malt_vinegar

Good! Everyone should ride a Monkey Had a couple of rides, new engine is fitted, and working well. Exhaust sounds great! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyDirty1.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyDirty2.jpg Just got to add the new chain, 5 mins, job, and then it needs a clean after the wet weather! Its due for an MOT in April, so will get that booked in asap, and might have a bit of a prod of the carb to tune out some flat spots. But otherwise, it's riding well, and everything is working I have all the electronics fitted under the seat, its now 12, and using a larger 12v battery. Its got Electric start, and working dials. I am toying with the idea of adding a gear selector display, but I am not sure it really needs it. I also am planning to make up a small battery box and tidying up the wiring under the seat to make it look a bit neater, but not much more I want to do with it really!

I rebuilt a very tired 2013 KSR code 125 and it was quite a lot of work. I would strip down, clean and rebuild the brakes, with new seals and fluid as a priority. It's easy work, provided you can get the seals. It's not too expensive and will improve the overall feel of the bike. Also check all the bearings for smoothness and play. The ones used in the bike standard are likely to be sub standard and may well be on their way out. Notchy steering, swingarms and wheel bearings all make a bike feel sketchy. Chinese bikes are also notorious for rust. If you can, strip, clean (kurrust and wire brush) the frame/swing-arm and hammerite black it. You can use the straight to rust stuff after you have cleaned it up to help ensure it sticks and stays. I found the exhaust and heat shields were made of metal so thin they were mostly useless. Still, I cleaned, stripped and painted it with high temperature paint to make it look a little neater. Finally just hope they engine does not let go. Mine dropped both its standard valves on me on separate occasions, and even a replaced valve a short while after. They do not seem to like being rebuilt. I have rebuilt jap based engines much older and had no issues, but not this k157i fmi.

Next on the list, was knocking up a cable, and the required connectors. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition12.jpg Salvaging some connectors and separating the pins for re-use. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition13.jpg My boy and I got to work figuring out the wiring.. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition14.jpg Soldering (badly!) the new wires back to the salvaged connectors, they has some heatshrink added shortly afterwards. Repeat a few times: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition15.jpg Now, we have the makings of the loom/wiring extension http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition16.jpg Old vs New http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition17.jpg Back in place, fits fine. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition18.jpg Connectors, ready to be hidden away, with the original neutral light in place. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition19.jpg Stuck the light into the dash somewhere http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition20.jpg Notched out a little hole in the clocks housing, to run the cable through. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition21.jpg Folded around, and wrapped under the housing. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition22.jpg Wrapping up the wiring extension to join the two parts. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition23.jpg Routing the cable through, with a little adhesive catch holder near the headstock. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition24.jpg All fitted up, and WORKING... Well, mostly..... I then discovered a little oddity of the position switch. On connecting everything up, the numbers were a bit backward, and third gear would not work at all.. I kept testing what I though was the third gear contact, and it was fine, but would never work! Then i matched up the connector when the gearbox was in third gear, and it was flipped 180 degrees to where I thought it was, and in the space where there was NO selector contact... So, i fired up the bike, put it into 6th gear, and "3" popped up.... Ahh, i figured it out!! Pic to explain: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition25.jpg Right, so Red was what I assumed it was originally, with 6th gear having no connector, as it was likely a part that came from a 5 speed bike. I assumed the rotation was anti-clockwise as you look at the pic. However, it turns out the rotation is clockwise... and 3rd gear has NO connector. So when I was flipping 1-2 and 4-5 around, it worked, but showed 6th gear as 3 on the indicator... So, lesson learned! I will have to take the original part, and modify it, to add a 6th connector where the green 3 should be. At the moment, my plan is to drill a hole from the connector side, put a bolt through from the front, cut it short to length, drill a small hole in the inside, and solder a wire to that.before epoxy and re-silicone as before. I think that will give me a decent connection, and ALL the gears connected. I also will change the display to a blue one, with a 7 speed display, as the 6 speed one counts 0 (N) and as such, there is no 6th gear indication. This new display is on order already. However, its progress, and gives me the indication correctly on 1-2 4-5, blank on 3 and shows 6th as 3 So it will make sense to me only for the moment, till I get the new part made up!

Riding about on the bike, the two things I was missing at the moment on the dash were a clock, and a gear indicator. I searched high and low, and could find nothing other than the standard neutral light only position selector: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes15.jpg That is what it looks like as it is currently on the bike. Note only one wire, and this is only used for the Neutral light.. I had whipped this off before to get a better look at it, and one of the things I noticed on the backside is that there are 6 contacts, but only 1 wire. It seems very odd that Honda would make the base with 6 contacts, and not have an option to have a gear indicator! So i bought a secondhand one to get a better look at how it worked. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition3.jpg You can see what I mean in the above, with the 6 contacts. The smallest one is the Neutral light, the one to its left is first gear, to its right is second gear, and it rotates around anti-clockwise continuing. I had an idea. I figured that if I can get to the backside of those contacts inside the sealed part of the unit, I might be able to make my own version, with all the contacts working. Which can then be hooked up to an LED display unit, to give me the gear selection i wanted! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition4.jpg Here is where I need to get into.. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition5.jpg My early attempts were quite gently, seeing if i could prize, or scratch out the sealant. But it was taking forever to get as far as above, so I took a different route! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition6.jpg As you can see, I found this much easier going! You can see the backsides of the 5 unused contacts, and thy are nicely drilled and ready for solder. I tested the continuity from from one side to the next, and there were no shorts, and all the contacts checked out. Result! Now to make it work.. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition7.jpg Haha, a bit of soldering, and its starting to look like this might actually work out. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition8.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition9.jpg No warping, no burns, and no breakthroughs, so this should be good to test. I went from lightest colour to darkest, with White as first, and brown as fifth. I checked continuity of all the connections again, and no issues were found. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition10.jpg It almost looks oem from the contacts end. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition11.jpg Lobbed in some RTV sealant around it all, and smoothed it off a bit. Done! Checked continuity again once it was dried, and all good. Now I have ordered an LED display (they all seem to go up to 6 gears), so I will have 1 wire not in use, but should be able to get it in the dash neatly enough with a bit of work. The way the display works is quite simple. It has 1 12v feed, and 7 earths to correspond with Neutral, and the 6 gears (or 5 in my case). If you ground the wire for first, this displays a 1. So, you wire this up white wire, 2nd goes to pink, etc. As the selector moves in the gearbox, it touches each contact, completes the circuit, and displays the required number. Looking forward to the wiring up on the bike next, it should be here by Sunday i hope!

