1984 Honda XL 125R

[Mikey_F7]

Hi I’ve recently purchased a 1984 Honda XL125R (Front Drum Brake Model) This is my first restoration project and have recently done the frame, swing arm, suspension, wheels and the front forks so it’s basically a rolling frame and I’ve just started the on the engine (I wasn’t there when I collected the bike but was told it had compression and started but was abit boggy) and was hoping to do a full rebuild on it but I don’t have a clue where to start and and the parts I need for the rebuild e.g. piston kit, gasket kit and how to go about it do I strip the entire engine down to each individual piece, clean, list and reassemble in order and rebuild from there or do I do the top end and then the bottom thanks for any replies

[dynax]

Hello and welcome

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

Much depends on what you want to do and if it's needed. I prefer not to dismantle an engine unless there's a good reason to do so. If it is just a bit boggy but has good compression then I'd begin by checking the carb and ignition.

If you do decide to dismantle the engine then make sure you have access to spares needed before starting.

Be methodical, label and photograph everything. Put parts in separate bags in a dedicated container. Clean every part as you remove it. That slows you down and means every component is checked, cleaned, labelled and stored in order. Less mistakes happen that way. And when you come to reassemble you will be glad you took more time stripping it down.

Have you got the workshop manual for it?

[Mr Fro]

I've just had a quick look at wemoto and they seem to have just about everything you could (reasonably) need for a rebuild.

I tend to start at the top and work my way down, flipping the engine once I've got the top off. You will need a manual or spec sheet for things such as tolerances.