Help with my 125... :o/

[izzi]

Yes, OK, I am a girl with a 125, and despite owning it for over 3 years when it comes to anything more than ultra-basic maintenance I get lost!

So now I have confessed that I'm hoping someone can give me some advice - I'm going to call a service place tomorrow but what is the Net for if not trying to find instant answers

I own a Honda NSR125, 1993. Low mileage, never given me any problems. But I was riding back a few miles to home a couple of nights ago and as I turned up the road to my house it died. I had to wait a good 5mins or so before I could coax it into starting again and nursed it home. I've been doing a bit of reading into what could be the problem (I was going to take it out at the weekend but have decided I really ought to work out what the problem is first!)

Either it was just being oddly tempremental, or it has a problem, and the only one I can come up with is oil related. The oil light was flicking on more than usual lately so I topped it up. It was still flicking on now and then (other than when I started it) so I bought more oil. But it was still full and couldn't take any more. So all I can think is that perhaps there is a bubble in the oil supply somewhere. The oil light was never on constantly, or particularly often, just a bit more than usual to make me notice it. Obviously running the engine with no oil is a big no no. But could it be something else? How would I work out exactly what it might be?

I know... I'm just going to have to take it to a garage... and get a taxi at the weekend!

[Robby]

dunno where the sensor is on the NSR, but check the feed is plugged onto the carb

i douby an air bubble would cause any trouble like in break, bubbles can move through 2 stroke oil much easier and the oil is always moving down the tube which would push/suck the bubble out.

assuming the sensor is in the bottom of the oil bottle, check that the sensor switch isn't sticking.

all i can offer

[craigT19]

the oil sensor sits about a third of the way down the two-stroke bottle so
i wouldnt worry about the oil light being on......could just be a fecked sensor, (as long as your shur the oil is being used).

as for why it died on ya???????????? could have possibly flooded on ya?
____________________
Bikes owned :- 2001 nsr125, 1999 zx6r, 2006 yzf-r1, 2009 xmax 250, 2012 yzf-r1, 2015 MT-07
Current bike : - 2016 MT-10
BCF member pops. sadly missed 1945-2003

[Kickstart]

Hi

Welcome to the asylum.

Sounds like the oil level sensor is dodgy. Might be the sensor, might be the wiring to it, might just be the connector. It will not in itself cause any problems as long as you do not let the oil level drop too low. The oil tank is quoted as holding 1 litre. You might have got close to running out (how much oil did you put in?).

It is possible to get an air bubble in the oil line. To get rid of this you undo the banjo bolt on the oil pump where the large oil pipe joins onto the pump. The oil will flow slowly out, bringing the air bubble with it. Once the air bubble is out just do the banjo bolt up again. Also as Robby mentioned check the oil pipe is still attached to the carb (it is a thing pipe ~3mm going from the pump up to the carb).

When the bike died how long had you been riding it? It is only likely that the bike would flood if you left the choke on / the choke stuck on, and those would have an effect fairly quickly (say a few miles maximun). An old and dirty spark plug would cause problems, but long before it caused the engine to die it would be really difficult to start. Electrical problems can cause the engine to die but they normally take effect suddenly. Most likely the bike would just cut out (not splutter and die), and most likely it wouldnt start again.

First thing I would check is the fuel supply. The fuel tank must allow air in to replace the fuel that is used. If the vent to allow this air in is blocked then the fuel cannot get down to the carb. This is not a very uncommon problem with bikes (cars have a fuel pump which can supply a fair bit of suction, either causing the blockage to move or the tank to collapse ). If this is the problem, if it happens again open the fuel tank and you may hear a hissing noise and then the bike will be fine for a few minutes riding.

Also a fuel line getting kinked would stop the fuel getting to the carb. Depending on how kinked it is then it could just allow a little fuel through or be blocked totally.

Also check the fuel filter. There is one on the side of the carb (under the 20p sized round cover where the fuel pipe goes on). There may also be another filter in the system as many people add an extra one.

Any of the blocked breather hose / kinked fuel pipe / blocked filter would cause the bike to die and then after a short rest be OK again for a short time.

If you had run low on fuel recently then the filters are probably the most likely. There is all sorts of rubbish floating round the bottom of the tank (such as water, which is another possiblity and a real pain). If you had taken the seat off / tank off then the blocked breather / fuel hoses are most likely

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Scotty]

The fuel tank must allow air in to replace the fuel that is used. If the vent to allow this air in is blocked then the fuel cannot get down to the carb.




lol i had this once when i filled the tank right to the top , tried starting it and nothing was happening,
looked around an though, hmmm it was work 3 hours ago...its not ment to die.
opened up the cap started it again, and all was well. few...
____________________
Regards
Scott

[G]

I've got the early NSR factory workshop manuals on my website here if they're any use.

Most impressed that you've kept a 125 for 3 years without becoming too bored of it (well, without other bikes I presume) or crashed/blown it up .

oh and.... Hi!