Did a few more bits: I was not too happy with the throw, and brightness of the standard lighting setup. I had read that only the left side was meant to work, which upon checking out the bulb types turned out to be BS, due to having dual filaments, and one was burnt out. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rlights1.jpg So, this was how much light it was throwing with one halogen bulb. Main beam was not much better either! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rlights2.jpg As a side point, i was also not keen on the colour they were producing... http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rlights3.jpg So, first, I dropped in an LED BA20D replacement, that I knew worked well on my Monkey bike: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rgearposition2.jpg Straight away, it was much better!!! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rlights5.jpg Here it is next to the original main beam bulb from above to show the difference. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rlights7.jpg Now both changed, and low beam on both sides with LED to match the sidelight LED bulb. Will have a ride out on it tonight, and see how it is in the real world, but it looks good so far I also want to check I am not blinding people!

The bike went for it's MOT, and.... FAILED It had a binding rear caliper, which I managed to miss somehow. Still, it was sunny, and I was outside, so I took some pics. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes1.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes2.jpg Quite happy with how it looks for the moment, some niggles to sort, but not looking too bad for an old bike! I also made some downlight DRL for the nose, because I had some spare LED strip, and fancied giving it a go http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes3.jpg They are not too overly bright, but light up the mudguard at night, and make a visual highlight to help being seen. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes4.jpg Its more of a mock up for now, but I like the idea, and will likely revise this to make it a little more polished. I have them run off the sidelight bulb circuit, so should be on all time. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes5.jpg Someone warned me about these fairing bolts, but I am willing to give them a go, as the fairings were held on with a total hodge-podge of random bolts. I will keep an eye on them though.. At the same time as ordering my new brake caliper seals, I also ordered a brilliant little bike lift! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes6.jpg Here it is, £40 worth, and supposedly good for up to 500kg. It is not meant for lifting a whole bike, but it will tilt it on a front or rear wheel to give access, which is all I need. Its also great because it folds near flat and takes up next to no space when not in use! I could not recommend it enough if you do not have space for a proper lift! It made the brake job a LOT easier, especially as the bike has no centre stand. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes7.jpg Wheel out, bit mucky in here. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes8.jpg Brake system all out. Very easy to do once the wheel is out. Split pin for brake lever, 1 screw for a cable guide, and 1 bolt for the resevoir. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes9.jpg Pads out, and removed the piston, just by cranking the brake till it popped out, the just pour out the old fluid, and clean up any spills. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes11.jpg Mucky in here! Seals are all crusty and bulging out. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes13.jpg Old Seals, looking a bit worse for wear! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes14.jpg Seals out - and then I gave the recesses a good clean with a jewelers screwdriver. I also took the time to give the caliper as a whole a quick clean up whilst it was out. Assembly is reversed, and I had to put in a new bleedvalve, as the old one was VERY knackered. Put in new pads too whilst I was there. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes18.jpg All done, bar the bleeding. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes17.jpg Lunched bleed valve, was a right pain to remove, but got there in the end! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes20.jpg Threw on the new chain whilst the wheel was off. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes21.jpg New fairing bolts fitted, and you can see the last bit of carbon covering I put onto the rather faded and scuffed clock/dash trim panels. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rbrakes23.jpg Another one. Whipped it down to the MOT place for the free re-test yesterday, and they looked over the brakes, checked they worked, and handed me an MOT pass Had a good long ride out Sat afternoon, and its feeling like a new bike. Much smoother with the new chain, and the bike just FEELS a lot more solid. Hard to explain, but I really just feels more sorted.

1-3 are on one coil and 2-4 on the other. So likely you just have some dodgy coils. I would start there first and just replace them both anyway.

more wrapping! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap13.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap14.jpg I am liking the look overall!

Wiring is all tidied up at the front, now to the rear! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rled1.jpg Ahh, someone has been in here before too.... I shall snip down and tidy up the rather odd extensions/changes in here to make it look a bit neater... http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rled2.jpg Fairings back on, and the front now looks like this... A little bit neater I think! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rled3.jpg Rear given the same treatment. Had some fun routing the cables down inside the plastics at the rear, but no issues in the end. Now I can get the wrapped rear panels back in place, and see how it looks... http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rled4.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rled5.jpg Pretty happy with that, now toying with the idea of wrapping that grey plastic panel on the front of the tank...

