See that's what I thought, my every bike I've worked on has the flat part up. I thought maybe they were just crazy back in the day. I'll look into it tomorrow and let you know.
Other 1978 XL125 problems
- Thread starter MY-BLUE-BEAST
- Start date
hard to tell for sure but to me it looks like the flat should be on the bottom
Thats how hes got it... From what i can tell.
Well im letting the carb sit in the cleaning solution again, and a mechanic friend of mine is lending me a timing light. I checked the valves early this morning and they were a little gunked up, but are nice and shiny now. The piston has a small carbon build up, but nothing too serious. Ill check the timing while the carb sits, and then if thats off ill set it straight. I seem to have a lot of free time on my hands ever since I lost my job haha.
Well, not sure for tonight, but i think i got it. It took me a while to work on it, and when i got it started it was too late to take it for a cruise. When i first got it started it would idle and run at low RPMs, but as soon as i cracked the throttle it died even in neutrel. Tonight i got the timing back on track and cleaned the cam and piston it started right up and even when i hit the throttle it didnt die. So tomorrow im going to take it for a spin and tell ya how it goes. Hopefully it goes good.
I GOT IT!!! It runs perfect and is really fun to ride. Its sounds great, it doesnt have a muffler so it sounds like a street bike 
. Dalton loves the sound, so he got some polished steel tubing and we are going to straight pipe it with a spark arrestor, should work pretty good and give the bike a nice little power boost 
. I put a new seat cover on it that my Mom and I made out of my old truck seat covers. The tough stuff that will last a lifetime. Now all i need to do is a little more tlc and the bike will be good as new. brakes, paint touch up, battery, lights, all the good stuff. Thanks for all the help guys, and since i wont be busy tomorrow a me and a friend are going to take it for a cruis and get some video of it running. Thanks again for all the help 
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here is a pic of it with the new seat cover.
. Dalton loves the sound, so he got some polished steel tubing and we are going to straight pipe it with a spark arrestor, should work pretty good and give the bike a nice little power boost . I put a new seat cover on it that my Mom and I made out of my old truck seat covers. The tough stuff that will last a lifetime. Now all i need to do is a little more tlc and the bike will be good as new. brakes, paint touch up, battery, lights, all the good stuff. Thanks for all the help guys, and since i wont be busy tomorrow a me and a friend are going to take it for a cruis and get some video of it running. Thanks again for all the help .here is a pic of it with the new seat cover.
I must have missed it. What was the determined factor causing the bog cut out issue again????Oh sorry, I don't think I mentioned that. The Intake valve and the piston were really gunked up. A quick cleaning of those and getting the timing back on track and it fired right up. We are on our way out here in a couple of minutes and should have video of the little beast here in a couple of hours.
Sorry guys no video for tonight, when we got out to the spot we ran into a problem, my truck got a flat so i had to put on the spare and take it back and get it fixed which took a while. So after that i just started to work on the bike some more trying to figure out the kill switch problem. The kill switch doesnt work, and the bike runs even if it is turned to off. To kill it we have to pop the clutch. Any thoughts as to where the wires below go? if you can help that would be great. The first is the kill switch, second is the wires coming from it one black/white one green, and the third is the two green wires that go... where haha. thanks
I figured out what was wrong with the kill switch... the switch itself was shot. Now i have the straight pipe on it. Today im going to get a new switch and a new spark plug and then im going to take it for a ride and record how good it sounds. Maybe, there was snow on the ground and its still cold, but im going to make an exception for the test ride. I just welded an extra legth of pipe to the header and extended it up to the rear suspension, with a little heat wrap you wont even know the weld is there.
Here be the pics
Here be the pics
you should try to locate an exhaust from a xr, they went under the bike and where pretty much straight pipes. BTW this inspires me to get the little 79 xl 75 that i have had sitting in my basement for years going again
DO IT!!! 
haha. I fabricated an exhaust the went under the frame, and it looked really good. He didnt want it though, said it looked like it was going to hit something. So I took it off and just welded a chunk of pipe to the header, doesnt look as good, but still sounds awesome but it is extreamly loud, almost deafining (how ever thats spelled haha). I think im going to fab a silencer to fit on the end, just something that will quiet it down a bitt. I looked at the front of the bike when I got done riding and it was leaking oil out of one of the gaskets, so im going to tear into it again to see whats up. If anything im just going to fill every nook and cranny with high temp silicone. But its a sweet little bike, if anything i might just buy it off him since he needs money. But my buddy Lynn wants it so im waiting for him to make a decision. It still needs work, but its fun to work on and i like doing it.
haha. I fabricated an exhaust the went under the frame, and it looked really good. He didnt want it though, said it looked like it was going to hit something. So I took it off and just welded a chunk of pipe to the header, doesnt look as good, but still sounds awesome but it is extreamly loud, almost deafining (how ever thats spelled haha). I think im going to fab a silencer to fit on the end, just something that will quiet it down a bitt. I looked at the front of the bike when I got done riding and it was leaking oil out of one of the gaskets, so im going to tear into it again to see whats up. If anything im just going to fill every nook and cranny with high temp silicone. But its a sweet little bike, if anything i might just buy it off him since he needs money. But my buddy Lynn wants it so im waiting for him to make a decision. It still needs work, but its fun to work on and i like doing it.I know this is late, but the 125 is gone, I sold it this morning. Put it on craigslist yesterday and a guy came and picked it up today.