Posts
1155
Joined
3/31/2014
Location
Mackay QLD
AU
Edited Date/Time
10/27/2022 2:31pm
So this is my 2008 Suzuki RM125. I got it for a good price which is just as well considering what I found when i got it home, which is ok because i was looking for a project bike to start with. Anyway after organising a day to go and look at it I get to his house and here it is in front of the garage door. It looked rough and he apologised for "forgetting to wash it", it looked more like he'd never done anything except rinse it with the garden hose, which was apparently fine because he had only ever ridden it on the beach (groan...
) and it looked vastly different in the flesh to what it looked like in the photos (no surprise there). It took the seller a long time to find a shoe good enough to start it, it ran fine after only a few kicks and idled nicely. I found the rear shock linkage to be seized solid when I sat on it but it selected every gear, hit band hard and the brakes worked well enough, although the plastics were rooted the fork seals didn't leak, so we agreed on a price and I loaded it onto the back of the ute and went home. So heres some pics of when I got it home.
The frame had been crudely painted, you can see where they masked up the motor and shock and painted around it.
The salt and sand took its toll on everything
) and it looked vastly different in the flesh to what it looked like in the photos (no surprise there). It took the seller a long time to find a shoe good enough to start it, it ran fine after only a few kicks and idled nicely. I found the rear shock linkage to be seized solid when I sat on it but it selected every gear, hit band hard and the brakes worked well enough, although the plastics were rooted the fork seals didn't leak, so we agreed on a price and I loaded it onto the back of the ute and went home. So heres some pics of when I got it home. The frame had been crudely painted, you can see where they masked up the motor and shock and painted around it.
The salt and sand took its toll on everything
The radiators are really straight which is a surprise.
The bike had a brand new Talon rear sprocket, O-Ring chain and Dunlop MX51 rear tyre, I'll sell the Talon sprocket as it doesn't suit the look I'm going for and the O-Ring chain can go on my 450. The left side axle adjuster thread is completely stripped so thats another thing I'll fave to fix, and as I suspected the linkage bearings were beyond a clean and grease but the swingarm pivot bearings are near new so Ill be able to save them.
The first lot of my parts arrived.
FMF factory fatty.
Funnel Web air filter.
RMZ bolt kit.
Boyesen Pro Series reeds.
Forged shifter.
Renthal grips & bar pad.
All balls Linkage bearings kit.
All balls shock seal head.
OEM shock bump stop.
OEM expansion pipe springs.
OEM expansion pipe o-rings.
UFO RMZ front fender.
UFO RMZ front number plate.
I got curious looking at my collection of surplus discs and sprockets, one of my old YZF front discs bolts straight up. So I'll be using that on the front, looks a little better than the OEM Suzuki item.
Im Still waiting for my Renthal sprockets, chain rollers, FMF shorty muffler, new brake pads front and rear, which I should be able to pick up from the bike shop when I get home from work.
All the best man and I will keep my eyes on this!
The Shop
Sure is FGR01. I was surprised, I was tempted to get a Galfer SKW oversize kit for it, but with the Aussie dollar being so low against the U.S dollar at the moment It makes you think twice about stacking up the shopping cart on BTO haha so I'll give the yzf disc a run first and see what I think.
Look forward to seeing the end results, parts selection looks good, liking the bare finish pipe lots.
Stripped the air box apart and cleaned off the old foam seal and gave the whole lot a good clean, when I assemble it I'll use Loctite grey maxx to seal the boot to the box, I could see there was almost sand getting between the box and boot.
Well I'm gonna order a Boyesen clutch and ignition cover, the corrosion has almost eaten through to the o-ring groove on the clutch cover and it's had a good bite at the ignition cover also, I could probably save the ignition cover but I figure if I'm going to buy a Boyesen clutch cover might as well get one for the other side while I'm at it, so they will be in the next lot of parts I order. Shame because the stocko's are flash magnesium.
It was at this point when I got the motor on the bench and had a good look at everything that I decided that I'm going to split the motor and fully glass blast everything clean and rebuild everything with new bearings. I'm going to measure the crank and if it's still good I'll use it again and the piston is brand new so she can stay for now provided it's the right size for the cylinder, I'll measure the bore and see where it's at. I might put some ceramic main bearings in it depending on how dear they are.