Today I should have all I need to get this up and running: Brand new CDI type engine, of a certain capacity... A new 12v battery A wiring loom from a CDI equipped c90 cub A new 12v regulator/rectifier A new matched carb A CDI coil/wiring kit - Due today in the post A new low exit exhaust - Due today from courier. One engine: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyNewEngine1.jpg I actually already have the engine in place, but had clearance issues with the exhaust i was using before. Mainly around the electric start. So I decided against bending pipes to fit around it, as i was not sure how well it would survive such high temps. So found an under slung exhaust, that will change the exhaust routing totally. The new manifold and carb are fitting, but I have had to use a carb spinner to get it to fit nicely. Still, the carb spinner is a nice shiny red thing, so looks pretty cool.

Ok, so here was the loom being mocked up to the bike with crappy connectors, and long wires to work out the routing. This was when I decided to try and mount as much as I could under the seat to try and keep it looking a little bit more tidy! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring17.jpg I also managed to get a decent 12v Led headlight with proper dual led function for high and low beam. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring18.jpg Then i found a small LED equipped fuse box. It's great! when a fuse goes, a red LED, lights up next to it, managed to hide this away under the seat, and this makes equipping the bike with most of the 12v gear easy. You can also see the black finned regulator/rectifier bolted to the front seat mouting point in this pic, and later in the completed pics. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring19.jpg I then took two of the variable AC feeds from the stator connector, and fed them into the new 6v regulator/rectifier. This is then run to the 6v sealed battery, and this in turn feeds to the 6v to 12v adaptor. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring20.jpg I set the headlight main bulb to come on only via a switch when the ignition is on (red switch on the indicator/horn controls) so it would only run off sidelight unless I specifically wanted the lights on. I have decided I now need to add LEDs on the top of the headlight housing that light up when either the indicators or main lights are on, as its hard to see during the day, and the switches are easily knocked accidentally when reaching for the horn, indicators or lights. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring21.jpg The wiring was all shortened, wrapped up, and the horn was added. Then it was ready to ride! here is the "cockpit" all lit up. I added and LED t5 bulb to the speedo to brighten it up a bit, and its a clear improvement, and works fine in the dark http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring22.jpg Fresh back from a rainy shakedown the night before the run itself! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring23.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring24.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring25.jpg I rode about with a guy I met before from a C90 club, and also another monkey aficionado and some other riders of proper sized bikes. One chap on a massive Harley rode alongside me all the way down an NSL dual carriageway, and kept a big gap between me and the cars! He was a great help. My monkey mate and I avoided the main roads all the way home! Take aways from the ride.. 1 - The bike needs to be faster at the top end. 2 - Electric start would be superb 3 - Lights didn't last a full day 4 - More brake performance would be nice 5 - Paint needs doing! Solutions 1 - New engine and carb are in the works, just waiting on a quote for a newer engine with more capacity! 2 - As above - electric start should be a possible with this new motor 3 - 12v system would come with the new motor, allowing a straight 12v battery and 12v regulator/rectifier, with little adjustment of the custom wiring loom needed! 4 - My new c90 cub friend is helping me source a new set of forks, with a disc for the front 5 - The Cub was sporting a superb powdercoat job in the correct colour. So numbers have been exchanged and she will be going in soon, likely after the new motor. Not sure when this will all happen, it depends on the availability of the new motor. Its going to be fun!!

Started on the franken-loom. Hooked up the battery side on the bench with all the new bits with clip connectors to test it all out, and work out what is the best way to wire it. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring16.jpg So, we have a little spot light working as the headlight off a relay (just for mock up to test the relay), Orange unit is the 12v flasher (would not run at 6v, so going to hook it up off the 12v line), then we have the 4 indicator (chasing LED type) on the right. I have a 6v horn on the middle left, just below that is the igntion/kill switch/key unit. 6v battery is at the top, with the 6v - 12v adapter below it. Then the control unit at the top right. Finally, a volt gauge to keep an eye on the converter's output. Wiring was just done with small scraps for the mock-up, and clearly is not for real usage! But I wanted to get my head around it all before I started attaching to the bike. Next was to mount the battery to the bike. I decided to mount it below the seat, as it would be mostly hidden, and it has room for the adapter and other components, if needed. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring11.jpg I drilled a couple of holes, tapped them for mounting the adptor, and the battery is held in with a thick zip-tie, and it can be removed and replaced easily enough. I have a sealed battery unit so as to remove mounting angle restrictions, and allow me to lay it horizontally. Installed the controls: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring12.jpg Seat back in place, with battery and adapter hidden away. You can see the 12v lines (yellow and black) to head to the front of the bike for lighting/accessories duty and the 6v charging lines (Red and black). I have put the Halogen bulb plans on the backburner for now, and have ordered a better LED bulb for the headlight, and will run it off the 12v supply. I did this as I am also planning to run all the other lights off the adaptor for now to see how the battery/charging holds up from the new regulator/rectifier. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring13.jpg I also have started testing out waterproof automotive connectors. So, used one of those to connect the 12v line, which you can see here: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring15.jpg I also mocked up the charging circuit, and tested the output. It seems to be working fine, and I am planning to try and put it all together tonight on the bike with the temp connectors, then use the proper higher grade wires to get the correct lengths and connectors if I have time. So it should be tidy, easy to remove (for painting) and a lot safer/cleaner/reliable than before

