a long term project; my first bike...
#1 a long term project; my first bike...
I still have my first bike.
It was bought in 2000 when I was 17, thrashed, crashed, and crashed again. A Honda clr125. It was based on the xlr125 trail bike, and produced for about 5 years. mine is the first one a 1998 S reg.
I loved this thing, was good for 85, flat on the tank downhill once I'd bashed the restrictor out of the exhaust header and had the carb rejetted.
I put norton style flat bars on it, thrashed about on a Saturday and commuted the 25 miles to work 5 days a week on a fivers worth of fuel.
I crashed it 8 days after I bought it, slid on a load of mud and oil fetched out of a site entrance by lorries building a place I would later work at. Kicked it straight and rode a little slower until 2002 when I got taken out by a woman in a Zafira who was half way across the white line into my side of the road on a blind bend that went over the crest of a hill.
It was stripped of all the broken bits (of which there were many,) and put at the bottom of mi dads garden as a rolling chassis. The frame was straight, the forks were borderline so were binned along with all the other smashed bits. There were plenty of bits that were stripped off that were ok, but these have since gone so I have a frame and engine, plus the wheels left.
i have entertained rebuilding it before but never done anything about it until a few weeks ago when my mam dug it out. Literally dug it out as it had disappeared under ivy and she had forgotten it was there.
So I was told to get rid of it
This is what I have left
DSC_0611 by anthony cresswell, on Flickr
I have to say that The frame is in remarkably good condition having been sat there in bits for 15 years, The old shower curtain that was thrown over it and the ivy must have protected it from the elements. There isn't any extra rust that I can see over what it had when I binned it.
DSC_0612 by anthony cresswell, on Flickr
There are all manner of garden beasties infesting the airbox, and it is filthy, but I think it is salvageable. Ive certainly seem projects in alot worse a state than this.
DSC_0610 by anthony cresswell, on Flickr
Even the exhaust seems solid.
Plan is to pull the motor out first, and strip that. The engine is still sealed as there was still a plug in it, and I never dropped the oil. Depends which valve was open when it stopped as corrosion may have got into the bore that way, but the gear selector oil seal is still in place and seems not to have gone, and the clutch arm still moves so I'd say these were good signs. And parts are pretty cheap. 80 quid for a set of forks ain't bad. The head bearings are notchy, and the swingarm linkages are seized but shouldnt be a problem with the right sized twatter.
Once Iv'e pulled the motor I'll be able to have a good look at the frame and see if its ok. I think it is, and even if it isn't I can get a frame for 170 quid.
I'm looking forward to doing this, I haven't got oily working on a bike in years
Onwards!
It was bought in 2000 when I was 17, thrashed, crashed, and crashed again. A Honda clr125. It was based on the xlr125 trail bike, and produced for about 5 years. mine is the first one a 1998 S reg.
I loved this thing, was good for 85, flat on the tank downhill once I'd bashed the restrictor out of the exhaust header and had the carb rejetted.
I put norton style flat bars on it, thrashed about on a Saturday and commuted the 25 miles to work 5 days a week on a fivers worth of fuel.
I crashed it 8 days after I bought it, slid on a load of mud and oil fetched out of a site entrance by lorries building a place I would later work at. Kicked it straight and rode a little slower until 2002 when I got taken out by a woman in a Zafira who was half way across the white line into my side of the road on a blind bend that went over the crest of a hill.
It was stripped of all the broken bits (of which there were many,) and put at the bottom of mi dads garden as a rolling chassis. The frame was straight, the forks were borderline so were binned along with all the other smashed bits. There were plenty of bits that were stripped off that were ok, but these have since gone so I have a frame and engine, plus the wheels left.
i have entertained rebuilding it before but never done anything about it until a few weeks ago when my mam dug it out. Literally dug it out as it had disappeared under ivy and she had forgotten it was there.
