Variomatic

I'm working on a small engine that has low compression when turning it over by hand, seems to be low on power and mucks the oil up quickly. I'm guessing low compression due to worn rings/bore/piston. Anyway, since it's a shitty little engine and I don't wanna spend the cash on a new cylinder I'm wondering if I I could get away with just honing the cylinder? Or would a bore and an oversize piston be a better idea? (If that's cheaper than a new cylinder)

There are two tyres, one is 300-18, and the other is 3.00-18. What does that actually mean? Are they the same? Are they different? What's the difference between a 300 and a 3.00? This is probably a stupid question, but everyone learns somehow.

I was looking at Oponeo, but I've heard endless horror stories about them, about the tyres not turning up, or them sending the wrong ones, ect ect. Thanks for the answers guys

And my friends wonder why I refuse to leave my bike anywhere I don't trust, because of dick heads like these. Still, at least you've got your bike back, many never see them again, good luck with getting the bike back on the road soon.

Anyone know of a good place to buy tyres online? The place I usually go seems content to sell me shite tyres for the same cost as anything else you can fine. Front tyre is looking a bit sorry for itself and down to only 2mm

Actually looks like a lot of the parts might clean up well. I've found with my bike, parts that are hard to find, say bearings, drum shoes, seals etc etc have to be taken from other machines, often you can buy NOS parts or use bits from other bikes that have the same fit, that's what I have to do at least. I'd start with the usual tests, does it turn over/compression/spark. Then I'd focus on getting it to run before I start ordering more expensive parts and stripping it.

I think that'd be a great idea, I wasn't given any help, but like most I've managed to hobble my way around problems and am now capable of keeping it running (after asking the knowledge of some experts). I think if you actually have your kid restore the bike with you he'd be more than capable to do most maintenance jobs, and he'd have more confidence to tackmle jobs than most, I found that to be my problem at first, getting the confidence in my ability to take tools to my bike. And being a 2-stroke it'd be even better, they're about as simple as it gets. However I've heard from some that old DT parts can be hard to find, not sure what it's like for a DT50 though, all I know about that bike, is that for a 16 year old it's a ball of fun.

I'll just not leave the village and pull the money out my arse. The bike isn't a show queen, it's my every day transport, unfortunate, but it's gonna have to wait, it's simply impossible to get it done right away, I don't like it either, but without it it means I can't eat, go to college, or earn money. It's gonna have to wait till Monday. I'll keep the use to the bare minimum, but that's as good as I can do.

Yeah, at the same time I found out my rear wheel bearings are not long for this world, swings and roundabouts. Probably going to replace the cable soon, that's the second large adjustment in 4 months, plus it has that "I'm stretched and gonna snap soon" feel.

Managed to figure this out before I even read the replays, went for a ride to the pub and found my clutch cable was out of adjustment and that the bite was at the end of the throw. Problem solved, and the oil was perfectly fine, and the correct type.... -_-

If it has problems starting in the wet I'd guess that there's a leak somewhere, perhaps causing an electrical short, or a poor connection. Like Nerversaydie said, go check all the connections and make sure water isn't getting into places it shouldn't be

My YBR Custom 125 is just under 19k old, and over the last 800 miles or so I've noticed the gearbox go from relatively smooth to a clunk that radiates through the entire bike. I know older bikes get clunky and rattle a bit more, but this clunk is almost violent in comparison to how it used to be. Should I be worried? I'm going to try adjusting my clutch cable since the bite zone is almost at the end of the throw. The engine is relatively well looked after, serviced regularly and not really ragged more than any other bike.

I use "Muc-Off Endurance chain lube" It's shit.

My ignition barrel is wearing out, it keeps getting stuck in the locked position, one day it's just gonna get stuck like that, it needs to be replaced. I'm wondering how much it'll cost, anyone else had there's replaced? The bikes a YBR Custom if that helps. I was going to do it myself like I do everything else, turns out they use fucking shear bolts to hold them in.

Titanium Ion battery's are on the horizon, twice as much ability to store power, half the charging time. electric bikes have 100% of torque from 0rpm, and have much more torque per hp output, also they're basically maintenance free, and you can get a full "tank of fuel" for about £3 and 70+ mile rang for that price, batters in them are far from the traditional counterpart lead acid, they are much more durable and sturdy and reliable. However, the petrol bike is cheaper, a lot cheaper, you can pick them up for a few £100, where as an electric bike will cost 10k+ at least, and will for years, also bikes love sound and vibration and noise and the guttural feeling that a motorcycle brings, and I don't know about you guys, but I LOVE tinkering with my bike, next top no chance to do that on an electric bike. Personally I want top see a hybrid bike, with an electric hub motor and a petrol engine, I think that'd be a ball of laughs, loads of torque from the electric motor when taking off, and the top end grunt of a petrol 4 cylinder once you get up to decent speed.

