My first bike (YAMAHA 125 Dragstar) (2004)

[dragstar_125]

Hello all im new to this game and i want to keep in touch with the people that know best thats why im here, I bought a 2004 Dragstar 4 days ago...it has only 1900 miles on her and not a scratch......when i got it, it sounded like a dream but on the first night of riding ...it konked out and took a while to start...... then when i did get her started there was a knocking noise coming from the engine!!!! also the performance was affected i was up to 5th gear and struggling to stay at,...get this 30MPH!!!!!!! can some1 explain what this might be....also is it jsut me or is flicking back and forth to neutral a bit tricky???

Thanks all!!!

[dragstar_125]

Hello all im new to this game and i want to keep in touch with the people that know best thats why im here, I bought a 2004 Dragstar 4 days ago...it has only 1900 miles on her and not a scratch......when i got it, it sounded like a dream but on the first night of riding ...it konked out and took a while to start...... then when i did get her started there was a knocking noise coming from the engine!!!! also the performance was affected i was up to 5th gear and struggling to stay at,...get this 30MPH!!!!!!! can some1 explain what this might be....also is it jsut me or is flicking back and forth to neutral a bit tricky???

Thanks all!!!

Can some1 please help me on this issue...i want good feedback on this thanks!!!

[zoomer]

Hello all im new to this game and i want to keep in touch with the people that know best thats why im here, I bought a 2004 Dragstar 4 days ago...it has only 1900 miles on her and not a scratch......when i got it, it sounded like a dream but on the first night of riding ...it konked out and took a while to start...... then when i did get her started there was a knocking noise coming from the engine!!!! also the performance was affected i was up to 5th gear and struggling to stay at,...get this 30MPH!!!!!!! can some1 explain what this might be....also is it jsut me or is flicking back and forth to neutral a bit tricky???

Thanks all!!!

Bad choice, you should have got a YZF-R125

[dragstar_125]

Bad choice, you should have got a YZF-R125

is that just out of preference ur saying that or because its a better bike??? i liek cruisers...can u advise what this problem might be??

[Ttaskmaster]

Bad choice, you should have got a YZF-R125

Absolute bollocks - How can you pose in tassled leathers & sunglasses if you've got one of those??!!

Okay matey... start by checking everything on the list.

Oil is always a good one.

This may sound like a daft question, but have you been taught how to ride by a professional?

Just checking, as you'd be surprised how many people just hop on a bike without training!!

Certainly 5th gear is too high to be doing 30.

What sort of performance do you get in the other gears?

[Airhead]

This is bad news, not familiar with your bike but ive learned from previous posts that theses bikes struggle to haul their considerable weight around, A knocking noise is a bit of a worry, tell us you didnt buy it private sale and then take it back to the dealer to fix...Four days!!!, you cant be that unlucky surely

[dragstar_125]

Absolute bollocks - How can you pose in tassled leathers & sunglasses if you've got one of those??!!

Okay matey... start by checking everything on the list.

Oil is always a good one.

This may sound like a daft question, but have you been taught how to ride by a professional?

Just checking, as you'd be surprised how many people just hop on a bike without training!!

Certainly 5th gear is too high to be doing 30.

What sort of performance do you get in the other gears?

I have found the problem took the bike to mechanic today.....my bike is 2004...it only has 1900 miles on her, but the guy who owned it b4 had left it sitting on the kick stand ...im guessing for the guts of two years and due to this the oil has been shifted to sittin at one side which has made the bearings seize up ......i have to wait 7-8 days for parts now!!!! dammit and i only got it two days ago!!! its costing them £500 pounds to fix ...costingm e nothign bcus the guy gave me 1 year warranty on a 2nd hand bike!!!! tis a lovely bike...so when the bearings are fixed it will be like a new bike.....can u believe it only 1900 miles on a 4 year old bike the guy b4 was old and didnt use it much.... thanks 4 ur input buddy please reply .......

