel like I should do something with the bodywork as well, and I dunno if I can be bothered with that to be honest!

[Crasherfromwayback]

i have no idea, im still trying to track down a manual so i can get the info i need, i did notice though that the piston had quite a bit of blackening around a third of its circumference below the ring.
The bike shop confirmed it needs ring, but it was my intention from the moment i bought it to put in a new piston and ring anyway - you never know what you have been given eh?

It does have what I can only presume to be carbon fibre reeds though, is this common? looked very clean like they may well be quite new.


!

Yeah that's just blow by. Carbon reeds are the norm now. Way back when...they used to be metal!!! No good when your engine munched one!!!

[nzspokes]

ok, will try get that sorted out on monday then, plenty of stuff I can be doing like cleaning for now anyway - Im considering getting teh frame powdercoated, it isnt very expensive, but if I do that, I will feel like I should do something with the bodywork as well, and I dunno if I can be bothered with that to be honest!

I guess it comes back to what you want from it. I looked at powder coating mine and getting plastics painted. Then all I would do would be scared to drop it out riding. So as I fall off a lot(ask anybody thats ridden off road with me:facepalm:) I decided its not worth it.

But you may well be more skilled.

[tigertim20]

I guess it comes back to what you want from it. I looked at powder coating mine and getting plastics painted. Then all I would do would be scared to drop it out riding. So as I fall off a lot(ask anybody thats ridden off road with me:facepalm:) I decided its not worth it.

But you may well be more skilled.
heh, in my experience dirt bikes fair better than sportsbikes in a bin haha.

The frame im thinking of doing as the paint is work and chipped in several places, and it has that very light surface rust - I would do it to prevent any future deterioration more than anything else. - Its just that Id feel like a half arsed cunt if i did the frame and didnt tidy up the bodywork. Full bodywork kits can be had for a couple hundy, but im interested in spedning coin of having a mechanically sound dirt toy - not overly concerned with cosmetics as long as it rides well.

-thanks for that crasher

[tigertim20]

Pulled the HPP apart today, fuck mee was it filthy! The slides were so caked up with carbon that I couldnt remove the slide from it's sleeve without quite a bit of force - I dont think theyve been looked at in a long time.
Spent ages attacking the parts with petrol and a steelo type pad thingy and they are a big improvement, moving freely now and no sticking anymore, unlike before.

Hope to get the barrel down to the engine reconditioner tomorrow to get checked, and then hopefully i can order some parts by the end of the week.

Had a second look at the frame, and I think I might get it powdercoated, the underside is looking pretty ugly.

[cheese]

If you're talking about the power valve being gummed up that will stop it reving out.

[tigertim20]

If you're talking about the power valve being gummed up that will stop it reving out.

yup, on this particular model its called the HPP = Honda Power Port. same thing, different name.
There was some general grunge, but where it stuck was just at, or after, the full open position - i.e. it didnt get stuck in normal operation, it just wasnt particularly free moving. I didnt have the stuck problem until i had detached the slides from the part that actuates them so I could remove them completely.
does that make sense? - it does to me!

Either way its a bit of maintenance that needed done thats IS done now.

Hopefully tomorrow I will have some better answers about the cylinder, then I can order bits, slap her back together, clean out the carb/tank/aircleaner/fuel line throw in a new plug and see if she runs right. hopefully it does.
then its wheel bearings, bushes for the ass end, and about 200 other tiny little things to do before it can be ridden.

[tigertim20]

OK! some answers are here!
Took it down to a local cylinder specialist. he measured the bore for me and confirmed that yup, its still square, so no issues there at all.
he gave me all the measurements etc, and told me how much clearance the piston had etc etc.

Now the manual states that the bore size is 54mm. he reckons however, that the bore was actually a couple thou UNDER 54mm - which leads me to conclude that it is still a stock, unmolested bore.
To that end, I instructed him to give her a very gentle hone, and in turn, he recommended that I go up one size in piston. (from what searching I have done thus far, pistons are available for this bike in intervals of 0.01 from stock upwards.)

I pick it back up in a couple hours, and I can order a piston kit wednesday or later.

Now, my next question, piston kits. where do you guys recommend getting them from? I want the best price possible of course.

I noticed that some sellers offer a piston identical to the one thats come out, and others offer ones that are smaller, i.e. the distance from the top to the bottom of the piston itself is less than the stock one.
I assume that these are for a lower moving mass and equal higher rpm? or is it just a design difference? do these ones have any benefits/weaknesses over the taller pistons?

Keep in mind Im going to use this for occaisional fire break runs, and possibly the odd have a go day at moto-x. Im not intending to go hard out, so Longevity is more important to me than saving 3 grams of weight and getting an extr 0..6hp out of the thing.

[Crasherfromwayback]

so Longevity is more important to me than saving 3 grams of weight and getting an extr 0..6hp out of the thing.

Longevity and 125 two stroke motocross bikes doesn't go together sorry mate!

[noobi]

In the link I posted awhile back the're a few piston companies, with Wossner and Vertex being OEM piston supplies to many brands, around $195 or less, and the cheaper Namura piston brand being cheap and also an unknown quantity at this point, they haven't been around for very long. Any dealer can get those pistons, as long as they're in stock, within 2 days.
Then maybe $40-50 for a top end gasket set, if you went genuine, it depends what gaskets you want, a head and base gasket would probably only be $20 from Honda, but the aftermarket kit will come with every gasket and o ring for every part in the top end.
If that's still to expensive, then you can look overseas for whole top end kits on ebay or online sites.

[gwynfryn]

See if you can get a two ring piston.

[Crasherfromwayback]

See if you can get a two ring piston.

I wouldn't bother with a 125

[tigertim20]

Longevity and 125 two stroke motocross bikes doesn't go together sorry mate!

LOL I see your point, but I meant that Im not interested in getting the extra power and reducing reliability further.

Ive pulled to whole top end right apart, so i need all the little gaskets, including the exhaust gasket, and the ones for the HPP covers on both sides as well as the little ones on top of the HPP covers etc etc.

I could order from the USA but i dont want to wait for 3 weeks to get stuff

[ktm84mxc]

Glad to see you're going about this in a pragmatic process as you'll learn a lot making your new purchase all the more enjoyable in the long run, many take short cuts with dire results.
Wossner, Pro-X are fine choices you could find Honda have some pistons and gasket sets try Econohonda in Paeroa.
Twin ring pistons were normally fitted to Enduro\Trail bikes, they mellowed the power delivery [less snap].

[barty5]

LOL I see your point, but I meant that Im not interested in getting the extra power and reducing reliability further.

Ive pulled to whole top end right apart, so i need all the little gaskets, including the exhaust gasket, and the ones for the HPP covers on both sides as well as the little ones on top of the HPP covers etc etc.

I could order from the USA but i dont want to wait for 3 weeks to get stuff

we get stuff in from the states all the time normally only a week to 10 days try 454.co.nz they are in chchch so youll get in couple a days

[tigertim20]

thanks for the continuous feedback and advice people.
@ktm, yeah Its nice to have something that I can take some time with, its not as easy with a road bike that you need all the time. with this I can take my time and then go and enjoy it when its finished. It gives me something to do in the evening when Im bored but too lazy or tired to go do anything physical!!

