KingRoach

Thanks, SidG!

Hi all, It's February and I think this is a good time for me to book in my theory test, on my way to DAS. I would like to be riding bigger bikes this summer. I have a UK full driving license for a car, and so I'm familiar with probably 85% of theory test questions. I realise some theory questions are bike-related and are kind of easy to figure out. Do you think I can just jump into the test without having to buy a theory-test materials such as as DVD or a book? Or is there an online free resource for motorbike theory tests? I've tried a free Android app, and I'm passing those very easily but then again the questions aren't changing too much from one test to another. Thanks in advance and all the best.

It doesn't "heal up" if it's cracked or leaking due to deterioration or age or hardening or getting brittle or any of the bad things that happen to seals, but if the leak is caused by dirt getting in between the seal and the fork shaft, then cleaning that up may sort that the issue if the seal itself is still in good functioning condition. I don't know more than anybody else. I'm just a guy learning and sharing experience and thoughts.

C'mon, don't be pessimistic. It's dampening nicely and previous signs of leak were probably because the cracked cap caused: a) dirt in seal, b) rainwater accumulating under cap, and c) previous owner using newspaper to stuff under the seal, and so the visible previous leak was probably the water, slightly oily and dirty because of the paper squeezing out. Since cleaning the seal with a plastic tool and keeping the bike under cover from the rain, it's not been the same. Be optimistic.

After wasting a few days for me with some frustration on top due to their horrible order/delivery service, and 3 roundtrips, Horrible Halfords finally got me a light bulb. All that fuss! Anyway, headlight is good to go. I should inspect the beam. But oh the small things you discover every now and then. My side stand kill switch is NOT THERE! The wire is there but it's been cut and taped and tucked away behind the stand. I need to replace that, and also considering replacing the main stand as it hasn't seemed to hold the bike straight up very well. Besides the leak on the forks which seems to have become negligible, I don't see much else that needs doing before an MOT.

Sorry I've been away/busy. Yesterday I REALLY felt like I wanted to do some work on the bike. The weather's been dry for a couple days right? So I remembered the speedo drive unit isn't working and I decided to dive into it today. But today wasn't as dry. ¬_¬ Sorry you're not here for the journal. I took the speedo drive unit apart and delved right into it. Both gears were ceased and it took a lot of knocks and hits and bashes and throwing around to get one moving, until I could finally take it out. The last gear, I was REALLY hoping I wouldn't have to take it out, so I soaked it in some WD40 for a short while and kept knocking on it until it finally moved. Cleaned up the whole thing and applied new grease (moly grease because it's all I have, but it's rated 2 so should be alright) and now that it's all back together, I have a working speedometer. Another repair at a cost of £0 and a couple hours. What's left? - New headlight bulb and confirm chain sprockets and everything area alright. - what seems like oil leak from the engine. Take photo and post here. I can't think of anything else that needs doing, let's keep fingers crossed.

Hi again. Yes [mention]Speedy23[/mention] this is the first "deeper" project I do. Not that it's that deep anyway, I still have not had to dismount the engine and take it apart. I will admit the SR is not a complicated bike. It's more about the little details that one is afraid to miss here and there. I've done small things before on a Honda SX50 5 years ago (carb, drive, rollers), and also small things on the Speedfight 2 100cc (break pads, stem valve, exhaust). The Yamaha is the first geared bike that I ever have, and the fun part of it is that I want to get it on the road with my own hands. I don't have the Haynes manual but I do have the Service Manual that is available online, which is very helpful for specifying all the manufacturer's torques, but nothing beats hands-on experience. By the time I upgrade to a bigger CC with a full license, I will know a lot more what to look for on every corner of the bike. Re: wheel alignment, I think it's more the tyre now. The rim, if it's moving at all, is much less and hardly noticeable, so I'll leave it. Last problem on the drive: what does it mean if, when the bike is in 1st gear and the rear wheel is free to run (bike is raised), the drive/wheel gets "jumpy" every now and then. Thanks a lot [mention]Tango[/mention]. That's a nice bike.

Of course I can. While this one may have been an obvious one, the confusion was because the newer model of bulb was actually listed as a fit for my bike's year in one place. I had to ask in case I missed something. What do you mean the biting off has exceeded the chewing capacity? I'm doing this at my leisure, for fun and education, and gaining as much info on the way as possible. I will ask about EVERY detail I don't yet have an answer for. This is what a forum is for. Please let me know if asking questions bothers anybody on this forum.

