Yamaha TTR125 Thoughts?

[Thundergod]

Anyone have a Yamaha TTR125? Any advice or thoughts would be great. Looking at purchasing a used one. Anything to look out for in terms of flaws etc?

[swingset]

What's your intended use? Because unless you're a horse jockey it's a microscopic bike. They're reliable as hell, easy to work on, fun, but really it's a bike built for a tiny woman or an adolescent.

[Thundergod]

What's your intended use? Because unless you're a horse jockey it's a microscopic bike. They're reliable as hell, easy to work on, fun, but really it's a bike built for a tiny woman or an adolescent.

well...I was going to purchase it for my wife - 107 lbs, 5'4"...cute as hell...trail bike nothing rough

[R.Markus]

Rode them i the last American Supercamp class. Nice little bikes. I doubt you would have any issues with it and it sounds like it would fit your wife well. If I remember correctly, they are electric start.

[Dino]

I've got an 04, use it as a pit bike and for terrorizing the neighborhood.  Fun little bike, but very cold blooded.  Ended up rejetting to a 110 main and 17.5 pilot so it would start during the winter.  I need to put a BBR skid plate on it, help shore the frame for impacts and jumps.  And they have a tendency to corrode fuel petcock valve if you let it sit for a period of time.  If it's a good price, you can't go wrong with it.

[Open Sore]

Get the L model with bigger wheels and a front disc brake.  keep the choke cable lubed, water runs down into it if kept outside.

[Thundergod]

Well here she is, my wife's bike. Needs just a bit of work, new drumpads, new handle bar, new clutch handle,  new chain. But still good suspension and transmission.
Yamaha's are nearly bulletproof.

Guy wanted $800. I offered $650. I listed the components in need of repair -- and said Im offering $650 firm. He told me earlier that he had other looking this weekend...
So I called his bluff. I said I have $650 in cash right now, I only live an hour and a half away -- if those offers fall through this weekend, my offer will still be good until next Saturday - Give me a call and I'll come back down.

And I started to walk away....he told me "DEAL" before I got back to my truck.

All in all I got it for a SONG!

[R.Markus]

Cool. Just a little maintenance and that'll run like a top for a long time to come.

[Thundergod]

Well the brakes are fresh and new. This bike needed some loving. The bearing were dry and dirty and the pads were totally shot.
After a bit of problemsolving with the slack in the brake line (a bent brake lever that lost 2.5" of pull from standard) replaced that handle and snugged up the brakes.
Lubed the chain.

Noticed that its very difficult to start. Finally after I got it running, took it up for some fresh gas and on the way back I wanted to see the idle rate when warm. I noticed
that the throttle tended to stay elevated when returning to stop - so either the value is sticking, or the cable is dry and sticking. This might account for the hard starting.
Since when you open the throttle just a bit, it was not returning to stop, it was staying open and possibly flooding the engine. I will do that another day...

For the rest of today is full of friends, filet mignon and wine....

I do have to mention that my wife was VERY HAPPY...VERY..VERY...Grateful.

[krunchkat99]

Nice looking bike, I have looked at them and the 230's for my wife. She isn't sure what she wants yet.  What more could a man ask for than a wife who is VERY HAPPY...VERY..VERY...Grateful.

[falcofred]

I bought a lightly used one for my Son, he started on a Honda XR50, graduated to an XR80, then as his legs grew some more we got him an XR100. The TTR125 seemed like a better bike for him, disc brake, adjustable suspension and ELECTRIC START. He was very excited to get it.
Well it just didn't hold up like all his Hondas. First the electric start button just went missing, just disappeared on the trail one day. I replaced the entire starter button / housing / wire assembly. Then the starter motor sheared off all the teeth on the gear it meshes with inside the motor  , so I pulled the side case off, and replaced that gear, end of starting problems. Then there is the plastic, it is very brittle, and no one makes aftermarket plastic for it. The Honda plastic, would scratch and bend with his many crashes, but the Yamaha plastic just shatters. Both fenders ( I did get an aftermarket front fender for a YZ80 to fit with some modifications to fit) both side panels, and both of the fake radiator shroud pieces.
This is a Japanese bike manufactured in Brazil. It just didn't hold up to his abuse. We ride the Hatfield McCoy area in WV a lot. He crashes a lot. Lucky for me he continued to grow, we sold the Yamaha and went back to Honda buying him a CFR150R big wheel. Now he has out grown that and is riding my 250X like he owns it.

[Thundergod]

an update...

The hard starting is apparently from a 100% seized choke! So much in fact that I am replacing the carb with a Honda 200x Carb - $25 with BBR carb adapter $30, A new throttle assembly.
I will update as soon as surgery is done next week -- patient will run smoother and much more powerful

For future notes and searches: TTR125 stock carb has common stuck choke problems. Great discussions on Carb Mods for TTR125 on ThumperTalk.com

[Thundergod]

Well after finding that the Choke Plugger was permanently seized in the carb -- I followed the advice on ThumperTalk and threw it down the street with choke cable still attached -- I made it about 75 feet...

I replaced the OEM CRAP Carb with a 1985 Honda 200x with a Motion Pro Throttle kit. Bike started up first kick slight adjustment for idle after it warmed up and now it runs great.

OEM Carb ran $125.....Honda Carb bought through Ebay $25, BBR Carb Adapter $30

[karlfitt]

Well after finding that the Choke Plugger was permanently seized in the carb -- I followed the advice on ThumperTalk and threw it down the street with choke cable still attached -- I made it about 75 feet...

I replaced the OEM CRAP Carb with a 1985 Honda 200x with a Motion Pro Throttle kit. Bike started up first kick slight adjustment for idle after it warmed up and now it runs great.

OEM Carb ran $125.....Honda Carb bought through Ebay $25, BBR Carb Adapter $30

This is great stuff.

I guess I will have to go to thumper talk and check it out.

I have a TTR 125 for my daughter and it will not run till warm, another common issue. yes rejetting the carb would work, but if i can put a bigger carb on for the power increase (am looking at that cause this will be my son's bike next as they grow and i want to up the power anyway) this is cheaper than the aftermarket solutions i have found so far.

WHo did the research on this and where can I find it?

Thanks in advance.

karl