I do have one other question. there is a flange bolted to the head, that the exhaust mounts onto. the bit that is bolted to the engine is the male half, and the exhaust is inserted over it when it is fitted to the bike.
The manual shows a ring thingy that goes between these two pieces, I guess just to make it air tight as the flange and exhaust are both metal.
I have some pics here...260467260468

this shows the flange bit Im talking about, and the exhaust. the ring thingy I think goes on the flange, and the exhaust is then pushed over the top of it.

The manual displays the exploded diagram and shows that there is a piece of something there, but doesnt name it, or show it in any detail.
I want to know what this piece is, and where I can get it. I am assuming its probably a rubber grommet or something, but its a bit hard to know what to order without the right name for it. I ebay searched exhaust gasket, but it just gave me results for the gasket that goes between the head, and the flange.
Here is a cropped picture from the manual that shows the ring thingy I need the name of.
260469

[noobi]

I think its this

SEAL, EX. MANIFOLD
18359-KS7-000

Heres a good site for finding part numbers and sometimes o ring and bearing sizes.
http://www.mrcycles.com/fiche_select2.asp?category=Motorcycles&make=Honda&year=1991&fveh=3231

[Tony.OK]

Have a look see on www.motoxparts.co.nz
They have the top end stuff for your bike, piston kit & top end gasket set for $150. Have got a few bits from them and being local if something ain't right its much easier to sort.
Don't seem to have the wossner piston for the 91 though, but for the 92. Not heard of the mitaka brand (and its only in stock bore size). They do show the catalogue for wossner and it has your bike in it.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Twin ring pistons were normally fitted to Enduro\Trail bikes, they mellowed the power delivery [less snap].


Bollocks.


The manual shows a ring thingy that goes between these two pieces, I guess just to make it air tight as the flange and exhaust are both metal.
]

I'm guessing high temp rubber 'o' rings. Two strokes hate exhaust leaks. It's really important you have the seal at the exhaust flange well sealed.

[tigertim20]

cheers for the help.

went to work this morning to hear that one of my workmates, young and fit, same age as me, dropped dead over the weekend out of the blue, so wasnt feeling like doing fuckall with the bike today, but tinkering usually gives me something to focus on.

So I tried to take the engine out, tried being the operative word. The bolt that goes through the rear of the engine/swingarm/frame is stuck pretty tight.
I tried putting the nut on and bashing it, tried heating it with a gas torch and bashing it, tried spraying chain oil down it, and leaving it for a while and bashing it, tried laying it on its side and repeating the above a few more times, but no go. I'm a bit concerned if i belt it any harder than I have been, that I will do some damage.

I dont have any penetrating lubricant handy, so i guess i will get a can of that tomorrow and see if that helps, buggered if i know what Ill do if it doesnt help though!!!

[unstuck]

Had that problem once or twice, usually I spray with crc and leave for a while then try turning the bolt with a decent powerbar and socket.:yes:

[noobi]

Are all the other engine mounts loose/out? They can radially load up the swingarm. If they are loose and still nothing, you need a bigger hammer.

[tigertim20]

Are all the other engine mounts loose/out? They can radially load up the swingarm. If they are loose and still nothing, you need a bigger hammer.

no there are two other still in. I might give that a go too tomorrow when I get something to spray in there

[barty5]

if it hasnt been out for a long time it may have wear marks in it causing it to catch can be a bitch to get out try turning it while hitting it and as noobi said remove other bolt and move the motor/ swing arm around a bit.

[D3ALN]

here is a link to a manual from a quick google
http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/56701137-honda-cr125r-service-repair-manual-1986-1991-cr125

[tigertim20]

well that was a proper cunt.
I got the bolt out that was giving me trouble, but i damaged the thread doing it - it was unavoidable unfortunately. Ill see if the thread is fixable, and if not, ill see if someone wrecking a bike has one I can get cheaply.

The bearings and bushes that were inside had completely disintegrated, which explains why the bolt was such a bitch.
bought a few supplies today too to tidy a few other areas of the bike up.

Next step is ordering some parts, and heaps of sanding, cleaning, etc etc to tidy it up a bit more.

at least the entire engine is out now which is what I wanted to accomplish for the day.

[barty5]

well that was a proper cunt.
I got the bolt out that was giving me trouble, but i damaged the thread doing it - it was unavoidable unfortunately. Ill see if the thread is fixable, and if not, ill see if someone wrecking a bike has one I can get cheaply.

The bearings and bushes that were inside had completely disintegrated, which explains why the bolt was such a bitch.
bought a few supplies today too to tidy a few other areas of the bike up.

Next step is ordering some parts, and heaps of sanding, cleaning, etc etc to tidy it up a bit more.

at least the entire engine is out now which is what I wanted to accomplish for the day.

Depending on how much of the thread is damaged you should be able to grind it a little shorter and get away with it.
or try ebay.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Depending on how much of the thread is damaged you should be able to grind it a little shorter and get away with it.
or try ebay.

Wot he says. Or clean it up with a thread file.

[tigertim20]

yeah Ill get round to it, theres no hurry. I figure while its mostly apart i might as well go the whole hog and strip it and take a proper look.
Its gonna be a few weeks before its important yet, need to tidy the frame up, paint a few peripheral items, rebuild the engine, replace the rear tyre and tube, get new chain and sprockets, new linkage bushes/bearins, new wheel bearings . . . ..
why am I doing this again?:blink:

[barty5]

yeah Ill get round to it, theres no hurry. I figure while its mostly apart i might as well go the whole hog and strip it and take a proper look.
Its gonna be a few weeks before its important yet, need to tidy the frame up, paint a few peripheral items, rebuild the engine, replace the rear tyre and tube, get new chain and sprockets, new linkage bushes/bearins, new wheel bearings . . . ..
why am I doing this again?:blink:

as long as my account is still active $105 + small amount a fr8 for linkage kit.

[Crasherfromwayback]

why am I doing this again?:blink:

Because it's fun. Rach and I have an RM400T in our lounge that we're slowly rebuilding. It's a massive job...as the original bike was near 100% fucked. We're looking forward to seeing it finised and riding it, as I'm sure you are!

[tigertim20]

yeah I'll be glad when I can ride it again, but I can see that being 3 months away if not more. wait for payday, buy a couple things, then wait for them to arrive so i can do something, then repeat, not always much point ordering things too far ahead either, it never seems to work out . . .

Pulled the rear subframe off and removed the airbox etc from it. spent about 30 seconds sanding it, then thought nah, fuck this - Its cheap to powdercoat (I had decided to paint it to give me something to do) shouldnt cost much more than $50 or so, theyre a simple, and fairly small item. There a couple places down here that can do it.

Any thoughts on what colour for the frame?
original was white, which does look okay, also thought black might look nice as well. briefly thought about getting it done in an orange the same as the plastics too, but I dunno.

