1978 RM125 Restoration - 4/2021 Update

Very nice bike Mike! Slowly but surely mine is coming along. I have the majority of the parts I need at this point but the list of everything I needed grew daily as I stripped it down and decided what needed replacing and what could be saved or refurbished. Cleaning off almost 40 years of gunk, grease, dirt and crust is what is most time consuming. As soon as I'm done with that part of it I can start reassembly. What parts do you have available and do you know if the rear shocks can be disassembled and or rebuilt (I haven't checked my manual yet)? Thanks, Greg.

Update...I've tracked down and received 99% of all the parts I need for this project and list went from long to longer to extensive and expensive. I was originally only planning on cleaning the bike up with new plastic, and some painted parts but the further I got into it the more it needed and I wanted to do it right. It reminds me of when the wife wants to buy new family room furniture, pretty soon you also need new curtains, wall paper, carpet, paint, etc. The snowball snowballs in a hurry! That being said, after much research, the following parts were purchased from Rocky Mountain, Vintage Suzuki or eBay...Front number plate & background, left & right side number plates, front & rear fenders, air fork cap, rubber fork caps, gas tank, gas tank strap & rubber mount cushions, tank decals, rubber lever covers, foot pegs, rear shock reservoir rubber mounts, front & rear motor mount bolts, front & rear axle nuts, swing arm thrust washers, swing arm bearings, center spacer & pivot slider, rear axle seal, rear wheel spacers, swing arm seals, front sprocket cover, rear sprocket, 428 chain, chain tensioner, grips, seat pan cushions, rear fender mounting spacers & cushions, front brake lever & cable, front & rear Tusk wheels laced with Dubya spokes, front & rear tubes; tube protectors, front & rear IRC tires, complete gasket and seal kit, petcock filter and rebuild kit, fork seals, fork boots, kick start lever, rear brake pedal, seat foam & seat cover, kill switch, air box & UNI air filter, stainless bolt kit, spec bolt kit, front & rear hub bearings, rear hub, rear brake stay rubber mounts, front & rear brake shoes. The majority of the parts are genuine Suzuki and with the exception of the air box, rear hub, motor mounts, and gas tank, all of the above parts are new or NOS. It amazes me what's still available for a 40-year-old bike. $1900 later, not counting what I bought the bike for I am close to starting re-assembly. Thankfully, I was able to get a small crack in the swing arm pivot welded up and the frame powder coated at no cost (other than a twelve pack) through a friend. I'll still need to work some dents out of the pipe and repack the silencer. I may also attempt to change the rear shock oil and add Schrader valves to the reservoirs so they can be recharged with nitrogen. Once it's back on two wheels, I’ll tear into the motor to see what kind of work and part$ it will need...stay tuned!

Yes, I went with the 428 chain. It and a new rear sprocket were delivered today. Maybe you can explain it that way to my wife, and talk her into letting me keep it in the living room too!

It’ll have to stay in the garage with plenty of other Japanese speaking company or I will be on my own. I don’t want to flush 25 years of a great thing down the toilet.

Weekend update...front and rear hubs have been fully restored, i.e. bead blasted, new bearings, shoes and paint. Off to Dubya they go this week for new spokes / lacing into my new wheels. Stay tuned!

More goodies...new IRC knobs and a NOS sprocket.

Very nice! Love the racing slick on the trailer too!

Dubya just called and said my newly laced wheels are ready for pickup. I’ll post some pics up as soon as I return from vacation.

I picked up the frame from the powdercoater and my Tusk wheels with new, freshly laced Bulldog spokes from Dubya today. I'm finally, almost ready to begin reassembly.

Proof that 40 year old legs clean up nicely and can be sexy and shiny again. I'm just waiting for new reservoir hoses to be made.

So things have slowed down a little on this project but I hope to get going again after the first of the year. Currently, I need to refinish the lower fork tubes and triple clamps (blasted, polished and powder coated clear). Once they're done I can reassemble the forks, mount them and the swing arm, which had a small crack that needed to be welded, and I should be able to get it back on two wheels.

Beautiful bike Oldmxer.