Ok, bit more work done. I added a remote kill switch to the current loom so I can kill it from a flip switch on the top of the headlight whilst it has no key kill switch. Its temporary, and uses the existing high beam indicator hole, so not a final item, but it looks cool http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring10.jpg You can also see my temp headlight for test riding at night whilst the old lights are too pants! Anyway! The 2 wire regulator I had was a half wave, so was producing 3v, so I found a full wave 4 wire which claimed 6v Honda compatibility (albeit not the specific model I have). 4 wire: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring9.jpg The pink and yellow wires are AC feeds from the stator, and the red is a 6V+ out and the green goes to the battery negative (6v-) This is then fed into a 5v-11v DC converter to provide a solid 12v, in theory. (seen here with the now redundant half wave rectifier) http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring8.jpg This SHOULD allow me to run at least a full power 12v headlight (maybe an LED one if needed). I will then look to run all the other lights from the 6v+ from the battery meaning I can use LED bulbs all round, as the existing variable AC setup makes them flicker/dim too much at idle I mocked up a temporary wiring loom from the old loom I removed previously just to test my plan: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring7.jpg The bike started. and the regulator/rectifier was producing 4.8v at idle to 7.2v at fullish throttle (was testing indoors, and didnt want to be anti-social). the DC converted was producing a SOLID 12v at any throttle position. I ran an LED bulb from it as a quick test, and it worked well. So, my theory works (at least for now!). I just need to place the battery into the bike frame somewhere sensible, hook up the 4.8/7.2 line to the battery with a fuse of some value (not figured this out yet). I could do this without the battery in theory, and just run the lights only when the bike is on, like the original, but I might as well try to do it properly Then, run the 6v lights direct from the battery on 6v, the converter off the battery to give me a 12v headlight (and maybe a USB socket). Once this is all working, then its wrapping the loom, changing all the bullet and spade connectors to waterproof automotive connectors, and work out fitting in a key powered ignition/kill switch. I have also ordered a set of 6v/12v indicators, so I can decide where I am going to run them from. They are a slim, chasing LED type, to keep the power consumption down. Further to this, I have also got a 22mm bar hanging switch unit with an indicator switch, horn and light on/off switch. To work with that switch and indicators, I have ordered an adjustable flasher relay, so i should be able to adjust the flashing rate on 6v and 12v to suit. I managed to find a decent key/kill switch unit that should fit my existing mount, so that is on its way too! Oh, and a 6v horn, as the bike horns seem to pull quite a bit of current for what that are (~1.5amps) so I guess with my 12v dc converter maxing out at 4amps, I want to keep as much on the 6v live from the battery as possible to give the best headlight power available. So, the next couple of weeks will be putting all these bits together, working out how best to make the loom work in as few a wires as possible, adding proper waterproof automotive connectors where needed, and generally tidying up. After this is all done, its likely going to be the final strip down, to get the frame and forks sent off to the painters I also happen to think my existing LED array bulbs are less than efficient, but I have found a halogen 35w BA20D bulb that should only pull 3amps, so will give that a go on the DC converter.

Plotted out the cabling, and cobbled it together with new wires and connectors off the stator. I then wrapped, and neatened it up. I still have 1 live to play with on the brick connector, which should allow me to do battery charging/light power without changing the main loom for now. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring3.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring4.jpg Overall it looks a lot neater under here. It also shows clearly the little fire damage the paint had under the tank, where the carb caught fire once! I also need to work on my fabric wrapping skills http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring5.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring6.jpg I still need to find and add a key that will fit to do two things, bridge the ignition live to earth when off (acts as a kill switch) and then have 1 position (ON) for powering up the lights. I still also have to figure out how to add the regulator and rectifier when they turn up, and make it look neat, so I can add in the battery. Under the seat, or behind the engine mount look like good options when I get around to it I will shrink wrap any ends when I do the final loom, just to keep it tidy, and I decided to use a rechargeable horn which arrived this morning to keep the wiring to the bars more simple! Getting closer to pulling it all to bits, so I can get it shot blasted and re-sprayed, and rebuild the forks! Should have a new project in the garage very to help me keep occupied whilst it is away!

I did some playing around with the gearing today. I have moved up to a 17T front sprocket (it will not fit any larger without fouling!), and a 31 rear. I am now hitting 40mph on a slight descent, and 36/7 on the flat. Happy with that for now, the gearing is a LOT longer, and 1st and 2nd are actually usable, if not perhaps a tad slow.. So will do a bit of tweaking with the carb, timing and valves to see what I can get out of it, and will likely iron out any flat bits nicely. I will leave the 24t rear in case I get a LOT more power out of it. Some of my spare sprockets, new tank emblem bolts (Honda package each tiny part idividually!!) and front sprocket retaining bolts: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyGears3.jpg Couple of things happened in the testing... The wiring starting playing up and it would not let the bike start. So I pulled it all off, and continuity tested the lot, and could not find any problems... Next step was to just run the Coil wire direct off the stator (effectively hotwiring it) and it jumped straight into life again. I figured it might be the ignition switch/key that was screwed up. So I pulled it apart, and it looked VERY secondhand. With some corrosion: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyKey1.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyKey2.jpg I continuity tested everything, and it mostly made sense, and matched to the wiring diagrams I had. So I supposed it could be the corroded case wire, i removed, and re-soldered in a new one to no avail. So i think this part may have more corrosion inside and i didn't want to delay stuff more, so I got fed up and put the part on the shelf for now. Ok, so as I could not find the issue, I decided to make a new "loom" (it's so simple once the key part is out of the equation, it should not really be called a loom!). For testing I hooked up the lights direct to a hot wire from the stator (using spade female connectors), then the coil, and switched brake light (which runs on its own line). I don't think I really need the no-lights option on the ignition, so will just have an ALL ON setting for everything. I also changed some connectors in the headlight/front loom, and re-wired it/wrapped it all to make it a little tidier in there.. See below in a state! Also note the missing tank badge ready for its new bolts/screws: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring1.jpg You can see the empty ignition/key ring under the front of the fuel tank. Plan now is to replace that with a standard (generic) ON-OFF key controlled switch which I am sourcing now. Rear lights wiring in progress: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyWiring2.jpg Once that was knocked up, and tested as working, I took it out for a ride, and it rode perfectly. GREAT! So I fabric wrapped it, and hid it away where possible to make it look a lot neater. Its a bit dirty from its test run in the rain! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyPhase2-1.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyPhase2-2.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyPhase2-3.jpg Next is a plan to replace all the spade connectors with waterproof modern plug connections (already arrived), and fit a 4 point plug to the new loom to fit into the original stator plug a bit more neatly than my individually crimped spade connectors. You can also see the new bars properly now in these last pics! I have also decided to try and fit a regulator and rectifier to the new loom, so I can run a battery for the lights. It should keep them brighter at low throttle, as the voltage varies on the hot lines from 3.7v up to about 9.5v at full thottle. The Regulator dumps any voltage over 6v to earth, and the Rectifier changes the AC to DC to keep the bulbs from blowing. Mine don't actually blow at the moment in fairness, as some bulbs are now LED and the remaining incandescent bulbs are 12v rated so should survice the 9+ volts on thr 6v line. This will also allowing it to charge the 6v battery I am planning to fit.

