Cheap and easy classic 125cc bike to restore?

ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

I was looking at Luke93's rather cool Suzuki GP 125 project and it got me thinking maybe I should have a go at something like that.

Luke's single-seater GP:
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6425861563_83e4a34a4e.jpg

I've done a few small jobs on motorcycles but space is limited (as are my skills) and I don't want to spend more than £500.

Are there any small bikes (including 50's and 175's) that are particularly good candidates for an easy Summertime project?
I'm kicking myself that I missed out on a Yamaha DT 175MX for £300 near where I live that just needed a little TLC to put it back on the road so I'm on the lookout for another potential bargain.

Fizzer Thou · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Aug 2011 Karma :

I have an old CB125T2 that I am in the process of rebuilding.I bought it for £20 and have spent only a small amount so far in getting the bike roadworthy again.Many of the parts are still readily available from Honda or from the likes of Dave Silver Spares or Wemoto or even M&P.Like £33 for a complete downpipe/silencer.

Keep an eye out in newsagents windows or Loot for small price bargains.Ebay tends to get silly for something that goes way over the odds for what it is really worth.
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jailon · L Plate Warrior Joined: 29 Dec 2011 Karma :

I agree with Fizzer Thou.... dont bother with the internet sites such as eBay, look locally and check out Freecycle, you may get lucky.

Im working on a KMX200 and I got this by pure luck, I've looked at bikes to tinker with and hopefully restore. From what I've seen I'd go for over 125cc as soon as you move out of the "learner legal" category you can get a lot more for your money

ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

Hi Jailon, I've got a full motorcycle license but not much space to store a bike so it's got to be physically small and I figured a 125 would be easier to work on.

I think Fizzer is spot-on right about looking for ads in newsagents, I hadn't thought about it before but all the advertizing websites charge a percentage or a fee (about £10- £15) to sell bikes so it might put off a lot of people who have got old bikes in the back of the shed they only want £100 for.

I did buy a bike on Ebay, overpaid by about £150 (my Honda XL 250) but it was only £450 and I wanted one. I think it's too tatty for restoration, the frame would need stripping and repainting, the engine needs an overhaul, the seat needs re-covering, it wants a new set of tyres, the headlight is rusty, the clocks are glued back together, the exhaust is on it last legs.. and so and so on. But it is fun. Smile

Old pic from Ebay before I bought it.
https://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/cc469/Ninja_Butler/random/HondaXL2501980.jpg

Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

That XL could make a nice resto-base; looks like most of it is there and functional. Its a four stroke, which means engine works not 'so' straight forward, but its air cooled, so pro's & cons; and its a twin-shock, so no complex linkages to have to rebush, and drum brakes so no hydraulics to tackle. It's 'prime' resto-material in my book!
They are NEVER 'cheap', but look at show & Tell, put your effort in teh right place & they can come up great.
Anything less than that X, wont be a renovation or a 'project'... be a valet!
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

Thanks Mike, I've considered doing up the XL but I'm worried the costs would spiral and I don't want to spend more on the bike that it is worth. I bought it for £450 (plus T&T) and I can't make up my mind if it would be more economical to restore the bike or just sell it on and buy a better one that has already been sorted.

I'll take a couple of proper close-up photos later (if the rain and wind stop).

The main thing that puts me off is that the frame is so rough it looks like it was painted with creosote and it would have to be done. I've never stripped a motorcycle down to a bare frame before, the most drastic jobs I've ever done are to replace a mono-shock on a Honda MTX and an exhaust and clutch plates on a Yamaha RXS.

What needs doing (that I can see):

(stalls at traffic lights but tbh I haven't even checked the oil level yet)

Frame. Rough!

Tyres. Still just about legal, but knackered.

Exhaust. Silencer looks okay but the pipes are ready to crumble.

Lights. They all work but they're scruffy, especially the headlight.

Front mudguard. Needs a new one.

Clocks. Working, but ugly.

Seat. Needs recovering.

Chain & sprockets. Still okay but they are looking a bit worn.

Gaitors. Faded to pink.

I'll have a look at spare parts websites and Ebay to see what all the bits would cost.
I'd have to buy a stand of some sort as well, this one is £70:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/public/gRdDh9iIzdZLBwBJaF-2-0TQuxndnXqy3mcG8rMd5XCcvbqAE4JYrWsEtUDecQ6PpWvok4AUx8lEyTXnXv3svGqx7jdzblX5kn0GmTBOesHYGWQRiSpEyO8ufBYDdYAjNKyFMxVI1m27DMLapNV6a_fQIz0hgmAu1eEGMIGoqfh7740

Fizzer Thou · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Aug 2011 Karma :

https://www.xrv.org.uk/forums/xl/43961-show-us-your-xl-honda.html

Have a look see on this page for Honda XLs of all shapes and sizes.

