Basic bucket mods?

[agman]

So I finally got a bike.

A Suzuki EN125.

The engine is stock as anything. So me and the old man have been thinking what basic legal mods we can make to get it a bit more stokey.

I was thinking the first thing would be exhaust, then carb. Also what about making clubman bars? They seem easy enough.

[Henk]

Exhaust, carb, rims the right size for slicks and wets.

[agman]

Ok, what kind of exhaust do you have on your bike? I realize you need to worry about how much sound it'll be making due to that whole winery mishap or something.

What size carb do you recommend?

[mr bucketracer]

Ok, what kind of exhaust do you have on your bike? I realize you need to worry about how much sound it'll be making due to that whole winery mishap or something.

What size carb do you recommend?you have to run a 24mm carb , find a exhaust of like a 125 mx bike

[agman]

Ok cheers, are we aloud to run avgas? Its a 4-banger by the way

[mr bucketracer]

Ok cheers, are we aloud to run avgas? Its a 4-banger by the waythought a en125 was a 2 smoker must be the same as a gs125 then

[agman]

Yea... Probably are very similar. Maybe even the same engine. I know The EN use's a different engine to the GN's.

[mr bucketracer]

Yea... Probably are very similar. Maybe even the same engine. I know The EN use's a different engine to the GN's.go with a 30mm carb . use to race a gs125 years ago untill it droped both the valves lol

[Pumba]

Ok cheers, are we aloud to run avgas?

Oh this could be fun if I was in the right mood. But I am feeling lazy, so all I am going to say is don't do it as there is nothing to gain by doing so with your bike.

The biggest gains you will get is just by learning to ride the dam thing. Yes a pipe and carb may improve things, but right now as you have not set foot on a track with that bike you don't even have a starting point to know if you are improving things or just fucking up a perfectly good bike (trust us we have seen it before).

Personal thoughts are spend time making sure the dam thing is nyloned properly (I need to redo mine), and reliable. Once you get it to the track you will find out what you may need to change to fit you (rear sets, handle bars, anything that may hinder ground clearance. etc.)

From there your biggest gains will probably come from fitting rims of the appropriate size to fit slicks (especially if you are going to be racing at Mt Welly). You might be able to squeeze slicks onto your standard rims but you probably wont gain much and may even lose out over the tires it is currently running.

[Henk]

Pretty sure it's a GN engine in a slightly better looking bike, the pure sport stickers must be worth a couple of horsepower :)

To start with I'd just ride it and see what you want to change, take the time to set up the legs etc so you don't have to think about where everything is, next would be sticky rubber, then start chasing horses.

[agman]

Ok, thanks for that :) I might just save my money for a 150. Thats once I've been on the track and had a crack at racing.

Cheers man.

[Henk]

Ok, thanks for that :) I might just save my money for a 150. Thats once I've been on the track and had a crack at racing.

Cheers man.

Auckland round next week

[agman]

One more thing, any ideas for what to use for nyloning? And how to mount it?

Farmaken has recommended bits of plastic chopping boards.

[agman]

Auckland round next week

The bike has pretty rubbish nyloning and i have no track experience, would be bit of baptisim by fire...

[Henk]

This is bucket racing, we like fires

[Pumba]

If any one turns up to the track with holy water for a baptism there is like to be a number of us that burst into flames.

[Henk]

If any one turns up to the track with holy water for a baptism there is like to be a number of us that burst into flames.

Speak for yourself. You bringing the trike up again?

[wildman]

If any one turns up to the track with holy water for a baptism there is like to be a number of us that burst into flames.

Did i ever tell you i teach Sunday School at my Church, do you want me to bring some and we can try it.:eek::eek:

[Pumba]

Shit that's not bad. About 15 posts and we are off topic. Not sure about next week at this stage, I really should fix that pipe on the chair just in case.

Wildman I wouldn't want to risk it. Still surprised I didn't get hit with lightning bolt on my wedding day.

[Kickaha]

Pretty sure it's a GN engine .

Think you're right, all the GN/GS/DR/EN share the same bore x stroke and most bits between the first three are interchangable

[Henk]

That bike was nyloned to Kaitoke standard last time I was it so unless somebody has pulled a bunch off in the meantime you should be good there. Easiest way to find out is to lie it on its side and see if anything metal touches the ground.

[agman]

Oh right will keep that in mind.

Just broke my arm this morning (damn saturday morning sport). But i can still
Bend my fingers. Its my left arm. Theres no way im not gonna ride it.

[Kickaha]

Just broke my arm this morning (damn saturday morning sport). But i can still
Bend my fingers. Its my left arm. Theres no way im not gonna ride it.

Assuming you're talkng about racing it at a meeting If the organisers have any brains they wont let you

[agman]

Haha no not at a meeting. Im picking my new bike up tomorrow morning.

[Henk]

Assuming you're talkng about racing it at a meeting If the organisers have any brains they wont let you

I'm one of the organisers and although the state of my brain is up for debate I didn't ride with a cast on my arm last time I broke it.