I'm confused about headlight bulbs. My bike is probably a 1996-1997 bike and the bulb that's already in it is the pear-shaped thing with 2 electrodes on its end. Wemoto lists several bulbs, and also on eBay, with different models for different years, and there is a confusing overlap in the years specified for each bulb from one page to another. for demonstration purposes, here are both styles on Wemoto: http://www.wemoto.com/bikes/yamaha/sr_125/99-03/picture/bulb_headlight/ http://www.wemoto.com/bikes/yamaha/sr_125_se/92-94/picture/bulb_headlight/ http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1x-Yamaha-SR-125-10F-1996-2002-Neolux-Dipped-Main-Beam-Bulb-Headlight-Lamp/391860447589?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649 A bulb like this is more like the modern ones, with a gobo/reflector inside the bulb surrounding one of the filaments. This kind of bulb has three electrodes on its end. One page specifies this bulb for 1996, another specifies the pear bulb for the 1996. Was there two variations to the sockets? Or are they interchangeable?

Crap in the float jet. That's my current diagnosis. I was able to get it running again for a good while today but it's very dodge and the idle goes up and down on its own. I've ordered some carb clearning sprays and hopefully will give the carb a detailed cleanup inside and out once they arrive. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to touch the Yamaha today. Temperature drop, some rain, and family stuff. I just couldn't.

Because I had already checked them earlier and again and again? I did it by grabbing the wheel and pulling it up and wiggling it around. There was absolutely no play whatsoever. The swing arm plays upwards a couple millimeters but that's definitely the swing arm.

The Speedfight problem is a carb that needs a very good service. I've pulled it out (without removing most of the pipes), pulled the throttle needle out, jerked it back in, let some petrol drop, put it back in, and the bike started... for a short time, then it turned off again and stayed off. At least I know it's the carb. I may or may not have time to look at the tRusty Aubergine today.

I was watching videos of everything until I reached this guy removing his rear wheel, and it just occurred to me that maybe I should also check the axel for straightness? *gulp* I think I saw a slightly bent spoke on this bike somewhere. I don't remember where. I will check again tomorrow when it's day time. Taking this to any shops is not an option, I'm doing everything at home until this girl is out on the road. The wheel bearings are surely fine. The top 2 possibilities so far are either misalignment (which is likely because I observed something on the sprocket wheel), or as you said, if any spokes are off. I'll let you know.

I'm thinking the wheel might be slightly misaligned. I think observing the wheel sprocket gives a similar effect. I've triple-checked that both the cam-adjusters are exactly where they should be, but then again, that damage to the right metal notch might mean I have to adjust differently. I'll be back on it tomorrow. So far, the right fork seal seems Okay after a bit of a clean. I'm hoping to keep it as it is and pass MOT without having to remove the forks. My next option up is gaiters is I have to, but both dust caps are cracked on the sides so I'm not really liking that sight. What does that leave? .. Where did I put that list of things to do? By the way I need a headlight bulb as the dipped beam filament is blown. Do I only get the pear-like bulbs for my bike, or do I get the cylindrical ones? there are some of those listed as SR125 bulbs but I'm not sure due to socket type.

I'm in! It was a tough battle against those screws but I won! I cracked the thing open and got inside. I used brute force, and those screws look ugly as hell, inside, and now outside too. To be honest the sprockets look good to me. What do you guys think? There's hardly any wear other than paint on the rear sprockets. I have new sprocket/chain set that I was given with the bike when I bought it. The chain is sealed, the sprocket were probably retrieved from a bike since the smaller one is rusty. But the teeth look the same on mine as they do on the unused ones! "> So I've given everything a very good clean up. I've never been greasier or grimier in my life. And when everything was back in, I gave my chain some chain lube (that thing becomes very sticky! sorry, I have to touch). The chain decided to go back to being a bit jumpy (as if it's too tight) even though it's the same setting as yesterday's. By jumpy, I mean where it feels as if the drive is getting hiccups. I was also looking at the rear wheel alignment. I don't remember the rear wheel having that 1-2mm off-centre feel to it. Look at this video and try to see the circle of the wheel relative to another static object. I tried to capture it. It's as if the wheel is turning off-centre. I did not notice this before, but maybe it was there and I just never saw it. "> On an irrelevant sad note: I FINALLY got the sound of my Speedfight 2 controlled enough to go to MOT (or be sold). I turned it off. Put the SR125 chain together. Went back to start that thing up, and it wouldn't start. Now I might go and make a thread about it, but it may just be the carb, fingers crossed.

All great advice, thank you so much! I had not looked for prolongued period of time at the chain when I first got the bike, but after cleaning it up it felt like the slack was getting very jumpy on the top half of the chain. That was worrying as it looked like it could jump out of the sprockets any minute. I guess the next job should be to access the front sprocket. [mention]megawatt[/mention] so it is normal for the chain to be in contact with the plastic like that? [mention]Speedy23[/mention] by ATF, do you mean Automatic Transmission Fluid? Sound like it's supposed to act like a medium for the acetone; will anything else work? I have brake fluid at my disposal. e_e I've waited a couple days with WD40 now, and as you said, it doesn't cut it.

