Any Honda XR125L owners? Urgent enquiry!

[RantMachine]

Hiya all,

Does anyone know what the torque setting should be for the rear axle nut on an XR125L?

One of the younger lads at work recently bought one second hand and has been putting it through some hefty paces riding to work and back every day then taking it green laning at the weekends. He asks me all his motorbike related questions, which seems pretty daft given as I'm still pretty new to it all myself A few days ago I noticed his chain is looking absolutely dire - any parts that aren't bone dry have so much crap stuck to the oil that it can't be doing anything to lubricate it, and the whole thing is so slack it could fall off tomorrow morning. Going to bring in my chain cleaning bits and the socket set so I can help him sort it out a little bit tomorrow lunchtime, but haven't had any luck finding out what torque setting to use.

Anyone happen to own one?

[Fozzie]

I don't, but it shares axles with a few bikes I do know.

Torque setting for the axle nut is 55nm, I just select 60nm though as a tiny bit extra never goes amiss on those.

[RantMachine]

Managed to download an owner's manual during my morning break, wanting to be absolutely certain before doing anything to the bike (don't mind endangering my own life, not so keen to risk someone else's neck with shoddy workmanship).

93nm!!! And a 24mm nut! Seems utterly barmy for a little 125, that's almost the same as my BMW

[Grumpy Old Git]

93nm is correct!

[Fozzie]

24mm bolt!? Something sounds odd there. What year is it?

I've only had my hands on an XR once, and it had a 16mm bolt on it... I just checked the microfiche which seems to back this up Confusing...

The CG, CBF, DR125SM, my old Varadero 125, are all like half that number

Work off the bolt size to be safe.

If it's 16mm like a lot of places suggest: 60NM is more than enough!

If it's 24mm then: 90-110nm is a good range

Or if it's a 32mm bolt on a GSXR 600 front sprocket, you need more than 200nm, which is a pain when tightening it to that overpowers the rear brake and the gear resistance offered by the bike

[Fozzie]

http://www.micksgarage.com/images/honda/bikes/XR125L3_2003_F-12%20REAR%20WHEEL.png

See part number 14 on the diagram? Reckons it's 16mm, which would be a max 60nm sort of bolt

Don't you just love the internets accuracy

[RantMachine]

Interestingly enough that diagram also shows the axle going in the opposite way round! Think the fiche website may have mixed their bikes up

Not the bike I'm working on, but you can see what I mean:

http://www.mmotoparts.com/img/prod/120/1145.jpg

[Fozzie]

I'm gaining a whole new appreciation of why old Hondas still power through today

That's one meaty bolt, I think my SV used very similar settings and the swingarm was a bout 3 times the size!

[RantMachine]

Hmm, never mind about all that - I went downstairs to talk to him in my lunch break before we made a start, and what did he tell me?

Bloody chain came off on the way home from work last night Warned him!

Luckily it came off at low speed just outside work, so no harm done. He had to get the bike to the dealership where he bought it (no idea where) and ask them very nicely to sort it for him. So now the plan has changed, I'm going to spend some time teaching him the basics of looking after the bike enough that it doesn't regularly try to kill you...