New to me 1980 CR125R

thats nothing ten grand cant fix

x2

Looks like a good starting point, the suspension will depend on your plan for the bike ie do you want it to remain standard or eligible to race in a certain class?

You may be able to use later model forks or at least the internals for the front end, some CR gurus on here will know more. rear shocks it sounds like you are already on the right track with.

I've come to realize a decent raceable restore is $2500 minimum - one that looks good

Tires, tubes, plastics, bearings, cables, on and on. Motor alone is probably $750, gaskets, seals, bearings, rod, piston, rings, clutch, etc

Has anyone actually come in at the amount they had budgeted for a restored vintage bike?

Originally I planned on a top end and fresh meats for my bike. I kept looking at it in the garage and thinking about it at work. I cant leave well enough alone . I set 1200.00 aside for my bike. On paper I had 150 left over. I don't even want to total the amount I had spent. But it wasnt close it to1200.00. I'm not always a disciplined person either . But once the bike starts taking shape and you have shiny plastic and memories on the stand in the garage it becomes a little easier to click on the buy it now.


I keep telling myself the next vintage bike in my garage will be a total runner. I won't lie, the build was fun and rewarding. I didn't have to lay out the total amount at one time. I feel restoring your own ride unless it came to you with 10 hours on it and sat in heated dry storage for the past 25 years, that you aren't saving money If you are building it right. Racing takes alot of time and money. I dont want to spent 200 on fuel, 100 on gate fees and give up a weekend to have a bike that misses 3rd gear ,DNF or be bounced over the bars in a rough section because i didnt spent the cash to have good suspension. If you have 1500 budgeted unless you are machining your own shocks on material you get for free you are going to spend 2/3 of that for new rear suspension.

Old men that race motocross are inherently cheap asses or maybe even stubborn idiots.It's rare if someone is going to pay 4000 for an old bike . We would rather build it and take the hit at 2000 , eat our invested time, lose hundreds at best maybe hope to almost break even but probably not so we can go buy some more old junk . I haven't a clue how East Coast Vintage sells pretty darn nice ready to go bikes at the prices they do and make money. They must have a crew of illegal Mexicans with cans of PJ1 satin black and Simple Green cleaning up bikes in a basement in North Carolina.

Im not saying not to restore the CR. Im talking in general.The best way I feel is to find a low hour bike. Pay the price. 3,4,5k .whatever. The bike won't be metal fatigued or have cross threaded seat bolts. The spokes not have to be tightened with 2 vice grips. Fuel won't poor out the vent tubes. People wil, say "that's too nice to ride" . But your time will be spent riding not driving to the powdercoaters or scrolling through eBay for a shift fork. In no way is this a bitchfest just my reality I've accepted.

I like the 1980 Cr. They were fast and turned good. I like it even more with the 79 metal tank like Neumanns Honda.

>Has anyone actually come in at the amount they had budgeted for a restored vintage bike?

EXCELLENT post, MP. There is just no such thing as a cheap restoration, in part because it's difficult to be completely rational/disciplined in spending, and also because there is almost invariably a NOS part (or parts) that take(s) a lot of eBay scouring and cash outlay to acquire.

The better the starting point, the better the end project will probably turn out. Its essentially axiomatic that it's cheaper to pay upfront for a low hour example than to rebuild a toasted core. And yes, expect to lose your shirt if the time comes to sell the bike.

This is still a great hobby and I wouldn't change anything-- including my choice to come back after almost 25 years. You are right, we are all a little bit touched in the head!

I am not saying not to get it. it would be very rewarding to restore that load into a fresh new race machine Just don't underestimate the effort and money you have to put into it to get it how you would like it. I speak from my own experience.

For $150 you can't go wrong. You may find that the best route to a restore or rebuild is to find yet another one and combine the best parts. Take your time and take it apart and evaluate it before hitting the "buy it now" button a kajillion times. My worst downfall!
My '79 YZ125 isn't pretty, but I did manage to get it together and racing for less than $800. The problem is that I spent that again on the suspension and spare parts since then. So, I do believe it can be done with a lot of discipline. At least in the beginning.
I'm a YZ guy too. I can't allow myself to buy another brand since all my buckets of spare parts are Yamaha stuff. This is another way of saving money: Sticking with one brand. Good luck in Hondaland, I hope it treats you kindly!

You guys give up way too easy. I've gotten sucked into rebuilding that exact bike at least 15 times. Maybe not that exact bike, but 15 in similar stages of rot.

It wasn't always the right thing to do but it got done regardless. Race ready and restored are two totally different things. Once you start making things pretty all bets are off!!

Thanks to Newmann I got to dump a huge pile of dough into this roach. I thank him everyday for it. Lol

Here she is now.

before









$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

after, and yes Newmann ive since fixed the decals and got a real ing cover

my before pik is actually a roach i traded to Hubbard, after i stole the ing cover, but mine was just as bad, and with any luck Hubbard will spend thousands on that shit box

The best thing to do is start with a bike so obscure, that virtually no spare parts are available. If it is totally clapped out, that is even better.

This is my 1969 Indian Boy Racer. Got it new for Christmas that year. Lost track of it in '71 due to the folks divorce, until 1984, when I found it while settling my fathers estate. It apparently became the neighborhood bike.

It has a Jawa engine. Want engine parts ? Send off to Germany. Cosmetics ? Forget it. Rumor has it Clymer's widow basically threw all the inventory out following Floyd's death in 1970.

I have made a great contact in Michigan who has been reproducing things for them on a very limited basis.

When you order, be sure the wallet is heavily padded.

One day, I hope to have it together. It does still run, amazingly.

This is not my bike, but about the same condition as I saw mine for the last time in '71.

Damn near 3/4 of my collection is Newmann's fault but like I said I thank him everyday. Lol. Could be a drunk or meth addict but instead I dump my money into old bikes that make me smile and will give my kid something to sell the second I die. Lol.

No wide pegs on my scoots, gotta be period correct for me. However check http://vmxracing.com/vmx-main.htm for most all you'll be looking for including wide pegs.

And yeah, Pete cost me a solid $5k by pushing that roached 77 125 out of his van into my driveway. Thanks Pete!

Good luck with the build, here's mine.

My 80 model CR125 came to be from an internet garage sale site when we first found the internet. Funny shit, had the kid mail me photos, yes mail. Drove 400 miles to the back woods of Mississippi until we heard banjo's. There the bike sits complete with rebel flag stickers on the front and rear fenders, rebel flag front number plate and cross bar pad. Went to bounce on it and the forks were solid, no movement. Kid asks if I want to test ride, I politely decline. I didn't even crank it, just handed the money and went to load it up. Go to tie down the rigid front end and it won't compress any at all so I reach up and attempt to maybe let some air out of the forks??? Fork oil or some other substance shoots clear over the roof of the truck, down the windshield and hood. So I tie the rebel rouser down solid while the kid stands there almost in tears. I'm wondering where I'm going to stop to peel all the confederate decals off when he finally breaks down and asks if he gave me back some money, could he keep his rebel cross bar pad! It was hard not to laugh but I told him I would remove the number plate for his collection also and he could keep his money.

After putting some decent forks and shocks on it, I thrashed it for about five years on the original engine. Finally broke down when the oldest son started riding it and gave the old roach a facelift to make it look presentable.









Diamond Don's action


Me chasing him in practice at DD.

It would be well worth your time to also call Clark Jones at Noleen J-6 in Victorville, CA (760) 955-8757, and get his opinion on the suspension and what your options are.

His shop is doing quite a bit of Vintage work, and he is still an active VMX racer himself and involved in the VMX community.