[zoomer]

Bad choice, you should have got a YZF-R125

Absolute bollocks - How can you pose in tassled leathers & sunglasses if you've got one of those??!!

I have found the problem took the bike to mechanic today.....my bike is 2004...it only has 1900 miles on her, but the guy who owned it b4 had left it sitting on the kick stand ...im guessing for the guts of two years and due to this the oil has been shifted to sittin at one side which has made the bearings seize up ......i have to wait 7-8 days for parts now!!!! dammit and i only got it two days ago!!! its costing them £500 pounds to fix ...costingm e nothign bcus the guy gave me 1 year warranty on a 2nd hand bike!!!! tis a lovely bike...so when the bearings are fixed it will be like a new bike.....can u believe it only 1900 miles on a 4 year old bike the guy b4 was old and didnt use it much.... thanks 4 ur input buddy please reply .......

I was right then .

[Ttaskmaster]

Nope, you were still wrong.

I had a 125 Drag and it was amazing. Never struggled, except up hills like the one in Porlock!!

But like any bike, you have to look after it.

Leaving the same oil in it for years at a standstill will kill almost any bike!!!

[oldtimer]

Nope, you were still wrong.

I had a 125 Drag and it was amazing. Never struggled, except up hills like the one in Porlock!!

But like any bike, you have to look after it.

Leaving the same oil in it for years at a standstill will kill almost any bike!!!

i agree with you totally as usual taskmaster my everyday bike is a dragstar125 and it is an excellent bike,where he thought he was right at any point i dont know the poor guy is looking for help and all he can do is kick the blokes choice of bike not a lot of help there?

[zoomer]

i agree with you totally as usual taskmaster my everyday bike is a dragstar125 and it is an excellent bike,where he thought he was right at any point i dont know the poor guy is looking for help and all he can do is kick the blokes choice of bike not a lot of help there?

Yes your right ,he has made the right choice ,hope it does not cost to much to repair.

[zoomer]

also the performance was affected i was up to 5th gear and struggling to stay at,...get this 30MPH!!!!!!! can some1 explain what this might be....also is it jsut me or is flicking back and forth to neutral a bit tricky???

Thanks all!!!

Keep the rev counter needle around 6,000 RPM in town & 9,500 out of town ,keep tucked in you should still get 100 mpg out of a 125.

Hope this helps.

[dragstar_125]

Keep the rev counter needle around 6,000 RPM in town & 9,500 out of town ,keep tucked in you should still get 100 mpg out of a 125.

Hope this helps.

Hey fellas thanks for your help, the guy who said about checking the oil was totally right...the guy before me who owned it just left it sitting...it only has 1900 miles is that not great for a 4 year old bike....it is costing a lot but the guy who sold me it had that ,much faith in it that he gave me a years warranty on a 2nd hand bike.....so tis costing him get this.....£560 .........how fast will my 125 dragstar go when i get it back with brand new bearings??? i have to wait 7-8 days to get it back killer!!!!!

[Ttaskmaster]

i agree with you totally as usual taskmaster

Why does everyone keep agreeing with me?

I'm a pretentious cock!!!!

Yes your right ,he has made the right choice ,hope it does not cost to much to repair.

Well, there's no expensive plastic bodywork for starters.

By the time I got mine, it has 11 previous owners.

During that time, it had been stood for four years without an oil change, the gearbox had seized, it had been dropped thrice, crashed twice, knocked over by a car, knocked over by a bus, hit diesel and gone sliding, run without oil once and finally had twisted forks for reasons unknown. Mostly by the owner who gave it to me.

In my time, I lowsided twice and dropped it once.

Despite some cosmetic damage to the exhausts, it was still trucking along like a happy trooper when I move up to the 650!!!

Keep the rev counter needle around 6,000 RPM in town & 9,500 out of town ,keep tucked in you should still get 100 mpg out of a 125.

What rev counter?

It's a Cruiser!!!!

how fast will my 125 dragstar go when i get it back with brand new bearings???

Ride it gently for the first 200 miles.

