Benedictine

The good old father-in-law. Need to get myself some decent tools, working on it. Got some spanners but not the round end needed to get at the plug. I managed to bump start the bike into work this morning. Friend has brought in his battery charger so if I have any problems I'm going to borrow that, but he says riding around should re-charge the battery on it's own. I'll try that first and then re-charge or failing that buy a new battery as someone else said they just would do any way. Thanks.

Ha, yes sorry I'm just stressing. I had a look after. I'm going to borrow a friend's charger anyway. I'll try and bump start it first tomorrow. Cheers. Bloody English 'spring' weather.

I'll have to buy one. Will Halfords sell them? I'm asking a friend if he has got one. Thanks.

OK thanks. It is stored in a bike shed not a garage so it will have felt the full force of the cold. If it bump starts will the battery be fine from then on then?

I haven't got any equipment to charge the battery. I could try a bump start though. What do I do, put it in gear and then roll it along?

Yes it is electric start. It just wheezes and the battery area clicks when I hit the button yes. I put an Iridium spark plug in I wonder if this is the wrong sort? It did say it was suited to my bike though. Besides it worked before. It's just as if there is nothing there, no engine kick, just the wheezing and then clicking sound near the battery. I can't get the spark plug out to try the old one again because I haven't got the right size bloody spanner. I'll have to get one tomorrow and try that out. If it is not that then I haven't a clue. Could I have knocked something fiddling with the bike at the weekend?

I don't know the plug could have been overtightened. This is what I'm worried about. The wheezing and clicking sound is immediate. There is no kick of the engine at all. The only thing is it did start before after we fitted the new spark plug. The clicking sound is right where the battery is.

HELP! I don't believe this. I've come to start the bike today and it just won't start at all! It makes a wheezing sound. What is this? I changed the spark plug Friday, could it be this? Any other suggestions? Stuff like this always happens to me. There's a clicking noise near the battery and it is wheezing.

My brother's got a YBR 2008, I have also heard great things about them. He's only had it two weeks and not managed to get it out for a proper run due to the weather, but from everything I have read they are good bikes. £500 seems very very cheap though for a 2011. That would go for over a grand on ebay easy. My only concern would be why you are getting it for £500, is it in good working order, not knocked off etc. If there is a genuine reason then that is a total bargain.

Thanks a lot, thanks for the info. Yes it is satisfying and better to do it yourself (with the help you lot have given + the manual) plus it saves me some notes! Yes I don't rest my foot on the brake pedal when riding, I put my weight on the footrest and tip my foot forward when I need to brake, this is what I have been doing on the CBT rides and will do from now on. With the way my bike has been, I have had to twist my foot to the left and lift up and over the raised brake pedal at the same time and then press down. Not ideal. Fine now though. Cheers.

Update. I have sorted the brake pedal issue! I was indeed barking up the wrong tree with the split pin nut thing. I managed to find the correct bolt when I put the bike on the stand today and had a good look under the bike - found a gap with no rain or snow. It was a 10mm nut as suggested. It was simply a case of slackening of the nut by the rear brake arm and then adjusting the 10mm nut. I had to then adjust the brake light indicator and it is now sorted. Many thanks. Look the amazing level brake pedal: Really happy with that. The chain is also spot on, as I found the indicator and it is bang in the middle all the way around, thanks for that info again. The rubber tubing is near the battery so I assume it is the battery breather. It goes from here to the bottom of the bike and is not connected to anything at the other end, I assume that is correct and normal? Here it is: It just goes from there to the bottom of the bike. The only minor things I have to do now is to change the headlight warning bulb which I have discovered I get to by removing the headlight and other basic checks like battery water level, air filter and double check the oil level. Everything sorted. Thanks again.

Thanks. I'll have a go at removing the arm tomorrow and see if it will lower. I can't remember exactly where the tube is, I just found it underneath the engine, a thick black rubber tube. I don't know what a battery breather is (I'll google it). I didn't know about the indicator on the chain guard, I'll have a look for that tomorrow as well, thanks a lot. Regarding foot position, do people not ride with their foot hovering over the brake pedal then? Is it better practice to ride with some sort of twist to the right, not as extreme as mine, but generally? Thanks again.

Thanks. No it's definitely not the footrest pivot, I'm sure the split pin is for the brake pedal. You can clearly see the nut for the footrest in the first picture above parallel with the 'yamaha' mark. The online manual says that the brake pedal should be level with the footrest. At the moment as you can see it is at least one inch higher than the foot rest, getting on for two inches. This means when I am riding my foot is half on the footrest twisted and half on the exhaust. When I want to use the brake I can't just push my foot forward I have to pick it up and twist it to the left and then press down. With the bikes I used on the CBT, both Yamaha sr 125, the brake pedal was level or just below the footrest which meant I could easily brake. What is regarded as the normal way to position your foot on the right of the bike? Surely not with half of it on the exhaust? I've arranged to take the bike to someone in the know, my brother's friend on Monday which is probably best. He's an experienced biker and fixes them up. This is probably as well as I have also discovered a loose rubber tube underneath the engine of the bike sticking out going nowhere? What the hell is this? It's probably a good all round idea to get him to look at the bike anyway because you just can't read experience from a manual. I mean even take the tension of the chain. The manual and what everyone says is to check that it is not too loose or too tight, but how do you know what is too loose or too tight if you have never seen the correct position before?

