skatefreak

Away from the nipple i would expect. Its to stop air going back up the tube and into the caliper Best of luck, get us know if it helps -Jvr

Knowing absoloutly nothing about this area of converting engines, one thing you may try looking at is maybe picking up another engine from a simular model that hopefully will just bolt on, flog your current engine and bobs your unkle With any luck it will fit and you wont lose to much through selling the other engine Now lets hear everyone justifiably shoot my theory to peices Best regards -Jvr

Hey, Yeah, went through this last night, if there is no pressure ont he handle then that means there is air in there that is compressing (and the brake fluid is designed to resist compression). If you have a spair pair of hands willing to hep you, do what i did! Open the top of the resivour, fill it to the top (get the other person to hold the bike upright), Get them to squeeze the lever and whilst it is compressed, open the nut to let some fluid out, be SURE the nut is then closed BEFORE the brake grip is released, once released, get them to pull it again and the cycle repeats. This wayas long as you open the nut very quickly and close it again whilst the brake is pulled back it will stop air traveling backwards through the system into the caliper. If you let air get down into the tube going to the break caliper it may take a whlie to get the air out as it only comes out little by little but bleeding should get it out. Once the air is out then the break handle will feel stiffer again and the brake pads should make it to the disk easy Hope this helps somewhat Best regards -Jvr

Hey chris, yep, figured that out pretty quick heh. I think it should be okay, it only sucked air in once and then had 2/3'rds of a bottle of fluid put through it. There is plenty of pressue behind the grip again though so jst thought i'd check The replies are much appreciated though! Just one last noobalicious thought though. When i took the calipers off they had pads on them and when putting the calipers back on without pads, just until they get here i noticed that the calipers feel very lose... Infact they dont seem to even bolt to the frame and are free to jingle about?!?! There is a plate that bolts solidly to the front forks and there are two rods that come out of the caliper which go through this plate. A little googling and i'v come accross floating calipers but cant find anything explaining/showing how look so thought i would just ask if it sounds right to anyone? Am sure they will feel more secure with pads over the disk and there is no way they could slip as they are held in place by these two rods but seriously haha. Any thoughts much appreciated to -Jvr Ps, here a few pictures if i can figure out how to upload them!

Hey, Okay, well thats good news kinda It was right at the beginning and i put about half - 2/3'rds of a bottle of brake fluid through the system (apparently it goes off and only needs to be done once every year or two), so figured i may as well put it through (saving some incase needed to get any air out that may be in there. The resivour was refilled many times and drained through (not letting it drop to low though) and there is plenty of resistence on the grip. Will wait for the new pads and see how it feels the i guess Cheers for the reply. best regards -Jvr

My loverly bike, becoming a little less safe each day Long story short the break grip was released with the nipple open (bad timing) and some air crept back through the systen into the break caliper. The pressure on the grip dissapeared but after a little more draining, air came out and the pressure on the grip returned. good, good, end of story? I would like to think so but also as this is the main means of stopping a bike i would like to be a little more careful and ask around for a little advice? Is there any chance some air could be in the system somewhere not effecting the pressure on the grip but could move to somewhere detrimental to the breaking while in use? It will be playing on my mind if i dont investigate further so any comments con the situation would be great Best regards -Jvr

Have the fluid, pads on order, planning to bleed the breaks today but its raining... typical *sighs*. Rainy season's 'a commin -Jvr ps, yr pads look to be in better condition than mine haha, i think they were just realllllyyyy old heh.

Hey, Not to put down your repair job there but hows about using the top end of the bolt, cut it down a little way from the head and just use that end tiney bolt with a head for easy access and maybe help seal the hole a little? Just a thought though. On cleaning up the engine, i have jst done mine over, the white stuff is a tricky one to get off, if you have a little spair time i found warm water, a toothbrush or two and LOTS of washing up liquid will get all the dirt off but as far as where the finnish on the engine has gone, it would be more of a restoration job to be honest If your looking to sell, maybe check the oil, break fluid, chain, break pads and such, give the bike a good going over and if its all in check or you sort out any little issues then you can confidentally ask a resonable price and mention in the sale that the bike has been looked over and prepared for a new owner (maybe considered a little over the top but in my opinion it should bring a better price for a little work on the bike So yeah, maybe a little more work this way round but very satisfying and enjoyable to do Let us know how you get along! Best regards -Jvr

