Standard reed petals in YZ125G

[Simo63]

I'm preparing a little YZ125G that I picked up 12 months ago for the upcoming PC Nats.  I recently grabbed a cheap set of Boysen carbon reed petals from a forum member but when I went to fit them, I noticed the bike already had a set of fibreglass (looking) reed petals.

I fitted one new Boysen carbon reed petal and I noticed they seem to be a fair bit stiffer than those fibreglass looking ones.

I also noticed the screw heads had been .. somewhat butchered but a previous "mechanic" that obvioulsy only had a number 3 Phillips head so I got to wondering whether the reeds in the bike already were standard or not.

What was standard in a 1980 YZ125?  I would have thought metal reeds?  Heres a pic of the fibreglass ones:





Anyone out there know these motors intimately enough to be able to comment with authority as to what was standard?

Thanks in advance

[Davey Crocket]

Metal std, carbon is way better.

[Simo63]

Metal std, carbon is way better.

Thanks Davey .. so the fibreglass ones pictured .. any idea what they are?  Obviously after market of some sort?

So the stiffer carbon ones are better you think?

[Davey Crocket]

Hard to tell by picture, they don't look like Boysen.

[Simo63]

Hard to tell by picture, they don't look like Boysen.

I can't recall any other Brand of reed petals John?  I was wondering if Boysen did a carbon and non carbon range?

[Davey Crocket]

They do......but not back in the good old days.

[D project]

The boysen reeds were all the rage "back in the day" once motocross action stated" best performance mod per dollar spent" or something like that .
I remember putting a fibreglass set in my 125H in 81.

[Digga]

As luck would have it (or bad luck for me) I have got my 125G motor out of the bike at the moment & on the bench after it cooked itself  :'(

I believe my G is 100% original & just checked the reeds & they are definitely metal.

[Simo63]

As luck would have it (or bad luck for me) I have got my 125G motor out of the bike at the moment & on the bench after it cooked itself  :'(

I believe my G is 100% original & just checked the reeds & they are definitely metal.

Thanks for confirming that Digga .. so tell me mate .. how do you cook an aircooled motor??  Do you mean seized it?

[Digga]

Well, when I say 'cooked' its a long story, but when I rode it last week, it was starting to sound very rattly & died under load. So when I pulled the plug out later at home, it was black & very oily, so I then took of the head to check out the piston.

That was OK except for large amount of crusty carbon built up in about the 8 o'clock postion - strange. Ran the piston up & down a few times & it sounded like it was full of dirt. Not good, so of came the barrel & sure enough the ring seat in that postion & surrounding area on the positon was ugly as 

So I figure that if I had taken it for another run it was about to do something horrible, hence I reckon its 'cooked' as in ready for the bin. It is an old single ring Wiseco that came with the bike so figure it was due anyway & just happy it happened now & not late April in Qld 

[Ando]

Those fibreglass reeds are original Boyseen, nothing wrong with them.

[Simo63]

Those fibreglass reeds are original Boyseen, nothing wrong with them.

Thanks Ando. I've not ridden the bike before I stipped it aside from a blast around my back yard to make sure all the gears and everything else is working okay.  It seemed peppy enough but it's been so long since I've ridden an old air cooled 125 I couldn't tell the difference I think 

I've installed the new carbon reeds so I hope that wasn't a step backwards 

[Ted]

Peppy......hmmm

[Simo63]

Peppy......hmmm

Yes a very technical term there Ted .. I don't expect you to understand

[Ando]

I'm happy to take that old set if you don't need them mate ;-)