Back in bits again, awaiting some new sprockets, so dropped in the new chain whilst it was already in parts. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyGear1.jpg New chain vs old one, little bit of extra bling never hurt anyone http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyGear2.jpg Rear sprocket removed. Its a 35 tooth, and I have a 24 coming (Really long!). Will give this a clean up whilst its in bits, its got a little bit dirty! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyGear3.jpg Here is the 15 tooth front I am currently using. It replaced the 13 tooth (i think) that was original. I have 14 tooth here also, and a 17 tooth coming. Just in case the 24t rear makes the gearing too long to use the 17t front. I will run it with the 15t to start with, and see how I get on... http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyGear4.jpg I also gave the points a quick sand whilst the cover was off, and cleaned in behind the front sprocket. I am a little worried that the 24t is going to be too small and make the gearing too long and will mean I need to pull some links out of the chain, but will see how we get on. They don't do a smaller rear, so I can always go up a size, they are only £12 each in varying sizes.

Bike is running well, but just not as quick as I would have liked, and there were a few niggles that were annoying me! Firstly, I suspected the throttle was not allowing full opening with the new carb, it was topping out at thirty, and the dropping revs on slight hills in top gear. The right handlebar was rocking in the mount, and it had cracked the original socket it fitted into. The throttle itself was also not returning correctly, as the slide in the bars was providing too much friction. Great for a pseudo cruise control, but not for safety! The original brake levers are VERY rudimentary, and just have no feel, and limited throw and look terrible, bent and dull. The speed issue is very annoying, and as such I wanted to add a new throttle and cable. However, if I am doing this, I wanted to try and fix the wobbly bars. So I decided to get a new yoke, top plate, handlebars, throttle+cable and brakes.... http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyYoke1.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyYoke2.jpg The new top plate is MUCH thinner than the original combined top plate/yoke, but I managed to use a small spacer on the head bolt to allow it to be clamped down fully. Not happy with how this looks, so will try to get a silver or red spacer, and clean up the top bolt/washer to look a bit nicer! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeySpacer.jpg It took about 30 minutes to replace everything, and as the handle bars are 22mm I suspected I could mount mountain bike aluminium brake levers... Then, if I removed the adjusters, they would almost fit perfectly to the cable ends. Bit of adjustment with a big pair of pliers, and it was nice and snug for the front brake, and the rear needed a bit of filing out of the cable holder, but worked out fine. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyBrake1.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyThrottle1.jpg I really should have checked what my camera focused on... Still the brakes feel a million times better, and more powerful, the throttle opens fully, and returns correctly. Best thing is that the bike is now feeling like it is gear limited. First and second gear are almost useless, they are gone very quickly, and need to be much longer. I had changed the front sprocket to a 15T from a 12T, and the rear sprocket is currently a 34T, so I have a 28T rear sprocket somewhere that I put away and cannot find.. So just in case I ordered a 26T to arrive in a few days, and a 17T front. This should give me a good selection of sprockets to adjust and play about with the gearing. I am waiting to fit the new chain till I know what gearing I am running.

Ok, so I have done a few things to the bike recently. Firstly, I was not happy with the rear of the bike, so I wanted to clean it up a bit.. So, first step was to clean up the numberplate/light bracket. You can see in the pics earlier in the thread, it was looking a bit tatty. So, it came off, I stripped the paint, cleaned it up, and gave it the usual paint treatment. So it looked a bit more like this: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyRear1.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyRear2.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyRear3.jpg The original part quality leaves a bit to be desired, and the welding is somewhat agricultural, but it should be a little better protected, and looks less rusty. Then I was not happy with the rear lens. I did my best to clean it up with a bit of white spirt, and then it just fell to bits. I tried epoxy, and superglue to bring it back, but it just looked terrible. So i ordered in a part from the Philippines and it looked a lot better! here is the original lens before I killed it http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/Deadlens1.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/Deadlens2.jpg Then with the new lens fitted, and back on the bike, with the metal parts newly polished: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyRear4.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyRear5.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyRear6.jpg I also had ordered a new "big bore" exhaust for the bike! he it is next to the old one: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyBigBore1.jpg Fitted!! I had to raise the seat up to its top height to allow the kit to bolt up, had a quick ride, and it actually feels a bit nicer to sit on - Just got to hacksaw off the extra long number plate bolts next... http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyBigBore2.jpg I was hoping this might unlock a bit more power, and it does feel/sound a lot better, but still not as quick as I would like. Next up, points cleaning/adjustment just to check that is not the issue. I will also check the valve clearances again, just to be sure they are spot on. If not, i will do some carb adjusting again with the new exhaust, and see how it goes then. If no more speed, I need to replace the points/check the timing, then if no change... Time to find a 70cc/90cc head to drop on the top to increase the port sizes! I also have a spangly new gold and black chain to replace the old one, as seen here... http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyChain1.jpg I am just to lazy to fit it yet... http://maltopia.co.uk/images/monkey/MonkeyNewChain1.jpg

