Chris_Lowe

all sorted now no more weird drive chain noises!!

ive now cleaned and lubed the entire chain and now letting the lube soak in for a few hours, even after just cleaning i noticed the squeaking noise has gone so hopefully it just needed some tlc but ill keep you posted if the noise returns

ive checked the sprockets and there doesnt appear to be any wear on them so im gonna clean and lube and see how that goes, if that fails ill do a replacement jobbie

ah gotcha, makes sense now!! ill clean and lube tomoro and let u know the outcome

is there any plans to get this forum native on an app such as tapatalk? i use tapatalk for all the other forums im on and its so much easier to use than using a browser window on the iphone

thanks for the reply, its all sorted now getting some bar end mirrors as i love the look of them and will source another MC that will sit more flush on the new bars. How can I mark this thread as solved?

ok thanks ill have a go tomorrow, gotta get all the cleaning stuff before i get cracking though! When you say don't clean the chain with the rear wheel in the air do you mean don't have it on a paddock stand etc? If so what's the reason for this as i assumed that was the best place to have it?!? I've tightened the chain before (not overtightened) as it sometimes seems like there's a rhythmic clunking noise when I'm driving along which i assumed was the drive chain, especially if I try and take off in a higher gear than I should (newb error). This whole learning process is brilliant but it does mean ill probably be bugging the hell out of people to get the answers i need

hi all, sorry for the sheer amount of posts and questions but i have no real clue about the workings of my bike! I've noticed that the drive chain is making a weird squeaking noise, could this just be a matter of cleaning and lubing the chain or would it suggest that its too tight or loose? Ive checked the slack and there seem to be some spots where it is tighter than other spots, is this normal? Thanks

did you shorten all the handlebar cables wen u put the smaller bars on? im tryin to find how to do it but cant work out how

ive just installed some new, lower profile handlebars on my Virago XV 125, all installed and looking pretty sexy but as they dont have as much pullback as the stock bars i now have an excess of cables going to all controls. How easy is it to trim these cables down so it doesnt look like spaghetti junction anymore? Also due to the new angle of the bars the stock wing mirror mounts are now making the mirrors stand almost vertically. Is there any inserts you can thread in that will take the angle to a more asthetically pleasing angle or is it a matter of getting new mirrors?

ah cool thats alot of worry off my mind! handy to learn tips like that, didnt get told that on the cbt! Thanks to you both for replying

well after todays weather ill be putting the front fender back on i think maybe ill just chop it down a bit

hi guys was riding the other day, put a little too much pressure toward the toes on my left foot and the bike shifted down a gear without the clutch being pulled in. wats the cause of this? is the clutch cable too tight? thanks in advance

hmm ok ill call em and find out. the bike is an import so not sure how easy it will be to find info about it as standard, im just concerned that i may get pulled over due to not having it although i too have seen bikes on the road without front mudguards. maybe ill just leave it on and chop it down instead

ive taken the front mudguard off my xv125 but was wondering if its a legal requirement to have one in the UK. i have found conflicting arguements but want to know for certain

right so ive removed the left pod and relocated the thermo switch thing to the backside of the bolt holding the horn in so at least thats done! just looking at doing the right pod now

hi everyone quick question, i want to remove the pods on my 2000 xv 125 virago for a sleeker look, ive been told that the LH pod contains a thermoswitch or something and it can be mounted elsewhere with minimal effort, is this the case? we then move onto the RH pod. what are the pro's and cons of removing the pod and replacing with a cone filter or something similar and what is involved in the process? if pod removal is somethin people wouldnt suggest then i may just spray them matt black but ideally just want rid of them cos im not too struck on their look

i was thinking about getting a springer seat but to be honest most of the ideas are just ideas that I am toying with but will eliminate certain ideas based on what answers I get from more knowledgeable folk like yourself. Do you have any pics or a blog about your virago bobber build? Would be interested in seeing that! Cheer

hey guys im bobbing my virago and want to replace the rear springs with rigid struts. Am wondering if anyone knows of anywhere to get any as I cant seem to find some anywhere!

right so i think ill go with doing the handlebars first, how easy is it to adjust the lengths of all cables and hoses to the handlebars once ive put on the new ones? (theyll all probably have to be a few inches shorter

does anyone know anywhere to get a rear fender for a 2000 yamaha virago 125? looked on t'interweb alot and can only find em for the bigger engined versions and not sure if they will be compatible

sweet cheers, that was pretty much the answer to the next few questions i had! i know who ill be directing the next barrage of questions too cheers

cool thanks for ur answer, seen a few pics on t'interweb of ppl fitting cone air filters but didnt realise there'd b any significant changes id have to make! as for the handlebars, will it b an issue fitting all the stuff on new bars or will it b a case of swapping em straight out as long as they are the same diameter?

Aloha ladies and gentlemen, I want to start customising my XV125 Virago and im not sure where to start. Im thinking changing the handlebars as im not a fan of their style, want something slightly more flat and narrower. How hard will it be to customise this bearing in mind I havent done any customising but have a basic understanding of bike stuff. Also does anyone know where to buy good quality handlebars from? Secondly Ive seen people changing the air filter for K&N style cone filters, how good an idea is this? Cheers Chris

ive recently had the same issue with my reg/rec and everyone on here was really helpful. I know have a fault finding pdf document which i can email you if you like, as long as you have a multimeter you can check where the problem lies. I ordered a new one from Japan, it works fine!! Hope that helps Chris