Honda XL125

[dobbslc]

Different model

I had a freebee TZ250E and decided I would be safer competing in the singles class so scrounged a cr250 motor from work and installed that. After 1/2 a dozen bedding in laps I gave it a squirt and couldn't believe the vibration. After 1/2 a lap a piece of frame ,the size of a film cannister fell out of the middle of the frame . Stuck the TZ engine back in and flogged the CR motor. Couldn't be bothered to rubber mount etc.

A freebie TZ! that'd be worth a few quid now!
I also stuck a CR250 engine where it didn't belong, it went in a Cagiva Mito chassis and as you mention the vibration was unreal! I missed a gear coming out of the devils elbow at Mallory and the revs went sky high and the thing buzzed both feet off the pegs and blurred my vision for a few seconds! It was bloody fast though!
After a season or two I also took the engine out and sold it...

" A Graham Bell"

I've a couple of his books and they are very good and make even two stroke exhaust tuning understandable.

 

[redlig]

A freebie TZ! that'd be worth a few quid now!
I also stuck a CR250 engine where it didn't belong, it went in a Cagiva Mito chassis and as you mention the vibration was unreal! I missed a gear coming out of the devils elbow at Mallory and the revs went sky high and the thing buzzed both feet off the pegs and blurred my vision for a few seconds! It was bloody fast though!
After a season or two I also took the engine out and sold it...

I've a couple of his books and they are very good and make even two stroke exhaust tuning understandable.

You have just GOT to try these things.

 

[redlig]

Fantastic to see such a rare bike. My first ‘real’ bike was the same K3 1979V!! I loved the looks over the high mudguards of the ‘S’s. When I bought it the engine was noisy which I thought sounded cool coming from riding a Gilera 50 as I didn’t know much then. I learnt a lot from it as the engine blew up then I realised it was the cam chain that was shagged to start with and I fixed it with a rebore after taking the two ‘mushroom’ looking things out of the top of the piston!!

When you mentioned your K3 1979 V was that the 250 v twin ?

 

[GRW]

You have just GOT to try these things.

I once rode an early air-cooled CR500. 4-speed 'box, no namby-pamby variable exhaust valves, just a motor with surprising bit of low-rev torque, followed by a lightswitch change to full-bore lunacy.
In Top on a straight-ish section of Fire Road, flat-out it'd alternate between spinning the rear and weaving deftly, to digging-in, finding grip and wheelieng, before breaking traction at about 30-degrees Lift, and repeating.
The damned thing was mental. Nowhere near the most powerful motorcycle I rode, but undoubtedly the maddest, baddest, most visceral lump of 2-wheeled Loopiness I ever rode.

 

[dobbslc]

Similar to my Mito, that would switch between wheel spin and wheelies but on tarmac! I'd be stood up on the pegs leaning over the bars to keep it from flipping over.
Glory days

 

[Guzrik]

I once rode an early air-cooled CR500. 4-speed 'box, no namby-pamby variable exhaust valves, just a motor with surprising bit of low-rev torque, followed by a lightswitch change to full-bore lunacy.
In Top on a straight-ish section of Fire Road, flat-out it'd alternate between spinning the rear and weaving deftly, to digging-in, finding grip and wheelieng, before breaking traction at about 30-degrees Lift, and repeating.
The damned thing was mental. Nowhere near the most powerful motorcycle I rode, but undoubtedly the maddest, baddest, most visceral lump of 2-wheeled Loopiness I ever rode.

Had similar experience on a two stroke aircooled 500(?)cc KTM.
Long ago, only thing I remember is that my vision got blurred from the vibrations at higher revs great experience.

 

[Mick Annick]

When I sold mine to a contractor I worked with, I found a firm in Stockton that made daily runs to the Isle of Wight, they even picked it up from my house, just dawned the tank, Cost £12-00 but that was quite a while ago.
That is my lad with the bike (he is 52 now!!)

View attachment 360423

I had one new in 1975, rode it to work in the week and to (and in) trials at the weekend, happy days. Just checked (KPA 10P), DVLA say it’s still taxed!

 

[Bluemotion]

When you mentioned your K3 1979 V was that the 250 v twin ?

No it was the old 125 single

 

[redlig]

No it was the old 125 single

Thanks ! I never could remember all the model no's.

