1985 RM125

[BAHNZY]

This is how bored i am at the moment. Sat down in front of the TV with the cricket and fixed the radiaors. No more liquid cooled old girls from here on in. Think I'll stick with the air cooled stuff.

BEFORE


AFTER

[mainline]

at least you can hold the radiator up in front of the tv so you don't have to watch the disaster continue to unfold

[Rossvickicampbell]

Bahnzy - back in the day one of the cheap hot mods as recommended by MXA magazine you beaut testers  for the RM250Z was to open the airbox for more flow as apparently it was choked?  Surely to god you aren't questioning this are you 

[BAHNZY]

this project sounds exy Bahnsy 

Hoony,
Got me thinking that as i re-build it from the frame up ill see what its gunna cost. This will be good for me as it might be the medicine i need to stop buying and re-building these shitboxes.

So here goes.
The Frame
With all the debate on about Paint or Powder coat I elected to go with sandblast and then paint the frame. Used an etch prime and off the shelf blue. It’s not a concourse resto, rather a re-build so close enough in the colour department is good enough. The frame also needed some tig welding to tidy up some cracked brackets and a small crack in the footpeg area.
Blasting – A barter style favour, although I’d spent $50 doing a clutch slave cyl for him, so $50
Paint - $44.00
Welding – 6 pack of arseholes ($25)



The Wheels
Blasted the hubs with a small cabinet that we have at work then painted them in Galmet Satin Black and baked them in a pie warmer. The satin black looks like the factory finish and that Galmet paint seems pretty durable. One by one the spokes were removed, cleaned & polished, they have come up o/k but nothing like new or replated items. The rims were cleaned up and everything was refitted and trued. Tyres will be new Bridgestone intermediates along with new tubes and rim locks. $’s aren’t that big but the time to delace, clean and relace 72 spokes is massive.
Tyres – Fr $95 Rr $110, Tubes $30, Rim locks and rim tape $50
Wheel Bearings - $35
Satin black Paint - $22



Rear Shock
Three shocks to make one good one. This early alloy bodied stuff is a pain in the arse. In the end we have a reasonable shock.
Rebuild with new shock bump stop & C/O spring - $280



Radiators
Hours of work here, but worth the result. After I straitened them they were sent out for a small alloy repair where the clutch cable had chaffed through the left side one then I had them both pressure tested. When returned they were given a coat of heat proof matt black.
Radiator Repair - $40



Engine Spares Order
The big ticket items are here.
Genuine rod, thrust washers, big & small end bearings & main bearings - $150 (e-bay special)
Complete water pump seal and bearing kit - $145
Gaskets (New & non genuine) - $55
Gearbox bearings and oil seals - $ 58
Woosner Piston,  and rebore - $120
Coolant, gearbox oil, spark plug and Twin Air Filter Element $54



So there we have instalment one in the re-build.
$’s so far - $1283 (I’m starting to think this isn’t a good idea)
Note: If I had replaced the spokes and the rims there would have been another $300 in spokes and $450 or thereabouts in rims.

[suzuki43]

Good work Rodney,its going to come up a treat!
I am over in Melbourne last week of Feb,hope to see her fully assembled.
Might bring a present for its christening......

[BAHNZY]

Well I got the bike to Broadford for the Bonanza and after a Bumper cut couple of laps of the track and we did some re-jetting we had to park it as the carbie slide was sticking (just off idle) and it became too much work to fix when we really didn’t have the correct tools and there was riding to be done. So here’s the wash-up of the project.

Original e-bay bike - $500
Front tyre/rimlock/tube/rim tape - $150
Rear tyre/rimlock/tube/rim tape - $165
Front & rear wheel bearings - $40
Tag Bars/grips, Levers etc - $100
Clutch & accell cables - $65
Chain buffer/chain guide/chain roller - $80
Front/rear sprocket & chain - $160
Seat recover - $120
Piston/rebore - $160
Gasket sets/bearings/seals/rod & associated engine parts - $500
Carbie needle jet/needle and return spring - $60
Air filter - $35
Exhaust bits and repairs - $50
Genuine Suzuki bits. CDI holder and damper, shock canister support & bands - $40
Rear shock overhaul - $280
Front fork service - $60
Swing arm bearings, rocker bearings, strut bearings - $220
Front brake pads & rear linings - $65
Various bits & pieces. Paint, Sandblasting, plating, nuts/bolts, Kill switch, etc, etc - $200 (Guess)
So there you go, somewhere around $3K with most of the work being done by myself.

Within this refurbishment there are/is;
- No spokes being replaced (I de-laced the wheels and polished the spokes)
- No rim replacement, If you were doing those than you’d automatically add another $800.
- No powder coating of the frame. It was blasted &checked for cracks, repaired where required and attacked with a pressure pack.
- No plastics (front no plate aside) as the plastics on the bike were ½ reasonable. Lots of sanding and polishing!

Have a few things to go yet.
- The sticker kit that was ordered and didn’t turn up in time for Broadford.
- When I find a reasonably priced parts l’ll get the genuine shock protector that fits to the upright struts and the rubber piece that seals around the frame/air box/rocker assembly.
- The Harley Davidson fork wipers that Gazza put me on to.
-  I’ll keep a lookout for a better air box cover to replace the modified for 50% more HP unit that is currently fitted
- and think about DG pipe if I can be bothered dropping by the boys at DG when I’m in LA later this year.

A big thanks to Mario for the engine parts, to Doc for the advice and assistance & Bumper McGunn (the 4 stroke bum) for pretty much anything & everything.




An older brother to;

[monaro308]

Too bad about the carb Rod but i'll get some pics out to you when i see you.
cheers...mario

[Scunge]

Well done Bahnzy! Great to see another of my favorite Suzuki's  brought back to life!!

[Hoony]

missed you somehow on Saturday Bahnsy, bike looks great.

[monaro308]

I think we all would have walked past each other and never knew as i missed the GMC meet and greet.
Hoony,what #s were on your bike and what bike/s were they....i might have a pic of those red things from this year and maybe last year.

[Hoony]

I think we all would have walked past each other and never knew as i missed the GMC meet and greet.
Hoony,what #s were on your bike and what bike/s were they....i might have a pic of those red things from this year and maybe last year.

I made the GMC meet and greet and most probably did pass you Monaro and not know, i was on there Saturday only and my bike was a 1985 watercooled CR500 #32, my white rodeo Ute with canopy was parked in the lower pit area near the great Suzuki collection of BearVMX and the Immaculate 1981 CR125,250,450 and Mugen ME460 collection. and yes would love any pics of those "Red Things"  if you have them.