So I was told to get rid of it
This is what I have left
DSC_0611 by anthony cresswell, on Flickr
I have to say that The frame is in remarkably good condition having been sat there in bits for 15 years, The old shower curtain that was thrown over it and the ivy must have protected it from the elements. There isn't any extra rust that I can see over what it had when I binned it.
DSC_0612 by anthony cresswell, on Flickr
There are all manner of garden beasties infesting the airbox, and it is filthy, but I think it is salvageable. Ive certainly seem projects in alot worse a state than this.
DSC_0610 by anthony cresswell, on Flickr
Even the exhaust seems solid.
Plan is to pull the motor out first, and strip that. The engine is still sealed as there was still a plug in it, and I never dropped the oil. Depends which valve was open when it stopped as corrosion may have got into the bore that way, but the gear selector oil seal is still in place and seems not to have gone, and the clutch arm still moves so I'd say these were good signs. And parts are pretty cheap. 80 quid for a set of forks ain't bad. The head bearings are notchy, and the swingarm linkages are seized but shouldnt be a problem with the right sized twatter.
Once Iv'e pulled the motor I'll be able to have a good look at the frame and see if its ok. I think it is, and even if it isn't I can get a frame for 170 quid.
I'm looking forward to doing this, I haven't got oily working on a bike in years
Onwards!
#2 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
First quick check on the motor. stuck some mole grips on the gear lever and found neutral, the output shaft spins fine. The gearbox will cycle through all the gears so it seems the selector shaft is fine too.
Select first and the output shaft is solid, cant turn it so it either has compression, or its seized. Doesn't tell me much, next we will have to get the plug out so theres no compression and I can have a peek inside. and see if it looks ok
Select first and the output shaft is solid, cant turn it so it either has compression, or its seized. Doesn't tell me much, next we will have to get the plug out so theres no compression and I can have a peek inside. and see if it looks ok
- andrew Ivimey
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#3 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
Crikey! How long is long term?
....this means nothing to me...as Midge Ure sang.
I'm astonished. Good luck.
....this means nothing to me...as Midge Ure sang.
I'm astonished. Good luck.
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
#4 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
It will be a moneypit Ant
Even when the parts are cheap.. it would be cheaper to buy another of the same and transfer the frame and engine into it
I've bought two old bikes this year in boxes and what I've spent in parts...
Even when the parts are cheap.. it would be cheaper to buy another of the same and transfer the frame and engine into it
I've bought two old bikes this year in boxes and what I've spent in parts...
The tube manual is quite like a telephone book. The number of it perfect. It is useful to make it possible to speak with a girl. But we can't see her beautiful face from the telephone number
- pre65
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#5 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
I'd agree with Steve, been there and got the Tee shirt.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
Edmund Burke
G-Popz THE easy listening connoisseur. (Philip)
Edmund Burke
G-Popz THE easy listening connoisseur. (Philip)
- andrew Ivimey
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#6 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
The voice(s) of experience!
Philosophers have only interpreted the world - the point, however, is to change it. No it isn't ... maybe we should leave it alone for a while.
#7 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
Yeah but no but yeah...
If he buys another one just like the other one.....it wont be his first bike, will it!
or have I missed the point.
If he buys another one just like the other one.....it wont be his first bike, will it!
or have I missed the point.
There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be
#8 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
ok, got the motor out and checked the top end over. from the position of the cam it looks like both valves were shut when it last shut down so hopefully the bore is ok.
the exhaust port is clear so that side is ok, but the inlet port is full of crap. not a mark on the top end, the rockers and cam look fine with no pitting or ridges on the cam lobes or the rockers.
eds right, the point is that its the first bike. i could go buy a donor for the cycle parts i suppose but there aren't too many about
had to cut 2 of the engine mount bolts off as they were too far gone but other than that getting it out was pretty painless. even the exhaust cap nuts came off without pulling the studs out which is a definite bonus. That is if it doesn't need a new barrel anyway.
