Stolen/Recovered 125cc Chinese engine Herald

[JonnySumo]

My son has just recovered his almost new Herald 125cc that has just been joyriden for 150 miles over 24 hours!

Got it back after a bit of a scuffle

On idol it sounds similar. But on revs it now sounds dull and muffled

https://youtu.be/Ct5ZO6tnLUQ

Engine management light is not on, but when we got it back it was running very hot after a police chase!

He doesn’t want to claim on insurance so we are left with trying to fix ourselves but it starts and rides so not sure what could be ‘broke’ but it now sounds very different

Aside from the obvious “it’s fooked” comments… anything constructive to do or check please?

I was thinking check for metal in the oil, and change it
Clean or replace spark plug
Check breather / air filter
Check / adjust valves

Anything else as I’m worried he’s getting back onto a death trap just waiting to break at the wrong moment?!!!
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Dad to a teenage Herald Maverick 125

[Nobby the Bastard]

[stinkwheel]

[Nobby the Bastard]

This one?



https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/capture_141.jpg
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[JonnySumo]

If you notice the engine management light ‘was’ on as the bike looked nice and new and clean as I was cleaning the fouled oxygen sensor and luckily recorded the bike running good (so ignore that light, it went out as I reinstalled the sensor and was running sweet)

The ‘diry’ bike is after we got it back and the engine management light is off; I’ve clipped the footage so it plays;

Idol & revs pre stolen, then once recovered
Then idol comparison
Then revs comparison

Not got much video of before it was nicked to compare; but the clips with the ‘dirty’ bike sound a lot duller and muffled now

So… back to anyone having anything constructive to help with please?
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Dad to a teenage Herald Maverick 125

[Nobby the Bastard]

It would have helped if you had explained that from the start.



It;s probably been ragged halfway to death whilst it's still supposed to be run in so the rings will be fucked and the barrel lost its honing.

None of the stuff you suggest will fix it.

Well, maybe the valves could be checked but I can't see them being that far out after 150 miles regardless of abuse.

Plus, you had to clean the lambda sensor after 400 miles?
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[JonnySumo]

Considering it has been perused by police for the evening and following morning, I fear it’s further than half way to death!

He’d been keeping the revs low as it got to its first 1000km threshold

But for its 100+ mile joyride it’s been hammered

Oil change to check for metal; if there’s metal in the oil, then guessing it’s game over, or at least it will be soon enough?!!

Would this kit be the right thing to salvage the top end? Considering it has been abused during its running in, would you suggest this doing this even though it’s currently running??

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175381240095?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=9yaVSyO-Sly&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=0Z4KDRLUTRi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
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Dad to a teenage Herald Maverick 125

[MarJay]

1.) don't panic.

2.) It sounds fine to me in the video... I think it'll live.

3.) Nobody seems to have noticed that the bike has a Supertrapp style exhaust... with half of the bolts hanging out. I reckon, if you tighten the exhaust bolts it'll sound a lot better.

I think those who say the engine will be wrecked are probably being overly pessimistic. Thrashing the bike for 150 miles won't do *that* much harm, and may even be a good way to run it in. There's really no way to know without cracking the engine open or sticking an endoscopic camera into it, and really it's not worth it. Check all bolts for tightness, change the oil and filter if you want and then JFRI - Just f'in ride it.

I realise it's a chinese bike, but it's still well within it's life. It could fail at 10,000 miles without being thrashed. It could last for 100,000 miles having been thrashed (the engine, anyway). I really think you're probably being overly worried.

I would probably check the brakes and suspension too but unless you've got leaks or you notice the brakes don't work or the fluid levels are low you're probably OK. With a bike of that power you could probably lose all your fork oil and not notice it affect the ride.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[MarJay]

It occurred to me that a lot of people won't know what a Supertrapp style exhaust is.

It's an exhaust without an open end. It has plates over the end of the exhaust which are split with spacers. The number of plates governs how loud and how free flowing the exhaust is. If the bolts are loose, the plates will be loose and they'll not only rattle in time with the exhaust pulses, but they'll let more gas through, and make the bike louder. I really do think that tightening up the bolts in the exhaust will fix most if not all of the noise change.

https://supertrapp.com/faq
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[stinkwheel]

I do tend to agree with MarJay. It sounds like a learner legal 125 that's someone spiked the baffle on but hasn't done anything else too with the net result of it running worse.

I was also going to suggest you check the header pipe for dents but then watched the video and saw it was intact. Now we know the video is a mash-up of random video clips of the bike both before and after it was nicked, check the header pipe for dents.

Check the oil, tighten the nuts and bolts, ping the spokes to check they're all still tight. See if anyone's hidden any weed or blow under the seat/in the bar ends.

They might even have done you a favour and run it in for you. For all they hold, wouldn't be wrong the change the oil.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[MarJay]

[JonnySumo]

This is giving me some reassurance!! It’s my sons bike to commute to work and he’s only 3 weeks road or bike experience so I’m trying to make sure it’s as good and safe as it can be as his dad!!

Clutch lever is bust, along with an indicator plus a couple of scratches, other than that we got lucky (well, apart from my ribs as we snatched it back!)

I did wonder if the tone difference was due to an accelerated running in period over just 24h!!

we did wonder if the scroats had tried to mess with the exhaust, I’ll check tomorrow- I assume tighter is better?!

And for the sake of £20 new oil can’t do any harm


Only other thing he noticed was the seat “isn’t as bouncy” presumably as they’ve been doing jumps on it!! Again, is this now a symptom of it being broke in? Or maybe a new rear shock/spring? (There’s no oil leak and I can’t see any cracks in the spring)

Thanks everyone, this is really helping get him back on the road soon hopefully
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Dad to a teenage Herald Maverick 125

[Ste]

It's one of these.

https://heraldmotorcompany.com/our-bikes/maverick-125/

How much is his insurance excess?

[stinkwheel]

[jeffyjeff]

Hey JonnySumo,
MarJay and Stinkwheel make good points. The scrotes might have helped break in the engine better than you think. Read this...it might make you feel better.

https://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[A100man]

[MarJay]

Hang on... how come the ignition lock isn't damaged?
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[P.]

Sounds fine to me to be honest.

[JonnySumo]

Turns out there is no steering lock on the Herald Maverick!

It’s literally nothing more than snip 2 red wires to hot wire ignition then they were away… glad it was so easy and fast else my son would have been fighting against 4 scumbags in balaclavas!!

And I really cannot share what went down getting it back

What I will say is buy yourself an Apple AirTag, and find somewhere good to hide it… the tossers had the shock of their life when I ended up on their front path!!!!!
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Dad to a teenage Herald Maverick 125

[jeffyjeff]

[stinkwheel]

[Nobby the Bastard]

Yep, the worst part of fixing a bike that had been stolen is taking off the top yoke, drilling out the bolts, bolting on new ignition with standard m8 bolts and then putting the yoke back on.

I really don't know.why steering locks are still required on both cars and bikes. They do fuck all to stop them being stolen and just add to the possibility it'll be a write-off.
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Easy-X]

YISS, HISS, etc. more effective at deterring scrotes?
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[sickpup]

[stinkwheel]