What just happened, I missed something? If there's anything useful I would like to see it, and guys please, this whole forum is for members to share the experience of something they love. I tightened it to where I wanted, that extra notch, but turned out that was way too tight. See here: "> Notice the wheel jumping. When on neutral it hardly turns. So I backed off that one notch and left it here where it seems ideal. It is still touching that plastic though. What is that plastic? Is it supposed to be there? Maybe the plastic is off. Here's the final adjustment: ">

It's held in place but the protrusion is "worn out" so holding on about a 1mm thickness on the right side. I've tensioned it one more notch and it looks a tad better for now. I think I want to do one more notch, but that's as far as I could pull it by hand. Should it be able to go all the way up to, say, 7? The axel doesn't seem to want to go any further back.

Thanks a lot mate for taking the measurements for me. I didn't know when I saw the manual whether the usable gap was on the upper or lower part of the chain. As I said before, the slack I was worried about was on the top half of it. Here is a video that shows my chain. General opinions are welcome too. The sprockets seem fine. Some of the links have some surface rust, but I feel to play. The O rings all turn freely. The upper half is slacky a bit and it touches a plastic part in the front, I don't know what it is but looks like it might be a guide of some sort? "> When it's on and the gear is engaged I feel more play than I would like to see, but then again I'm not that experienced with MC's. What do you guys think? See what happens when I engage the gears here: "> By the way, I was able to loosen the axel nut with an adjustable wrench. I only tightened the chain adjustment by one dot. I noticed that on the right hand side, the metal protrusion that the chain adjuster pushes against is slightly damaged. I didn't do much more as so keep everything in place. The videos above are after whatever I did.

I don't have the chain guard so have to guesstimate. I saw the illustration in the manual and should be able to estimate better. I tend to think an adjustment should do, to be honest. The worst thing I'm seeing is some surface rust on the outer links in the chain. Only some of them. I haven't been able to look at the smaller front sproket. The two screws holding the cover seem to have their phillips heads stripped and they are already too tight. I need to find a way to remove those two (if anything, I can give the sprocket area a good clean). In any case, I will need a 22mm socket to loosen the rear wheel axel for any of these jobs and the biggest I have is a 19mm. I went to carboot today and looked but the biggest socket that I could find with any numbers on it was a 21mm. And that damn torque wrench! Gotta have one! [mention]mike_1984[/mention] yeah my bike was first registered 1997 so I guess should be made either 1997 or 1996. Square clocks indeed.

I have 60 links in my chain if somebody was wondering.

Hi Speedy. Thanks for your advice. The sprockets are not hooked, they seem fine. After cleaning the chain to the point where it looks like a chain, I can see the upper half (the tensioned part) is slacking a bit and does a dance when the wheel is turning. A few side links have some surface rust on them, but all O rings seem fine. How do I know if it's the right number of links? Do you actually count them or just make sure it's the right tension? Today's update: all electronic little things sorted including the twitching Neutral light. Here's what I found out today: "> Funny haha. The weak link turned out to be under the seat. Yeah the only electronic problem remaining on this bike is to change the headlight bulb (dip light filament is broken), and maybe to sometime tidy up all the wires behind the headlight as most of them seem to be "tucked in there". I was wondering if they should all be exposed that way from behind (between the petrol tank and the steering bar). Next up: clean the fork seal properly. Speedo drive unit. Chain/sprokets (I don't have the right size socket for the back wheel. ¬_¬) Do I really need a torque wrench for factory specifications for this? e_e

Congratulations me for finally being able to see some chain under the mass of grime that was so thick and so black my bike almost seemed driven by a rubber belt. In case anyone is wondering I used wd40, lots of, and an old toothbrush, then water from a bottle. No jet no hose. Lube can is there waiting but i need to determine whether this thing needs retentioning or replacement. Will post pics but can i post a video? Only small jobs these couple days due to rain: Speedo light located. Only blown bulb. New bulb ordered. Dipped light confirmed to be simply a blown filament in the headlight. Will replace. Neutral light playing up: found a weak/corroded connection in wires and strengthened it but seemsblike it is still playing up. Speedo cable and clock are both fine. Speedo drive unit must be the reason why. I dont suppose yhis thing is repairable. Will save this job for when i make a final dexision on forks. i saw your other post (likes) in which u mentioned this. That was the first time i even heard of that thing. I had since got one tin and repaired two exhausts on the Speedfight 2 100cc.

The main problem with finding products on eBay is that all I found claims to be for furniture. Of course, ANYTHING works on furniture, but clothing required a different chemical set to preserve its original shine and structure. And I don't know what other keywords or brands to look for other than the generic "leather repair kit" or "leather colourant repair kit" etc.

[mention]ptrsmith[/mention] Thanks for the link. One model suits my fancy but I will keep looking for something here. I've bookmarked the link as an alternative option if I don't find what I want. [mention]FluxCo[/mention] Many thanks. They look really nice and seem to fit the black leathers that I have. However, the price is way out of my budget mate! I wish you the best of luck selling them. I'm looking for something cheap-ish, or as I just remembered, to swap for a leather 36" trousers.