Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

I am going to look at a 1974 Honda MT125 this week. The current owner says the bike does not run, needs new points, no title etc.. He claims (?) everything else in in working order and everything is otherwise in good shape. Dentless tank and fenders, good seat etc..... I currently have a Yamaha XS650 1/2 miler, period correct with Shell cam and pipes and an original Cycle Craft Champion gas tank. I also have a Yamaha V Star 1300 that I commute to work on when weather is decent. I have owned lots of bikes over the years including a Hodaka Ace 100, Harley Bobcat, Bridgestone 175, Suzuki X-6 Hustler, BSA Bantam, Jawa 350 w/sidecar and an Indian moped. If money was not an issue I would still have all of them.

Is there anything that I should pay particular attention to on this bike. From everything I see and read it is a toned down version of the Elsinore with lights to make it street legal. Even though the asking price is low I don't really want it to be a money pit. I already have one of those. It looks like parts are pretty easy to find but if anyone has any tips or suggestions I would really appreciate it.

Thanks again,

Jim

Jim,

Based on recent experience feeding three money pits, I think I'd advise staying away from this MT. There may be plenty of examples out there of non-running bikes like this sold for cheap that just needed "new points", a new plug, the kill switch turned on, etc. - but I sure wouldn't count on it. Non-running bikes usually are that way for good reason.

It seems to me like many bikes' lives are spent in a 'cycle of degeneration':

a) acquire the bike
b) do the absolute minimum needed to get it running
c) run it into the ground
d) sell it
a) repeat

I'm unable to do this myself. My problem is that if I'm going to own a bike, I want it to run and look good - otherwise I'd rather not own it. From your descriptions of your other bikes you strike me as being about the same, so unless this MT is an absolute cherry in the rough I don't see how it could help but be a money pit - and how can you really know what shape the motor and tranny are in if it doesn't run? Checking for shaft rotations will tell you if the motor is rust-locked, but that's about it.

But at any rate... before I would consider any MT I would have to verify that the oil pump was working when the motor ran last; if not, I would consider it a parts bike for negotiation purposes. If the pump was working, then it's the standard rust hunt, wiring check, tranny oil inspection drill. I would assume that a new top end, clutch, and possibly stator might be needed at the very minimum, which might well double the asking price of the bike right there.

Sorry if I sound really negative, but in my opinion looking at every non-running bike as a potential junker puts you in a much better bargaining position; let's face it, the seller almost certainly looks at it this way, and he knows a lot more about it than you do (yet). ;>)

Ray

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'74 CR125M (175cc), '75 MR175, '82 RM250Z, '08 YZ250F, '14 Zero FX electric, '14 Zero MX electric, '18 Alta MXR electric

Ray,

Thanks for the reply. I have not been out to see it yet as it's an hour and a half away from me. I always go into these deals thinking the worst and hoping for the best, BUT in this case I am not so sure any good will come of it. While the price is good, the thoughts of the internals being bad with no way to know is an invitation for disaster. The old bikes that took an oil and gas pre-mix are always a little better to judge. With so many of the earlier "auto-injection" bikes using the oil to lube other internals, alot of owners just using premix and leaving the pumps empty spelled an early demise for the motors.

Thanks again,

jim