Hey, cheers for the info there I jst got in to find this post and have jst had a go at the breaks Although this bike is old and hasnt gone to far it looks like the pads arnt warn down to far but considering they look reaaallllyyyy old and half a pad jst fell off the plate, i think i'll replace The pistons look to be in good nick, a little dirt on them which just wiped off but they move freely... well kind of lol, as freely as a hydrolic system will alow I'm happy with the caliper itself though, it looks to be good, will get some fluid and drain out the old whilst topping up with new to avoid getting air in there (or so i have read). one last issue is whoever last put the break pads in really fooked the bolt/shaft that goes trough them and it took me a fair while to get it out (stripped hex so i tried the indented hex's and then just a flat head screw driver lol). I am hoping it can be replaced but as its just one wierd screw kind of thing i fear it may be tricky to get hold of No way i'm putting it back in there though so will have to look into it. I am supprised at how sparse information on all of this seems to be online but maybe i should look to some haynes manuals etc. Its always nice to hear about how someone it getting on with simular projects, maybe i should get some pictures and throw some up? It would be really good to get a section added to the forum maybe where people could post write ups about maintinence they do on their own bikes and others will then have an idea of how/what they can go about doing with their bikes Again, thanks for the reply Best regards -Jvr

Hey, So in preperation for the head gasket i'v cleaned the engine up and started looking over the bike itself, cleaning the frame, took the back break levers out, clean to free up and re-grease, going to clean and re-grease the chain and check out the suspension and anything else anyone can suggest before i get back to the engine Now i'v been thinking about bleeding the breaks for a while because the fluid is a little dark and i recon the breaks could do with a little attention due to the age of the bike but they are and have been fairly responsive since i got the bike until today. Infact i tried to just push the bike and engineless it practically endoed... Mes thinks the breaks be seized. So after scouring the internets muchos i am yet to find any information thats very useful soooo, i was wondering if the wiser people out there could give me some ideas as to what action i should take. I have tomorow free to investigate and am planning to pull the caliper off the disk and have a tinker about, my local bikey shop is closed but i may consider getting some break fluid and taking out the pads and looking at the pistons. Would this be worth just taking them appart and having a look? how much can i get done without going to the shop for supplies (fluid, pads, seals/gaskets)? Would it be worth getting some new gaskets, pads & fluid and doing a complete overhaul of the breaks just to be on the safe side? The bike is a good 11 years old, its been standing outside through this cold winter for a good 2 months (maybe they arnt seized, just a litte stuck heh). Anywho, i'm quite keen to have a good look at it as they are kind of important and i'd like to get back on as soon as i can get the engine sorted! any thoughts would be much appreicated Best regards -Jvr

Well the simple answer there would be while oil means water in the oil I would get this bike to the dealership, it appears it may not be that uncommon but i would find it a little unnerving -Jvr

haha, Unlucky, in a sense Although i cant wait to get out of uni and have the time/space to do a full on restore job with a nice big bike (might get a nice big workshop manual for it though heh) But yes, i think i have cracked it! The holes in the cam sprocket are the markings and i was just looking at the situation from the wrong angle. From the rotating arms it turns out when the smaller holes are just about level and the large one is down the engine should be TDC because the exhaust port piston will have just closed and the fuel side is just about to start opening! I feel so much better now i know roughly where i am with this Best part is i can ajust the timing somewhat with the engine in the bike (it'll be fiddly no doubt tho ) Am just hoping there wont be to much in the way of ajusting needed from the marker settings I found a CG workshop manual but again, couldnt figure out heads or tails with these holes as appose to marking heh. best regards -Jvr

Kymco 125 stryker 1999. I guess i should probly just put the new gasket in without any sealent or gunk and see how it goes... Just mighty frustrating this engine because you cant get the head off without taking the engine completely out of the bike... You can Nearly get it off but not quiet So rather annoying to be honest... Back to just waiting for the gasket and bolt it back together jobby... One last question! Being an single OHC 4 stroke CG copy, not a bad one but just not terribly intuitive, there was/is absoloutly nout in the way of markings for the cam chain... This is not good i know and having had the head off and taking it appart i'v probly left myself with a lot of tinkering (getting it right on first time probly isnt likely ) so i was wondering if anyone had any advice for getting this right? I know the flywheel for the cam chain has 3 holes, small, big, small, and they go small-bottom, big-forward, small-top, and this is also the position where the cam shaft starts to compess the forward port (exhaust). I dont suppose anyone has any idea where the poiston should be at this time? Not TDC i'm sure, but somewhere someone said something about interference with the piston and touble like that which would not be good atall so i thought i'd look for some clarification Am off to google a little more, sadly i havnt found any good resources for this kind of knowledge as of yet best regards -Jvr

