Rimbaudian

Had a probably, stupid idea, but see I had the motorbike locked up for Winter while I went home for Holidays from Uni and when doing so I had a hard time locking on the side panel which covers the battery. So I just left the side panel unlocked making it removable without the key. However if memory serves me well the lock on the side panel isn't very deep and doesn't use the full length of the key's teeth to unlock. Well hopefully i'm misremembering as if the lock on the side panel is exactly the same as the ignition switch then I should be able to take the side panel down to a lock smith to get a new key made, rather than this expensive task of removing the ignition switch. So I'd be greatful if anyone on here with a YBR could test my idea and see how much of the key the side panel uses on their bike, please. But ah probably wishful thinking, I think tomorrow I'll phone around to see if any locksmiths do callouts for this sort of things, here's hoping.

Hi, well basically I have managed to lose my only key to my bike, its a long and stupid story so I'll spare the details but yes, I do feel stupid. I've googled around for my options and phoned up the local Yamaha Dealership and a local mechanic. From my googling it was my understanding that an official dealership is able to cut new keys for a bike by looking up the Specs of the key using the VIN number, but when I called them they were very vague and instead quoted me 80 quid for a new lock set and 90 quid to come and install it. Naturally these prices are obscene and I googled the lock set instead which can be bought for 45 quid online and I phoned a local motorbike garage who offered to install it the lock set for 40 quid. However the mechanic also suggested I could remove the the Ignition Switch and take it to a locksmith who could cut a new key from the shape of the lock. This option is ofcourse reliant on the cost of cutting a new key being cheaper than buying an entirely new lock set for 45 quid, I assume it is but its too late to phone around locksmiths to get quotes. So in the meantime I thought i'd ask the question posited in the thread title: How would I go about removing the ignition switch on my Yamaha Ybr 125, 2008, fuel injection model? Or even further how easy (and if easy, how do I) is it to install a new ignition switch myself? I assume it isn't and thinking about it, if it requires any unusual tools and the difference between having a key cut and simply buying a new lock set isn't very big then it might just be a better idea to buy a lock set and let the mechanic do it after all rather than this convoluted student penny pinching method I'm concocting in my head. Well anyway this post got unnecessarily long, sorry, but I'd appreciate any help, thanks.

Thanks for all the help guys I replaced the spark plug now and it seems to be running fine I've taken it out for a ride without any mechanical problems and hopefully it stays as such! Unfortunately however my bike has not escaped human problems and I have managed to quite embarrassingly do a really stupid low speed tumble off the bike which is all fine, just bruised my leg but I managed to crack the casing on the speedometer, ugh looking it up online it looks like a rather difficult part to replace given most are sold from China with Kmph on the clock rather than miles. It doesn't seem like serious damage will I be able to get away with not replacing it for awhile? I mean to say is cracked casing going to create any issues over time? I can't see why it should it seems to me there's two layers to them anyway the actual plastic encasing the clocks and then the black box that surrounds them, I just cracked the black box. Might just try super gluing it.. Well anyway don't worry about my riding I'm intentionally riding late nights at the moment whilst I get used to things again this was the first time I've ridden since my CBT two months ago so had a few teething issues.

Ok I removed the spark plug today and by the looks of it, it doesn't look too healthy from what i've googled comparatively. The end has gone black with what looks like a coating of dryed oil so I figure i'll order a new spark plug and hopefully that will sort out my problem. The Spark Plug it self is actually a NGK CR7HSA rather than the one the operating manual recommends, a NGK CR6HSA but I imagine this wouldn't really of made a difference? I'll order a CR6HSA anyway. Should I be worried that this problem will repeat itself? From my googling it says that oil on the spark plug might mean an oil leakage? Although it might not be oil just carbon or something, I'm far from a mechanic

Thanks alot mate.

Thanks, I've done alot of googling looking for the plug size but I can find very little information on it I imagine I'll just get a variety of socket sizes and with abit of luck one of them will work! I imagine 10mm is about right from looking at the plug itself and thanks for the link although I already have the manual myself.

I don't twist the throttle at all it doesn't seem to do anything on this bike. When I was doing my CBT the bike I was using for that required a small amount of throttle as you pushed the start button so I know what you mean but on this bike the throttle doesn't seem to have any effect untill the start button has gotten the engine going already. So yea spark plugs it is, does anyone have any advice on what tool I can use to remove the spark plug, my dad seems to think the socket/screw driver sets you can usually buy from pound shops would work fine?

