The borrowed Yamaha SR125

[Dum-Dum]

Here's my current ride, I'd arranged to borrow it off a mate from the middle of last month so I could get some more riding experience before doing my full bike licence. Good thing too considering I have no cars at the moment. He's happy as it keeps his bike looked after till his sister wants it and he now has a Phazer 600.

Anyway it's a 1997 Yamaha SR125 with just 22,000 miles on the clock, a whopping 11bhp and an official top speed of 56mph!!!!

It's cheap as chips, If I wasn't a named rider on my mates policy (£30 extra) it would cost me £115 for the year insurance fully comp, £17 road tax and I'm averaging nearly 90mpg(!) even in hooligan mode, managed to get it leant low enough the other day to catch my foot.

Within the next couple of months she'll need a new front tyre, clutch cable, speedo cable, carb rubber as it's perishing and one of the side panels replacing with the correct colour. Also the headlight is like a candle in a jam jar, it looks like a 306 brake light bulb that's in for the headlamp. The brakes are shocking and I cant stand his taste in number plates. She's also getting a small screen as at 60mph the wind is a beast and my commute sits for 20 miles at that sort of speed so I get a beating with no fairing to hide behind.

Here she is at ace next to my mates bike
   




After my second commute to work
   




And after a wash today with her new luggage rack fitted.
   
   

[Piggy]

You must look hilarious on that thing

[WiNgNuTz]

You must look hilarious on that thing

My thoughts exactly.

Perfect mode of transportation for London though! And 90+mpg?! That's all kinds of winning.

[Dum-Dum]

You must look hilarious on that thing

Dunno, it's actually quite a big cockpit for a 125, I sit fully upright so it's comfortable and the bars don't hit my leg on full lock unlike the Honda I did my CBT on and the pegs are a bit lower.

Perfect mode of transportation for London though! And 90+mpg?! That's all kinds of winning.

Yeah it is a great laugh, filtering is terrifying with the amount of jealous car drivers who deliberately try to move to stop you passing them but it's rapid up till 40mph so any speed you'll do in town (compared to anything else that'll do 90mpg) and it's great cos you can park it anywhere.

I'm off or a training day in Richmond in a week or so and I'm gonna be able to leave the house an hour later than if I drove because I'll pass all the traffic and because rather than parking over a mile away on the nearest street with no restrictions there is motorbike parking outside.

[zx_volcane]

filtering is terrifying with the amount of jealous car drivers who deliberately try to move to stop you passing them

See this on a regular basis in London, absolute madness and you have every right to be terrified :/

Need to get on the secret 'pizza delivery' training course, those guys are fearless :p

[Eeyore]

thats hilarious. How does it only manage 56mph? My aprilia rs50 used to get 54! D:

[bigcheez2k3]

Nice!

The headlights on my CBR125 were shit too so I upgraded them to H4 from normal filament bulbs.

[Dum-Dum]

filtering is terrifying with the amount of jealous car drivers who deliberately try to move to stop you passing them

See this on a regular basis in London, absolute madness and you have every right to be terrified :/

Need to get on the secret 'pizza delivery' training course, those guys are fearless :p

Yeah I'd love that course, they are hero spec brave and I have no idea how a cub 90 has such incredible cornering.

thats hilarious. How does it only manage 56mph? My aprilia rs50 used to get 54! D:

56 is the book speed, It cruises at 60 as long as there's no head wind or hills. Wind behind me it'll do 70+

Nice!

The headlights on my CBR125 were shit too so I upgraded them to H4 from normal filament bulbs.

Yeah that's exactly what I'm going for, A nice big 7" H4 lamp and a bright bulb. It's already a twin filament bulb with high and low so the wiring shouldn't be difficult.

[procta]

at least its a pair of wheels, who cares as long as it get you there and back, Mind tom will blow his load with the 90mpg

[bigcheez2k3]

Nice!

The headlights on my CBR125 were shit too so I upgraded them to H4 from normal filament bulbs.

Yeah that's exactly what I'm going for, A nice big 7" H4 lamp and a bright bulb. It's already a twin filament bulb with high and low so the wiring shouldn't be difficult.

IIRC, it was pretty much cut the old fitting off, fit the type a H4 uses and that was it as the wires were all there. Can get the fittings off ebay.

[Magenta Sunset]

good little bike!
btw, a couple of rattle cans & a new sticker will sort you side panel, pop into your local MDC for colour match. (y)

[Redordead89]

Always a win on 2 wheels be it London or any big city!
Av gas, k+n and a rejet for more ponies?