I bought a new Regulator (2 wire) but was a bust, it worked, but it seemed to reduce the lights brightness. I guess I need to ensure the battery is on the lighting circuit to get proper light brightness. I was only working with the bike on idle, so its possible that the battery would take over at that point, and only charge on higher revs. I also need a new multi-meter. Mine is a bit of rubbish, and seems very unreliable! Wiring, tidied up a bit: http://www.maltopia.co.uk/20180324_102319.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/20180324_102326.jpg Done a bit of polishing on the engine block when it was out, along with a lot of de-greasing, but the flywheel cover is going to need some work, along with the exhaust. Otherwise, I think its getting close to be ready for a full strip down, and re-paint I even cut down the coil - plug cable length, and added a new NGK plug cap. Oh, and some tank badges are needed! I also have a new rear brake cable coming, in black, to fix the rear brake light switch, and get rid of the old brown one! I am still waiting on a fork-rebuild kit, with some up-rated guides from America, along with some. I already go some ct70 fork sliders to get rid of the top end fork slop, and the usual seals to replace on a fork rebuild. But, I think I might do that after paint, as I will be pulling the forks off for that anyway. Update - I FINALLY have the tank badges on, and have been requesting quotes to get the frame and forks resprayed. I put on a larger carb with an offset manifold, as the 75cc kit was struggling with the stock carb. However, even with the upgraded carb, the kit is not breaking 30mph on the flat. It seems to be down to the limited bore size on the original head. Which I kind of think makes the 6v 75cc kit pointless? I am emailing the kit seller to ask if other people have similar experiences with this kit. It does run well, but its not really much of a performance increase! Next up, I am going to have to learn how to polish/port the standard head i think! Update- So after some discussions with the vendor and fitting a rev counter for testing on some longer trips, I am almost certain this lack of speed is down to gearing. (27mph at the 8500 rpm in third) Going to try a few larger front sockets. Standard is 13t, so going to get a 14t and 15t to try ASAP. Yup, just ordered a 15t front and 31t rear. Should get me about 30% increased top speed, and a corresponding lower acceleration. But as first gear is almost useless, I hope this will be fine, and just make it seem a bit longer! Should be able to get away with the chain already in use on the bike for testing purposes.

These arrived over the weekend http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap01.jpg LED indicators, much smaller and neater than the originals. Some new sprockets and a chain. Gives me a few more bits to get started on. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap11.jpg The chain is a little better looking than the dead old one. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap12.jpg Fitting them is easy enough, and they are a lot smaller, and neater, and look a little more modern. So, I decided to get on with getting the indicators working. However, as you will all probably know. Adding LED indicators is never quite as simple as it should be. I wanted to maintain my idiot lights on the dashboard, and simply adding the LEDs into the loom make them either flash too fast, not at all, or they all flash when only one side should. You can counter this with an LED specific Indicator relay in most cases but not here It seems that on this bike, the idiot light for indicators in the dashboard are a bit off. They share a bulb for both sides, and as such, the Positive / Negative flip according to which side you use according to my testing. Not a problem on an incandescent bulb, but having that in the circuit with the LED indicators with an LED indicator relay swapped in seemed to stop them flashing altogether, and they just ALL lit very dimly when I hit the switch, and the idiot light was not lit at all. Then I had an idea... The bulb was T10 size, and I happened to have some LED T5 bulbs. I figured I could use them in the original housing. If i joined the negatives together, and used the existing positives with a shared earth which I would have to add to the loom. Its easier to explain in the picture: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap02.jpg Here you can see the two "positives" pulled from the rubber holder in the background, and the two T5 bulbs blob soldered together on their negative contacts. Now, when i indicate right, and apply an earth cable to the blob, the right LED flashes, and then if I press the left indicator, the left one does! Voila! Now to make them fit into the original housing: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap03.jpg This rubber housing now needs three holes to include the new earth wire. So i heated up a small screwdriver with a mini blowtorch, and poked it through the middle. I had tried using a small drill bit, but the rubber does not drill nicely, and just closes up when the bit was removed. This however, made a nice wider hole. I tidied up the soldering a bit just after this was done, as I had actually blobbed it all together for testing on the bike initially. Its a little neater, and narrower, with wider gaps between the wire ends to make it safer before I installed it. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap04.jpg Now we have something like this! Connected up the the bike, and it worked fine. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap05.jpg Installed back into the dash, and it works great! I also kept the factory wire colours to help keep it as easy to figure out what I have done if anyone else ever gets back here to find it. Now I have flashing indicators, and a much neater look! I have to admit, I had a bit of a schoolboy error at one point.. I kept finding the flash rate of the bulbs getting slower and slower, and each time I adjusted the screw in the LED flasher, it worked for a few seconds then got slower and slower again till it stopped... Turns out the battery of the bike was running low... I had forgotten to hook it up the tender, and ASSUMED I had a knackered LED flasher unit, bad earth or something else... Suddenly it all made sense, as the voltage dips, the flash rate lowered. DOH! Changing tack a bit, I decided to have a go with some carbon "look" wrap I had found cheaply online, mainly because I had a new heatgun a few weeks ago, and little cause to actually use it. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap06.jpg Here I am starting my journey on a bit of the black plastics on the rear panels. I left the sticker for HRC underneath as a fall back incase I had to remove it all and start again, but actually quite likes the look of it once I started, so went with it. I may re-add the stickers over the top later if it proves to stand up the punishment of that spot. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap07.jpg And, a few heat gun applications, some relief cutting, and a bit of stretching and folding later, I had this! I was quite pleased with this, and only had a couple of issues to deal with: 1 - The cutting of the edge along the painted panel was nerve-wracking, as I was using a craft knife to try and get into the edge. 2 - The fairing bolt hole needed quite a bit of relief cutting, and was not as tidy as I would like - However, its hidden under a bolt http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap08.jpg Closeup http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap09.jpg Loosely back on the bike. I think I can do a better job next time having done this, and I also had a go with an offcut (so it was a bit dirty on the backside causing some imperfections) on a small trim part to see how I might go about doing more complicated parts, where using more than 1 bit of the wrap would be more practical.. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125RWrap10.jpg I think this will work ok, and I will upwrap, and re-wrap this part later when I have more time and patience to see how it will work in these areas! next up is to tidy up my new wiring a bit, shorten the cables, and make it look as stock as possible, then I want to see about adding a couple of things to the dash. Mainly a clock of some sort, and hopefully a gear indicator also! I think it makes sense to try these things whilst the bike is back in bits at the front again. I also want my fairing bolt kit to turn up from China so I can get rid of all these mis-matched bolts! Up to date now, more updates to follow soon