 

[Domdom]

I once rode an early air-cooled CR500. 4-speed 'box, no namby-pamby variable exhaust valves, just a motor with surprising bit of low-rev torque, followed by a lightswitch change to full-bore lunacy.
In Top on a straight-ish section of Fire Road, flat-out it'd alternate between spinning the rear and weaving deftly, to digging-in, finding grip and wheelieng, before breaking traction at about 30-degrees Lift, and repeating.
The damned thing was mental. Nowhere near the most powerful motorcycle I rode, but undoubtedly the maddest, baddest, most visceral lump of 2-wheeled Loopiness I ever rode.

I came across that with a RD400 Yam. Mate’s bike and he let me try it out. It had been tuned as well so when it came on to power band it sort of coughed a bit and then BOOM, it was off like a bride’s nightie. This was amusing at first, right up until I tipped it into a roundabout having just taken 2nd gear. As I rolled on the throttle it bloody wheelied whilst I was leaned over trying to get round the roundabout.

Almost soiled myself.

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

Cleaned and polished the rear shocks, these were quite expensive Hagons that I bought for it some years ago. Started to fit out the new mudguards. Some of the metal work I had rechromed in 2010, these have polished up well but the company who did it back then messed up the rear light bracket when they polished it afterwards - I have another replacement that I will send off to get rechromed - any suggestions for reputable chroming company?

Also had a spare set of fork stanchions rechromed by Philpotts ready to fit this week as the originals are pitted.

 

[minimutly]

Cleaned and polished the rear shocks, these were quite expensive Hagons that I bought for it some years ago. Started to fit out the new mudguards. Some of the metal work I had rechromed in 2010, these have polished up well but the company who did it back then messed up the rear light bracket when they polished it afterwards - I have another replacement that I will send off to get rechromed - any suggestions for reputable chroming company?

Also had a spare set of fork stanchions rechromed by Philpotts ready to fit this week as the originals are pitted.

View attachment 363424
View attachment 363425

I bought a rusty set of hagons just like that, while slightly drunk, on eBay a couple of years ago - they had the plastic shrouds so you couldn’t see the shafts. When they arrived they looked pretty rough. But on stripping them apart I found the shocks were like new, just the chrome on the springs were rusty. So I blasted the springs and gave them a coat of 2pack black, polished the ali shocks, hey presto. £30 well spent.

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

I bought a rusty set of hagons just like that, while slightly drunk, on eBay a couple of years ago - they had the plastic shrouds so you couldn’t see the shafts. When they arrived they looked pretty rough. But on stripping them apart I found the shocks were like new, just the chrome on the springs were rusty. So I blasted the springs and gave them a coat of 2pack black, polished the ali shocks, hey presto. £30 well spent.

I’ve had very good service from Hagon before, I had an XLR125 with a rusty but working Hagon rear shock. I sent it back to them for a rebuild and I’m pretty sure they took one look at it and just sent me out a brand new one as it came back brand new with a stainless body and new spring all for the rebuild fee

 

[jinjahbiscuit]

any suggestions for reputable chroming company?

S&T Plating, Yate near Bristol.

 

[Mick Annick]

S&T Plating, Yate near Bristol.

Not used them for years, but they gave good advice and did a smashing job when I did use them.

 

[RichardM]

Derby Plating, Abbey St, Derby

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

Thanks. The light bracket was polished / linished with little care and attention which caused the edges to be worn down to knife edges.

 

[Bobo]

My sister had a Honda XL125 as a learner bike in the 80s. She sold it for peanuts as it scared her, the front end wobbled when you went over 50mph. I rode it a couple of times and would gladly have taken it I think the front wheel just needed truing up.

I had something similar on a mate's RD125LC only to work out that I think I was too light for it. He later fitted a full fairing on it and when I rode it again no tank slapper that time even at high speed.

 

[Fiji]

Lovely looking old bike that XL!
I've been thinking about getting a small enduro bike just for messing around on but they don't half hold their price!
My Yamaha TRX850 costs £96 a year just for tax, theiving bloody government
The insurance is only £76!!!

It probably costs me £20 a mile to ride as I don't do many miles.
Something tax exempt and really cheap to insure would be just right,.
I'm off to eBay now...

96 quid ? I'm paying NZ600 tax for my CB1100 in bloody New Zealand.

 

[dobbslc]

Yikes that's well over £300!