Hey, Opps, yeah, i should have mentioned, i got tired of waiting and fancy some form of reliability with this bike so i have gone ahead and ordered a new head gasket that should be here soon. I'm just wondering if this gasket is going to do the job.... The gasket in there at the moment looks mint, if not a little oily... -Jvr

Hey, just thought i would leave a little thanks for you here, very interesting thread i must say, this is something i cant wait to getting a chance to have a go at once i'm out of uni and have a garage (and maybe a little cash heh). All the bext to you and nice job so far! -Jvr

Hey, So after getting a new head gasket which is what appeared to the be issue (and losing it... well putting it somewhere safe so its somewhere here *Grrr*), i'v been looking at the old gasket in there. Asside the fact it was deffinatly leaking (put some silicon gaskety stuff over it which inevitably lasted as long as it took to rev up the engine but visible black stuff coming from behind it) the gasket in there looks fine... It essentially looks like the shape of the split head with the edges raised slightly and oevrall looks just fine... So i was wondering if it would be worth putting some red RTV seal between there just incase (have some laying around) being careful not to let it get into the combusion chanber of course... This also leads me on to a second question... The bike had an after market pipe put on it a short while before i got it and the exhaust is much louder and improves the performance somewhat or so i'm told and is significatly shorter than the stock end. Now from what little i know about 4 stroke petrol engines isnt this going to interfere with the mixture and possibly may have contributed to the breaching head? Any thoughts on the subject would be much appreciated Best regards -Jvr

Hey all, I came accross this and my first thought was of the forum It appears to be an application to book a free, no strings ride with a local riding school for an hour for anyone with or without a liscence (aimed at people interested in riding i suspect heh). Anywho, it would have been fantastic for me when i was thinking about getting into riding and i thought maybe I could get the link put up here as a sticky for a while so hopefully the most people can get the best out of this offer! The link is: http://www.geton.co.uk/content/whats-it-all-about/ there seems to be a fair few places listed around the country! Best regards Chris Jvr

Hey, I hate to say this but as of yet i dont have much practical knowledge that could help you to be honest but i am sure to be following this thread as i find this kind of thing very enjoyable Have my 125 engine in the kitchen as we speak... if only i could find that darn head gasket and bits i got for it but i put them somewhere safe for christmas and well yeah... Maybe i should start a thread on interfering with a 125 for anyone else out there who needs work done on their bikes and finds the thought of doing it themselves a little imposing? I have to say, to take on that whole bike, your pretty brave but i can understand the journey is half the experience and well worth the late nights Enjoy and keep us posted Best regards Chris Jvr

Hey yeah. My little 125 supprised me when i first took it out, the breaks seemed very short/stiff when i first started going around on the bike around some quiet streets but i quickly found out that as you get the speed up you need to pull harder to get the same effect at higher speeds. I guess its just different breaking systems have different feels, some of the breaks on cars i have driven have been night and day (some almost to sharp to drive comfortably, most certainly would not like to ride a bike like that heh...). Best regards -Chris Jvr

Hey, I thought i would just tune in and say i have a 125 4stroke which has a CG copy engine. When it comes to maintinence its not usually i big issue, i love to tinker myself and i am jst working on changing my head gasket. If your mechanically orientated it just takes time and pick up a haynes manual and bobs your unkle Dont let it scare you to much, there is lots of resources online and if your friend is half handy it shouldnt be a problem if you decide to take this route and have any issues feel free to give me a shout -Jvr

Well, The kick start still feels pretty much the same as when i got her but from the looks of the deposits it does look like it may have been leaking for a while, its pretty black... Cant seem to think of any other way for it to get like that, its not close enough to the exhaust to even be vaugly related and it starts right on the fins on the head/chamber seal... Will see if my local kymco dealership (luckily pretty close!) can get a gasket set and i'll work my way down, can also check the piston/rings whilst i'm there as that would support the sooty appearence of the exhaust once the engines warmed up The mistry continues... -Jvr

Hey there, Well, i cant upload the picture at the moment but i think i have a clue here as to whats wrong with the old bikey! Generally speaking the engine is fairly clean, not shining but it's not covered in mud and the other days whilst looking at getting the exhaust off i noticed there is a patch where the fins are discoloured (look like they have soot on them) and almost look burnt... Which i completely out of sorts with the rest of the engine. Also interestingly this appears starting on the fin with the head gasket seal! Is it possible that i'm dealing with a leaking gasket? As it stands i have changed the plug, checked all the fuel lines/tank/filter and cleaned the carb and the problem is still here. The engine will idle good as the day i got the bike when first started but once it warms up a little bit (or before if you rev up high for a short while) and the engine will then stop firing properly and idle really badly and any further fannying about with the throttle usually makes little difference to the rpm (whilst still sounding just as terrible) and usually will kill the engine as the throttle comes back down. One other interesting observation is that the exhaust is clear and normal when started but when it is reved and is running poorly there is a deffinate blacky smokey/sooty colour coming out with each chug of the engine! So, could this be caused by a gasket going? Any thoughts would be much appreciated Best regards -Chris Jvr