When I had a Honda XL250SA it was much more fun than my XL185.But I soon wanted more power and better handling so bought the XR400R that I still have.As has been said,they are great bikes and spares are still plentiful if you look around.
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

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waffles · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Oct 2009 Karma :

Things like seats and tyres and easy fixes, you could do the seat yourself or save up some cash and take it to someone and get them to recover. A new set of tyres will transform how the bike handles. That xrv forum that Fizzer linked to is very useful.

You can spray the frame yourself if you want to or again save up and get it done professionally. If you intend to ride it offroad then spray it yourself. If you want it to look nice and shiny get someone else to do it. If you want it to look awesome get it powdercoated!

As you have already mentioned that you are concerned about costs spiralling (which it can do very quickly) then focus on the mechanical stuff first and save for the cosmetic at a later date Thumbs Up

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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

Thanks Fizzer, excellent link. Thumbs Up

Hi Waffles. There's a powder-coating shop just a mile up the road from me so if I do decide to go the whole hog I'll ask them for a price. I doubt it'll see any off-road use from me, in fact if I replace the tyres I'll swap them for semi's instead of another set of knobblies, that'll make it more practical on the road but still allow me to do a bit of light green-laning if I get an itch for it.

ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

Blau Zedong · Banned Joined: 26 Jun 2006 Karma :

Get the XL mechanically sound and make it cosmetically tidy. They are tons of fun (especially the 250), just don't neglect oil changes!
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waffles · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Oct 2009 Karma :

First mod - remove the Alpinestars and K&N stickers from the sides!
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Theory test - 19/8/09, CBT - 11/10/09, MOD 1 - 16/8/10, MOD 2 - 27/10/10
Past rides Yamaha XT125X, Triumph TT600, Honda XR250
Current rides Suzuki GSXR 600, Honda MSX125

ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

Fizzer Thou · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Aug 2011 Karma :

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Dirt%20bikes/BikesBikesBikes094.jpg
https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Dirt%20bikes/BikesBikesBikes095.jpg

These pics were taken just before I sold the bike.I had a 21" rim that I mated to a standard hub.Standard 23" front tyres are quite difficult to come by nowadays so you will not find a road tyre of that size.

Your battery box on your XL250SA is nicely hidden under the right hand side panel,whereas normally they are mounted in a box just beneath the upper rear shock mount.

And compared to the standard rear shocks yours may well be fitted upside down.

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Dirt%20bikes/BikesBikesBikes311.jpg

Mrs.Fizzer tries the bike for size
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

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ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

Thanks Fizzer. I just had a quick look at some pictures of other Honda XL 250 SA's (why are they all shinier than mine?) and the rear shocks are the same way up.

ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

Quick question; I want to tidy up the engine casing, is it worth stripping the old paint off and attempting to polish the casing or would it be better (and easier) to re-coat it with very high temperature paint?

Teflon-Mike · tl;dr Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :

ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

Thanks Mike, excellent advice as always. Thumbs Up

I think I'll go with your suggestion and repaint the top enginey bits but strip and polish the clutch/gearbox covers on the sides.

I'll have to check in a manual but from what I've read in an XL owner's website, there doesn't appear to be an oil filter on the XL 250 SA. I've never seen a bike without one before so it seems a bit strange.

Fizzer Thou · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Aug 2011 Karma :

ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

https://photobucket.com/images/xl250s/

That's interesting, I'm sure mine are correct but I found a couple of other pictures where the rear shocks are the other way round too.
Maybe it's an on-road versus off-road option?

Fizzer Thou · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Aug 2011 Karma :

It may well be that when a previous owner who bought the new shocks (yours are non-OEM) and installed them that way did not realise that they can be mounted either way up.But if yours were up the other way the main weight of the shock would then be 'sprung' rather than 'unsprung weight' as they are at the moment.

It is not a big thing.It may well be that you would not be able to detect any differance if they were up the other way.
____________________
Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

Fizzer Thou · World Chat Champion Joined: 06 Aug 2011 Karma :

ninja_butler · World Chat Champion Joined: 19 Oct 2011 Karma :

https://www.cmsnl.com/honda-xl250s-1978usa_model1142/partslist/ BOOKMARKED. Thumbs Up

It's that tiny little square thing. From what I gather, it's a centrifugal oil filter, not that I really understand how it works but I'm told regular oil changes are important. I can't find a downloadable manual (except a guide in German) so I'll try and find a secondhand Haynes manual on the cheap, I reckon it could do with a good clean-out but I don't know how to do it.