Then have fun with it - Should do an effortless 75mph!!

Please note - Foreign import Drags will be slower, especially Ze German ones (the 'Use Unleaded Fuel' sticker will be in German).

They seem limited to an average 65mph. There is an easy throttle trick to making them go faster, but it's only useful on the long motorway trips.

[dragstar_125]

Why does everyone keep agreeing with me?

I'm a pretentious cock!!!!

Well, there's no expensive plastic bodywork for starters.

By the time I got mine, it has 11 previous owners.

During that time, it had been stood for four years without an oil change, the gearbox had seized, it had been dropped thrice, crashed twice, knocked over by a car, knocked over by a bus, hit diesel and gone sliding, run without oil once and finally had twisted forks for reasons unknown. Mostly by the owner who gave it to me.

In my time, I lowsided twice and dropped it once.

Despite some cosmetic damage to the exhausts, it was still trucking along like a happy trooper when I move up to the 650!!!

What rev counter?

It's a Cruiser!!!!

Ride it gently for the first 200 miles.

Then have fun with it - Should do an effortless 75mph!!

Please note - Foreign import Drags will be slower, especially Ze German ones (the 'Use Unleaded Fuel' sticker will be in German).

They seem limited to an average 65mph. There is an easy throttle trick to making them go faster, but it's only useful on the long motorway trips.

Yea i dont think my one is an import ...if it was would the speedo be in KPH?? mine is in MPH....and haha to the above there is no rev counter on a dragstar...... i have another question..... how do cruiser lovers keep an eye on how much fuel u have left?????? without a fuel counter i cant tell but by shaking the bike and listening...which can cause an overspill if your careless

[oldtimer]

Why does everyone keep agreeing with me?

I'm a pretentious cock!!!!

Ride it gently for the first 200 miles.

Then have fun with it - Should do an effortless 75mph!!

Please note - Foreign import Drags will be slower, especially Ze German ones (the 'Use Unleaded Fuel' sticker will be in German).

They seem limited to an average 65mph. There is an easy throttle trick to making them go faster, but it's only useful on the long motorway trips.

people agree with you most of the time because what you say is common sense and you do try to be helpful,i better not say any more you might have to buy a bigger helmet, what is this throttle trick ? i never get more than 70mph out of mine even on the motorway have to get the bonnie out for long trips or did have just sold it looking at maybe a v-max or a rocket 3 but on price i think its going to be the v-max secondhand import as i am going back to germany next year to visit some ex service mates and need a bit more power for those autobahn,s, any way keep telling it as it is

[dragstar_125]

I cant wait to get my bike back ...do you think i got a good deal ......£1750 for a dragstar 125 (2004) with 1900 miles.... year tax years mot years insurance, helmet gloves ,trousers,jacket......and a years free warranty??? and now the new bearign are getting fitted for free and bought for free

[Airhead]

Why does everyone keep agreeing with me?

I'm a pretentious cock!!!!

I....I.......I........Ermm....lol....Ag... Agh, never mind!

[Ttaskmaster]

how do cruiser lovers keep an eye on how much fuel u have left?????? without a fuel counter i cant tell but by shaking the bike and listening...which can cause an overspill if your careless

This is how we does it:

OK... Fill the tank and zero your mileometer.

Now ride around normally until the bike starts jerking back and forth. You'll notice a very distinct lack of power and throttle response. Just so you're prepared for it, this should happen at around 120 miles.

This is basically the end of your main tank.

You have a reserve amount left - Around 2.5 litres, which will get you something like 20-30 miles further. On the left side of the bike is the Fuel Tap. You will need to switch this from the ON position to the RES position.

MAKE A NOTE OF YOUR MILEAGE NOW!!!!

Then ride to the nearest fuel station and fill up. REMEMBER to turn the fuel tap back to ON.

IIRC, when you refill from running on the reserve, you have to turn the fuel tap to PRIME, start it and then switch back to ON. Do check the manual first, though, as I'm getting old and my memory isn't what it used to be.....

