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Post by steve63 on Jun 20, 2023 20:10:57 GMT 1
Switched means fused as well... temptation to wire direct to battery sans fuse is negated lol It came with a fuse so we're ok there. I just ordered a GPS cycle computer so that takes care of the odo function the bike doesn't have presently.
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Post by sbscnor on Jun 20, 2023 20:59:26 GMT 1
That USB charging socket looks remarkable similar to the one I have fitted to my bike which is an Ultimate Addons, is so once powered it has a blue background light if wired directly to the battery it will drain it you should really connect it to a switched live feed.
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Post by donkeychomp on Jun 20, 2023 21:29:18 GMT 1
I have the solution. Get one of those little flower things that twirl around on a stick and nail it to the handlebars. Hey presto, instant wind power.
Alex
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Post by steve63 on Jun 21, 2023 12:48:06 GMT 1
That USB charging socket looks remarkable similar to the one I have fitted to my bike which is an Ultimate Addons, is so once powered it has a blue background light if wired directly to the battery it will drain it you should really connect it to a switched live feed. It's an Oxford Products one from Halfrauds. It was the only one they had in and I'm too impatient to wait for one off Ebay. I found the packaging last night and it says it does drain by some many milliamps so wire it to a switched supply.
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Post by steve63 on Jun 21, 2023 12:59:35 GMT 1
I have the solution. Get one of those little flower things that twirl around on a stick and nail it to the handlebars. Hey presto, instant wind power. Alex I'm not sure that the meagre power output could overcome the resistance a little flower thing would create. I worry about the tassels on my new jacket TBH. My initial thoughts were: is there actually five gears? It felt under geared in top. So I stopped and counted them and there was 5. Then: I could drop a tooth or two off the back to drop the revs down. I have no rev counter so I don't know what they are now but.... Riding the extremely steep uphill road from Wetwang to Fridaythorpe and Seaways Cafe on Saturday (I never noticed this was a hill previously) I noticed I was at full throttle and struggling for 50mph so I don't think I can spare any teeth at all I heard a rumour there may be some slight gradients in Scotland? One thing top of my mind at the moment is the first fuel check gave me 58mpg which is about 20mpg less than my most conservative guess . I was secretly hoping for 90+. I don't know why I think this but maybe the next check will be better? Maybe miss-placed optimism I did overflow when I filled it but not half a gallon! I ordered a GPS cycle Speedo/odo last night.
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Post by donkeychomp on Jun 21, 2023 21:44:36 GMT 1
Is it smoky at all? Might have slightly worn piston rings but with that kind of power output it'd be hard to tell really. But 58 ain't bad and I bet it improves, especially with a longer ride out. Hope you get some videos of this epic ride, I'd love to see them. Alex Hmm. First post about this without any sarcasm. I must be slipping
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Post by midlifecrisisrd on Jun 21, 2023 21:57:11 GMT 1
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Post by steve63 on Jun 22, 2023 14:17:44 GMT 1
Is it smoky at all? Might have slightly worn piston rings but with that kind of power output it'd be hard to tell really. But 58 ain't bad and I bet it improves, especially with a longer ride out. Hope you get some videos of this epic ride, I'd love to see them. Alex Hmm. First post about this without any sarcasm. I must be slipping It doesn't seem to smoke at all that I can see. I'll put a few more miles on it and give it a top up. See how it looks. I did around 60/70 or more miles after I filled up so I might go for a burn up this afternoon and fill it back up. See how it shapes up. It's all about making it long distance ready now. If 60 is going to be the norm then a 5L petrol can might be a really good idea. I always have engine No.2 to try in
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Post by steve63 on Jun 22, 2023 14:19:03 GMT 1
They don't exactly rave about them do they? Well suited to a car park wasn't it?
