Rm 125 Rescue & Restore (Finished with Pics)

K-dubbb
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K-dubbb
Edited Date/Time 10/2/2015 6:16am
Hey Guys,

I just traded my blown up Rmz 250 for this pretty banged up 125. I was throwing parts in the garbage before buddy even left my driveway. The motor was just rebuild top and bottom end but the chassis really is loosey goosey so thats where I will be spending most of my time although everything will be gone over and inspected.

My plans are sort of up in the air atm, considering going with a yellow frame, will be running newer style plastics and getting the suspension worthy of riding. Needless to say I will be monitoring ebay closely for some good parts. If anyone can recommend graphics that aren't Makita or Rockstar I'd love to see your input.

Anyways here is the rig:









I will continue to post pics and updates as I go through every piece on the bike, And asking for feedback and your thoughts on certain issues I run into. This should be fun!

Cheers
|
mikebrownsound 11/7/2014 5:39am
11/7/2014 5:39am
Sweet im doing the same thing! But a rm 250 rc replica. Wil be awsome to follow you !!
seth505
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seth505 11/7/2014 7:32am
11/7/2014 7:32am
I have an 03 and I can give you one tip. Look for a front brake off a newer bike so it isn't that crappy "under the fork leg" brake line routing. I put a front brake off of a kx250f and then just bought a fork guard for a newer RM so it has the correct mounting for the brake line.
I had a similar deal, bought mine and redid the motor/bearings and powder coated the frame yellow.
Good luck!
K-dubbb
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K-dubbb 11/7/2014 7:39am
11/7/2014 7:39am
seth505 wrote:
I have an 03 and I can give you one tip. Look for a front brake off a newer bike so it isn't that crappy "under...
I have an 03 and I can give you one tip. Look for a front brake off a newer bike so it isn't that crappy "under the fork leg" brake line routing. I put a front brake off of a kx250f and then just bought a fork guard for a newer RM so it has the correct mounting for the brake line.
I had a similar deal, bought mine and redid the motor/bearings and powder coated the frame yellow.
Good luck!
Hey man thanks a lot for the input. Last night I was pondering about the front brake setup so this is very helpful. I will probably PM you as I get into the front brake game.

seth505
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seth505 11/7/2014 7:42am
11/7/2014 7:42am
seth505 wrote:
I have an 03 and I can give you one tip. Look for a front brake off a newer bike so it isn't that crappy "under...
I have an 03 and I can give you one tip. Look for a front brake off a newer bike so it isn't that crappy "under the fork leg" brake line routing. I put a front brake off of a kx250f and then just bought a fork guard for a newer RM so it has the correct mounting for the brake line.
I had a similar deal, bought mine and redid the motor/bearings and powder coated the frame yellow.
Good luck!
K-dubbb wrote:
Hey man thanks a lot for the input. Last night I was pondering about the front brake setup so this is very helpful. I will probably...
Hey man thanks a lot for the input. Last night I was pondering about the front brake setup so this is very helpful. I will probably PM you as I get into the front brake game.

Sounds good

The Shop

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Cancerman
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Cancerman 11/8/2014 12:21am
11/8/2014 12:21am
seth505 wrote:
I have an 03 and I can give you one tip. Look for a front brake off a newer bike so it isn't that crappy "under...
I have an 03 and I can give you one tip. Look for a front brake off a newer bike so it isn't that crappy "under the fork leg" brake line routing. I put a front brake off of a kx250f and then just bought a fork guard for a newer RM so it has the correct mounting for the brake line.
I had a similar deal, bought mine and redid the motor/bearings and powder coated the frame yellow.
Good luck!
K-dubbb wrote:
Hey man thanks a lot for the input. Last night I was pondering about the front brake setup so this is very helpful. I will probably...
Hey man thanks a lot for the input. Last night I was pondering about the front brake setup so this is very helpful. I will probably PM you as I get into the front brake game.