Now carry on riding, keeping an eye on your mileage. Refuel before you hit that reserve point and you'll be fine. Just REMEMBER to zero your counter every time you fill the fuel tank!!!!

You may get a slightly lower or higher mileage out of your bike, depending on whether you do a lot of motorway or in-town riding. Just remember the magic number and keep in mind when you're likely to hit reserve.

As a side note - Switching to reserve can be done two ways - Either learn to do it on the move, or if you're not very confident, pull over. The bike may stall if you stop, but don't worry. Just switch to Reserve and re-start normally.

people agree with you most of the time because what you say is common sense and you do try to be helpful

what is this throttle trick ? i never get more than 70mph out of mine even on the motorway

Just a little thing, really.

Your bike may vary somewhat, but this generally works on most 125s. Please note, this is more an art than a science.

Ride all the way through the power band, shifting up just before the engine gets uncomfortable (ie starts getting too noisy). On the Drag, top speed can be achieved in 4th gear. 5th is just to ease the engine.

Go all the way up to 4th and ride the power band up. Shift into 5th at the appropriate point and maintain a steady cruising speed. This should be at around 1/3rd throttle. S-L-O-W-L-Y increase throttle. I do mean very gradually. Eventually, you'll be at 4/5ths throttle and doing around 80mph.

Please note this is on the 125 Drag only.

This is for distance cruising only. Obviously if you have to slow at all, you will have to start building up again.

[dragstar_125]

This is how we does it:

OK... Fill the tank and zero your mileometer.

Now ride around normally until the bike starts jerking back and forth. You'll notice a very distinct lack of power and throttle response. Just so you're prepared for it, this should happen at around 120 miles.

This is basically the end of your main tank.

You have a reserve amount left - Around 2.5 litres, which will get you something like 20-30 miles further. On the left side of the bike is the Fuel Tap. You will need to switch this from the ON position to the RES position.

MAKE A NOTE OF YOUR MILEAGE NOW!!!!

Then ride to the nearest fuel station and fill up. REMEMBER to turn the fuel tap back to ON.

IIRC, when you refill from running on the reserve, you have to turn the fuel tap to PRIME, start it and then switch back to ON. Do check the manual first, though, as I'm getting old and my memory isn't what it used to be.....

Now carry on riding, keeping an eye on your mileage. Refuel before you hit that reserve point and you'll be fine. Just REMEMBER to zero your counter every time you fill the fuel tank!!!!

You may get a slightly lower or higher mileage out of your bike, depending on whether you do a lot of motorway or in-town riding. Just remember the magic number and keep in mind when you're likely to hit reserve.

As a side note - Switching to reserve can be done two ways - Either learn to do it on the move, or if you're not very confident, pull over. The bike may stall if you stop, but don't worry. Just switch to Reserve and re-start normally.

Just a little thing, really.

Your bike may vary somewhat, but this generally works on most 125s. Please note, this is more an art than a science.

Ride all the way through the power band, shifting up just before the engine gets uncomfortable (ie starts getting too noisy). On the Drag, top speed can be achieved in 4th gear. 5th is just to ease the engine.

Go all the way up to 4th and ride the power band up. Shift into 5th at the appropriate point and maintain a steady cruising speed. This should be at around 1/3rd throttle. S-L-O-W-L-Y increase throttle. I do mean very gradually. Eventually, you'll be at 4/5ths throttle and doing around 80mph.

Please note this is on the 125 Drag only.

This is for distance cruising only. Obviously if you have to slow at all, you will have to start building up again.

This guy is legendary!!!!!! taskmaster i shall be coming to you from now on ...thats if you dont mind haha!!! cant wait to get my bike back ...i will inform you of how the performance has changed once the bearings have been changed.....will this make a vast improvment on the performance???

I want to be hitting 50 easy on my 125..... i have a full tank wating for me so i will take ur advice on the milometre...restart it once i get it and then wait until im hitting low......topping it up 5 punds every now and then that was the only idea i had haha