[John_H]

Depending on what track your riding on a simple mod will be to change the sprockets to suit the track, which will make a big difference.

[Str8 Jacket]

This is bucket racing, we like fires

Annnd we like roller blades, eh Henk! ;)

[Drew]

Assuming you're talkng about racing it at a meeting If the organisers have any brains they wont let you

I just cut my cast off, and taped a couple aluminium splits on for 'The road race spectacular'. No one was any the wiser.

[Kickaha]

I just cut my cast off, and taped a couple aluminium splits on for 'The road race spectacular'. No one was any the wiser.

Yes as has someone else I know, but you're to stupid to think about what the consquences of anything long term from an injury not healing properly are

[Drew]

Yes as has someone else I know, but you're to stupid to think about what the consquences of anything long term from an injury not healing properly are

I knew the risks, and don't regret or question my actions. If I'd further injured myself, I think I could accept it.

Do you question GP and superbike riders intellect when they ride injured?

[Kickaha]

Do you question GP and superbike riders intellect when they ride injured?
Actually I thought Lorenzo was pretty fucking retarded with his collarbone, so yes

I have ridden with a broken schapoid and fractured tibia although at the time I didn't realise, fractured tibia makes you realise just how much you weight the pegs when turning

[Drew]

Actually I thought Lorenzo was pretty fucking retarded with his collarbone, so yes

I have ridden with a broken schapoid and fractured tibia although at the time I didn't realise, fractured tibia makes you realise just how much you weight the pegs when turning

Scaphoid is not one to fuck with. Risking blood flow and nerve damage in my thumb is too big a risk. Only ever broke fib and tib together, no chance I'd have cut the full leg cast off.

Lorenzo was a friggin pick to ride. However, he took 10 or more points from the race, and remains in contention because of it.

[koba]

Back on topic....


I had that bike once, that crappy Nylon was my quick work.
I'd say going heaps lower in gearing would be a good start, as would better tyres.

17" slicks and the appropriate Rims are quite a big step, a cheap interim improvement (I understand you budget) could be some new 'sticky' Vee Rubber tyres.
They aren't fantastic compared to 1-race-old 125 rubber but they are cheap and will make an improvement.

If you take it further think about bracing the frame/swingarm and beefier forks as really stick rubber will have that thing bending about.

Also, DON'T put clipons or narrow bars on it!

People do it all the time on bike like this, it stops you catching slides and dealing with the flex which leads to (More) Crashes.

A carb and exhaust can be a good cheap improvement if you are smart about it, I wouldn't want to spring to much on them though on such a bike, it's a great starter bike but it isn't worth sinking big coin into it, as others have said, riding it is the biggest part and the best value.

[agman]

So all in all im best to spend not a heck of a lot on it and learn to ride, then step up to the mighty fxr?

[Bert]

So all in all im best to spend not a heck of a lot on it and learn to ride, then step up to the mighty fxr?

Bingo, you have it in one.

[Henk]

When you make the step up to an FXR you should be able to pass the mighty EN to someone else, or you could do what seems to be the current craze up here and weld a sidecar onto it. :eek:

[agman]

Oooooooooo... Tried sidecar racing a couple of years ago at a have ago day the sidecar club sometimes runs. It was great fun. Something I'll keep in mind.

[Drew]

Oooooooooo... Tried sidecar racing a couple of years ago at a have ago day the sidecar club sometimes runs. It was great fun. Something I'll keep in mind.

Every year, as opposed to sometimes. :yes:

[Henk]

Agman

I thought I'd post in here instead of dragging Hamish's thread further off track.

For nylon you need to look at the front and rear axles, bar ends and possibly the muffler. Shifter and foot brake can also be areas to look at.
Basically if you lie it on it's side no metal should touch the ground, some bikes now have nylon on the fork tops as well after a bike made some pretty big gouges in the track at Roy's Hill after the rider went over the bars in an endo.

I'm not sure what you want to know about tanks, these aren't an issue from a track protection pont of view as they are big and flat and don't tend to have any sticky outy bits that damage the track when they go down.

[Bert]

Agman

I thought I'd post in here instead of dragging Hamish's thread further off track.

For nylon you need to look at the front and rear axles, bar ends and possibly the muffler. Shifter and foot brake can also be areas to look at.
Basically if you lie it on it's side no metal should touch the ground, some bikes now have nylon on the fork tops as well after a bike made some pretty big gouges in the track at Roy's Hill after the rider went over the bars in an endo.

I'm not sure what you want to know about tanks, these aren't an issue from a track protection pont of view as they are big and flat and don't tend to have any sticky outy bits that damage the track when they go down.

Some photos in here.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/157009-The-definitive-Bucket-bike-track-protection-guide

I agree with the fork top idea and the end of swingarm as well. It's bloody hard to fathom how some bits end up touching the ground when things go really wrong...

Now the larger the better, think about weight being distributed over a larger surface area; after the Roy's damage little round knobs will end up ripping stones out the damaging the track...

[agman]

Wow. There's quite alot to nyloning a bike properly.