A bit of advice please...

[M1ke]

Hi guys and gals I have just got off the phone from a person who is selling their RS125 (99 model) on bike trader.

I have arranged to go over to see the bike saturday. I have asked if it has any service history and the answer was "no I am its second owner and have no service history, hense the cheaper price." I thought fair enough as it is 1800 pounds. However im a bit weary of it now as i was told the first thing i should check is service history.

It has 4000 miles on the clock (or what ever that is in KM) can someone give me some advice as to what i should be looking at when i go over to see the bike? Its fully derestricted, the thing im worried about is the piston rings (seems like a common problem) as you never know how these sencond hand bikes have been treated.

SOme useful advice please?

cheers

[Doddmaster]

look for signs that it has been crashed- check bar ends, pegs, exhaust etc for damage. If it has been crashed, it *usually* means it has been thrashed

[M1ke]

Good advice dodd thanks, Anything i should look for on the mechanical side (sounds, excelleration, top speed, vibration!?!?) I dont really know. I heard blue smoke is bad tho

I just dont want to buy a bike thats going to blow part way down the road, does anyone know of a way of checking if the bike is nicked without having to pay for the info?

cheers

[Kickstart]

Hi

As Dodds says, look out for crash damage. However look carefully as the more obvious signs might have been replaced. Bar ends for Aprilias used to be cheap (I found out when it turned out to cost me more to get them powder coated than they were to buy new).

I work on the basis of replacing the rings at 6000km, so they are about due on this bike. From Peter Knight (0176 141 4106) the rings are about £35, the base gasket about £1.50 and the power valve gasket about £3, and those are the only ones you need to disturb (the head "gasket" is a pair of rubber O rings which can be reused a few times). It takes me a gentle afternoons work, so probably 3 hours ish for a professional mechanic.

Watch out for rust on the forks. Also watch out for leaking fork seals. Check the rear hugger just in case they have my habits (hang a U lock between the pillion footrests, which works fine til you carry a pillion and the lock pushes down on the hugger so the tyre wears through it). Watch for corrosion on the swinging arm in front of the wheel (bottom of the hugger) as stone chips seem to land up there.

Watch the owner start the bike and see if they are gentle, or if they start it and then rev the nuts off it to "clear it out". Check the colour of the brake fluid (should be straw coloured). Check the rear shock for oil leaks.

Check the front brake pads. They seem to wear out rapidly (my RS125 got its thirds set of pads at 14000km). Lift the seat up and check the petrol tank mount (the tank unbolts and the front so it hinges up at the rear, and cack handed abuse can break the tank where it hinges).

If the bike is full power then you should be able to notice a slight change in engine note at about 2500rpm and again at 8000rpm. The power valve is open until 2500, then closes for normal riding (they assume you wont be riding it below 2500) and then opens again at 8000rpm.

Check the speedo works. Aprilia seem to have gone through a patch of having the speedo drive on the front wheel breaking.

After that just check for the normal stuff (ie, tyres, wheel bearings, etc)

All the best

Keith

[M1ke]

Thankyou for that extreamly detailed report.

I was wondering what do i do if the guy does rev the bollox off the bike when he first starts it? what damage does this do to the bike its self.

Also do you know of anywhere near shrewsbury that would do the piston rings etc as i really dont think i would be able to do this with out someone showing me. Unless there is a good hand book for servicing somewhere that you can recommend?

thanks for all your help,
I greatly apprieciate it

[Doddmaster]

Dont buy a resprayed one - more than likely been down the road. Not many 17 year olds get a respray to look more individual!

[M1ke]

https://pictures.autotrader.co.uk/ATD_web/servlet/media?id=12835442

Thats the picture that is posted with the ad. Doesnt say its resprayed, i guess i will find out on saturday! hmmm i wonder if he will let me test drive it Ive never done gears on a motorbike Is it the same as on quad bikes by any chance? I learnt on my mates quad not to let clutch out to fast when going up a hill

[MaRTiN]

If you can test ride it you can check if the frame is bent by letting go with both hands as you ride along, if the bike veers to 1 side the frame is bent. You would be looking at £200-£300 to straighten it
____________________
What is behind me is not important

[McJamweasel]

If the bike veers it could also point to knackered head bearings, kanckerd or mismatched tyres, incorrectly positioned forks, low tyre pressure or just a dodgy road surface.