[tigertim20]

just realised I dont think I put up a pic of the whole thing.
heres a pic from before i pulled it apart for reference
260665

[tigertim20]

got around to this again yesterday.

decided Id paint the subframe and see how it looked. its now black, with a couple coats on it. Might do the rest of it the same as well when i can be bothered!
I started on the exhaust too, cleaned it all up, degreased it, then attacked it with a wire brush, gave it a bit of a sand, and painted the muffler tail pipe with high temp paint. looks okay.

I guess i will keep tinkering away at painting the frame as i wait for engine parts.

[tigertim20]

not sure if anyone is still following this or not, but figured Id keep updating it anyway.

Got into the shed again tonight.
the tail pipe now has a couple coats of paint on it, and the subframe has three coats - might clearcoat it as well, but we will see.
I got the frond end apart, pulled electrics off, and its basically just the bare frame now, with the exception of two or three bolts that broke off - They have been doused in WD40, and Ill try to whip them out probably tomorrow after work, before starting to sand and paint the frame as well.

I found on Ebay the Exhaust manifold seal, so I went ahead and bought it, since it was $5 or so.
I also ordered a few more bits I need, including a rear tube, spark plug, top end bearing, top gasket set and a front brake lever. - hopefully will arrive on Saturday.
I also bought grease today for when I put the whole thing back together - ill do everything I can find.
The piston, ring, gudgeon etc etc are also on the way as we speak.

I have to go away for easter, and a friend is getting married in the weekend, so I doubt I will get anything else done until the middle of next week when my parts have all arrived.

Then it will be reassemble the engine, sand the frame, paint it, reassemble the frame, fix/replace the engine mount/swing arm bolt, put the electrics, radiators and engine back in then i need bushes etc for the arse end.

Still shitloads of stuff to do, but its nice to have somethig to tinker with in the shed!:woohoo:

[Crasherfromwayback]

The deeper you dig, the more stuff you find you need to do! Always the way.

[tigertim20]

aint that the truth. thats why I try to build a list of things before I start, otherwise i try to do one job, get sidetracked 8 times and end up with a bike in parts when all I wanted was a simple oil change!!!

got most of the stuck bolts that had broken off out, but three are refusing despite being doused in WD 40, having a groove nicked into the top and being tempted to loosen by a flat head, no go.

might drill out and re tap. cant be fucked doing that right now though, so it will have to wait.

[unstuck]

I was gonna weld up a broken footpeg on the xl a couple of years ago, then I saw that something else needed fixing too, before I knew it, the motor was on the bench in pieces and the frame was bare. Sometimes it is easy to get carried away in the moment.:yes: Keep the updates coming dude.

[tigertim20]

got into the shed again today. cleaned up a few things, and took to a bunch of the bolts ive removed with the wire wheel on the dremmel to clean them up a bit.
looks like a few of the lower engine mounting bolts are pretty fucked, someone has been a bit overzealous when tightening them up. Doubt I can find these at a hardware store. so hopefully I can find someone with them laying around somewhere spare from a wrecked bike.

I attacked some of the snapped off bolts that were left over, went at them with a gas torch, and some of them came right out.
others still refused, I guess theyre going to need to be drilled out and re tapped.

I gave the frame a degrease, then a wash with warm soapy water, then repeated before wire brushing and sanding. I started painting it, but I ran out of paint, will have to wait till tomorrow now to get some more.

The expansion chamber is also painted now too.
Its not going to look real pretty, but it doesnt need to be, hopefully I can make it start to look like a real bike again during the next week, if the parts arrive and the engine can go back together. .. .

[tigertim20]

played around again today.
the two lower engine mount bolts were a bit fucked, so when I went out to get paint I had a hunt for bolts and found some to replace the fucked ones. Also bought a drill since I need to drill and retap a few bits that have broken off - of course I dont have the right sized tap do I? I have the ones either side - but not the right one.

anyway I got a couple coats on the main frame, and some clear on the sub frame, then decided that while that was drying I should take a look at the swingarm.

When I dissasembled the bike, I removed the swingarm as one bit, with rear brake, wheel, dog bones etc etc still on it.
step one was remove the rear wheel. well the rear axle was fairly well seized and it took a fair bit of bashing, and spraying and whatnot to get the cunt out. with that done, I took a look at the dog bone thingies.
The bearings I knew were toast already, but wasnt prepared for how fucked it was.
The bearings seats look to have been taken to with a flathead and a hammer, the roll pins out of the roller bearings were in several pieces each, and the bolts in the various parts of the dog bone linkages were mostly rusted into place. fucking hell.
again the gas torch was bought out to remove the things I could get to, but after having looked at what was inside, Im not altogether sure the thing is really usable again- what a pain in the fucking ass. the bearing seats are smashed and scored almost beyond recognition.
I might look around for a swing arm, or at least dog bones and just replace them.

Its become quite clear to me that whoever the retarded cunt was that last turned spanners on most parts of this bike has absolutely NO place anywhere fucking near anything mechanical.

looks like the amount of work to get this thing into some kind of rideable shape is increasing everytime I look at something else on it. I think the biggest thing now will be the time it takes to locate various parts that are completely shagged and get them posted to me - which is a pain, Im not real patient when I have nothing else to work on in the meantime.

[Fast Eddie]

Its become quite clear to me that whoever the retarded cunt was that last turned spanners on most parts of this bike has absolutely NO place anywhere fucking near anything mechanical.


I feel exactly the same way about the aprilia.. makes you wonder as you dig deeper and find all this half assed work on it.

Keep on going! your making some progress - I pulled my 2 carbs apart today and one literally had sand in it, like beach sand..

the dog bones must be pretty easy to make up? I have a few here from the blade and my old ZXR750 which were used to swap ride heights: lower/raise the bikes.. they are pretty simple bits of metal?

good luck bro! keep going. if you ever get over it I'll take it off your hands ;)

[tigertim20]

heh, nah sunk enough time and money that I will keep going. yeah the bones are pretty simple, but the damage is where the bushes and stuff seat in. I saw someone wrecking one of these not too long ago, so Ill see if I can contact them and ask if they have the stuff i want.

[tigertim20]

PISTON ARRIVED!!!

also got an m6 tap as well, so I can start getting onto the engine rebuild now

[tigertim20]

Well that was interesting.

The parts arrived and after blobbing on the couch for a while I decided I had best move on down to the shed and get some stuff done since the part Id be itching to get was here.

I did a few smaller jobs, and now that I had grease etc, thought I would lube the powervalves and replace the gaskets etc for them before getting onto the piston. - and thats when the trouble started.

Since I dont have a ring compressor, and Im an impatient rangi cunt, I managed to botch a few other things together to get the result i wanted. I lubricated the barrel to aid me, and after much pissing around trying to get my maori tool to do what I wanted (including several failed attempts) I eventually had the satisfaction of hearing the piston plop into the barrel, and gently slid it to the bottom.
I had of course already put the circlip in on one side, so holding the bottom end between my legs at an awkward angle, and the top end in my hands, with a torch held in my mouth (our garage is shitty when it comes to lights.) I managed to get it sorta lined up, switched to holding the top end with one hand, using two hyper-extended fingers to hold the piston from falling out the bottom, and had to lean a little while holding everything to try and grab the gudgeon pin, which was, of course, a few inches out of comfortable reach by now.
then it got interesting.