Had to use vice grips and a hammer to get the clutch cable out of the case, new cables on order anyway.
Took the head off to have a look. Haha this is why you buy the expensive plug that Suzuki recommends instead of an $5 plug you get from the mower shop. Still ran by the way, you wouldn't even know.
1. Is that a new air filter in you picture or did you drop your shower cap? I have never seen that brand before. I always use DT1 since I live 4 miles away from their shop.
2. What is that blue thing on your T handle. I assume it helps spin the tool. How does it stay on and not fall off?
3. Just curious, what is the model of spark plug is that in the pic?
Looks like fun! I'm following. Nice project!
Corrosion is pretty gnarly ! What overall look are you going for or a suprize ?
2. It's a BluePoint Turbo T-handle. It's got bearings in the sleeve and held on with circlips, I've got two. One in 1/4" drive and one in a 1/4" screwdriver adapter bit. Probably my favourite bike specific tools.
3. It's an NGK 8. Haha that's all that's on it, not a CR8E it just has an 8 on it.
But it still looks boss as, I've tried to contact Ripped Vinyl about doing another kit for me but no response, and all I can get from Traction MX is that the seat covers can be available soon, no word on when or how much they are worth, except that it's a non gripper cover, and now I get no respose from either of them so I figure I'll find someone in Australia to make me a kit and cover if I want to go down that road.
But yeah think I might just wing the look at the moment, I can't find a sticker kit I like as most of them are Rockstar energy or makita kits and every second goon has rockstar and makita crap, so they are out, might just get a full custom kit made.
Im going to get the forks anodised matte clear like the works magnesium Showa stuff, see how I feel when it comes to it.
I want it done in Suzuki yellow but they all say "all we got is safety yellow" so I might take my new fender in and see if it's a close match, if not I'll search elsewhere out of town.
Top radiator shroud mount bolts stripped out the inserts in the tank on both sides, looks like I'll hafta glue them back in..
My old rm has a cool kit from tech one designs. I custom cut the side number plates as well. Good luck with your build! Cheers!
Pit Row
So I got some more parts today, and some new tools also.
As per usual as soon as I pick up some parts I've got more on order (projects....).
Renthal sprockets.
FMF shorty.
SBS sintered brake pads.
On the tool front (ohyeah!)
Motion Pro showa fork cap tool (awesome)
Snap-On circlip plier set & got new side cutters and long nose pliers as a warranty claim, nothing wrong with them but they are new updated versions and I get along pretty good with my Snap-On guy so he swapped em out for me.
No2 Phillips head screw driver also from snap me off. love them new tool/new parts feels!!
Put my new MP cap tool to use today while I was at it, stripped the forks down.
The left side fork was an absolute bastard!! had to hammer the lower fork lug with a hammer and brass tipped drift to separate it from the outer tube, the two bushes grabbed and the fork seal didn't let go, had to pry the bushing out of the outer tube... 25 mins of swearing, hammering and one sore hand later (they call me lightning...) I had one fork stripped. The right side popped apart like it should. Gotta order a fork bushing kit along with the seals when I do my next lot of parts ordering.
But any way the fork tubes are ready to get polished and anodised with the shock body...
Looking good man!
And salt....is such a bad mofo. This reminded me of a one owner '01 KX125 I checked out recently. The guy bought it new, rode it a few times on trails then moved interstate for work. Problem was, he had stored it in his father's shed near the beach this whole time. So...it was a time warp bike that looked brand new, until you got up close and saw all the corrosion. The fork tubes were twice as bad as this!
Are you planning to get all new plastics? I'd be interested in the oem shrouds if you'd consider selling.
It will deffinetly get a whole new set of plastics, but I'm gunna hold onto the rad shrouds, just because they are in great condition and still have the oem graphics on them, I think I will box them up with the radiators seeing as they are so straight and I'm going to put GPI's on the bike anyway.
Stripped down the front wheel. Took me ages, tried to save the spokes but then I realised they are way to hashed to use again so I'll buy some staino spokes for the front, the rear already has stainless spokes (maximum win!). I'd like to get the anodising stripped off the rims and get them polished so that I can get them custom hard anodised but I also have half a mind to just lash out and buy a pair of "old school" gold excels (everyone's got black rims now)
Keep up the good work.
Just fyi, the plug that was in there was the correct one. They just say 8 on the side and have the welded electrode strap
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