Galfer makes a shorter brake line that routes it the Honda CR way, you don't need a different brake caliper. If you want more power, do an over sized rotor kit, they are pretty impressive for the money. I did a full RM125 resto, the bike is in my avitar.
K-dubbb
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K-dubbb 11/8/2014 5:00am
11/8/2014 5:00am
seth505 wrote:
I have an 03 and I can give you one tip. Look for a front brake off a newer bike so it isn't that crappy "under...
I have an 03 and I can give you one tip. Look for a front brake off a newer bike so it isn't that crappy "under the fork leg" brake line routing. I put a front brake off of a kx250f and then just bought a fork guard for a newer RM so it has the correct mounting for the brake line.
I had a similar deal, bought mine and redid the motor/bearings and powder coated the frame yellow.
Good luck!
K-dubbb wrote:
Hey man thanks a lot for the input. Last night I was pondering about the front brake setup so this is very helpful. I will probably...
Hey man thanks a lot for the input. Last night I was pondering about the front brake setup so this is very helpful. I will probably PM you as I get into the front brake game.

Cancerman wrote:
Galfer makes a shorter brake line that routes it the Honda CR way, you don't need a different brake caliper. If you want more power, do...
Galfer makes a shorter brake line that routes it the Honda CR way, you don't need a different brake caliper. If you want more power, do an over sized rotor kit, they are pretty impressive for the money. I did a full RM125 resto, the bike is in my avitar.
The bike is a 2001

A next to new kx brake caliper is $40 on eBay compared to the $150+ for a rotor upgrade but I will still do my research on this. As for the brake line, Seth mentioned that they started doing normal line routing in 2004, so do I just order new brake lines for a 2005 rm125 to ensure I get the length for a modern routed brake hose (like the CR, RMz, etc.)

Seth also advised that with the new brake routing I can run 2012 RMz fork guards Tongue

Thanks again for the input, your RM is dreamy cancerman!
K-dubbb
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K-dubbb 11/8/2014 5:03am
11/8/2014 5:03am
Oh and one more question cancerman, what did you do for suspension? As of now I'm ordering the pivot works fork rebuild kit with all bushing clips and seals + new fork oil. As for the rear, my back shock is rough so I think Im gonna grab another rear off of eBay and run that. Interested in your thoughts, thanks.
Ktm life
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Ktm life 11/9/2014 6:42pm
11/9/2014 6:42pm
I actually just finished up a 2003 rm 125, I recommend making sure your electrical is all sound, mine had a few issues lol

hvaughn88
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hvaughn88 11/9/2014 9:02pm
11/9/2014 9:02pm
Ktm life wrote:
I actually just finished up a 2003 rm 125, I recommend making sure your electrical is all sound, mine had a few issues lol [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2014/11/09/70110/s1200_image.jpg[/img]
I actually just finished up a 2003 rm 125, I recommend making sure your electrical is all sound, mine had a few issues lol

