Project Bike: 1990 Honda CR125

90rm125
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90rm125 1/6/2010 4:06pm
1/6/2010 4:06pm Edited Date/Time 1/6/2010 4:08pm
Pat327 wrote:
I picked this thing up yesterday for $600. I've been looking for one for a long time and this thing happened to pop up on Craigslist...

I picked this thing up yesterday for $600. I've been looking for one for a long time and this thing happened to pop up on Craigslist. My dad had a 1990 CR500 and I've always been partial to the Hondas from that year.

Anyway, I'm going to restore this thing and get it looking and running as well as I can. 



if ur talkin about the cr in your avatar that bike looks awesome
the lapper 1/7/2010 2:20pm
1/7/2010 2:20pm
the bike in my avatar was also a bike i restored and it came 1st at this years vintage mxdn concourse at farliegh castle ive got lots of pics but dont know how to post on this site !
fencepost
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fencepost 1/7/2010 6:54pm
1/7/2010 6:54pm
Nephew. Flip flops? Sounds sweet!

The Shop

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Yaya
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Yaya 1/7/2010 6:57pm
1/7/2010 6:57pm
I said it once, I'll say it again. You cant beat the sound of a beautiful 125! Beautiful bike wish I had one!
Pat327
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Pat327 1/7/2010 7:03pm
1/7/2010 7:03pm Edited Date/Time 1/7/2010 7:08pm
fencepost wrote:
Nephew. Flip flops? Sounds sweet!
I always wear flip flops!

Thanks, guys.
89'cr dude
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89'cr dude 1/12/2010 4:03pm
1/12/2010 4:03pm
Sweet bike! I have an 89' cr125 wich is basicly the same bike as yours, minus the upside down forks. I hope to fix it up this winter (levers, graphics, seat, pipe) but so far its been a reliable dailey rider, and fast as hell! by the way, what type of pipe and silencer were on yours when you got it?
89'cr dude
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89'cr dude 1/15/2010 4:29pm
1/15/2010 4:29pm
any riding videos?
89'cr dude
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89'cr dude 2/3/2010 3:48pm
2/3/2010 3:48pm
This was a great thread, and i think you should post a video of riding the bike.
Pat327
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Pat327 2/3/2010 7:28pm
2/3/2010 7:28pm
Thanks, man! No riding videos, though. I've decided not to ride it.
nine1seven
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nine1seven 2/3/2010 7:53pm
2/3/2010 7:53pm
I knew it! I'd have a hard time riding it too. Is it completely done yet? Roll it outside and get some good pics. It's been fun watching you build it. What's next?
Wandell
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Wandell 2/3/2010 8:08pm
2/3/2010 8:08pm
I agree. Get some finished pics up!Smile
90rm125
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90rm125 2/3/2010 8:26pm
2/3/2010 8:26pm
I prolly wouldnt ride it either after all that hard work and money spent. Its just too nice of a bike
Pat327
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Pat327 2/4/2010 12:01am
2/4/2010 12:01am Edited Date/Time 2/4/2010 2:15am
nine1seven wrote:
I knew it! I'd have a hard time riding it too. Is it completely done yet? Roll it outside and get some good pics. It's been...
I knew it! I'd have a hard time riding it too. Is it completely done yet? Roll it outside and get some good pics. It's been fun watching you build it. What's next?
Haha, yeah I had a feeling that this would be the case from the start. It just started to get too nice as I went along.

Yeah, it's almost completely done. I think I need the pin and spring for the rear brake and that's it. I'll take some pictures soon. I'm really glad you guys enjoyed following my progress! It was a lot of fun and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I don't know what's next. Probably nothing for a long while because I have to keep my focus on school and also because it's a pretty expensive hobby. There are so many bikes I'd like to build, though. Mostly Hondas. I daydream about them all the time.
89'cr dude
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89'cr dude 2/4/2010 12:40pm
2/4/2010 12:40pm
what kind of pipe and silencer were on it when you bought it? also how did you get a phathead for it, i thought they didnt make those?
90rm125
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90rm125 2/4/2010 12:52pm
2/4/2010 12:52pm Edited Date/Time 2/4/2010 3:59pm
the 90 cr cylinders are interchangeable with some of the newer cr's so therefore the phathead fits ,they just dont say it fits the 1990.
Pat327
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Pat327 2/4/2010 2:40pm
2/4/2010 2:40pm Edited Date/Time 2/4/2010 3:13pm
It had a Pro Circuit pipe and silencer on it, but they were in pretty rough shape. I threw them away.

