1972/3 Honda SL125 x 2 rebuild

[Laava]

So I have had this old SL125 in the shed for years and it used to run ok but I couldn't get the points cover screws out so when it needed a tune up, it just got left to sit. I dont name my bikes or give them a male or female status, but this bike was called Peanut. I can't remember why... Anyhow, the time had come, lockdown precipitated a project and over the years I had scored another parts bike that sat outside in the weather where it looked like it had spent it's entire life anyhow. So I decided to do 2 bikes, one to be a minter, road legal, and the other to be a roughy just to use up the rest of the parts. This bike is going to be called Grandad. I have a reason for calling it that but cant be arsed explaining it!😆😆😆
First thing was to strip everything and prep the frames for paint.

[Laava]

Next on the agenda was to paint up as many of the useable bits as possible. Having a sand blasting cabinet makes this job a lot easier, more than could be said for getting paint during lockdown! I reattached Grandads swingarm with new shocks and replaced the rusted steering head bearings and fitted all the freshened yokes.
Mocked up the frame with some new tyres. May need to widen the swingarm and offset the chain drive a bit!

[Laava]

So my current issue is trying to find a good fork tube! I only need one!
If anyone has one and wants to sell/barter/gift please let me know

[Laava]

Cleaned, blasted and painted hubs.349810349811349812

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[Laava]

Cleaned, blasted and painted hubs.349810349811349812

Sent from my SM-G950F using TapatalkTook delivery of many bits and blasted and painted a heap more. Then laced up the new rims to the refurbed hubs.
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[Laava]

Fitted new wheels to Peanut and a bit of bracketry etc. Had to temporarily use old forks until I have a good pair...
Grandad is on the bench waiting for brakeshoes and dry paint!
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[tigertim20]

Nice work fella. Keep the pics coming! :niceone:

[Laava]

Have been hand-linishing the fork lowers. I slid them over a branch of timber anchored in the vise and set to it. It will have clear coat applied so will finish quite close to factory finish. I managed to find 2 brand new fork tubes in France. Not sure if they are oem or aftermarket...will know when thry arrive I guess...

[tigertim20]

small linisher belt (turned inside out) + drill + skateboard wheel or similar.
thank me later.

looks good though!

[F5 Dave]

Yeah following this.

[Laava]

Anyway, cleared my bench to start pulling motors down and noticed a big welding job, either side of where the cam chain runs on what I would have thought was the good motor! I rode this bike for a bit but never noticed it

[Laava]

Right so pulled the heads and barrells off. Grandads innards were seized with gunge. I poured a bit of wd40 in there and started on Peanuts engine. It came apart properly and then I could view the damage. It looks to me like at some point the front cam chain guide has been steering the chain sideways into the barrell and crankcase where it has had quite a feed at some point. This was in the distant past and was operating normally prior to this stripdown. Grandads camchain at some point has done similar but only a small amount of wear. With new chains and guides, I think we are good to go!
photos 4&5 you can clearly see how much meat has been removed by the cam chain. What sort of animal keeps using a machine that must have been sounding like a concrete mixer? (Oh! Of course, a Ducati rider with a dry clutch!...) pic 3 you can see the difference in the gasket surface where the ditch chewed out in Peanuts crankcase must be 5mm deep!

[Laava]

On one of barrels the wear from camchain is significant, in fact this has explained the welding job on the outside of the barrell. It is astounding to think the machine was left to flog itself out like this but...
You can see in one of the photos the wear has gone right through into the cavity between chain run chamber and cylinder. There must have been oil pissing out everywhere for quite some time before the welded repair! FFS!

[Laava]

Was a heap of schmootz and a large piece of kickstart retun spring in Grandads belly. Peanuts was surprisingly clean! Had to make a tool to remove the 4 peg type nut in the oil sediment collector thingy on the end of the crankshaft...

[MD]

Well done Laava I'm following this too and keep the pics coming.

I owned two SL125 trail bikes in the mid 70s for dirt riding. They were cheap as so when the first one was looking a bit battered and sad I flicked in on for a better one. Then wore that one out. Sometime in the early 80s I got another one for commuting. I loved those SL125s

[F5 Dave]

That'll buff out. :crazy:

[Laava]

Had to remove gearbox layshaft bearing. It is the only one in a blind hole. Daughter in law, who is a bike mech apprentice, came round with a set of blind bearing pullers. Problem is there is an oil feed noozle poking up from the bottom of the hole and it prevents the puller from going in far enough! I fucked around with this for ages, swore, cried, consoled, went to Honda shop all to no avail although the honda mech did say, " heat it up to buggery and drop it on the ground"
Taking his heat notion on board, I made a tool and after a few attempts, using a slide hammer as well, it popped out. I did the other engine too, just so I can thoroughly flush it all out, oil galleries incl...