What kind of issues did you have? I've got an '03 as well, so I'd like to know what to keep an eye out for
Cancerman
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Cancerman 11/11/2014 11:02pm
11/11/2014 11:02pm
K-dubbb wrote:
Oh and one more question cancerman, what did you do for suspension? As of now I'm ordering the pivot works fork rebuild kit with all bushing...
Oh and one more question cancerman, what did you do for suspension? As of now I'm ordering the pivot works fork rebuild kit with all bushing clips and seals + new fork oil. As for the rear, my back shock is rough so I think Im gonna grab another rear off of eBay and run that. Interested in your thoughts, thanks.
My Showa forks were already revalved by Pro Circuit, as well as the shock, so I rebuilt them myself with the bushings, seals, etc. The shock was dead, so I sent it to Factory Connection. They rebuilt them, and they changed the rear spring for my weight. They were honest, and told me that for my weight and speed, the Shock already had PC valving, and it was acceptable so don't spend my money revalving, as I would not see any real difference since they would not change it very much. I respect FC, and would highly recommend them. I did some early testing, and found I had to go 2 steps up on my fork springs, as it was way out of balance. My suspension dollars were well spent. I consider it an investment in safety, so to speak. I have an oversized front rotor kit and CR line, and no KX I've ever ridden can touch my front brake. I've owned 6 bikes in the last several years, including a CRF 450, none of them can touch my RM's brakes, including my current Honda CR500. By the way, I bought my 03 off craigslist, blown up, in a box. It was a former Team bike for Davi Millsapps, back in the day. It's my favorite, go to, bike for fun.Woohoo
K-dubbb
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K-dubbb 11/12/2014 6:38am
11/12/2014 6:38am Edited Date/Time 11/12/2014 6:41am
K-dubbb wrote:
Oh and one more question cancerman, what did you do for suspension? As of now I'm ordering the pivot works fork rebuild kit with all bushing...
Oh and one more question cancerman, what did you do for suspension? As of now I'm ordering the pivot works fork rebuild kit with all bushing clips and seals + new fork oil. As for the rear, my back shock is rough so I think Im gonna grab another rear off of eBay and run that. Interested in your thoughts, thanks.
Cancerman wrote:
My Showa forks were already revalved by Pro Circuit, as well as the shock, so I rebuilt them myself with the bushings, seals, etc. The shock...
My Showa forks were already revalved by Pro Circuit, as well as the shock, so I rebuilt them myself with the bushings, seals, etc. The shock was dead, so I sent it to Factory Connection. They rebuilt them, and they changed the rear spring for my weight. They were honest, and told me that for my weight and speed, the Shock already had PC valving, and it was acceptable so don't spend my money revalving, as I would not see any real difference since they would not change it very much. I respect FC, and would highly recommend them. I did some early testing, and found I had to go 2 steps up on my fork springs, as it was way out of balance. My suspension dollars were well spent. I consider it an investment in safety, so to speak. I have an oversized front rotor kit and CR line, and no KX I've ever ridden can touch my front brake. I've owned 6 bikes in the last several years, including a CRF 450, none of them can touch my RM's brakes, including my current Honda CR500. By the way, I bought my 03 off craigslist, blown up, in a box. It was a former Team bike for Davi Millsapps, back in the day. It's my favorite, go to, bike for fun.Woohoo
Alright guys sorry for the delay in updates, these last few weeks have been nuts but I will be clear after all my deadlines are met this weekend. Anyways, the other night I got to work on the bike a little bit. The parts order is gonna wait until Black Friday to hopefully grab some deals and save some coin. For now my focus is getting the frame to powder coat , going to get it done in suzuki yellow.



Also, when I released the clutch cable I noticed the stator stuff is a bit rusty. I know the magneto side had oil in it on my RMZ but from what I have read it is a dry compartment on the 2 stroke motor. Anyone have any input on this or thoughts?





Cancerman: Thanks for the input on the suspension and as for your brake setup I will keep an eye for an oversized kit.Cool

The bike certainly spent some time outside and hasn't been apart in years. The linkage bolts were seriously on there, I hit them with PB Blaster and got the breaker bar out but so far no broken or stripped hardware(knock on wood). This bike has a lot of spray paint on it, so I will be going hard on the stripper, trying my luck on the rear wheel right now and will post my results.

All for now, take care.


seth505
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seth505 11/12/2014 7:11am
11/12/2014 7:11am
Cancerman wrote:
Galfer makes a shorter brake line that routes it the Honda CR way, you don't need a different brake caliper. If you want more power, do...
Galfer makes a shorter brake line that routes it the Honda CR way, you don't need a different brake caliper. If you want more power, do an over sized rotor kit, they are pretty impressive for the money. I did a full RM125 resto, the bike is in my avitar.
Definitely another good option. I didn't mention, my master cylinder was kind of crap condition when I restored mine so I wanted to get a whole new front setup to see any improvement.
K-dubbb
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K-dubbb 11/12/2014 7:15am
11/12/2014 7:15am
Ktm life wrote:
I actually just finished up a 2003 rm 125, I recommend making sure your electrical is all sound, mine had a few issues lol [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2014/11/09/70110/s1200_image.jpg[/img]
I actually just finished up a 2003 rm 125, I recommend making sure your electrical is all sound, mine had a few issues lol