I had to rebuild my bikes the ghetto way, using the old seals and the same pot (after some serious cleaning). It works, doesn't leak, it seems to be reliable so far, but the brakes are getting new seals and pots (well, pot, singular) as soon as I have the money for a rebuild kit (Yep, I'm so tight on cash I can't even spend £18 on a rebuild kit, gotta love being a student)

May be easy to turn around, if needs be tilt it only the kick stand and spin it, but I'd trade that, AND everything valuable I own for a bigger bike, so slow, so very slow. It gets me places, but you really have to set aside some time to get there, even if you really give it some, the engine just doesn't have much to give Still though, I love Betty, even if she's not the best bike in the world

Ohh joy, snow, I'm sure my Chin-lun tyres will love the cold.....they where a bit shit in the summer....

The YBR is a great bike, but the custom is like it's fat, more expensive, ugly bother that no one likes. The mechanics are basically identical, and I've taken to just buying stock YBR parts, they usually fit, and if they don't some "massaging" with my tool of gentle persuasion (aka a hammer and a bench grinder) will get them to fit and function properly. Honestly I'd recommend everyone to stay away from the YBR Custom and go for the far better stock YBR, it's needlessly more expensive and just plain unpleasant to ride, then again, that could just be down to all the "gentle persuasion" it's had over the last year and a half, and the fact I've gone off cruisers and an more into classic sport bikes. I'll try throwing some Redline injector cleaner into the tank and give it the beans on the way to the MOT centre in a bid to try and flush them out, if that fails, a strip and cleaning it will be. As for the plug, I'll just throw one in and get it nice and snug with some anti seize grease on the threads and hope for the best, after all, even if it fucks up, I'll be able to learn from my mistakes So glad this site exists, I'd be lost without it, I always think I know what I'm doing until I'm elbow deep in the bike, then realise I need someone older with more knowledge to tell me what to do. Thanks.

Uhh, hate sharing my helmet with bugs, especially wasps! Congrats on passing your test, I plan to follow suite after I find a job, bet it's a huge jump, from 11hp to over 110, bet you'll have fun with that big triple?

I've always just wore a slightly baggy, 25 year old, and technically stolen Dolomite Sportex jacket that looks like it's been through 2 world wars, so I've always had room for a jumper. I'd say a Thinsulate jacket wouldn't go a'miss, lightweight, think, and really very warm.

Agreed, My uncle Rob had a 350LC YPVS that had done over 42k, ragged to the limit constantly and never missed a beat with the original, 2 strokes are stronger than people give them credit for. Although it did eat itself alive at the end of its life. 14 seems close to the truth. I think a rebore wouldn't go a'miss on that barrel

Right, more problems, when I rev the bike it seems to die a little, but only sometimes. Occasionally I'll run it and it'll perform perfectly, and other time it will die, fall to maybe 500rpm and then suddenly spring to life and rev perfectly fine. The bike is a 2009 YBR Custom 125 fuel injected, this scares me, I'm fine with carbs, rebuilding a carb and setting it up is easy, but fuel injectors are a totally new things I've never messed with before. Could the dying problem be caused by a dirty fuel injector? And if it is, would fuel injector cleaner work at this point, or is a physical cleaning needed? This is definitely due to it sitting, it's basically not been used since September, it's MOT was due and it needed loads of work I couldn't afford. And there are only so many times a week you can go out and run it. Also, the spark plug is a good 8k old (I know, don't shout, I hate myself too), obviously it's being replaced, but are torque settings really that important on a spark plug, I don't have £25 to drop on a Torque wrench (and £25 only gets you a crappy wrench) , and every plug I've ever changed (which admittedly is only 10 or 11) has only ever been done up snug and I've never had a problem.

I've only managed to stand the bike on its nose once during a poorly executed emergency stop, fucking terrifying, don't plan on doing that again any time soon, not with the POS bike I have now. Everyone seems to sing the praises of braided lines, it's only £5 more than standard lines, so I think I'll give it a go, if I ever get it back on the road, with the amount of small problems I've managed to find recently I question if it ever will be.

Well the bikes used every day as transport in all weather. I notice that the line has a noticeable wear mark where one of the clips seems to have eaten at it, there's a gouge in the rubber, I most definitely feel more comfortable spending £15 or so on a new line than using an old one that has a chunk missing from it.