Posts
119
Joined
5/7/2019
Location
NY
US
Edited Date/Time
6/6/2019 11:51am
In the market for a 125 found this for 2.1 but he brought down to 1,800. Says it’s garage kept and well maintained and looks pretty clean to me and ready to ride and he needs money for a house so that’s why he is selling. Good deal or too expensive for such a old bike? Will check at his place. Anything I should know of what I’m getting into?
Depending on your location, $1800 might be a little steep. Then again. 2-strokes are coming back!
The Shop
Go for an '06 or newer. For a few bucks more, you'll basically have the same bike Yamaha sells brand new today.
Even an '05, because it can be brought to current.
As it is, I'd offer him $1000 and a box of Corona cigars.
To see if you need to run away : look very closely at the fork bottoms (missing a bit of material?), frame bottom (tube = good, flat? = rough), swingarm & linkage impacted bottom (?), straight subframe (or not, including additional welds), and look if the engine cases under the bike have been impacted by rocks : if all those parts are quite impacted, the bike had a rough first owner (but may have been cared since).
A worrying point that impact really the value is obviously the cylinder weld (good eye!!!), so maybe try to know what happened here. And ask everything, how many hours the bike has, and if more than 50 hours, ask very important maintenance questions:
- what size the piston is exactly and when it has been changed. If no answer, check the compression. Bear in mind that the main value of a 2nd hand 2 stroke is the size of the cylinder (how long before a nickasil), the cylinder state (does it need a nickasil), and the piston/crank hours)
- when was the rod changed the last time (and so when the crank bearings has been changed)
- swingarms/linkage bearings
- vforce carbon reeds
- fork seals
- possibly gearbox bearings
Lastly, take any metal too and play music on each spoke (turn the wheel while the tool hit each spoke, they must sound the same) and try tightening each spoke. If it is gripped or if some spoke cant be tighten anymore due to rounded head, i would run or use it to negotiate a bit.
That will help you to sum up what you need to change soon or not, on top of 2 new tires
How would it crack like that, or is there another reason?
Pit Row
line, stator wire not zip tied properly to the frame - my first thought is "idiot owner" which is a red flag.
However, I've rethought my initial offer. $500 and a box of Coronas with Dominican wrappers.
Post a reply to: 2003 yz125 is this worth it?