I managed, in my awkward position (Imagine a monk in Yogi position, and a contortionist with all their joints bent backwards, combine the two and you're roughly looking at how I was positioned) to jiggle it all just right, and slip the gudgeon pin into place. lovely!.
switching my grip again, I repositioned the torch in my mouth, and grabbed the second circlip, and got it mostly into position, using the only hand i had free. I had one of those tiny tiny flathead screwdrivers and I grabbed that and gently nudged the second half of the circlip into place. The circlip had other ideas.
It popped out, ricocheted off my hand holding the cylinder, bounced off the conrod, onto the rag I had stuffed around the conrod, and went through the fold where i had crossed the rag up to prevent any gaps, and somehow - perhaps guided by the hand of satan himself, fell through into the bottom end.

The sky darkened, and the neighborhood cats scarpered, inside, dogs whined, shuddering by their owner's sides, and far away America increased its terror threat level to 'imminent danger' as the beast roared.

Some time later after my fit of rage had subsided, and my fist had lost a brief disagreement with the concrete wall in the garage, I took a look.

Incredibly, I could still see the ittle fucker sitting down at the bottom of the crankshaft.
I managed to again botch together some bits and pieces, and with baited breath, steady hands, and alot of patience (of which I began with a short supply of) I managed to gently coax the little cunt out, and of course had to start all over again.

end result, new piston in, all the engine gaskets have been replace, and everything torqued to spec. I stuck the old plug in it and stuck my thumb in the sparkplug hole, and pushed the kickstart with my hand - its definitely got more compression than it did beforehand, so thats a bonus.

Still heaps more to do, but that will have to wait till another night, Im fucking hungry after all that!

[nzspokes]

LOL, I did exactly that when I built my XR motor. Thank god for the long magnet thing I got for a birthday decades ago.

Need more pics..........

[tigertim20]

Ill try to get some pics tomorrow after work when the light is still good. The lighting in the garage is fucking shithouse - Im looking into some standing floor lamps that I can adjust the position of - will be a HUGE help working on bikes with the early darkness of winter almost here

[eelracing]

Well that was interesting.

The parts arrived and after blobbing on the couch for a while I decided I had best move on down to the shed and get some stuff done since the part Id be itching to get was here.

I did a few smaller jobs, and now that I had grease etc, thought I would lube the powervalves and replace the gaskets etc for them before getting onto the piston. - and thats when the trouble started.

Since I dont have a ring compressor, and Im an impatient rangi cunt, I managed to botch a few other things together to get the result i wanted. I lubricated the barrel to aid me, and after much pissing around trying to get my maori tool to do what I wanted (including several failed attempts) I eventually had the satisfaction of hearing the piston plop into the barrel, and gently slid it to the bottom.
I had of course already put the circlip in on one side, so holding the bottom end between my legs at an awkward angle, and the top end in my hands, with a torch held in my mouth (our garage is shitty when it comes to lights.) I managed to get it sorta lined up, switched to holding the top end with one hand, using two hyper-extended fingers to hold the piston from falling out the bottom, and had to lean a little while holding everything to try and grab the gudgeon pin, which was, of course, a few inches out of comfortable reach by now.
then it got interesting.

I managed, in my awkward position (Imagine a monk in Yogi position, and a contortionist with all their joints bent backwards, combine the two and you're roughly looking at how I was positioned) to jiggle it all just right, and slip the gudgeon pin into place. lovely!.
switching my grip again, I repositioned the torch in my mouth, and grabbed the second circlip, and got it mostly into position, using the only hand i had free. I had one of those tiny tiny flathead screwdrivers and I grabbed that and gently nudged the second half of the circlip into place. The circlip had other ideas.
It popped out, ricocheted off my hand holding the cylinder, bounced off the conrod, onto the rag I had stuffed around the conrod, and went through the fold where i had crossed the rag up to prevent any gaps,

Tim my comprehension skills are not the sharpest but unless i'm missing something blatantly obvious all this reads like that TV add where the mechanic took off the sump to remove the crank,rods and pistons so he could get at the sparkplugs to give them a clean.:blink:Funny as fuck to read tho.

Little end bearing and piston goes on conrod first then gudgeon pin all liberally oiled pushed in by hand and then the clip.The beauty of this way is you can use both hands too.
Compress the ring(s) with one hands forefinger and thumb (no compression tools required for 2T rings)ensuring ring gaps are lined up with the pin in the ring grooves of the piston.
With your other hand holding the well oiled cylinder lower it down on top of the piston and with a bit of carefull jigerry-pokering around she will pop in no worries.

Patience and lubrication is the key and of course a workshop vice is a godsend.

[unstuck]

In regards to the lighting, do you know anyone who works for the power board? If you do, ask them if they can score you a couple of old but servicable street lights, they are awesome in garages, and free if you know the right people.:cool:

[Crasherfromwayback]

Tim my comprehension skills are not the sharpest but unless i'm missing something blatantly obvious all this reads like that TV add where the mechanic took off the sump to remove the crank,rods and pistons so he could get at the sparkplugs to give them a clean.:blink:Funny as fuck to read tho.

Little end bearing and piston goes on conrod first then gudgeon pin all liberally oiled pushed in by hand and then the clip.The beauty of this way is you can use both hands too.
Compress the ring(s) with one hands forefinger and thumb (no compression tools required for 2T rings)ensuring ring gaps are lined up with the pin in the ring grooves of the piston.
With your other hand holding the well oiled cylinder lower it down on top of the piston and with a bit of carefull jigerry-pokering around she will pop in no worries.

Patience and lubrication is the key and of course a workshop vice is a godsend.

Wot he says...cept I always lube only the pin and brg. Cyl and piston is put in dry in my engines.

[ktm84mxc]

I've always put the piston on the conrod before the barrel , it's easier to make sure the circlips are in correct etc. Even made up a board[looks like a big tuning fork] to sit the piston on when fitting the barrel one hand to compress the ring while the other gently lowers the barrel over the ring.
Have always oiled up the parts before hand, would like to know how the factories do there engine assembly is it wet or dry?

[tigertim20]

yeah I was going to do it from the bottom, but it looked like slipping the piston into the barrel would be easier going from the top than the bottom, as the surface was round and flat, the bottom of the cylinder isnt flat - doesnt matter, that part was okay anyway, it was losing the pin, which could have still happened even if Id done it the other way.

the fun of doing your own work huh?

[Crasherfromwayback]

, would like to know how the factories do there engine assembly is it wet or dry?

They may well use oil from new in case the bike sits around for a while to guard against ring corrosion etc.

[eelracing]

the fun of doing your own work huh?

To right mate and the satisfaction of many more sweatless top-end overhauls ahead that will bring it's own rewards.