Hey, Well, your right, the bikes out there in the rain but the exhaust has a pointy down bit towards the end, i bought a cover yesterday but sadly i somewhat dont think this is the problem to be honest Went out for a ride today though and learnt a lot more about the problem Here's a little write up on my observations from today which was about a 25'ish minute ride... When cold: (first portion of the ride, maybe first 7-10 minutes) -Not to bad, splutters occasionally around 4k and a little at higher rpm. -Sounds just fine accept when spluttering. Warms up: (from about 10-15 minutes in) -splutters a little more often, a little more irratically at any RPM and jolts. -loses power and gets it back, accelerating slowly jerkily, sometimes decelerating and more throttle doesnt help. -Sounds okay accept when spluttering, when it becomes more splutter than running smoothly it almost sounds like when pushing the engine uphill in a gear to high. when its been riding for a while and heated up: (the last 5 minutes i attempted to ride the bike before stopping for 10 minutes to let her cool and then rode home which was 5 minutes away and interestingly enough the bike rode like it did in the firs 10 minutes of the ride again (cold day in the rain could account for the bike cooling quickly) -If it accelerates its very jerky power surging -eventually engine refuses to go over 4000RPM even out of gear... -When engine is refusing to go anywhere more throttle just makes the engine sound louder but does not result in any change to the engine rpm nore does it relieve the simptoms, it just carries on jerking and not accelerating making more noise than at a lower throttle Overall, I have to say that for anything more than a 5-10 minute ride i dont think i would risk it and am concerned more damage may be done to the engine so tomorow i'm going to take the bike down to a honda place (suspect the engine is a CG copy anywho) and have a chat with them. My options as i see them are give the bike to them and let them do some exploritory investigating which may be the most sensible approach but being a skint student (unlike the ones in the paper recently, i never go out or even have a TV/liscence heh) this is my last option as meerly diagnosing the problem could cost a fair bit in comparison with the value of the bike and or a new engine for it! Second option would be to get the engine out and have little look myself, i couldnt say i know a terrible amount about 4st petrol engines but i know pretty much everything there is to know about 2st R/C heli engines though years of hobby addiction and taking into account the defferences in the engines am fairly confident i would notice anything obviously broken/exessivly worn (piston rings/bearings/sleves etc). However this option would require expenditure on tools, time and taking abuse for filling the lounge with engine! I am just about to start rooting around to find out how much a new engine will cost, this will play a big part in weather i will consider letting the honda people look at it or diy... I have a feeling the engines arnt to pricey. Any thoughts on the subject would be much appreciated! Best regards -chris Jvr

Hey, So i have a single piston 125 here and its running funny, not playing ball atall The bikes never missed a beat but has been out in the rain for a bit so i got on the bike today to get to the shop to buy a cover and on the way there anywhere Below 4k revs and it was spluttering and complaining. I got there in the end though and after asking about it they said its probably just the cold etc... So on the way home (was only there for 10 mins) i rode back and carried on for a bit but the problem was a little worse but for some strange reason when the engine was revving higher or uphill loading the engine it would splutter and slow the bike untill i put it in a lower gear and it would splutter a little less but still pull the bike... It sounds from what i'v read on a few posts here like it may be a miss firing issue and i filled her up on my way back (just around the corner though) so i'm thinking of taking the plug out, seeing if its "wet" (not to likely on a single piston 125 that idles fine haha), cleaning it and will take it out again. Any other thoughts on the matter though would be much appreciated Best regards -Jvr

73cm wide with two gates which are narrower but not by to much and passable really... I'm thinking of getting some narrower handlebars and just trying it anywho because the insurance will be higher if its kept on the street and i dont want it to get stolen Although saying that i need to get it insured tomrow and it will probably cost more to get the insurance changed *sighs*... But i cant get to the place to get the handlebars without riding there because its pretty out of the way... sooo, folding handlebars would be far more conventient... I'm sure i'v mentioned it before and its such a basic concept i'm pretty sure it could be done safely to be honest.... -Jvr ps, the handlebars are 85cm including bar weights on the end...