Thanks for the tips but I have abit of an update, I set off for Halfords today to buy some motor oil and a spark plug removing tool but before setting off on my walk I thought I'd see if the bike would start so I put the key in and it started up on the second push (it would have on the first If I hadn't been dismissive of the possibility of it starting and didn't hold it down long enough) but like an idiot I didn't take advantage of this opportunity I just revved it abit as though I was trying to find the clutch biting point but then I switched it off as it was still on its chain and I was intending to go to Halfords. I went to Halfords and bought some oil, I didn't buy a spark plug tool though as it just seemed like a really over priced socket driver, am I right in thinking this? So i figured i'd just buy one elsewhere tomorrow. When I got back the bike almost started again with the first push of the button but I think i released too soon and although it began to rumble and the head lights came on it went off straight after, I'm almost sure it would have kept alive if i'd held down the starter for another second or so. But after that it's just gone back to not starting again well anyway I figure this is a development worthy of an update, maybe someone can better determine the problem from this? Anyway I'm wasting far too much time fiddling with this thing when I have alot of work to do so I think i'll leave off touching it till tomorrow when hopefully it'll start after an idle night and I'll change the oil and buy a tool to remove and inspect the spark plug and if its still not working I'll try a push start with a friend tomorrow.

Hi, I just joined today, perhaps I should feel a fraud for I'm mainly on here in pursuit of troubleshooting advice and my choice for Yamaha was purely based on economics and not brand loyalty to a brand I know nothing about. Aha essentially its my first bike and hell I guess I should probably start reading up more on bikes so maybe I will stick around. I'm more of a romance junkie than an adrenaline junkie and consequentially in my head a motorbike can only be termed as the manifestation of my liberty which my mind seems to crave more so than adrenaline and much else and so I couldn't resist buying a bike much to the horror of my mother. So yea those are largely the terms by which i was brought here and maybe they'll yet play apart in keeping me around!

Hah I imagine I could although Its a pretty light bike and my legs are long anyway so I can pretty much push it to a good rolling speed on my own, having googled it though it sounds abit dodgy, what would be the purpose? Edit: actually just watched a youtube tutorial on it, I understand it now, might try it abit later getting abit sick of repeatedly wasting time on it at the moment! Update: Unable to resist temptation I tried to push start it but it didn't seem to work, I put it into 2nd gear and ran with it between my legs quite easily and got it to a decent speed but I'd just release the clutch and then the wheel would lock as a result without starting. I think it almost started randomly at one point when I was idly trying the engine start button but i'd pressed it a few times and wasn't really thinking about it when the engine made a promising sound like it was about to start but I released the button too quick and only realized it was about to start after releasing the button because I wasn't thinking about it, damn it! Ah well if the engine wasn't flooded before I guess it is now, i'll have to leave it till tomorrow hopefully Halfords sell the tool to remove a spark plug? I was also reading fuel injection engines are difficult to push start so that might be the problem in this case.

The fuel injection model doesn't have a reserve tap and I put in a couple of litres of fuel as I described in my post. As for a charger I don't own one and since the kick start doesn't work either I'm guessing its not a battery problem? I tried to remove my spark plug only to find there is no owners tool kit in the bike anymore it seems one of the previous owners never sold it on so I don't have any tools to remove the spark plug from what I can see, given it looks like a rather specific tool and I'm a student so all I have is a few spanners. Its Sunday tomorrow as well so I don't think there's much chance of finding one, ugh this is such a nuisance, I'll post an introduction sometime later I've spent so much time thinking about and running errands for this bike today that I've got very little work done so I don't have any more time to spend otherwise at the moment! Thanks for the advice though.

Hi so this is my first bike and it's a 2008 fuel injection model I bought it about two weeks ago but having been so snowed under with work I've barely touched it whilst I've waited for the registration papers to go through with the DVLA so I could put a new tax disc on it so its been sat outside under a cover for about two weeks in the cold untouched. When it came it had effectively no fuel inside it and I couldn't get it to start and never bothered to refuel it until today as I wouldn't be able to legally drive it without tax anyway. So today I finally got my tax disc and poured in some fuel from a fuel can, I used the electric start and it started with the second push, I turned it off and on again it started again fine too. But then things went a bit awry I think when I knocked it down into 1st gear I can't recall if the bike stalled as a result of that or just too much revving without clutch release but after that the bike had trouble finding neutral again and the neutral light wouldn't come on (so the engine start button wouldn't work) until after about 2 turn off and on again's of the ignition key. But after that the bike would no longer start, I hold down the engine start button and it tries to start but never makes it, I've tried using the kick start but it does next to nothing, I can just hear a slight noise within the bike when I press it down but other than that, nothing. The bike is fine finding neutral at the moment and there is no engine warning light coming on (other than when it shows for the first few seconds of ignition to show it still works) but it just won't start. Well anyway I live in the UK and its too dark and cold to fiddle round with now so I thought i'd post here to get some suggestions for what I should check when I get to working at it tomorrow. When I was at the dealership looking at the bike it started first time and when it was delivered the man delivering it started it fine to park it for me, well anyway that's all I can think of for now, sorry for the convoluted style I just didn't want to miss any relevant details, hopefully some of you guys can help, thanks. Edit: I should also say it passed its MOT only 25 days ago and hasn't been used since then. Also all the lights seemed to work, with the ignition key in the lights on the dashboard work along with the indicators and of the few times I managed to get the engine running the headlights on all strength settings worked so it seems to have enough energy in the battery.