Newbie
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Thx all have done a few bits to it to get it where I want it just trying to locate a few other bits plastics mainly finding it hard lol
@madmackie That bike looks ace, I've never seen that graphics kit before anywhere.
I think if it was mine I'd be getting another fuel tank in good condition, and a complete set of pattern plastics from bikerpartshop.com in the colour of your choice:
https://www.bikerpartshop.com/en/140-dtr-125-200
You can then store your valuable OEM plastics and either source another graphics kit the same as the one on the bike now or go your own way. One of the great things that makes the DTR such a usable classic is a good supply of brand new plastics, unlike all the other 90s 125cc trailies like the TS125R, KMX/KDX125 etc. where bodywaork is like hen's teeth. The only real difference between stock and pattern DTR panels is the leading edges of the rad shrouds are a slightly different shape but no-one but a card-carrying DTR trainspotter will ever notice this and it makes it easier to get out and enjoy the bike.
Glad you're enjoying the forum!
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@madmackie That bike looks ace, I've never seen that graphics kit before anywhere.
I think if it was mine I'd be getting another fuel tank in good condition, and a complete set of pattern plastics from bikerpartshop.com in the colour of your choice:
https://www.bikerpartshop.com/en/140-dtr-125-200
You can then store your valuable OEM plastics and either source another graphics kit the same as the one on the bike now or go your own way. One of the great things that makes the DTR such a usable classic is a good supply of brand new plastics, unlike all the other 90s 125cc trailies like the TS125R, KMX/KDX125 etc. where bodywaork is like hen's teeth. The only real difference between stock and pattern DTR panels is the leading edges of the rad shrouds are a slightly different shape but no-one but a card-carrying DTR trainspotter will ever notice this and it makes it easier to get out and enjoy the bike.
Glad you're enjoying the forum!
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@HOTSHOT-III I am after a set of plastics but trying to find one is hard as everyone has said the ones from Portugal the headlight cowl isn’t shinny and looks a it’s made a black bin
@madmackie I never bought a headlight cowl from BPS but the shrouds, side panels and mudguards I always found shiny and an extremely good fit.
I did get a few pattern headlight cowls from an eBay seller in Germany, they weren't as shiny as OEM as you say and I also had to modify them to make them fit perfectly as the part where you're supposed to drill the mounting holes doesn't extend far enough back. I found the neatest solution was to just cut off that part completely, make up some small tabs out of stainless steel and this enabled me to get the holes in exactly the right place.
With the headlight cowl, the biggest visual impact comes from getting it to fit around the headlight and front mudguard perfectly; this part of the bike looking "bodged together" leaps out at you. Another mistake people make is fitting the clocks above the upper fork clamp, then wondering why the lower headlight bracket mount (on the lower clamp) doesn't line up; this results in a huge gap between the cowl and the mudguard which screams "lack of attention to detail" from every angle.
With the German eBay headlight cowl modded as described above, I often rode my DTR to local Bike Nights where it generated a lot of "you don't see many of those any more" kind of interest, and no-one ever noticed the home-made mounts; people only really see what they want to see and with the graphics applied, clean bike etc. it's the overall effect that turns heads.
I do understand people wanting to make their DTR look perfect but equally there is a danger of the classic car "concours" mentality (they use shoe polish on the inner wheel arches!) detracting from one's enjoyment of the bike; Yamaha never really meant for the DTR to be like this and part of the enjoyment is knowing in one's own mind that the bike is as good mechanically as it can possibly be.
To this end I would focus on the following (others on the forum will tell you I always say this lol):
Run genuine clutch and throttle cables; these are extremely good quality and worth every penny, and the throttle cable on early bikes like yours (judging by the shape of your oil pump cover) has a mechanism which balances the carb and oil pump automatically.
Buy a cable oiler (£4.99) and keep them lubed after every wash for striking cobra responsiveness. A bit messy but again well worth it, Comma Spray Grease works well:
Get a really good grease gun and keep lubing the rear suspension bearings.
Run a really good quality (D.I.D) non-O-ring chain and sprocket set; a sealed chain takes an extra 1/2 a horsepower to turn which makes even fully derestricted 125s feel sluggish. Unsealed chain requires a bit more timely maintenance but it's worth it for the riding experience.
Run a 100/80W halogen headlight bulb; the DTR has AC lighting which means it can handle this without flattening the battery unlike a lot of bigger bikes. This gives you rally car lighting and retains an MOT-friendly beam pattern:
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@hotshot-iii The quality of your builds are so good! Everything looks meticulously laid.
@Calum Thanks bud, I'd like to do more of them!
Now I'm no longer interested in riding it opens up the possibility of approaching bike builds dispassionately as engineering projects and I have a few ideas.