The reason I was able to get a Phathead cylinder head is because Honda hardly touched their CR125 engine from 1990-1999. The '90 model was the first to have the Honda Power Port (HPP) design. The '89 model had a completely different top end with an external power valve.
89'cr dude
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89'cr dude 2/4/2010 3:30pm
2/4/2010 3:30pm
Yeah, tell me about it, the powervalve chamber on my bike hangs out 4" in front of the cilender, right were it'll get hit by a rock or something. aparently they changed the 90' model alot more then i thought, especialy the top-end.

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89'cr dude
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89'cr dude 2/5/2010 4:34pm
2/5/2010 4:34pm
By the way, where did you get the carbon silencer, and how much did it cost? (im iterested, because 89-90 had the same silencer.)
Pat327
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Pat327 2/6/2010 4:14am
2/6/2010 4:14am Edited Date/Time 2/7/2010 8:48pm
It was a new old stock item I found on ebay. It's meant for a '93-'97 CR125 and had to be tweaked around to fit my bike.
89'cr dude
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89'cr dude 2/6/2010 9:10am
2/6/2010 9:10am
oh, well im just looking to get my bike reliable, and have a little peformance. Right now my bike is almost dead stock, and it's my dailey rider for the trails.
89'cr dude
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89'cr dude 2/7/2010 2:42pm
2/7/2010 2:42pm
what does a dpr pipe run for?
Pat327
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Pat327 2/7/2010 8:47pm
2/7/2010 8:47pm Edited Date/Time 2/10/2010 9:00am
I'm pretty sure DPR no longer exists. It was a small Dutch pipe company owned by a guy who used to build pipes for Honda. This guy named Henk had 3 left sitting in his garage and I got one of them.

FMF is probably the only company that still makes a pipe for an '89 CR125, so that's what I'd go with if you're looking for a little more power. It won't affect reliability, don't worry.

Can you private message me with further questions? I don't mean to be rude, it's just that the topic gets bumped to the top for something that I could just as well answer privately.
evomx244
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evomx244 4/18/2010 3:59am
4/18/2010 3:59am
This thread sort of died
Update Have you ridden it or is it just looking pretty in the garage ?
Pat327
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Pat327 4/18/2010 10:34pm
4/18/2010 10:34pm
It's just sitting in the garage. I'm not going to ride it. I'll have to take some pictures of it outside soon.
Swede
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Swede 4/19/2010 2:29am
4/19/2010 2:29am Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 10:14pm
Hurry up, Patrick! We want to see pics of that beauty out in the sunshine!

And the YZ125 in your avatar, did you get it just recently or? Any goodies on it (more than the visiual?

Don't you ride a KTM 125/144 too? How do you feel they compare, chassie and engine wise?
Pat327
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Pat327 4/19/2010 10:31am
4/19/2010 10:31am
I've had the YZ125 since 2003. I don't think I'll ever let it go since it was my first "big" bike. It has a billet aluminum cylinder head (I think the compression ratio is 13:1), a Pro Circuit pipe and silencer, Pro Circuit KYB works kit suspension, and a flat top CR125 piston.

Yeah, I also have a KTM 144SX. I think it handles better than the YZ actually. As far as the power goes, it eats the YZ alive. The brakes are the best part, though. It stops so fast and stays straight as an arrow under braking.
Swede
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Swede 4/21/2010 3:19am
4/21/2010 3:19am Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 10:17pm
Pat327 wrote:
I've had the YZ125 since 2003. I don't think I'll ever let it go since it was my first "big" bike. It has a billet aluminum...
I've had the YZ125 since 2003. I don't think I'll ever let it go since it was my first "big" bike. It has a billet aluminum cylinder head (I think the compression ratio is 13:1), a Pro Circuit pipe and silencer, Pro Circuit KYB works kit suspension, and a flat top CR125 piston.

Yeah, I also have a KTM 144SX. I think it handles better than the YZ actually. As far as the power goes, it eats the YZ alive. The brakes are the best part, though. It stops so fast and stays straight as an arrow under braking.
Thanks for the answer, sound like a really cool ride! And yeah, it sure is something special with different bikes for different reasons.



Have you seen my YZ125 ("Project Retro")? As discussed before in this thread, it's not all good when the bikes turn out to nice either. I'm a bit afraid to scratch it up now, mostly becuase the FLU Retro-kits aren't available anymore (and I was lucky to get my hands on a set after putting up an ad)...
Sanchez
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Sanchez 4/21/2010 10:04am
4/21/2010 10:04am
Awesome build Pat! I remember my dad taking me to the dealer to pick up my new '90 like it was yesterday. That was the 1st-generation HPP-valve 125 with USD forks (which weren't too great as I recall), but that bike would sing. Those fork tubes look absolutely bitchin'...awesome color.
90rm125
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90rm125 4/21/2010 2:45pm
4/21/2010 2:45pm Edited Date/Time 7/29/2010 4:17pm

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