Agghh. Where's the bloody brake pedal adjusting nut then? Edit: in that last picture though when you press the brake pedal it pulls on the wire, where you can see the wire coil. I dunno, I'm hoping I can show it to that friend of my brother's.

Thanks I get what you mean. The problem I am having though is adjusting the bolt with the locknut and pin. It doesn't seem to be an actual nut but just a bolt with a split pin through it. How am I supposed to adjust this? The online manual/guide just says to 'loosen the locknut-turn the adjusting bolt in direction a or b, tighten the locknut' but it doesn't seem to be a nut just a bolt head, there's no nut behind it. Here is the overall problem: As you can see the brake pedal is too high which means I have to twist my foot on the peg/half rest it on the exhaust. Here's the so called 'nut' with the split pin thing through it, it just looks like a bolt head to me. I've fiddled around with this and can't adjust it at all. Then there is this thing where the wire attaches to it: Again I've fiddled around with this a little but I'm not sure it is going to do anything to alter the position of the brake pedal. I've even tried to cheat and to adjust the footrest above the brake pedal but that nut is not moving anywhere with my spanner and anyway the position wouldn't be ideal. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Can't get in for a service for a while as they are fully booked. I've looked at the brake shoes and they are within the required limit. When I tightened the nut at the back of the arm on the brake it came within about halfway in the range, so I think I am OK for shoes for a while. I've checked the oil and that looks fine, maybe needs a little more as it is close to the bottom level but it's OK. I need to check the air filter next, that looks easy that's clearly explained in the manual. The only thing that is really bothering me now is that the rear brake pedal is positioned too high for my foot, I have adjusted the nut behind the bar, as I said, and this has increased the sensitivity of the brake but I need the whole arm lowering by a few inch so I can keep my foot straight on the foot pedal. I've looked on You Tube and in the manual and there is supposed to be a nut mid way on the arm to adjust for this. I've found where I think this is but it is not a nut that seems you can adjust, I don't know how to explain it, I'll take a photo. I also still need to replace the fuse on the dash warning - nothing on this in the manual as far as I can see. Do you get to this by taking the headlight surround off and pulling back the rubber seal under the dash controls? I'm trying to get the bike to a friend of my brother's today if possible to sort these last teething issues, other than these issues I'm very happy with it. I am riding around on it on the small journey's I have had to make like work etc, and it is running and starting well. I'm also getting used to the controls and riding quite well and comfortable. Just wish the weather would improve so I can go on a nice long run out in the Peaks.

Thanks, I'm thinking of booking in a service anyway. The rear brake pedal is too high for me as well, it means that I can't really rest my foot parallel with the bar. I have to twist my foot sideways. Maybe this is part of the reason why the arm is out of position?

OK thanks I'll have a look at it tomorrow. I've found the part here: http://www.wemoto.com/bikes/yamaha/sr_125_se/92-94/picture/shoes_rear_ebc_standard/ Sounds dumb but do I need to order two of these, like break pads on a bike? Or does the part fit across it? Oh, I've checked the oil line and that's fine. I still can't see how to get into the dash light though, I can't see anyway of getting into the dashbox at all. Or if I just had a service would they have standard shoes that they could fit? Thanks.

Oh right, I don't know, I wonder if it would be worth it getting a service on the bike? I've had a read in the manual about the shoes but I find the manual pretty confusing. Are these easy to change?

Cheers. Not sure really. How do you know it needs new shoes?

Cheers. My first bike, cost less than £400 but it feels like a complete life change. Very excited. Just want to get better on it, but that will come with practice.

Cheers. Not bad for 20 year old. Only 12.5k on clock as well.

OK ta, I was using Imageshack and it's rubbish. A couple of before shots: And after cleaning, de-rusting, a new headlight surround and a light re-spray here and there: Yea!!

I'm trying to give you some cool before (dirty and rusty) and after (clean and sparkling) shots but having trouble posting large images...

Progress report: I've spent the last evenings sorting out the bike some more and it's now looking pretty damn good for it's age. Put the new part on no problem and just resprayed most of the tank getting rid of a few scuff marks. Also shined up the chrome really well from it's first dirty and rusty condition. Just got to sort the headlight as when I was was putting it back on I noticed the rubber seal was missing and there was a gap in the headlight. I'm getting some new sealant put on and then it's sorted. Very much pleased with it. Can't stop looking at it! Will try and post a before and after shot if I can, not got a recent photo yet. Thanks again for the help and advice. Oh one very minor issue left is the headlight warning light bulb needs replacing and I can't workout how to get into the dash to change it. Also, I was looking at the oil level today and there wasn't a dipstick attached, I'm sure there should be a dipstick attached to the oil cap, I'm going to look in the manual. Cheers.