[Dum-Dum]

So the SR is still going well, especially well on cold nights and still doing almost 90mpg.

I've done some bits to her
Cleaned the stickers off the tank, I don't think I need to know it takes unleaded petrol as I'm not sure I know anywhere you could buy leaded.
   
   




At the front I've fitted a bigger H4 headlight as the original was like a candle in a jam jar, a screen, because the wind was battering me in the chest and a change of the L plate as the side one was just getting battered in 60mph wind for 20 mins every time I rode it.
   
   




And with the luggage rack and the screen she just fits under the cover.
I need to make a new bracket for the clocks so I can flip the headlight brackets and lift the lamp and screen up as the bracket that is on there is a little in the way.

[Dum-Dum]

So the bike is still going well, had a new tyre put on the front, cost me £100 for a Bridgestone but f*ck me I hadn't realised how bad the old one had got.

While I was there I found that they ahd a dyno so I got her strapped in for a few runs and came out with 10.6hp at 97kph at the rear wheel which apparently is incredibly good for a standard 125. I defo want to sneak a bigger carb and exhaust on there.

   

[Dum-Dum]

No pictures sadly but the bike is all Taxed, MOT'd and insured for another year. £17 Tax, £30 MOT and £142 insurance for my mate and me TP,F&T.

A years motoring isn't bad for under £190. Just fuel now and any repairs till I give it back.

Oh and my theory test is 15th Jan so I can get my big bike stuff booked.

[Dum-Dum]

Well, 6 months without updating this project but I still have it, you could start joking it's the longest I've ever owned a vehicle but I don't own it.

Essentially it's been rather uneventful other than about 2 months ago the whole of the inside of the exhaust colapsing to the point the engine wouldn't run, the bill for that with a few other bits was £250ish but thankfully it died at work which is 200 yards from a very friendly bike shop.


I found when I went away on holiday it fits nicely in my workshop for a tiny bit of extra security It also then prevents anything being removed from the workshop without removing the bike first.
   




And I can lock it to my incredibly sturdy work bench.
   





Other than that I've done nearly 4000 miles on it now and it only requires basic maintenance (here one of the regular chain greasing and tyre pressure checking sessions). Now the weather is nice (and having had a ride of a big bike) I'm tempted to pull my finger out and do my full bike licence before I buy a cummins.
   

[Paul Baldwin]

Glad to see this is still getting you about. Would love to see you on it just for lolz! One thing I just simply cannot understand is the power that thing has got tho. 10.6hp at the wheel WTAF? My 1986 YZ80 is has a book figure of 17hp iirc (engine obviously). My mates F reg Tzr 125 was about 25bhp with the valve turned. That's all a very long time ago so I find the "power" that thing has got truly shocking tbh.

[Strikeforce]

Glad to see this is still getting you about. Would love to see you on it just for lolz! One thing I just simply cannot understand is the power that thing has got tho. 10.6hp at the wheel WTAF? My 1986 YZ80 is has a book figure of 17hp iirc (engine obviously). My mates F reg Tzr 125 was about 25bhp with the valve turned. That's all a very long time ago so I find the "power" that thing has got truly shocking tbh.

2 stroke engines can have some decent power for their size but lets not forget that these are built to be able to ride on a cbt licence which is around 14bhp max.

[Paul Baldwin]

Fair enough, the TZR was restricted too but you could turn the valve and away to go, after you had your full license obviously. Just seems pitiful for a 125 30 years into the future that's all.

[insomaniac45]

dont start me on TZRs
i have had 4 of them, including the TZR 125 RR, the one i want is the RR SP. that is 34bhp as standard

the standard 2rk - 3pc3 models, didnt come with the YPVS servos, you could only have them with a full licence, but are easily obtainable today, and push the stock 11bhp, right through to 25. just by putting that kit on

I am TZR mad, and always will be, cars are my 3rd love

[Strikeforce]

Fair enough, the TZR was restricted too but you could turn the valve and away to go, after you had your full license obviously. Just seems pitiful for a 125 30 years into the future that's all.

I agree, but thems the rules unfortunately.

Remember riding an aprilia rs125 full power at 30+ bhp and was blown away on what a 125 could do.

[procta]

what's stopping you from getting you bike licence? at the end of the day your cummins is your project, the Scooby is your winter motor. you are laughing!