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Post by midlifecrisisrd on Jun 22, 2023 15:52:44 GMT 1
I would think if any grown man tried any 125 they wouldn't exactly be impressed
I'd wanted but couldn't afford a dt125lc back in the day
I had a go on one and an rd125lc and thought they were awesome
Bought one in my 40's as a project, a 21hp Swiss unrestricted model so thought I would relive my youth
Didn't help it was an ungrateful little shit and wouldn't run properly
New stator and 3 cdi's later it was sorted. So disappointed, was fun for 1000 rpm of the whole rev range on the road. Hated it and sold it straight away 😤
At least on the sr you won't be trying to keep it in a narrow band to keep it going
Steve
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Post by steve63 on Jun 22, 2023 16:05:17 GMT 1
I would think if any grown man tried any 125 they wouldn't exactly be impressed I'd wanted but couldn't afford a dt125lc back in the day I had a go on one and an rd125lc and thought they were awesome Bought one in my 40's as a project, a 21hp Swiss unrestricted model so thought I would relive my youth Didn't help it was an ungrateful little shit and wouldn't run properly New stator and 3 cdi's later it was sorted. So disappointed, was fun for 1000 rpm of the whole rev range on the road. Hated it and sold it straight away 😤 At least on the sr you won't be trying to keep it in a narrow band to keep it going Steve I actually enjoyed my KMX125. It was bought cheap as a work hack but It impressed me a lot. The engine was really flexible and the acceleration was enough to beat virtually all traffic. It flew up to 80 easily @ 10,000 in top. I used to think a twin version would be awesome. I suppose I was thinking KR1! Just had a ride on the SR keeping it under 50. It's done 107 miles and not on reserve yet. Not helpfully the manual says: tank capacity: 20L, reserve: N/Av. I guess I have to work that out myself 😁
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Post by donkeychomp on Jun 22, 2023 21:34:21 GMT 1
Perhaps a Paris-Dakar style petrol tank? Would improve the bikes looks but perhaps not the, err, 'handling'.
Alex
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Post by JonW on Jun 23, 2023 1:50:22 GMT 1
wow, that says its top speed is 55mph... I thought all the 125s would do 70+... hmm, must have just been the two strokes?
I do remember riding a borrowed (cos it was so easy to ride and do the turns in the road etc) CG125 for my test that was a bit gutless to say the least, but im sure it'd do what was needed on a dual carriageway... it was a very long time ago now tho :/
I had a couple of KMX125s, Ive mentioned em before. One was mercilerssly off roaded weekly and used for Rallys. It was a superb thing really and loved every minute of that abuse. Considering it was a road machine it was surprising just how good it was on a set of MT21s, which was the extent of making it work for both road and dirt. That would defo top 70mph.
I do think so long as a bike out drags cars from the lights that it's going to be ok in use. The dickheads in cars will catch you up if you do the limit on an R1, so just being able to get away from the carnage for a bit when the lights turn green is all you can hope for, especially in a city like I live in.
That rack/rear light area looks perfect for a 5L fuel container by the way... tho i reckon you'll improve it all with more running and maybe some top end cleaner like we use on Subarus (Upper cylinder/engine cleaner) that would free up the rings and melt off the carbon. That stuff works very well Ive found.
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Post by steve63 on Jun 28, 2023 21:50:29 GMT 1
wow, that says its top speed is 55mph... I thought all the 125s would do 70+... hmm, must have just been the two strokes? I do remember riding a borrowed (cos it was so easy to ride and do the turns in the road etc) CG125 for my test that was a bit gutless to say the least, but im sure it'd do what was needed on a dual carriageway... it was a very long time ago now tho :/ I had a couple of KMX125s, Ive mentioned em before. One was mercilerssly off roaded weekly and used for Rallys. It was a superb thing really and loved every minute of that abuse. Considering it was a road machine it was surprising just how good it was on a set of MT21s, which was the extent of making it work for both road and dirt. That would defo top 70mph. I do think so long as a bike out drags cars from the lights that it's going to be ok in use. The dickheads in cars will catch you up if you do the limit on an R1, so just being able to get away from the carnage for a bit when the lights turn green is all you can hope for, especially in a city like I live in. That rack/rear light area looks perfect for a 5L fuel container by the way... tho i reckon you'll improve it all with more running and maybe some top end cleaner like we use on Subarus (Upper cylinder/engine cleaner) that would free up the rings and melt off the carbon. That stuff works very well Ive found. Sat up on the flat I would imagine it doing 60 at best It feels like around 50 is about its maximum cruising speed. The two strokes will do 70 easily I would think. Certainly my KMX would have done 70 as easily as this bike does 45! I've done 122 miles so far since I filled it up again and it's not gone on reserve yet. It holds 10 Litres/2.2 gallons total. I don't know what the capacity of the reserve is but logically I would think it would be 2 Litres or half a gallon. If that's the case then it's done 68 or 70.5mpg as it stands and going up which is more like I was expecting. Next job might be to check out the spare engine and maybe swap them and give it a try. It should only take an hour or so to swap them. It would give me a good idea if the performance, or lack of, is normal or not.