carb has had it but a new ones is only twenty quid
the exhaust port is clear so that side is ok, but the inlet port is full of crap. not a mark on the top end, the rockers and cam look fine with no pitting or ridges on the cam lobes or the rockers.
eds right, the point is that its the first bike. i could go buy a donor for the cycle parts i suppose but there aren't too many about
had to cut 2 of the engine mount bolts off as they were too far gone but other than that getting it out was pretty painless. even the exhaust cap nuts came off without pulling the studs out which is a definite bonus. That is if it doesn't need a new barrel anyway.
carb has had it but a new ones is only twenty quid
#9 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
You need to show us the parts you have... And then you may get realistic costs to complete.. remember you can easily spend £20 on a knackerd carb...
Get a list of the individual parts required then cost it before you start spending..
By your pics i would guess 60 parts at £10 to £80 each... usually a donor bike is cheaper...
Get a list of the individual parts required then cost it before you start spending..
By your pics i would guess 60 parts at £10 to £80 each... usually a donor bike is cheaper...
The tube manual is quite like a telephone book. The number of it perfect. It is useful to make it possible to speak with a girl. But we can't see her beautiful face from the telephone number
- Mike H
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#10 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
How ironic!
I was stupefyingly naive as a learner, I assumed tyres and brakes and things would just work when you wanted them to. I was shortly to be re-educated by experience, shall we say, and not in a nice way.
"No matter how fast light travels it finds that the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it."
#11 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
Wasn't at the time
Broke one foot and dislocated all the bones in the other, and made a right mess of my right knee!
Mi dad had to get the bloke who runs the shop on the corner of their street to fetch the bike back from where it was in his van
Broke one foot and dislocated all the bones in the other, and made a right mess of my right knee!
Mi dad had to get the bloke who runs the shop on the corner of their street to fetch the bike back from where it was in his van
- Mike H
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#12 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
Ouch, did it "properly" then.
"No matter how fast light travels it finds that the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it."
#13 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
Oh yes.....
#14 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
The teeny little SOHC motor in all its errr..... glory.
DSC_0613 by anthony cresswell, on Flickr
Here you can see something nasty in the inlet port
DSC_0614 by anthony cresswell, on Flickr
Looks like a mixture of water, old fuel and corrosion from the buggered carb.
On the plus side, the oil that is on the back of the gearbox came out of the engine breather when pulling it out, and shows no signs of water in it, so if the piston and bore is knackered at least nothing has got past the rings.
Can't find any info on the timing on this motor so taking the camchain off to get the head off will be interesting. There aren't any signs of the camchain being on the way out, and the tensioner is where it should be with next to no slack in the chain
There are timing marks on the gear but I cant see any on the casting. I'll measure the piston height from the top of the bore and record what the timing looks like now to make sure I get it correct when i put it back together.
In the mean time i'll keep searching for a workshop manual for it, I still need to see what the bore looks like in any case
DSC_0613 by anthony cresswell, on Flickr
Here you can see something nasty in the inlet port
DSC_0614 by anthony cresswell, on Flickr
Looks like a mixture of water, old fuel and corrosion from the buggered carb.
On the plus side, the oil that is on the back of the gearbox came out of the engine breather when pulling it out, and shows no signs of water in it, so if the piston and bore is knackered at least nothing has got past the rings.
Can't find any info on the timing on this motor so taking the camchain off to get the head off will be interesting. There aren't any signs of the camchain being on the way out, and the tensioner is where it should be with next to no slack in the chain
There are timing marks on the gear but I cant see any on the casting. I'll measure the piston height from the top of the bore and record what the timing looks like now to make sure I get it correct when i put it back together.
In the mean time i'll keep searching for a workshop manual for it, I still need to see what the bore looks like in any case
- Mike H
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#15 Re: a long term project; my first bike...
Yeech!
"No matter how fast light travels it finds that the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it."