Cynic

I've plumped for your suggestion mate, decent fellow on the phone. They have a new coating now that isn't epoxy based and is resistant to ethanol content to way above any forcast levels, up to 10 even 15% is possible apparently. If its good it should save me from all but the tinyest bit of work on the outside of the tank.

On an XT Sorry, no, the XT has enough trouble pulling its self around without lumbering it with a 10% gearing increace when i can only just pull top anyhow. Stock is best.

Reading some of the blurb, petseal is the one to avoid and doing all the prep work seems to be the key. I'll have a go with one of these ethanol resistant vertions and see what happens. If i have to batter and whatnot the tank to fix it ok. But i have got to try and save the finish if i can. Cheers people, i'm a lot more comfortable with the issue now

I'm willing to give them a try. Any of the lads from the squires run will attest to the original condition of my tdr, everything is original down to the mirrors . Paint match, date codes on the parts match, everything ties up. The decals even have that slight patina from being 23 years old. I just can't affect the visible part of the tank paintwork becaust it just will not be possible to match it properly especially as the stock paint isnt a flat black it has a tiny fleck to it. I don't know if its just a one off pin hole or there are hundreds of them waiting, that would mean stripping it, that means the paint is a gonner and the decals have been out of production for years. You can see people trying to copy em still on the TDR site. They look OK in isolation but they are too yellow compared to the originals and don't have a border. Gutted These sealants are my only real option.

Nice one Merv that looks just the ticket, are they the only UK stockist as they are out of stock. I have just done a couple of searches and keep getting US suppliers, 80-90quids worth of postage

From experience Kev, pull the cylinder and get it helicoiled or do it yourself but don't try to fix it on the bike it will go wrong. Oh and maybe nod to fate so the others stay sweet eh

I'm gutted, the TDR tank has got a leak, i thought it was the fuel tap but on investigation there was the beginings of a tiny rust blister (as i thought) put my finger to it and got petrol from it. I am in the dark here. Good TDR tanks are rarer than gold plated pearl encrusted rocking horse spu...... Any suggestions, ideally i need to keep the tank as the bike is at present almost 100% as manufactured and try to damage as little as i can with the repair although thankfully the trouble spot is behind the LH rad cowl. I am in the dark on this, never had to mess with leaky tanks so i'm all ears if anybody can help.

So that would be, backwards backwards

Ok, Ok, I know, but you have bars, a few good shows and we can have a bike each.....

sounds like some junk in either the jet or the float bowl to me.

The biggest restriction of the XT125 is the big ally lump just under the tank behind the front wheel.

Poor bloody motor will be flogging its bks off. Point of interest, it was go carts that saw the death of many of the DT175's as the engine is perfect for carts, strong torque and decent revs. With no crappy valve gear to drain things. I have a porly 175 and a porly 125 under the bench, they need rebuilding but you could have a decent motor from the 2, at either 175 or 125. If you want em let me know.

You have met Kev? Whatever he turns up on will be loud in your face and probbably reving its bo77ocks off at 2 in the morning.

Are we 'makin plans'....... Welcome

I'm not an engine specialist but i'd say you have gas left that is unburnt in the motor due to the breathing being improved and the pipe clearing it out. The problem being the combustion chamber just aint burning it all. So you either need to light it earlier or change/adjust the valve overlap to keep the gas in long enough to burn properly.

That would make it fire nearer TDC and would , i think make it worse. I'd go with advancing it slightly you can safely go upto about 6 deg but you may need full fat fuel to do it for long periods. At least advancing it if you go too far you will know in plenty of time due to it pinking. Although you wont know that for certain till your riding it of course.

This is the second time you have messed with fate Kev, What was it 'Feck Fate i'll be there' wasn't it. First time the sproket now the pipe.