The bike is riding a lot more nicely now. Had a few blasts on it today after work and it feels a lot more solid. I was only really out to get the oil warm for an oil change, but actually came back, sat down for a minute or two (Mrs and kids were out on a playdate) and got up and went out again Oil change is now done, and there are a few more bits to clean (rear wheel, rear arch to start) but I will be taking it on a longer ride tomorrow to go play hockey and come back later on. I will be able to give it a run down some a-roads and blow out any cobwebs on the way hopefully. I have found a slight fuel leak from the carb bowl drain screw once the bike is stopped. I tried all of my o-ring supplies, but none were a suitable replacement, so I wedged in a bit of rtv sealant around the screw head for now. I have managed to find the specific 1.3mm x 4.3mm o-ring and ordered it on from Germany for later this month. I have also ordered a bit of carbon wrap to cover some of the black plastic panels on the middle of the bike. They are scratched up and part of the larger rear seat panel, so I didn't really want to paint them. This seems like the best option for now. I will need some HRC stickers to replace the ones that will be removed/covered to keep it looking mostly stock. I had a go at fixing the broken indicator, but have found it to be a bit too hard to fix satisfactorily. As such I have ordered in some LED indicators. I do have some spare LED flasher relays somewhere, so should be able to make the change fairly easily. I also decided that I was not comfortable running that chain for much longer and decided to order in the full chain and sprocket sets to give me peace of mind going forward. Lastly, I am keen to look at the exhaust. The end can looks great and is in very clean condition, but the manifold back still looks a bit corroded and untidy. I will likely remove it and look to give it a coat of VHT exhaust paint once the garage warms up a bit.

Right.. Lots more work done. I have been using some stuff called "Whitemorph" to try and rebuild the fairings where they are broken. It looks like this: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings06.jpg It melts to look like this in hot water. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings24.jpg it can then be moulded by hand, and it sets slowly over about 10 minutes as it cools. It sets as a hard non brittle plastic, and looks like it will survive pretty well as fairing material. It can also be painted, I am told. So once it is proven to hold, i will be giving the repaired parts a quick coat of paint where required. I had a number of broken bits to tackle, here is process: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings19.jpg There are the side fairings that go between the top and bottom fairing sections. They are held in by the bolts at the top and bottom, but also are offered up with push tabs. Only one of them is left, as you can see. So i melted up some whitemorph, and applied it to the leftover base panel http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings22.jpg It starts out almost totally clear in hot water, and starts to cloud over slightly like above as it cools. I work hard when its hot to get it as tight and fully squished into all air gaps to ensure a decent grip. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings23.jpg Just a bit of shaping by hand to get it as close as possible to the original fitting whilst its cooling. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings25.jpg Once set, prize it out of the mount, and test that it fits the hole it needs to hit. You can see how well it moulds to the plastics here http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings29.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings30.jpg These are nicely fitting in, and a little shaping with a file to round them off a bit to make them fit just right.. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings31.jpg Both bits done and glued, and the panel is ready to refit. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings28.jpg Sorted! I did a few panels with similar methods. Some needed shaping again after setting, but most were pretty much straight forward. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings09.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings10.jpg I then added in some whitemorph to fill some gaps in a fairing edge to see how well it does this job. I also managed to morph it behind some cracks on seams/corners on the insides of the panels to stop them cracking further, and falling to bits. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings12.jpg You can see how closely i can get to the original shapes with this stuff in that photo. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings14.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings15.jpg That last part was the largest part I made with whitemorph. A tab for the bottom fairings to join the mid parts was totally missing, and now it's rock solid! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings32.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings33.jpg Another totally missing tab that I rebuilt, worked perfectly again! I then decided to change up a bit, and do some work on the HORRIBLE looking chain: http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings39.jpg Looking MUCH better after some elbow grease, and wire brushing. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings36.jpg http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings37.jpg Starting to look a bit cleaner, and much less rattly than it was before I also ordered a fairing bolt kit, as this one seems to be made up of just about every different bolt type know to mankind. Should neaten up the overall look a bit, and make maintenance a little easier going forward. Plug and air filter are done, not dropped the oil yet, might get that done tonight hopefully. I even found a loose allen key and screwdriver under the seat! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rfairings01.jpg They might account for some of the extra rattles!

