Cynic

Thats a bit drastic isn't it. Whats the problem? Oh yeah welcome....

Huh loads of em, next to hens teeth and flying pigs.

Don't be a stranger let us know what sorts it. It may help us/somebody in the future. Everybody is learning all the time. Its when you think you know it all that you have problems. Good luck.......

That would suggest the choke is working ok. If the floats are low then you should be running lean, which is possible as the performance from lean or rich is similar (ish) save for the backfire which could be an indicator of the bike leaning out once its opend up. One possible senario, my DT had some side stand issues that meant she leant over just a little too far. This meant the floats couldn't float and they would stick without closing the fuel off. Thing is the fuel didn't come out the overflow immediately, sometimes not at all but drained into the motor. Litterally filling it up on one occation. I had to shut the fuel tap off whenever i left the bike. Do you shut the fuel off religeously or leave it open?

Hmm, if you add the LOW float height to a sticky choke we get all the symptoms. Starts easy, cos the choke's on and runs rich as its drowning in fuel or would be if the float level was correct. But being low the carb is leaned out causing the backfires. What do you think OG

I know what your saying, i think i had parents that were more realistic when i was looking for bikes. My father certainly knew what was what on my bikes and said as much (he's been a mechanic man and boy) and he controlled the decisions regarding my bikes more than my mother who "trusted my jugement" As far as he's concerned you can kill yourself and others with 12hp just as easily as 25. Yes totally agree, when my 2 were born and the family allowance was put into separate accounts for them, we figured while we could afford it we would continue. Still doing it 9 years on, they are ISA's now instead of savings accounts but its the same. I know of nobody else who has done it. I'm hoping it will kick start their future whatever it may be.

You can typically see a small line where it seats, if all the jets are ok and the associated filters etc are in good condition there is not a lot else it can be. It is a tricky thing to get right, at the coarsest level, ajust the tang on the floats very slightly and see if it improves things, if it is the problem you should not have to adjust it much, maybe a mm or 2.

Float height, it is very critical couple of mm too high she'll flood. There are other things, engine needing a decoke, blocked exhaust, blocked filter. But if you have fuel in the crank area then the float height would be my guess. Certanly one of the easier items to check.

I nod to everybody, i have noticed that power rangers are less likely to nod though, and i get far less on the DT than the TDR. If i was a cynic i'd say size matters.

But thats my point, a nice mid 90's TZR if you look properly is a far better bike as far as performance (ie pounds per MPH) goes than a new YZF. Lets be honest here MaD you know all the tricks to make them fly, they are genuine 100mph bikes (just). Ok looks may come into question but when i was 17 performance was it. Fastest bike in the yard was king, simple. As, lets be honest it don't matter how fancy you make a 4 stroke single 125, its not going to catch a stroker is it. May last longer As far as no bike at all goes, fellow 2 doors up from me has got a CG125 1979. Cost him nothing litterally. It wont tear your arms off i'll grant you but it was lively enough when i rode it to get it MOT'd for him yesterday and it would happily sit at 65mph, just push 70. He got it for his grandson as a 17th birthday present, sorted insurance out the lot. Y'know the old man passing on his knowledge, lets do this together bit. "I'm not riding that piece of shit!", i heard that from my living room shortly before the kid landed on his back seeing stars. At his age i would have snapped his hand off, and i don't mean dodging the punch .

What is she idling at? WD40 works quite well as a leak detector. Zap all round the inlet side of the motor and see if the engine note drops. Failing that try and spray behind the flywheel as this is another favorite leak spot on DT's, ie the left hand crank seal. When the other side gives trouble you get a lot of smoke as a rule.

Have you set the adjustment on the new cable properly so it isn't holding the slide up? Has it happend since the new cable or was the cable supposed to fix it? How are you sure it has no air leaks?

Why? Reed valves are normally fine forever pretty much. Metal ones can loose their flexibility over time. The fiber versions as a rule so long as they are in good condition. As in not split or cracked are generally ok. The ones in my DT are over 20 years old.

Sorry MaD, it's just there are not that many folk like you out there. The vast majority seem to buy them then want to tear them apart and fit big bores etc. The people that want a new 125 as a deliberate choice, fair enough but the people that buy them with every intention of moving on as soon as they have their licence.I don't understand it, never will i suppose. I like the smaller 2 strokes myself, i traded down from a 600 for the TDR and i've had the DT for years. I still think a sorted 125 is more fun than a lot of the bigger stuff because you are riding far harder to go as fast. As you said in your post most 125's get hammerd because of the inexperience of the pilot, so why not do the damage to an old nail rather than throw money away on a new one. As to value, no i don't think new 125's are value for money, if you had the option of going back to the dealer and they plugged in the black box that gave you 25HP it should have then possibly, but the way they are castrated by rules and regulations makes the idea a no no.