[057rxz]

start googling.... sounds to me like ur bike needs a lil work. its only a 125 so theres not much you can do to it bar a top and bottom end rebuild but start off by giving her a real good clean, take ur chambers off, take your carb off and start inspecting that piston. Keep an eye on ur valves and watch ur premix these bikes can be fussy when u want too.

ive owned 6 cr125's they go hard for there small displacement.

i know ride a cr250r and a 300exc

2 stroke n wot

[tigertim20]

start googling.... sounds to me like ur bike needs a lil work. its only a 125 so theres not much you can do to it bar a top and bottom end rebuild but start off by giving her a real good clean, take ur chambers off, take your carb off and start inspecting that piston. Keep an eye on ur valves and watch ur premix these bikes can be fussy when u want too.

ive owned 6 cr125's they go hard for there small displacement.

i know ride a cr250r and a 300exc

2 stroke n wot

LOL!
you abviously havent read the thread, it doesnt need a little work, it needs to be thrown away, but Im a cheap stubborn cunt.
engine has been pulled apart, and top end done and put back together.

work is ongoing.

[057rxz]

LOL!
you abviously havent read the thread, it doesnt need a little work, it needs to be thrown away, but Im a cheap stubborn cunt.
engine has been pulled apart, and top end done and put back together.

work is ongoing.

like most two strokes.... get a lumpy 4 batt then. u dont have to do fuck all but sit there and use a waterblaster after every ride

[tigertim20]

got the electrics back on the frame today, got the linkages back together, then put the engine back in.
The new bolts I bought were the right size and length and no issues there.
I attacked the bolt that goes through the frame/engine/swingarm that was discussed earlier in this thread with a dremmel, and got it into a usable condition again, and put the swingarm on as well.

I still hadnt hooked up the rod that actuates the powervalves, so I mucked around with that and got it set up right, and put the cover and gasket on with the engine in situ.
Bolted the exhaust manifold back on, and got the radiators back together on the bike, and hooked up all of the hoses etc.

The exhaust was next to go on, then I pulled the carb apart, and restored it to factory settings, before sticking that back on, along with the airbox.

I took the air filter out, and gave it a good wash, it was fucking filthy, let it dry and put it back in.

Topped up the radiator and gearbox oil, and thought, shit, I hope this starts after all this bloody effort!

put the tank on, and gave it a few kicks. after the third kick or so, it fired up, for about two seconds, then died.
I figured this would happen, as I didnt put the new piston and ring in dry, there was some grease to get rid of yet.

Pulled the plug and kicked it over a bunch, then put the new spark plug in.

One kick, and with a RINGANINGANINGANINGANINGA, a cloud of smoke, and the unmistakable smell of two stroke, she was alive and kicking, even idles away by itself - which it didnt do before I started. I left it running a few minutes at idle to fill the garage with that lovely aroma (who needs deoderant eh?) before shutting it off.

as it is, its missing the shock, rear wheel, chain, gear lever, and entire front end, so a ways to go yet, and some parts are still en route, but I did wonder, is there a procedure i should follow immediately following a rebuild on one of these?

[Crasherfromwayback]

, is there a procedure i should follow immediately following a rebuild on one of these?

Just get it to operating temp blipping the throttle and then let it cool down. Do it twice. Then wring it's fucking neck.

[tigertim20]

Just get it to operating temp blipping the throttle and then let it cool down. Do it twice. Then wring it's fucking neck.

done. Had to show the wife the progress, so told her to come into the shed and take a look. she'd just got inside the door and I fired it up and gave it a blip. Poor girl nearly had a heart attack, and the old bint from next door was glaring out her window at me - not that she could see me through the cloud of smoke from when it started hehehe.

Now to get the rest together. Purchase wise, I think I still need rear wheel bearings, and a chain and sprockets. could do with some new grips too.
Already have about 8 spare tyres, and a new tube to put in, got wheel bearings for the front, steering head bearings are en route, then I think I can take it out and give it a fang.

[tigertim20]

thought I'd do a wee update.
I havent really done much because Ive been sick, and had a few things on.
some extra bearings and bits are on the way, and I bought an hour meter so i can track servicing on it properly with the fresh rebuild.

I had the last exhaust rubber gasket turn up, which I havent yet fitted, but I did remove the shagged tyre off the rear rim. I was going to try and fit the next tyre on it too, but the rim is filthy, and I have run out of degreaser to clean it with.
I have some fork oil too so I can do a fluid change in the forks.

[barty5]

hoefully when you say you washed dried out and put back air filter you just missed out putting in that you oiled it as well wouldnt want to do all this work then have some dirt, dust ans sand make its way through an wreck it all. I always try an use spray on oil filter oil if riding in sand and spray the sides of the airbox as well pain to clean but stops a lot of it getting to your filter.

[tigertim20]

hoefully when you say you washed dried out and put back air filter you just missed out putting in that you oiled it as well wouldnt want to do all this work then have some dirt, dust ans sand make its way through an wreck it all. I always try an use spray on oil filter oil if riding in sand and spray the sides of the airbox as well pain to clean but stops a lot of it getting to your filter.

yep, borrowed some from a friend - but its probably going to get a new air filter anyway before it actually gets ridden, the old one os pretty manky!

[vr4king]

Shit shame i only just read this thread I have rebuilt a 92 cr125 before they are practiaclly the same bike

Had pretty much the same issues as you im sure i found a manual online somewhere
Cleaning the HPP I used oven cleaner,The bore is def nikasil plated so hopefully they didnt hone it to much that shits expensive to get redone,These puppies wont like reving out till they are nice and warm even so dont expect it to rev out on your shop stand,

Any more Qs just ask

Heres some b4 and after pics

[Fast Eddie]

The bore is def nikasil plated so hopefully they didnt hone it to much that shits expensive to get redone,These puppies wont like reving out till they are nice and warm even so dont expect it to rev

Heres some b4 and after pics

yea, can u hone out nikasil at all? I thought u couldn't touch it at all and had to have it replated?

as my rs250 has nikasil bores.


nice job on ur cr looks clean ;)

[vr4king]

Yeah i thought the same thing too i def didnt hone mine i left it as it was but surely an engine builder would know this...............OR NOT I do all my own work as im sick of paying "profesionals" for shit jobs

My old cr was fouling plugs like no tommorrow after having a guts full i took it to the local honda shop only for them to tell me it had no compression and needed a top end what i didnt tell them was it just had a brand new top end done I told them to step away from the bike and ill be there in 10mins to pick it up I turned up with a compression tester and performed a test in front of them and got slighty over what the manual states for that bike............They didnt like look to comfortable after that.

[tigertim20]

yeah there are some cowboys out there. if theres anything I cant do, I have people I trust that I can go to.
fortunately, these things are pretty simple, so no big deal there.

Its getting a bit closer to being done now, be glad when its over and i can start the next project!

[eelracing]

yea, can u hone out nikasil at all? I thought u couldn't touch it at all and had to have it replated?

as my rs250 has nikasil bores.


nice job on ur cr looks clean ;)

A light honing is ok on nikasil bores and is preferable as it helps to retain a fine layer of oil in the criss-crossed pattern.However, yes you cannot re-bore a nikasil lining.

[tigertim20]

finally had a day off today so I slept in then went into the garage.

I decided I would put the front end together, since I had all the necessary bearings etc, so the triples went in with new head bearings, and I slipped the forks into the triples, and torqued them to spec.