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Post by donkeychomp on Jun 28, 2023 23:23:06 GMT 1
I can almost guarantee the performance will be worse or equal. But I hope I'm proved wrong! And yes, an hour to swap them out is about bang on, and that includes a coffee break lol.
Alex
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Post by steve63 on Jun 30, 2023 9:32:48 GMT 1
I can almost guarantee the performance will be worse or equal. But I hope I'm proved wrong! And yes, an hour to swap them out is about bang on, and that includes a coffee break lol. Alex You are probably right TBH. Me being me though I'd want to sort out the cosmetics on the engine before swapping them and spend days or weeks 'faffing' with it before fitting it. I'll see how I feel at the week end.
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Post by steve63 on Jul 3, 2023 13:02:00 GMT 1
I've been tearing around the countryside keeping it to 50 ish and It went onto reserve at 144 miles. If it's 2 gallons to reserve that means 72mpg. It's rated at a 10L tank (2.2gallon) so it maybe 8L and 2L reserve? If so then it's 1.74 gallon and 83mpg. Those are the kind of numbers I was expecting. I should carry a reserve of petrol now and let it run dry to prove it but I should be looking at around 180 miles to a dry tank. The last think I want on this ride is to be stranded with an empty tank. Back in the day I would be going onto reserve at around 90 miles once the 350LC was run in and on one ride I remember it being 76! On the other hand there were a lot more places selling petrol so half a gallon was plenty to get you to one. Around where I live and I suspect everywhere else there are a lot less filling stations now. I think there will be a battle between tank range, my fingers going numb (there's quite a lot of vibration) and my arse going numb as to what limits each stint in the saddle. The bike parked near an East Riding corn field and some ominous looking clouds. I wanted to stop and write down the mileage when it went on reserve. I presumed it had gone on reserve and not just packed in, it had gone on reserve
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Post by JonW on Jul 3, 2023 14:20:56 GMT 1
Are you enjoying it?
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Post by steve63 on Jul 3, 2023 15:25:15 GMT 1
Yes, I would say I am. It's a different experience only having 13hp instead of the 100+ of the VFR. The Mrs and I went to Chollerford near Hexham close to Hadrian's Wall last weekend and I actually found myself riding the VFR a bit slower at least to start with. It's a shame the handling isn't more 'refined' shall we say. It bounces over bumps and the handlebars flap a bit so even though it's very light it actually takes a bit of effort to ride. In places that the VFR glides over the SR feels like the bars are going to be dragged out of your hands if you don't concentrate. The forks look similar to an LC on the outside and the inside so I'm wondering if the LC will feel similar when it's back on the road 🫣
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Post by donkeychomp on Jul 3, 2023 21:14:24 GMT 1
Just a thought. Maybe 2 jerry cans one each side of the bike in some throw over panniers? Would give the old girl a bit of balance. And the MPG is pretty impressive.