Put a T10 LED into the Rev counter to compare. I think I prefer the whiter light, will get them all changed over shortly, excluding the Main Beam, and Indicator lights, as they are coloured, and bright enough already http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rclocks11.jpg I think some more cleaning tonight, along with the service. Then that chain is crying out for attention!

It cleaned up ok, at least cosmetically, but due to be replaced later! Ok, so I needed to sort the wobbly clocks! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rclocks1.jpg This is where the tab from the back of the clocks should fit into the frame. I found a nice looking bolt that fits well enough.I plan to shrink wrap the bolt once its built up again, so it is tighter, but it will help with the location planning at the moment as its not quite fully tight. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rclocks3.jpg The plan is something like this - Sand the nub back a bit to make it flat, then make a hole big enough to wedge the bolt in there, and finally epoxy it into place. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rclocks10.jpg Drilling some holes.. The backside of this hole is only a cross of plastic, so could not make a nice deep hole and fill with epoxy easily. In the end I gave up with the drill, and just got the soldering iron hot, and melted my way through! (I removed the main clocks at this point to avoid accidental melting!) http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rclocks2.jpg Clocks removed! http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rclocks5.jpg Made my repository, and wedged the bolt in, and it fitted snugly enough. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rclocks6.jpg In with Epoxy and starting to dry. I tested the location at this point, and was happy, so forged on. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rclocks7.jpg A bit more epoxy, and added a nice stainless washer. mainly so that I can add an o-ring plus a couple of washers to the assembly later if I want to adjust the clock's angle. http://maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rclocks9.jpg Left to dry for a few hours, then test fitted! Sorted No more wobbly clocks! I can even add a nut if I fancy securing it further, but I think the bolt shrink-wrapped in black will do the job nicely.

Pics as it was when I got it in the garage and started to pull the front to bits. http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition01.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition02.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition03.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition04.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition05.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition06.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition07.jpg So, it looks pretty dirty, which is fair easy to sort, with a bit of elbow grease. Will slowly work my way around each part as I find it, and clean what I can. http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition08.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition09.jpg Panels off, and there are a few missing tabs and cracks I will have to deal with somehow. http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition10.jpg The offending wobbling clocks - There is a plastic push tab missing, its a meant to be a push pin in the rubber receiving hole on the frame. It looks like someone else has been in here before, plastic weld to the housing for the speedo, and the tab itself would suggest the accident in 2005 would likely be a front ender of some sort. The other mounts have seen better days, as some of the ring of plastic that should hold in the rubber mounts is a bit worse for wear. I suspect the wobbling has put them under quite a bit of strain, so I may do some work in this area, depending on how the push tab replacement goes. The lights in the unit are all rubber mounted, push fit T10 type. So I shall LED these asap to get the clocks a bit brighter and using a bit less power. http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition11.jpg These were mostly held in with tape, as such are covered in tape residue, along with the clocks and windscreen. http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition12.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition13.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition14.jpg Closer look at the panels and lights. The lights have a couple of missing tabs, but they were rock solid when riding, so I think I can get away with just giving them some new bulbs and a tidy up. I have a T10 LED bulb on order, and a couple of BA20D options for the headlights in my parts drawers. Will have a play when it's back together to work what is best. http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition15.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition16.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition17.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition18.jpg General "look how dirty it is" photos. Anyone know a nice easy way to clean the rad? I was going to spray it with a degreaser, or mild cleaning fluid, and go at it with a toothbrush? Bad idea? I will see what I can do with the exhaust manifold/downpipe. I have painted them before on a Chinese bike, then wrapped them. I think I may try something similar here with that experience seemingly working ok, at least in the short term. However, polishing may work better and will possibly look nicer too. http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition19.jpg A very dirty lower panel! http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition20.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition21.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition22.jpg Engine and drive-train look in reasonable nick, apart from the chain! Sprockets are supposedly new, so I think I will just what a new chain on rather thank try to clean up the old one. However, it may just be a bit neglected. It is certainly too loose at the moment. Will play it by ear. http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition23.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition24.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition25.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition26.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition27.jpg http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition28.jpg Indicators are all ok, apart from one dodgy rear, with the usual tape "fix". I will see if It can be made to look a bit nicer in the short term, but I suspect moving to LED will be both cheaper, easier, and perhaps help a little bit with weight and power usage. http://www.maltopia.co.uk/images/CBR125Rebuild/CBR125Rcondition29.jpg A dirty front wheel! Brakes look in good nick at first glance, not checked the pads but they seemed to be working fine on the ride home. More work to do stripping it, and I have all the service parts here next. So I think I will pull the tank and have a go at cleaning up the insides a bit whilst I am doing the air-filter/oil/sparkplug.