Next up was to do the front wheel bearings. this became a fun little job. I managed to get most of the bearings out - but they were so shagged that when I applied a bit of force, the inner races, and balls fell out, leaving the outer race firmly in place.
of course I couldnt find a lighter for the gas torch, so I thought I could cut it carefully with a dremmel, and then use a small chisel to loosen it and knock it out. This worked reasonably well, except that one of them shattered, and flicked a piece of metal at speed into my face hard enough to cut my lip grrrr.

On the second side, my 2 month old dremmel shat itself - not very happy and it will be getting taken back to bunnings tomorrow where i bought it from.

once a had those out, I gave everything a good clean, before installing the new wheel bearings, and putting the wheel into the forks.
I thought now was a good time to put the front brakes in and make sure everything was working properly.

I put the caliper in, and the brake pads sort of fell out. what the fuck? thought I.
after a bit of fluffing around, wondering what on earth I wasnt doing right, I went to get the laptop and check the manual.

It turns out that some cunt has gone and thrown away/lost a little clip that holds the brake pads in - whcich is a right cunt, because I cant find anywhere I can buy one. I considered trying to make one out of a coke can, but its too thin, and would tear too easily.

so any solutions for this would be greatly appreciated, I dont want to buy a whole caliper just for the fucking retaining clip for the front pads, and I cant see anything I could make one out of, and without having it in front of me, I cant be sure I would get the design right anyway.

[barty5]

What year was this thing again lazy cant be arsed going looking through posts but on a plus ive got a few brake parts sitting around ill try a work out if any of them ill fit oh an what brand of calliper is on it




finally had a day off today so I slept in then went into the garage.

I decided I would put the front end together, since I had all the necessary bearings etc, so the triples went in with new head bearings, and I slipped the forks into the triples, and torqued them to spec.

Next up was to do the front wheel bearings. this became a fun little job. I managed to get most of the bearings out - but they were so shagged that when I applied a bit of force, the inner races, and balls fell out, leaving the outer race firmly in place.
of course I couldnt find a lighter for the gas torch, so I thought I could cut it carefully with a dremmel, and then use a small chisel to loosen it and knock it out. This worked reasonably well, except that one of them shattered, and flicked a piece of metal at speed into my face hard enough to cut my lip grrrr.

On the second side, my 2 month old dremmel shat itself - not very happy and it will be getting taken back to bunnings tomorrow where i bought it from.

once a had those out, I gave everything a good clean, before installing the new wheel bearings, and putting the wheel into the forks.
I thought now was a good time to put the front brakes in and make sure everything was working properly.

I put the caliper in, and the brake pads sort of fell out. what the fuck? thought I.
after a bit of fluffing around, wondering what on earth I wasnt doing right, I went to get the laptop and check the manual.

It turns out that some cunt has gone and thrown away/lost a little clip that holds the brake pads in - whcich is a right cunt, because I cant find anywhere I can buy one. I considered trying to make one out of a coke can, but its too thin, and would tear too easily.

so any solutions for this would be greatly appreciated, I dont want to buy a whole caliper just for the fucking retaining clip for the front pads, and I cant see anything I could make one out of, and without having it in front of me, I cant be sure I would get the design right anyway.

[tigertim20]

its a 1991, Ill run down to the garage and tel you whats written on the caliper

[tigertim20]

on the main part of the caliper it has NISSIN with 27 below it.
on the other part it has NISSIN KZ3

[tigertim20]

are you all sick of this thread yet? haha tough.

anyway I did a little bit of stuff today. I took my dremmel back today after it shat itself yesterday - no hassles, was given a new one, including some extra bits, so Im happy with that. I will need it to grind down the rear axle a tad (god, so many fucked threads on this bike!).
anyways, I didnt really do much, I spent a while fucking around with the front brake caliper to see if I could make up the retaining clip that is missing - to no avail.
Barty5, if you do happen to have any of them retaining clips that might work, im interested, otherwise i think I might have to buy a whole new caliper - which begs the question, what other bikes will share the same setup? the same year 250? 500?.

Other that that I put the front and rear guards on today, as well as the radiator shrouds, then hooked up the clutch, kill switch and throttle onto the bars.
I still hadnt put the tank on properly, it was just sort of sitting there so I had fuel to test run it, so I mounted all that up properly, and stuck the seat on. I thought I might as well bung the rear wheel in just to get a photo.
Ill add a few photos shortly.

thats about as far as I got today i think. Still to do, new brake pads front and rear, front rotor is only a little bit over the minimum thickness, so it will stay for now, chain and sprockets should be here this week, along with the hour meter, so they can go on - then all I really have left after that are the brakes, I know there are issues with the rear, Im fairly sure the caliper is seized on the rear, so that will come apart, and I think the master cylinder is dodgy on it too, so I will have to see whats going on there too.

after that i should be about done with it. I went and bought another project the other day, an old DR250, so thats the next project after this thing is done with, so i dont know yet how long I will hang onto the CR, or if i will sell it to fund the next project and so on

[tigertim20]

few pics.
what I started with
262862


frame painted
262863


engine and electrics getting sorted out
262864



as of today
262865

[unstuck]

Well done dude.:niceone: Looks good.

[Blagger]

Why not keep it? at least you know it's history now

Looks farkin great, BTW

[Crasherfromwayback]

Give it some new tyres ya mongrel.

[tigertim20]

Why not keep it? at least you know it's history now

Looks farkin great, BTW
long story, its become a evenings project. the wife works evenings and we only get to see each other one or two evenings a week, by the tine she gets home, Im ready for bed. this gives me something to entertain myself - theres only so much masturbating a man can do before his knob gets red and sore.
so if I do sell it, i can use some of the cash to fund the next project, and the next and the next . . .

Give it some new tyres ya mongrel.

well, it came with almost a dozen spare half used tyres, so i wont be putting anything new on it for a while, I did replace the rear last week or so though, and put a new tube in it even!!.

on a side note, i found the actual part number for the brake pad retaining clip, and using that have tracked down several suppliers, so looks like it wont be a big deal, it only costs about $6 or so.

[barty5]

long story, its become a evenings project. the wife works evenings and we only get to see each other one or two evenings a week, by the tine she gets home, Im ready for bed. this gives me something to entertain myself - theres only so much masturbating a man can do before his knob gets red and sore.
so if I do sell it, i can use some of the cash to fund the next project, and the next and the next . . .


well, it came with almost a dozen spare half used tyres, so i wont be putting anything new on it for a while, I did replace the rear last week or so though, and put a new tube in it even!!.

on a side note, i found the actual part number for the brake pad retaining clip, and using that have tracked down several suppliers, so looks like it wont be a big deal, it only costs about $6 or so.

had a look in the shed today had front calliper there but is from a kx 125 say year or there abouts but different the retainer springs you after are in 2 bits where this is only 1 sorry cant help good you found supplier that's cheap tho.

[tigertim20]

had a look in the shed today had front calliper there but is from a kx 125 say year or there abouts but different the retainer springs you after are in 2 bits where this is only 1 sorry cant help good you found supplier that's cheap tho.

no problem, thanks for taking the time to have a look anyway!