Where did you get your graphics? I am really looking for something modern like this and is a combination of the RM 125 plastics and the newer front fender & number plate.
OldnBroken
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OldnBroken 11/12/2014 2:24pm
11/12/2014 2:24pm
That bike would not have had oil in the stator; It probably had a leaky cover gasket or rubber seal around the wire harness, and/or got pressure washed a lot and then those parts got rusty. I've had some ugly rusty components in my bikes before (89 RM250 comes to mind), and the stator didn't fail or anything. And, as long as the tab for the trigger coil is still on the outside of the flywheel, and it is till magnetic inside, it should be OK. I would just clean it up and make sure there aren't any issues hiding anywhere.
Ktm life
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Ktm life 11/13/2014 11:51am
11/13/2014 11:51am
My ignition coil was junk, my kill switch toasted out at the same time. And had a couple wires that had worn through the insulation and were grounding to the frame every once in a while.
Ktm life
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Ktm life 11/13/2014 11:53am
11/13/2014 11:53am
K-dubbb wrote:
Where did you get your graphics? I am really looking for something modern like this and is a combination of the RM 125 plastics and the...
Where did you get your graphics? I am really looking for something modern like this and is a combination of the RM 125 plastics and the newer front fender & number plate.
Blackheartmx they have really good selection and great prices
BAMX
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BAMX 11/14/2014 2:00pm
11/14/2014 2:00pm
Before you paint or powder coat the frame, check it for cracks down near the foot pegs.

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K-dubbb
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K-dubbb 11/18/2014 5:10am
11/18/2014 5:10am
Alright guys, long time no post but here is an update since I got some time to work on the bike last night. So far it has been a real task getting the bike unassembled, I can only guess that this guy tightened the day lights out of everything then I it looks as though the bike spent a good portion of its life outside.

So I am down to the frame which is good, the headset race seems to be a bit stuck so next step is popping this lock ring out to get out the remainder of my triple clamps.



After this the last piece of the puzzle before sending my frame off for powder coat is getting the rear brake reservoir off, I think I am going to have to drill these bolts out with hopes of not touching the threads on the reservoir. I have no idea why they made these allen key heads, but if anyone has any input or ideas on these besides welding an allen key to them and spinning them out or just carefully drilling them out, I am all ears!




Here are the wheels, I will be peeling the tires off when I get a hold of my buddies tire stand. After the tires are off I am gonna be hammering them with paint strip followed by a pressure wash to get all of this spray paint off of them, I am hoping I can polish them up and bring them back to life - the wheels have no dents or flat spots so they really aren't that rough. I was considering getting them powdercoated but I've heard this isn't durable enough. I'd rather wait and lace these hubs to gold excel wheels in the future.




I have ordered a full front fork suspension rebuild kit, but I am really not sure what I am going to do about the back shock. It is really rough and covered in spray paint over spray Angry So option 1 is to pull it apart and try my best to revive it OR just buy one in much better shape from Ebay.



Here is the motor, gonna go hard on this with the cleaning products and give it a thorough inspection, I am also getting a carb rebuild kit and new hoses so it should be crisp Cool



One last thing, as I mentioned everything is on super tight, the chain slider screws are no exception. I am hitting everything with PB Blaster pretty consistently and trying to take my time, but does anyone have any input on getting these out OR if they do become stripped any ideas?




All for now guys! Hoping to get my frame to powder coat by the end of the week and I am thinking Suzuki yellow!