Don't you believe it, that 600 went from 180 mile to a tank crusing with 150 if you push it to, ready for it, sure, 120 tops riding like a nun and at the TT i got it down to under 60 doing 28min laps woo hoo never forget that. Wrecked a rear tyre in under a week

My guess for the cost would be the likelyhood that once the bike is in bits there will be more than the 5th gear issue. My feeling is that they have priced for a new cluster as if 5th has gone through milage (can't see it being 5th gear power wheelies) the rest of the cogs will also have worn, also the main and layshaft bearings, they will also be using factory parts. If the dealer has a rep for solid reliable work then i would guess they are pricing for worst case so when your friend gets his bike back he will have no other problems. Not that it helps him. What is the milage of the bike, if it is high i would keep in mind maybe a recon gearbox cluster or one from a low mileage bike at a breakers maybe an idea. Can't say i'd know the insides of a Drag if they hit me on the head but the principles of a yammy gearbox follow across all the bikes (yamaha stick with stuff that works) and it would be my feeling its a lot of work to half fix the bike so your friend may still have a stiff bill. Nowhere near 2000euro's but don't be surprised a at a couple of hundred at least. I have helped rebuild friends engines and you will hear 'do we really have to' an annoying amount. As they are spending to have it working rather than snazz the bike up. When your finished he will have what he had before with no real bonus apart from it working. Got a bit carried away there, good luck with it anyhow.

Sorry my friend i doubt this will be answerd by anybody in open forum as the answer will basically tell you how to nick a dt125. The wiring isn't complicated and its basic on those early bikes so reading the diagram and a few quid or so for a new switch will be a much better option. Its not much but needing a key will save it from dissapearing to a walk by oppotunist.

This may sound silly but is it in the exhaust or the engine. My old GSX600, tuned by TTS (google em) at Silverstone would pop and bang on the over run esp from high revs. Well actually it shot fkin great flames out if you did it at night. All to do with fuel, valve overlap and ig. It went like f with well over 90hp at the rear wheel and is still doing it at nearly 30Kmiles (fk off R6 owners thats a lot on a gsx they go less than 70 stock). Has it started since the ignition was put right, maybe it needs to be a little wrong to work now you have the pipe and carb. TTS moved the suzuki's 4-5 deg to work with the vernier valve gear and setting the valve overlap.

Not 100% but they only did the R5 for 3 years. I doubt they changed much. Probably find a lot of RD350 parts will fit too. Yamaha are pretty lazy that way.

So its actually its running just about perfect for a 2 stroke, just a little too rich for town so when i spank the smarties off it on the country roads i have a bit of 'spare' to keep her just right fuel wise. I just wonderd what it was thats all, goes well enough. Lifts the front in the first 2 cogs, on throttle and in third with a tug on the bars. So i'm hardly unhappy with the performance. Just makes it a little loud trying to sneak away at 0415 in the morning. Y'know Brrr, Brrr nearly little more choke, Brrr GOOD MORNING BUGBROOKE Dat Dat Dat Dat Dat

I know its a slightly odd question and i think i've put it up before many moons ago but! Anybody out there know what causes a 2 stroke to 4stroke. Sounds stupid i know. My DT does it even after the rebuild. Runs smooth with big throttle but chugging in traffic and it starts to 4 stroke, its like a misfire but not. More every other ignition is a bit lacking and the engine gets a bit arsy. Like when they are full of smoke in the first 500yrds when they are cold. I know she started her life on the enduro circuit and i've been less than kind but i'm curious. I can wind the throttle fully open uphill into the wind from 20mph in top and she will pull cleanly right up to 60+mph. But chugging along at 0mph on snow I ended up riding MX style spinning her up. Lot of fun though esp riding round people stuck in all the traffic with a rooster tail of snow. Just wondering, thats all. Carb is as the book plus a notch on the needle for the pipe. No leaks, good plug, starts ok ignition spot on (checked too many times thanks to a bad plug).

Get rid of them tyres fast. They are borderline leagal at best, the front looks like a sand tyre, a worn one at that and sand tyres on cold winter roads will have you on your arse in double quick time. Looking at stuff like the exhaust as its completely corosion free and the swinger with those tyres. Not to mention the lack of the guard on the front disk, (it fills up with shit and traps stones) i'd say thats been somebodys green lane tool. Wont have done it any harm, in fact bar the cosmetics you probably have a better bike for it as the maintanance will have been more thourough, (look at the chain/sprokets they havent done 8000miles) and getting dirty didn't do anybody any harm eh...