[tigertim20]

Well, i went ahead ad ordered the retaining clip I need, and today my chain and sprockets arrived, and my hour meter arrived the other day too.
I went down to the shed tonight to put the chain on.
Got the rear axle and took to it with the dremmel (yep - more shagged threads) got that tidied up nicely, then took to the rear sprocket and front sprocket, Got the front loosened off easily enough, and lost some knuckle skin getting the rear one off.

T'was about then a mate turned up on his new R1, he just got it yesterday, and I had promised Id give him a hand with doing a service on it, so the rest of the evening has been spent on that.

When I took the rear sprocket off, it was obvious that the nuts and bolts were pretty shagged, so Ill be replacing those with some new ones too, then once my brake retaining clip arrives I just eed to dissasemble and check, clean, repair the calipers, and slot some new pads in, then we should be away laughing.

as a bonus, I get to pick up my next project on Monday as well!:Punk:

[Fast Eddie]

im still interested in it if you ever plan to sell it bro..

there are some empty paddocks where I live, recon no one will mind if i turn em to mud

[tigertim20]

im still interested in it if you ever plan to sell it bro..

there are some empty paddocks where I live, recon no one will mind if i turn em to mud

I will let you know if it goes up on Trademe. Im picking up my new project on Monday, and im still waiting on bits for the CR from England and the USA, so the most likely scenario is I will get that, start fucking with it, and the Honda parts will arrive, and sit in a corner of the shed for a few weeks . . . . .

A quick question, Ive looked through the manual i have and cant find the answer - running standard gearing, how many links should the chain be for one of these 1991 CR125s? I found a forum that said 114 links, but Id like to double check before i cut the bastard and it be one link to short or something!

[tigertim20]

thought id show you why I bought new chain and sprockets. . .
263249263248

[Fast Eddie]

meh, my blades last rear sprocket was fully missing very nearly half its teeth. it was a very light weight alloy sprocket.. it just literally started ripping the teeth off lol..

back to steel sprockets.

[Fast Eddie]

A quick question, Ive looked through the manual i have and cant find the answer - running standard gearing, how many links should the chain be for one of these 1991 CR125s? I found a forum that said 114 links, but Id like to double check before i cut the bastard and it be one link to short or something!

when I fit chains I put the new sprockets on, then I loop the chain on and do it by eye, start with the adjustment on the swing arm backed off a bit so u got room to tighten it. and then yea I just do it by eye bro.
you just wrap the chain round and over lap the ends, pull it tight then mark it, then use ur chain tool to break the link off to get rid of the excess chain, then use ur joiner link to complete the chain..

if ur just reusing the old chain i guess ull have to put it on and see how u go tensioning it.. if its too loose then just break the chain and do as above. over lap it and mark it then get rid of the excess chain and a new joiner link. but using the old chain and std gearing u should be sweet for straight bolt on sprocket i would have thought

[hayd3n]

I will let you know if it goes up on Trademe. Im picking up my new project on Monday, and im still waiting on bits for the CR from England and the USA, so the most likely scenario is I will get that, start fucking with it, and the Honda parts will arrive, and sit in a corner of the shed for a few weeks . . . . .

A quick question, Ive looked through the manual i have and cant find the answer - running standard gearing, how many links should the chain be for one of these 1991 CR125s? I found a forum that said 114 links, but Id like to double check before i cut the bastard and it be one link to short or something!

just roll the chain around with sdjusters set to minium and cut where necessary

[tigertim20]

when I fit chains I put the new sprockets on, then I loop the chain on and do it by eye, start with the adjustment on the swing arm backed off a bit so u got room to tighten it. and then yea I just do it by eye bro.
you just wrap the chain round and over lap the ends, pull it tight then mark it, then use ur chain tool to break the link off to get rid of the excess chain, then use ur joiner link to complete the chain..

if ur just reusing the old chain i guess ull have to put it on and see how u go tensioning it.. if its too loose then just break the chain and do as above. over lap it and mark it then get rid of the excess chain and a new joiner link. but using the old chain and std gearing u should be sweet for straight bolt on sprocket i would have thought

Yeah i was going to just count the links on the chain i took off, but i ordered standard sprockets, and the ones i took off are not a stock tooth count, so thats a bummer. I need to go get new bolts to mount the rear sprocket so I was going to cut the chain down to give me something to do in the meantime. I guess Ill wait till I get the bolts.

[Fast Eddie]

yea might as well wait it will be easier.

were there less teeth on the old setup? would have accelerated a bit more maybe :)

hehe, speaking of those sprocket bolts/nuts we were out on a trail one time and a friend sheered them all off his rear sprocket. so the sprocket and chain was still spinning. he had a long push back to the trailers haha

[Flicks]

That sprocket could probly be used to cut wood with, They way those teeth are angled.

[tigertim20]

That sprocket could probly be used to cut wood with, They way those teeth are angled.

haha sure could!

Well my sprocket bolts turned up today, pretty good since I only ordered them on Wednesday night at about 10PM off trademe, so quite happy.
The brake retaining clips I ordered from the UK havent turned up yet, I was expecting them today, as I know they have reached NZ a few days ago - hopefully tomorrow.
Tomorrows job will probably include using the new bolts to secure the rear sprocket, put the front one on, and get the chain cut down and mounted, then setting up the hour meter and mounting that somewhere handy too.

If the brake parts turn up, I will strip the brakes, and clean them, and get them back together, which reminds me, I should go order some brake pads off bits4bikes . . .

Then Ill chuck the rear wheel back in, and despite the absence of brakes Ill probably do a wheelie up the road to celebrate the progress so far, before turning my attention to the DR250 I just bought, and checking the timing on it.

[tigertim20]

Well I slept in today and was woken by the sound of banging, postie required a signature on a package, which was the brake parts I had been waiting for.
263556

I thought thats a good reason to get up ad fuck about in the shed. Since my new sprocket bolts had turned up, i decided Id start with the chain, then move on to the brakes.
I took the rear sprocket out of the package, and noticed the design was slightly different, but thought it was just a brand thing.
I lined it up on the hub, and, hello the fucking holes are wrong goddammit!
263558263557
that was a proper fuckoff, so I made a quick trip down the road to MCR, and they have ordered me a sprocket which will hopefully be here on Tuesday (the new non-fitting sprocket wasnt ordered through MCR, so it wasnt their fault)

With that done, I thought Id much about with the front brake, the retaining clip went on, and yay! brakes fit, and the pads dont fall out when the caliper is mounted!. I mounted the MC on the bars, and then installed the new brake lever thats been sitting in the shed waiting for weeks and weeks.
Next step is to order the brake pads, the disc is a little on the thin side, but Its still within spec, so that can stay for now.
Once the new pads turn up, I will chuck them in before flushing all the existing fluid out, fuck knows how long that shit has been in there for.
I havent looked at the rear brake yet, Im a bit worried it might have a rooted MC, which will be a pain if it does.

So looks like im at a standstill until at least tuesday now, though it will probably be weekend before I actually do anything with it again.

[tigertim20]

So today i get a text from MCR letting me know that my sprocket had arrived, so I went in to get it after work, picked it up, and took it home.
Went straight into the shed, and guess fucking what?
IT DOESNT FIT!!!!

