Paulwhite

hi kelum soz for not replying earlier but iv had to think about what u put if you could post up a couple of pics .....it would be a big help! im going to tell you how to have a better look without altering the timing. if you can take the tank off then you can get to the heads, now there are 2 covers on each head (chrome ones) take them off (it wont affect the head taking them off) and get as good a picture of the leak as you can. on the left of the bike (as your sat on it) on the front cylinder there will be a cover and the same on the right hand side of the back cylinder, there held in by 2 bolts, you can take them off to have a look inside. on the cover that you take off there should be a bit of rubber on the outside of the round bit (just check its there as this could cause oil to leak) have some old rags ready as some oil can spill out. once you have taken some pics put it back together and get back to me then i can have a look and see what to do next. and one more thing is there any smoke comming from the exhaust? (like blue, black, or white smoke?)

well what i think is happening is the inlet valve is opening on tdc or just b4 (on the exhaust stroke) pushing fuel into the exhaust. hence why i thought retarding it by 1 or 2 teeth (on the cam sprocket) would fix it. but it could be the fuel isnt combusting properly, so might try using some high octane and an iridium plug b4 i play with the timing. im wanting to try and get the engine running as good as possible b4 i wire it up and get it on the road, then i can fine tune it and sort out any problems from there. but im just puzzled as to why its goin bang im short on funds at the mo and need to save up to build the battery box and make the loom so a new carb is out of the question (although id give anything for a mikuni carb ) the main jet is a 118 but think il be better off trying to find a new (adjustable) needle setup. ebay is useless and google isnt much better. just thought... could the wrong fuel pump make it run rich? at the mo im using the dragstar fuel pump (for a mikuni carb) as i cant get hold of one for the cbr engine.

cheers gents il have a look tomoz for any leaks in the system (and not the green leafy kind), and have a play with the timing if it keeps doin it. as to me getting confused.... google sais that a backfire comes from cylinder into carb and a after fire comes from the exhaust..?? and they give many a reason as to why... but hay never-mind it only spits out flames when i take the end can off , but with the end can on it just goes bang. i would of just moved the carb needle to compensate but when i took the carb to bits i found that you cant! its fixed in one position it is running rich but its not too rich if you get what i mean. could of done with moving the needle down a notch. thought if i could try and get the fuel to combust better by doing a combination of timing and iridium spark plug then it might sort it out?? just one more question (if i may) if the timing chain spins the cam sprocket anti clockwise...which way would i need to turn it to correct it? im guessing i need to retard it a notch so clockwise???

hi all need some help and i have tried the search but couldnt get a good result. and looking through google just got me confused. anyway my exhaust keeps spitting out flames or "afterfire" i think the technical term is. iv got a free flow air filter (just search butterfly valve) and an aftermarket exhaust, the plug is reading rich ??? , the timing is spot on (did it yesterday) and every time i let go of the throttle BANG! no matter what rev range it is. i cant make the mixture any leaner as its a keihen (or keihin?, kiehen?) carb and cant adjust it without getting new needles and jets (which i dont really want to do) iv tried re-setting the mixture screw and its helped a little. any suggestions? oh and forgot to mention i cant ride the bike as its not fully built so the best i can do is get the engine running in neutral and rev it.

a Cuban cigar to add to your collection....(thats if you havent got one already lol)

hello and welcome to the YOC! have you tried putting a bit of paper on top of the number and goin over it with a crayon? might just work. but anyway nice bike m8 hope you get it sorted ready for the summer weather!

try www.wemoto.com they have lots of parts.....failing that try ebay

hi erik and welcome to the forum as to your question i cant help you but im sure someone will get back to you try this website they might have some of the parts you need My link as to the bearing ....its going to be a big job so just take your time and follow the manual. good luck

cheers cynic. you were spot on. checked the timing and it was out, so its all sorted and running properly .....well nearly.....just got to sort out the carb as its back fiering and popping . thanks again

sounds like u need a new battery m8, and im not sure what pipe ur on about goin from carb to filter?? the only pipes comming from the carb is the fuel in and drain pipe. but anyway if it hasnt got a filter on it then dont put one on

yes m8 iv put a washer in the air filter housing but found that i couldnt get it to run properly (wouldnt rev up), so i took it out and it seems ok. but il have a look at the timing then go from there. oh i got freaked out yesterday when i looked at the speedo......the mileage counter (the one that you can re-set) is at 666 and considering that it hasnt been adjusted since the engine blew....well .......a bit of a coincidence!?

cheers for the quick replies and OG when i took the plug out to have a look it was ok and wasnt hot to the touch (just warm). the only thing i can think of is that with the polished head and free flow air filter its running lean, as to the timing....its as it was b4 i did the mods so should be spot on, it ran perfect b4 the mods so im thinking its got something to do with that. im going to strip the carb down tomoz and have a play with the jetting, to make it richer and see if that sorts it out. but its the 1st time iv come across this. just thought id post on here and see if anyone has had the same problem and what they did to sort it.

hi all been a while since i last posted but iv been tinkering away on the xvs bobber project, and been busy getting engaged, got a couple more things done il post some pics up when i get time but iv started it up today with the new airfilter setup and all is well! iv got a problem with the jetting/carb but wondered if anyone could shed any light on the matter b4 i go taking the carb to bits. i started it up for about 10 min and found that the exhaust header was glowing....and i mean really glowing! it was the bright shade of Orange that id want if i was trying to bend it with a pair of needle nose pliers .......but its not what i want for a road going bike. just wondered if anyone could tell me what i need to do to try and sort it. (im not sure if the mixture is rich or lean) the plug reads rich but im sure i red somewhere that a lean mixture burns hotter causing the exhaust to glow. ??? cheers for any advice

renthal bars wont fit without risers (unless you tilt them back but then ur gonna get bad cramp after 5 min), all in all your looking at spending £40 to put straight bars, risers and all bits and bobs on it. or you could stick with he bars you have . what are you trying to do? are you doing it for looks or riding position?