(Will sort out my website sometime soon, btw)

[Ropehead]

Wecome IZZI

if u can get a bit more info on how it cut out and how i was runnig afterwards,
im sure some one will suss it out.

[Phoenix]

couldn't it just be that the carb is blocked with crud and needs a good clean?

[Kickstart]

[Guest]

Thanks very much for all the replies, info and hellos I love my 125 but do hanker after a bigger bike, however my budget won't stretch to it right now so the 125 stays! And it's been pretty decent to me up to now.

It was my dad who convinced me it might be an oil bubble, and he was also convinced this could mean the engine was runnig without oil and therefore might be doing some serious damage to itself. But it sounds like you don't think this is what it is..

I did wonder about it flooding.. I didn't have the choke on (as far as I recall - I'm sure I checked that because I did do that once before and had it stall after 2 miles or so) but I did use it to start the bike up, and it had been sitting outside in the cold (and rain quite possibly) for a good few hours, so I guess it's a possibility. The oil is definitely topped up now - it never got extremely low - as is the fuel. I'm now going to print out all that technical stuff people posted and will go investigating tomorrow and see if I can't sort out what the problem is myself.

I'm assuming from what you've all said it will be OK to start it up and give it a test run - I'll blame you all if my engine seizes and I need major work done!!

Thanks again for the advice

[Robson]

a quick question how did the bike run after you got it started again this will give us an idea of wether there was any crud stuck in you carb, jets or fuel bowl for example as if there was the bike wouldnt have been running right once it started again if it ran perfectly once it started we know this isnt the problem

Cheers paulR
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Cheers

Paul (Robson)

[izzi]

Forgot to give myself a name last post - stupid! I ought to just register..

Re. how the bike ran, I think I said it took about 5mins before it would start up again (rather as it would if it were flooded). I was taking it up a hill straight away and it needed a bit of coaxing in order to get home (or perhaps I was just being very careful!) It was only a 2min ride home from there though so I'm not sure how much of an idea that gives you. I haven't tried it since then.. as the general opinion seems to be that it's not a 'start bike and it will kill it' sort of problem I might try giving it a go this evening and seeing if it just acts normally....

[Kris]

Hi Izzi

I've got a 125 too. Just wondering if the bike was just very cold. Some winter mornings the bike will not run at tickover until a good 10minute ride, and even then it's a bit sluggish Just wondering hats all.
The oil light problem occured on this forum a few months back on someone elses bike....maybe a search through old posts will help.

Kris

[izzi]

Hey Kris, thanks for the suggestion. I'm beginning to suspect that might be what it was - it wasa cold night that night and it had been raining. However I made the mistake (I'm sure it wasn't a mistake really ) of telling my dad about the problem and now he's convinced it's not a good idea to try riding it until we've checked it over - in case it is a case of oil not getting to the engine. So I'm just waiting for a time when neither of us are doing anything!

[craigT19]

arrrgggh i hate it when parents do that

mine refused to let me ride when i had bald tryes on my nrs

i kept telling then it was for supiriour grip...but they didnt buy it
____________________
Bikes owned :- 2001 nsr125, 1999 zx6r, 2006 yzf-r1, 2009 xmax 250, 2012 yzf-r1, 2015 MT-07
Current bike : - 2016 MT-10
BCF member pops. sadly missed 1945-2003

[Demonic69]

[Robby]

G's got no hair. always good to laugh at. scary the first time you meet him. over 6 foot tall, bald, and wearing leather.

[craigT19]

G's not bald....he jus shaves his head
____________________
Bikes owned :- 2001 nsr125, 1999 zx6r, 2006 yzf-r1, 2009 xmax 250, 2012 yzf-r1, 2015 MT-07
Current bike : - 2016 MT-10
BCF member pops. sadly missed 1945-2003

[Demonic69]

[Scotty]

[craigT19]

No coment
____________________
Bikes owned :- 2001 nsr125, 1999 zx6r, 2006 yzf-r1, 2009 xmax 250, 2012 yzf-r1, 2015 MT-07
Current bike : - 2016 MT-10
BCF member pops. sadly missed 1945-2003

[Scotty]

i take that back, its a bit wrong really...
G is a nice guy, and i'm sure everyone that has meet him has thought that.
Oh i can see the beatings now!
____________________
Regards
Scott

[Kickstart]

[izzi]

Hi Keith Thanks for that... I had a suspicion it would have done something more obvious if it was as major as no oil getting into the engine or something similar. There certainly didn't seem to be any odd noises once I got it running again either! I have insisted that my dad + I look at the bike tomorrow night, so fingers crossed it will be OK'd to go again

As for parents and bikes, when I told my mum I wanted to get a motorbike she didn't believe me in the slightest. She promised to eat her hat. I got a bike. She still hasn't eaten her hat.

[Ste]

Took me about 8 weeks to persuade my dad. My mum was "ok, I cant actually stop you, so i might as well support you".

My dad was looking at cars with me, and offered on the spot to buy me a nice one... and I was like, no thanks

I think he thought i was trying to get him to help me get a car, by saying I am going to get a bike