[Laava]

Right so have 2 bottom ends complete but can only button one up cos I'm waiting for a kick return spring.
So I painted what I have at this stage...

[F5 Dave]

Lookin sharp.

[Laava]

My fork tubes arrived from france today so chucked them on to clear some bench space...

[Laava]

I now have two complete engines in their frames and have fitted a brand new exhaust from Musket, with rechromed heat shield, and a rebuilt carb..

[F5 Dave]

The Japanese stylists really had a handle on the heatshild as an iconic statement.

[sugilite]

Wow, superb job man, look forward to seeing more when you get the chance :yes:

[merv]

I love the simplicity of bikes from that era.

I had the 1973 XL175 and like the SL125 it had the simple carburettor you could get at that also had the quick clip to hold the bowl on. Drown the bike in water or get crud in it, just flip off the clip and you can clean out the carb bowl and clear the jets with a pine needle if necessary or something like that. Very few tools needed out in the wild.

To work on any of the more modern bikes is just a nightmare of lack of access and complication these days.

[Laava]

Thanks guys, am looking forward to getting them going!...

[F5 Dave]

I love the simplicity of bikes from that era.

I had the 1973 XL175 and like the SL125 it had the simple carburettor you could get at that also had the quick clip to hold the bowl on. Drown the bike in water or get crud in it, just flip off the clip and you can clean out the carb bowl and clear the jets with a pine needle if necessary or something like that. Very few tools needed out in the wild.

To work on any of the more modern bikes is just a nightmare of lack of access and complication these days.

Ah cmon Merv. When was the last time you drowned a modern bike? :innocent:

[MD]

Awesome work laava. I'm enjoying watching it take shape. So many happy memories. Don't you dare take it out in the dirt and mud when finished. A work of art too beautiful to ruin [like I did to mine in the 70s]

[Laava]

Did a bit of a.mock up with my paintwork items. Also a good way of having a.cleanup!

[Laava]

Got some polishing done, big thanks to Stainless Steel Products Whangarei, plus 2x tank sloshes and a heap of panelbeating issues prior to bodyfiller...

[sugilite]

Looking Great! :love:

[Laava]

Right so I started refurbishing my clocks. I have 6 but only need 4. 2 were pretty crusty so I used one as a guinea pig and soon worked out that a heat gun and a spoon type tyre lever were the best combo to peel back the plastic base of the shells. I am going to polish the clear plastic and just clean the shells as they are textured. Also the clock faces will get a clean, repaint the needle ends, lube the mechanisms and put them back together.
I could have bought new ones from thailand but would rather refurbish for authenticity reasons. This includes the odometer reading which is original for the mint bike at 24,000 odd km. A tutorial vid I watched on Youtube had the comment that the biggest mistake the rebuilder was making was not zero'ing the odometer. I don't agree, and a 50yr old machine should wear it's road toll with pride...etc.
Also polished the s/s clock bases.

[pete376403]

How do you get the chrome trim rings off the instruments without damaging them?

[Laava]

The trim rings are a support base only with a rubber cushion inside them. 2x 10 mm nuts and off they come. A lot of Nippon Denso gauges do have a s/s ring which is rolled around the shell halves and requires to be peeled off to release the gubbins.
If you have a hole in a piece of timber, like I have, to fully support the gauge then you can put a huge jubilee clip around the ring and then slowly, bit by bit, prise the ring up with an appropriate sized screwdriver etc. video on you tube if you search for it…

[Laava]

Right, so clocks back together, cleaned, new paint on the needle ends and a bit of headlight polish and Bobs your aunties husband.
They came up alright but are not perfect, pretty good for 50yrs old and original too so all good. Finally tracked down some bars in england that were close enough, drilled them for cable entry and put my restored, 50yr old switchgear on the bars with new levers, grips, perch's and mirrors. Have installed most of the wiring on both bikes. Still waiting for all my painted bodywork to show up…

[F5 Dave]

Lookin sharp. Upper Triple looks gleaming.