god .....not another paul! just kidding welcome to the forum m8!! dont suppose you still have the cover for the exhaust? if its just come off then i can tell u how to repair it but they are like gold dust, and the original exhaust from mr yamaha are expensive! as to putting straight bars on it, ur going to have clearance problems, unless you get really wide bars! could put risers on but u need at least 4 inch risers plus you need to bore out the bush to 12mm to accommodate the bigger bolts. but anyway il stop waffling on

hello and welcome to the forum id advice posting a hello (introduction) in the general section of the forum right.... the pump should be ok (there quite resistant to damage) so no need to replace it, as to the carb joint the best thing you could do is use black electrical tape and wrap it, should sort it out till you can get a new one. the hoses, im not too sure and its hard to explain, but il have a go. the pump has 3 hoses (1.tank to pump, 2.pump to carb, 3.carb joint to pump) if you blow down 1 it should come out 2, if you blow down 3 you will get resistance as it works by blowin and suckin to create the "pump" efect now the carb should have a "in" pipe with a T connecter, one from pump(2) and one from prime on the tank. thats how i think it goes but im not sure...tell me ur e-mail and i can send you a workshop manual on pdf that tells you everything you would need to know. and your better off cleaning the carb while you have the tank off.

iv always said get a new exhaust for the mot then mod the old one, if you use a 6mm drill bit and do 5 holes in each end plate, you can get hold of some 6mm bolts to put in the holes for the mot (if you dont buy a new exhaust) but it depends on your mechanic if it gets passed or not, as to the sound.......you will defo notice it! it will sound good till you hit higher rpm then itl sound a bit ....well canny is the best word to describe it. but yeah good luck m8

it is possible BUT .....you would need to do sooooo much and change almost everything that its just not worth it, you might as well just go out and get a virago 535 bike. if your looking for more power in the xvs 125/250 frame have a look for a 250 engine (it dont have to be a v twin) or you could even get a 2 stroke beast the engine iv got in mine is a 2004 cbr 125rr. Standard it pumps out the same as the original xvs 125 engine, but its lighter, more reliable, and you can get a big bore kit for about £250-300, oh plus its got a 6th gear. but anything bigger than a 250-300cc your going to need to re-enforce the frame, then upgrade/replace the forks and sort out the brakes.

follow the wire from the controls and about an inch or 2 you will come to a big bit (an adjuster kinda thing) have a play with that. if that dont sort it then something is caught, so split the switch unit and dismantle the throttle control then put it back together. use some wd40 to lube it up.

if it starts ok then its not a big engine issue the "oil" from the exhaust is probably water that has turned black due to the carbon deposits in the exhaust, but get the gaskets sorted then see if its ok. will you be doing the gaskets yourself? or will you get a mechanic to do it? if you decide to do it yourself i can go through step by step how to do it, plus you could get the exhaust done while you take the engine apart. as to the battery, just make the terminals shiny with a wire brush or some sand paper, then once you put the connectors back on spray it with wd40 otherwise you get wd40 between the terminals and connectors which will interfere with the electrics. but yeah hope you get it sorted m8

looks to me like an r125 with modified r6 fairing ......dont look bad though

if oil is leaking from the exhaust hole then its not good but i think it might be leaking from the worn gaskets between the head and barrel and just dripping down to the exhaust port. the 250cc gasket wont fit as the hole for the piston is bigger and will probably cover oil-ways to the head. so get the 125 version and get a tube of instant gasket just to make sure. one question.... does the bike start OK? say 2nd or 3rd try? if its a piston ring problem then it wont start up (on the electric start). and lets hope and prey that its not the piston rings! i cant seem to find any in the uk (at a reasonable price) so you will have no chance of getting any! and finally .......removing a link or 2 is only a temporary fix! it will grind your sprockets down smooth! so best get looking and saving for a new chain and sprockets. and as to the exhaust, best bet would be to patch the holes, try not to take the exhaust off as you might snap a bolt (if its badly corroded)

change the oil. (unless you did it 3 months ago id recommend you do that 1st) then have a look on your clutch lever, follow the cable down to the engine and you will come to a bit that is bigger than the cable. this is the adjuster for the clutch, now its a bit of trial and error but pull back the rubber cover and undo it by 2-3 turns. start the bike up and put into 1st, slowly (and i mean very slowly!) release the clutch to find the biting point till the bike starts to go for wards. then pull clutch in and put it into neutral. should go in nicely! the adjuster for the clutch sorts out the biting point so if you undo it it makes the cable tighter and the biting point on the lever will be closer to the top, and if you do it up, it slackens the cable so you would need to pull the clutch lever more to hit the biting point. this should sort it out for you! merry Christmas m8

you wont be able to use the original bar ends.(unless you fancy welding a nut in the end of the new bars) but you could get some new standard things to fit on there. as to the controls just tightern them up as much as you can or put a bit of inner tube between the bars and controls, then that should help it not to slip.

well if you want it loud then save up, get a new set of bog standard exhausts for mot, then cut the mufflers off the old exhaust. could put exhaust wrap round the pipes. job done!