Alex
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Post by steve63 on Jul 4, 2023 6:26:38 GMT 1
Just a thought. Maybe 2 jerry cans one each side of the bike in some throw over panniers? Would give the old girl a bit of balance. And the MPG is pretty impressive. Alex I have a set of the Oxford Lifetime throw-over panniers. I tried a petrol can in one and it fits. I've drawn a base plate to the same dimensions as the one for my Givi top box on the VFR. I'm going to knock up a bracket so I can fit the top box to the SR. The box is pretty big and suits the Honda but looks a bit daft on the Yam but it would mean I could put a petrol can inside and there would still be plenty of space left. There is no point having a 300 mile range if everyone else was stopping for petrol after 100 although It would give me peace of mind knowing it was there. Might even be needed by some of the others 🤔
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Post by steve63 on Jul 8, 2023 23:22:01 GMT 1
The Givi topbox off the VFR now fitted to the SR. A 5L petrol can, the 2 man (if VERY good friends) tent, a set of waterproofs and a stove/gas bottle all fit in the box. So that just leaves airbed and a enough clothes for a week to find room for. A spare pair of skiddies and a pair of socks should fit in the tank bag. Just the USB socket to wire in and we're done.
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Post by donkeychomp on Jul 9, 2023 0:07:18 GMT 1
I know the old lass doesn't have much oomph but that's going to be one hell of a wheelie machine.
Alex
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Post by steve63 on Jul 9, 2023 11:09:49 GMT 1
I know the old lass doesn't have much oomph but that's going to be one hell of a wheelie machine. Alex I estimate maybe 20/25 kg on the back or will be. Even with that I don't think the front wheel will leave the deck. I think you over estimate that bikes power and the lack of of any kind of power band or surge that it has to perform a wheelie. I recon at full revs dumping the clutch would just result in it stalling myself 😁
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Post by donkeychomp on Jul 9, 2023 21:18:00 GMT 1
Sorry, a typo. One hell of a washing machine. Alex
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Post by steve63 on Jul 10, 2023 12:58:43 GMT 1
I wired in the USB charger at the weekend and took the bike out for a spin to the coast. With a max comfortable speed of about 50 it's still cars dithering along at 45 down the straights and 20 to 30 around the corners that drive me mad.
I now know this second tankful did 144 to reserve and then 172 to empty. I also know after trying to transfer petrol from the container to the tank without a funnel or a nozzle and getting petrol all over the place that I need a funnel or a nozzle.
I think I'm about ready for the trip.
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Post by JonW on Jul 10, 2023 14:38:15 GMT 1
Im wondering if you can flow the inlet and open up the exhaust... might get you another 5mph...?!
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Post by steve63 on Jul 10, 2023 18:18:02 GMT 1
Im wondering if you can flow the inlet and open up the exhaust... might get you another 5mph...?! Now you mention it I did once rebuild my Honda 70 engine and cleaned and polished the inlet and exhaust ports. I lapped the valves in and polished them as well. I remember it would knock on the door of about 50 with a tail wind. In the opposite direction I would be swopping between fourth (top gear) and third just to keep above 35 though. When or if I strip the other engine I would be tempted to give it a fettle. There are 150 big bore kits for these and even bigger but to be honest vibration is a big issue now so a bigger piston might make it impossible to ride.
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Post by steve63 on Jul 21, 2023 15:32:13 GMT 1
Well it's nearly there. Thursday afternoon and I'm off. There are supposed to be five of us making the trip. One of whom I've never met one I have spoken to once and two I have known a few years and met half a dozen times. One guy took his freshly rebuilt Chinese 125 in for MOT this Wednesday it failed on inadequate brakes. Maybe they always were . Had a go at them it failed again but only on the front this time. Now it won't rev unless it's at a stand still. Nothing like being well prepared in plenty of time is there and that is nothing like being well prepared in plenty of time . My back-up plan is asking the AA to bring me home and go back to where I left off on the VFR. His is to jump in his van and be OUR back up. Could really do to fully load the SR and do a few test miles but I'm off to Olivers Mount for a weekend of bike racing................or a weekend of eating and drinking depending on the rain or how much it does cos it will
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Post by donkeychomp on Jul 21, 2023 22:59:31 GMT 1
Hmm. Some relative strangers and you. I guarantee that Chinese bike will not last the course. But I lay odds that you will. Let's face it, you've really worked wonders with your 'lil 125 and I'm sure she'll make the distance. Good luck and post pics of your travels. I'm sure I speak for all us fellow idiots who like this kind of challenge and we wish you well.
Alex
ps have you got a decent set of travel tools? Just in case, mind.
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