Check the wheel rims and frame - if either are very scratched but the plastics are in good nick then it could of been raced.

Find out what 2 stroke oil has been used, if its not fully synth then it might be better to walk away.

And dont forget to HAGGLE!!!
____________________
BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

[Kickstart]

Hi

that pic looks like one out of a brochure.


If he does rev it hard then it is far more likely to suffer mechanical failure.

Big expenses are the big end bearing and main bearings. Pistons are basically service items (parts to change will be <£100).

Peter Knight sells copies of the workshop manual for about £20, which covers the engine (NOT the rest of the bike)

To be honest, just about any competent bike mechanic can change the rings.

All the best

Keith

[TJ NSR]

make sure piston rings have been replaced, and it is derestricted or derestrictable, and chk wat oil was used!!


get an nsr man, less to worry about..


this doesnt look like a good deal

[Kickstart]

Hi

All the RS125s are derestrictable, but if it is an import then you have to wonder how they have restricted it and whether they have taken the valve off.

UK models used to come restricted, but produce proof that you had a full licence and the bits to convert it to full power were included in the price.

All the best

Keith

[M1ke]

I have heard all the rumours about the RS's and Mito's etc but I like to think im more open minded than some

I have been looking out for an RS or NSR for a few months now and this is the first that has poped up in my area at a reasonable price. Its at least worth a look I think, if it looks good then i will get it, if not better luck next time

I figer if i get it, i will change piston rings and get it fully serviced before riding it, that way i hope there is less of a risk of it blowing or whatever happens!

Thanks for all the help, i will be taking along a check list of all the things you have told me to look out for!

[Kickstart]

Hi

Go and have a look, I agree. May well be a great buy. I would agree that you should budget on changing the rings as well

All the best

Keith

[M1ke]

I just got back and it looks like a wicked deal! The piston rings have just been changed and its just been rebored. There is a fair bit of rust on metal bits (bottom of exhaust) but he keeps it out side so its not supprising. It has a little bit of cosmetic damage where it looks as if its been dropped at some point but it looks and sounds mechanically sound. He took me for a spin on the back of it and i could hear the sound changes at 2500 and 8000RPM, Top speed of 105MPH.

He let me have a go on it but i couldnt sus the gears so i ended up flooding it! His seems like a friendly chap and his parents gave me a lot of back ground about the bike.

Whats even better is that i haggled him down to 1650! Hes delivering the bike tomorrow

Im happy!

[Kickstart]

Hi

The RS125 uses a plated bore (just like the NSR) and this cannot be rebored. You can replate them, or you can fit a cast iron liner, which can be replated in the future

Rust on the exhaust is easy enough to sort out. I keep meaning to take a load of bits off my RS and send them away to be shot blasted and powder coated.

There is a place in Kingswinford (near where I work), just outside Dudley, who do bike resprays. Fairly cheap and a pretty good job. Anna has used them as well. Let me know if you need the phone number

All the best

Keith

[G1_]

sounds good, happy blasting

[M1ke]

How cheap? im kind of skint now but i will definately keep it in mind. Its basically about 4 scratches on tank aand a few on the left side (maybe scraped on gate)

Alot of the nuts are rusty so i will be changing some of them hopefully. I have a month till i can ride it legally so i have time to do a few modifications to the looks of the machine.

When i said the bike had been rebored i meant decarbonated or what ever it is. The guy showed me the bill from what he had done to the bike and it was about 350 pounds.

[Kickstart]

Hi

His prices vary on the colour scheme and the number of colours. Charged me £267 for a Cagiva Freccia (2 major colour, somple scheme but a fair few stickers needed), and has said an Aprilia AF1 will be about £400.

For the bolts wait until the next Stafford classic bike show (November time) and buy some stainless steel ones. Work out at about 10p each, and they will not rust. Do have the card of the guy I normally buy them from, but never tried mail ordering them

All the best

Keith

[M1ke]

The NEC bike show in birmingham is also around that time i believe Is that any good for bolts etc? I just need someone to go with now!

[Doddmaster]

https://www.tastynuts.com/acatalog/

They are a bit more expensive that 10p... but you can buy pretty colours!!