[MD]

How do you find the patience and determination to go to such amazing efforts! Ever picture you post gives me sentimental flashbacks to my teens. How much will you be asking for it when she's finished? :rolleyes:

[Laava]

Lookin sharp. Upper Triple looks gleaming.


How do you find the patience and determination to go to such amazing efforts! Ever picture you post gives me sentimental flashbacks to my teens. How much will you be asking for it when she's finished? :rolleyes:
Thanks guys for your comments. Yes I am being patient, only because I have 2 other bikes that I ride as well!
And yes, it will be interesting to see what they will be worth when done. I am thinking I will sell the roughy and keep the original one for now. Recently, one sold for $7500 on TM and was not road legal…

[Laava]

Right, so, stuck at home with the covid this week but all is not lost! Some of my paintwork showed up! 4 guards and 2 headlight buckets! Which means I can finally finish off my wiring and mount front headlight and tail light.
Not going to bother showing photos of Grandad at this stage as he is the shittier one of the 2.
I particularly like the way the wiring tucks inside the bars and I asked my painter mate to be respectful of the original markings on the headlight bucket as it is a 50yr old relic…
I am running a few extra earth wires as I recall from the past having issues with all sorts of things that required to be earthed to the frame

[Laava]

A couple more photos….

[F5 Dave]

Ooh you tease, its barely got any clothes on.

[husaberg]

A couple more photos….
Has that got a later cylinder on it?

[Laava]

Has that got a later cylinder on it?
Well spotted, both bikes have new cylinder, piston, gudgeon and ring sets from china! Only $70 delivered each!
I did consider reshaping the fins but it is still obvious from the LHS if you know what you are looking at. I have several barrels and heads and struggled to find one good enough to viably restore.

[husaberg]

Well spotted, both bikes have new cylinder, piston, gudgeon and ring sets from china! Only $70 delivered each!
I did consider reshaping the fins but it is still obvious from the LHS if you know what you are looking at. I have several barrels and heads and struggled to find one good enough to viably restore.

Don't worry not everyone's a rivet counter.
i wonder how many have the std pipes, was your refurbished or a new one?

[Laava]

Musket muffler. The muffler is mint but the header is a series of kinks...:(
The heat guard is original, rechromed.

[husaberg]

Musket muffler. The muffler is mint but the header is a series of kinks...:(
The heat guard is original, rechromed.

okay cool do they (musket) still exist. They were made to a price to be visually similar but material thickness wise they were likely more durable.
I remember a big stack of they upstairs at Whiting's.

How cool they are still in business
https://www.musketmufflers.com/collections/honda/products/honda-sl125-k1-d-muffler-silencer

[Laava]

Yep, and with an extensive range!

[Laava]

My paintwork pitched up today so I fitted the tank and side covers to Granddad, a bit more time and finesse will be needed for the other bike…

[husaberg]

My paintwork pitched up today so I fitted the tank and side covers to Granddad, a bit more time and finesse will be needed for the other bike…

i wish I took a photo of the crescent i seen on a farm yesterday.....
That view out of the side window looks like a painting in the close up.
I see you went with the original short allow intake.
The paint on the tanks looks better than the original

[F5 Dave]

It looks fantastic. . . However, and it's not my bike, I know how hard it can be. But maybe something different for the headlight clamps and a bit more period for the muffler?
Now I feel bad.
Just everything else is so good. I'll have a dig in my spares. Might get some more classic clamps.

[husaberg]

There used to be a old steel supertapp at the olds....

[Laava]

It looks fantastic. . . However, and it's not my bike, I know how hard it can be. But maybe something different for the headlight clamps and a bit more period for the muffler?
Now I feel bad.
Just everything else is so good. I'll have a dig in my spares. Might get some more classic clamps.

yep, they are cheaparse clamps, just to get the original bucket mounted. The whole exhaust is temporary at best…


There used to be a old steel supertapp at the olds....
Thanks Husa but it really needs a whole new header pipe as this one is wafer thin. I am probably going to sell this bike anyhow as it will have a good value in the fact that it is going and has a lot of rebuilt and repainted parts, guards, and sidecovers especially

[F5 Dave]

Haven't got downstairs (or out of bed yet). A Supertrap would be perfect. Put one on my XR250A. Best bit on the bike. Easily.

[Laava]

Yep, when I was a schoolboy, one of my classmates had an xl175 with a Supertrapp and we all thought it was pretty lusty! Moreso because of the fact that he could ride, commuting to school during the week and then riding to and competing in motocross in the weekend!
You think I should be persuading Husa to sell me one Dave?