K-dubbb
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K-dubbb 11/18/2014 6:53am
11/18/2014 6:53am
Another question, I really liked the bar bend on my stock Rmz 250 fat bars, I will be ordering Renthals with a cross bar - does anyone recommend a bend similar to this? From what I've read the CR High's have nice back sweep and are not too high. I am 5 ft 7 if that helps for bend recommendations. Thanks!
seth505
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seth505 11/18/2014 7:00am
11/18/2014 7:00am
If nothing seems to be working and the heads are F'd on the bolts, I'd consider just sanding down the heads of the bolts with a dremel/sanding disk, then you can pull the master cylinder off the back and back out the remaining threads with lock pliers or anything that will extract them.
K-dubbb
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K-dubbb 11/18/2014 7:51am
11/18/2014 7:51am
seth505 wrote:
If nothing seems to be working and the heads are F'd on the bolts, I'd consider just sanding down the heads of the bolts with a...
If nothing seems to be working and the heads are F'd on the bolts, I'd consider just sanding down the heads of the bolts with a dremel/sanding disk, then you can pull the master cylinder off the back and back out the remaining threads with lock pliers or anything that will extract them.
Great idea man, thanks for input again I appreciate it!
notme
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notme 11/18/2014 8:40am
11/18/2014 8:40am Edited Date/Time 11/18/2014 8:41am
For those stuck bolts I would drain your brake fluid, drill the bolts/heads, use an easy out and heat the threads with a torch. For aluminum threads it works %95 of the time for me. (heat+easyout)




Enjoy your labor of love Wink
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slackinoff 11/18/2014 9:11am
11/18/2014 9:11am
Or get a very large screwdriver, cut a notch into the head that fits exactly, and then place a wrench on the big screwdriver for more leverage.
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Matt Fisher 11/18/2014 11:34am
11/18/2014 11:34am
slackinoff wrote:
Or get a very large screwdriver, cut a notch into the head that fits exactly, and then place a wrench on the big screwdriver for more...
Or get a very large screwdriver, cut a notch into the head that fits exactly, and then place a wrench on the big screwdriver for more leverage.
Try cutting a slot in the head with a Dremel (their cut off wheels work great), then use a impact driver to loosen them. As mentioned, heat helps too.
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slackinoff 11/18/2014 12:22pm
11/18/2014 12:22pm Edited Date/Time 11/18/2014 12:24pm
Yes dremel cut off wheels are perfect for cutting a slot in the head.

Awesome project. I really like to see these bikes stay together and not chopped up on ebay.
I had a similar project with an 02 cr125. I spent a bit more time and money on the project than I originally planned...... but it was well worth it. These small bore bikes are a allot of fun to hold wide open.
BAMX
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BAMX 11/18/2014 12:45pm
11/18/2014 12:45pm
On mine, I drilled the heads off those bolts with a larger size drill bit. The master cylinder will then come off and you can use vise grips to get the rest of the bolt out. Seriously, check the frame for cracks. mine had a bunch around the footpeg area.
K-dubbb
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K-dubbb 11/19/2014 5:10am
11/19/2014 5:10am
BAMX wrote:
On mine, I drilled the heads off those bolts with a larger size drill bit. The master cylinder will then come off and you can use...
On mine, I drilled the heads off those bolts with a larger size drill bit. The master cylinder will then come off and you can use vise grips to get the rest of the bolt out. Seriously, check the frame for cracks. mine had a bunch around the footpeg area.
I am getting a hold of a Dremel cut to try cutting a slot first for a flat head and if that doesn't work, your route is Plan B.

Thanks for the heads up about the cracks, I flipped the frame around last night with my blue light and inspected it thoroughly - luckily no signs of cracks.

Thanks again for all your input guys!
K-dubbb
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K-dubbb 11/19/2014 5:33am
11/19/2014 5:33am
I am on the verge of ordering this:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/N-STYLE-STEWART-TEAM-YOSHIMURA-SUZUKI-RM125-RM25…

My only concern is there is no Yoshimura pipes on the bike (nor can you get them). Does yoshimura make other universal products that would justify having the kit? I know it replicates the newer factory bikes, just can't seem to find anything that I like.

I'd be interested in your input on running this kit.

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