Sorry can't see the argument on the MOT, possibly the insurance but you only get 1 year what happens in year 2, or is that the snag. You go and take a massive depreciation hit and then buy another new one. Cheap 125, +insurance, third party only is all you nead to be mobile, on the road passing bus stops for less than a grand all in if your sharp. Pass your test THEN buy a new bike worth having, take the free insurance and all the finance offers etc on something you may keep for a few years. Don't forget you lose 17'5 % of its value signing the bloddy paperwork, wipe another 20-30% off riding it away. So you have lost AT LEAST more than you would have spent on a cheap bike and your lumberd with the payments on a bike that won't be quick enough in 6 weeks time. I still don't see it.

They are refering to the light in the instruments that lets you see the indicators are on. Some bikes have 2 some 1. If there is only 1 then the light uses the side that is not required to earth the instrument light through. With led's needing very little current there is enough energy to light the all led's passing through the bulb. This would be fixed by fitting resistors at the indicators directly as there would not be enough current through the bulb to trigger the led's, or use diode's as already stated. Personally i'd use something like the rectifiers from a dt 50 or similar as they are well up to the job and are designed to be mounted on a bike and robust enough to handle the punishment.

Looking at the pictures at the top of the post i'd say you can fit what the hell you like its making it work that will be the challenge. Surely a bobber will look sweet on some spoked rims with the rear jacked out for a 6 inch rim (180 section tyre) and a real skinny 90 on the front, Its making it work that would be the challenge. A stepped sprocket or maybe an intermediate shaft extension with an outrigger bearing would also let you have the really fat back end by spacing the final drive further out, or cheat and shift the motor over a touch. Finding a suitable hub shouldnt be all that hard, look at some of the harley wheels should give you some options. It will handle corners crap but then thats not what a bobber is for is it?

I wouldn't mind betting those petro chem companies are now so big they can make or brake the government let alone us. WE are by nature selfish. So WE want to go where we want to, when we want to. Same as fags. Don't matter what it costs the greater part of the great unwashed will pay it. Thank the credit card, people don't see what they are spending any more. People ask why i work where i do, "cos its close" gets me funny looks but the less time and fuel i spend on getting to work the happier i am. There are drivers who run from our yard travel 30 odd miles each way. Plenty travel further. They look at me like i've got 2 heads when i say i'm on 10-15 quid a day more than they are.

Then you gotta pay for it, kick the tyres and knock off what you can but if you want it.

Er me too, 12 mile round trip for fuel (bike only does 70 odd to a tank ) if i go to the nearest, a sainsbury's, then its a Tesco's next. The pumps in the village garage dried up a decade ago.

A bike like the one you are describing bends the rules on value a bit. IF its a genuine replica not just a rattle can restoration then you have to decide what you are willing to pay, then pay it. Can't be more help, its a bit like my TDR they can cost you 2000 to 2500 for an original unrestored mint UK bike. Thats getting on for what they were new 20 years ago. I was lucky as the seller didn't know what he had

Weak point, most of these bikes get tuned up once they get a couple of hundred miles on them, then its just a grenade missing the pin. You can buy a good fast 125 early tzr for maybe 6-700 quid with MOT and TAX. Well set they fly and they are easy to fix, its only goto last long enough to get your proper licence then out it for probably what you gave for it. You will have paid almost that in VAT on a new one.

On the later bike it looks like they have saved hassle with the cdi and now instead of having the black and white the actual feed from the pick up coil is grounded. ALL the wires go to the same places but the one difference is, as you know the later CDI has the b/w deleted. The later CDI has a red and white instead of the red, if you connect your black and white line into this, as well as not instead of the red from your loom you should be in business.

Don't be to down, as a small commuter fun bike they are great and with little more than basic maintanance they will happily run for thousands of miles. Not particularily fast but dependable, spares aren't bad and they are a doddle to work on. Keep em peeled they are out there. The slightly later DT175 circa 78/9 (see my avtar)may be a better bet for you. Slightly more modern but more of em, and still 30 years old.

I went to the first 2 years back, they moved it to the other end of the season then due to the 'fall out' Big laugh if its like it was and there are no noise police, booze police, well nothing really the security just hid cos they didn't know what to make of it. Bikes on balconies, naked burn outs (men and women) and no real harm done. Couple of narked wrinklies cos they picked a bad weekend for a quiet time by the sea, skeggy got mobbed too. But as a motorcyclist it was ace.