A quick ring to MCR to find out how late they are open, and I had time to make a trip back.
The missus needed to take the cat to the vet, so I dropped her off and went in to sort out the sprocket.

I took the original sprocket that came off the wheel, the one Id just bought, and the wheel itself.
Rick took one look at the wheel.
'Thats not a CR wheel'

Oh for fuck sakes says I.
Looks to me like a DR or even and early RM wheel to me says one of the other lads.

Some time was spent naffing around, and measuring things to figure out what kinda wheel it actually was, and after that, yet more time trying to find or source a suitable sprocket.
It was now past closing time for MCR, and incidentally, for the Vet too. I was ignorant of the multiple text messages as my phone was in my pocket on silent (honest) and it was raining outside.

After some faffing about, it turned out the lads at MCR had the right sprocket for me!!! we used the eyechrometer to make sure she all lined up, and with that I was on my way - thanks to MCR for their help, this could have fucked me up far AGES if it wast for their input, and their willingness to help out after closing time with figuring it all out! mucho thanks to them!

So I was halfway home before I remembered the vibrating in my pocket, and turned around to pick up the wife who was, by now, completely soaked, standing on the side of the road holding a very distressed, and also soaked, cat in a cage.
She didnt share my upbeat happiness regarding the sprocket, so we shelled out on thai food to shut her up make it up to her

[tigertim20]

anyways with that sorted, I scoffed my dinner down, and headed to the shed.

My sparkly new sprocket bolts have been of use at last!
263724

with that sorted i set about mounting the wheel in, so I gave all the bits a clean up with the wire wheel on the dremmel (fuck I love my dremmel!) and put it all back in with a liberal supply of grease.
The new front sprocket went in
263725

after that out came the brand spanking new chain to wrap around these wee lovelies, and I took a photo of the chain and sprockets FINALLY in situ, its really starting to look like a halfway decent bike now.
263726

a little fettling will need to be done, to get the slack right yet, and I put the chain rollers on. The chain guide still needs to go on too, so Ill get around to that at some point.
I thought the front brake pads might have turned up by now, but they havent, so meh, maybe tomorrow. then its put those in, do the chain guide, gear lever, and sort out the rear brakes.

Id really love to take this out for a fucking good fang once she is all done!

[Fast Eddie]

Choice bro! made mint progress on it..

im still waiting another 3 weeks until my fund allocations turn from sidecar back to aprilia (hopefully, I need a trailer now too).. rs250 been neglected for a few weeks now.

[unstuck]

Ha ha that looks like the sprocket I was trying to pawn of on you the other day.:bleh:

[tigertim20]

Ha ha that looks like the sprocket I was trying to pawn of on you the other day.:bleh:
mate, it would be just my luck!
I have a perfect, brand new sprocket for a CR 125 in unused, unmounted condition if anyone is interested! haha

[tigertim20]

Got some time today so I spent a bit of time in the shed on this again, with some progress!
I thought I should at least take a look at the condition of the clutch, so off came the cover
263887

and out came the clutch
263886

every thing all seemed to be pretty ship shape, lots of meat, no blue-ing or warping etc etc, so It all got put back together again, and some fresh oil into the gearbox.

The hour meter has been sitting around for ages in it package, because 1, i couldnt be fucked arsing around with it, and 2, I wasnt sure where i wanted to put it.
I decided i would put it up on the front number board as it wasnt too finicky to put it there.
I followed the easy instructions to wire it in
263890

with that done, i went and put the tank and seat back on, and attached the meter itself to the number board
263889

So heres a pic of it as it is now
263888

[tigertim20]

Once I got to this point, I figured I might as well have a looksie at the rear caliper, as I knew it wasnt working when I got the thing.
its a bit messy frankly!.
the bleed nipple has been snapped off, so I have to try and get that out, which will not be particularly easy.
I took the pads out, they were filthy, but in usable condition, so i set them aside. It took a fair amount of WD40 to loosen the pin though! she was stuck in there pretty damned tight.

With that out of the way I looked at the piston, not pretty, it looks like someone has tried to grip it with vice grips to pull it out, and has scored the sliding surface of the piston quite deeply. I will have to look into whether or not i can sand/buff it smooth enough that it os suitable to use again or not.
I managed to get the piston out though, and as i figured, the seals were fucked. Not a big deal they arent particularly expensive (few bucks each)

The fluid that came out of them was a bit like yoghurt, except black, so god knows how long its been in there for, but no matter, its out now.

The first thing to do is try to get the broken off bleed nipple out without damaging the caliper. as long as I can do that, theres no problem, I can just get some parts and reassemble, if not, Im probably looking at needing another caliper.

The good news though, is that I did manage to get a test ride on it finally!
This was the first time Ive been able to ride it, Ive had it running plenty, but not actually rideable, so that was great.
I will upload a short youtube clip, and then post that in here shortly for them who care.

[tigertim20]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9qoYZrOoJM&feature=youtu.be

[Tony.OK]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9qoYZrOoJM&feature=youtu.be

Nice :yes:
Was waiting for the wheelie and stuffed shoulder like my 1st ride haha.

[nzspokes]

Sweet, sounds mint.

[tigertim20]

Nice :yes:
Was waiting for the wheelie and stuffed shoulder like my 1st ride haha.

ha, Im not putting up vids of wheelies!

[unstuck]

Well done chap, sounds pretty sweet. :niceone:

[Brian d marge]

I have quite a few parts for those things lying around , and a building a interesting combi, for vmx ....


I have a few engines as well ,,,one might find its way into a go cart ...... yeah


Stephen

[tigertim20]

and away she goes!

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=483326558&ed=true

not sure if the price is right, but im open to offers, and no rush anyway.

[nzspokes]

That seems cheap to me.

[Fast Eddie]

That seems cheap to me.

from what it was to what tims brought it up to it probably is :) i did miss out on the canterbury boom around 2010 tho, I missed out on getting an RM250 and a KDX200 (runners) for 1,000... i was 100% i had the winning bid as the auction was closing.. then when it closed I was mighty confused why I didnt get a confirmation email sayin congrats on ur buy!.. was a sad sad day.. and there were cr250s and kdxs and yz125s etc for the 600-800 mark..

seems those days are gone atm, everyone must be doing a return to dirt or something.

never got the right money and the right time.

[tigertim20]

from what it was to what tims brought it up to it probably is :) i did miss out on the canterbury boom around 2010 tho, I missed out on getting an RM250 and a KDX200 (runners) for 1,000... i was 100% i had the winning bid as the auction was closing.. then when it closed I was mighty confused why I didnt get a confirmation email sayin congrats on ur buy!.. was a sad sad day.. and there were cr250s and kdxs and yz125s etc for the 600-800 mark..

seems those days are gone atm, everyone must be doing a return to dirt or something.

never got the right money and the right time.

that right there is the problem isnt it! plenty of good deals around when you dont have the cash.

I know what I really want to get next, so its a matter of keeping on saving a little here and there when i can, and waiting patiently untill my savings and a deal comes along together.

[Nova.]

what colour powerband is it running? :devil2:

[tigertim20]

what colour powerband is it running? :devil2:

it was yellow, but i painted it black with the frame