[husaberg]

Yep, when I was a schoolboy, one of my classmates had an xl175 with a Supertrapp and we all thought it was pretty lusty! Moreso because of the fact that he could ride, commuting to school during the week and then riding to and competing in motocross in the weekend!
You think I should be persuading Husa to sell me one Dave?
If i can find it, you can have it.

[F5 Dave]

I still have one of the discs on a bench I think. Kind of a nod to a bygone era.

[Laava]

If i can find it, you can have it.
Awesome, then I will owe you a beer!


I still have one of the discs on a bench I think. Kind of a nod to a bygone era.
So am I!

[Laava]

Right so I managed to get a bit done today, clothes all on, everything working except one weakarse indicator bulb to change out.
That leaves me with 2x skidplates to install, one of which needs a tiny bit of bogging and paint, and the seat needs to be made to fit on Peanut. Must be time now to book it in for roadworthy stuff after I testride it. Hopefully I don't have to battle the carburetor too much! The roughy had a test ride today and is pretty underwhelming…https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/6.6/png/unicode/64/1f60f.pnghttps://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/6.6/png/unicode/64/1f60f.pnghttps://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/6.6/png/unicode/64/1f60f.png
been a bit spoilt last few years with some choice Ducatis…

[F5 Dave]

Now that is so cute. Well done. :banana:

[husaberg]

off the vinduro page
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[george formby]

off the vinduro page


:drool: There is an event exceedingly local to Laava.... Should be coming up soon.

[husaberg]

Its in better condition than it looks the rust, actually wipes off.

send me an address, Its yours.
It's the perfect size for a sub 200.
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[Laava]

:drool: There is an event exceedingly local to Laava.... Should be coming up soon.
Sounds fun! Are you competing?

Its in better condition than it looks the rust, actually wipes off.

send me an address, Its yours.
It's the perfect size for a sub 200.
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Awesome! I will pm you...

[husaberg]

Sounds fun! Are you competing?


Awesome! I will pm you...

Cheers if it was me i would mod something like a CT125 header.
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or copy off the bend of the poweroll sl..
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or this
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https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/motorbikes/parts-for-sale/exhaust/listing/3756747065
$15

i was going to say send it back if you ever sell the bike but supertrapp actually still make them....
https://supertrapp.com/shop-products/universal/universal-3m-steel-dirt-bike

if its to loud you can do something similar to what supertrap did later
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[Laava]

I am going to ask Musket if they can do me just the header..

[husaberg]

I am going to ask Musket if they can do me just the header..

on the cattle dog they list the headers as a separate part number for most so i would say yes.
ie mh013is CT125 CT200 XL100 K3 and K4 and XL125 K2
MH015 is TL125
MH001 is SL100 and 125 XL100K1

[george formby]

Sounds fun! Are you competing?

The Vinduro is not listed on Silver bullet. If it is running should I let you know? It's held at The Farm, Mike Bennett's place. Wide range of bikes and generally rideable. It can get a bit hard work in the single track.

My mate does it on his PE 400 and I make an attempt with my CRM 250. Felt pants last time so I rode my Gasgas trials bike to avoid a hospital visit.

[Laava]

The Vinduro is not listed on Silver bullet. If it is running should I let you know? It's held at The Farm, Mike Bennett's place. Wide range of bikes and generally rideable. It can get a bit hard work in the single track.

My mate does it on his PE 400 and I make an attempt with my CRM 250. Felt pants last time so I rode my Gasgas trials bike to avoid a hospital visit.
No, it's ok. Not my thing generally. I would like to have a go one day but not on these old buggers!😁

[george formby]

No, it's ok. Not my thing generally. I would like to have a go one day but not on these old buggers!😁

Pretty sure the last winner was on a Postie bike, including panniers...

You would be in good company with us, we're pretty useless.

[Laava]

Right, so I have finished this bike now, it's all road legal and barring a couple of niggles is pretty well sorted…so…I am looking for another project, not sure what at this stage, looking for donors, haha!

[husaberg]

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/motorbikes/motorbikes/classic-vintage/honda/listing/4025786230

[F5 Dave]

Well done sir.

[MD]

Stunner!!! That man deserves a beer. :third:As I posted before those pictures take me back to my early dirt riding days ruining a series of once average condition SL125s. Could have done with your handy work then.

[merv]

Sure looks good :woohoo::niceone:

[Laava]

Thanks guys!