TL125S

[Laverda Dave]

Coming along Dave

I sourced a complete cable set from Japan. No idea on quality but took the risk.

Those rear indicator mounts you made look the part.

Is the front mudguard mount original or a feked product?

Tim

It's a Fecked product Tim. The front mudguard is one of those with the moulded mud flap that look pig ugly and I think meant for a Spanish trial bike. The mudflap was broken so I cut it off at the mould line and reversed the mudguard. I thought I'd found a solution to the non availability of the genuine item but now nobody has any stock of the Spanish type ones in white. Hopefully Shedworks will make me a pair of his repro Honda ones in white👍.

Thanks Johnny, this one has been a long road, I'd never do another one with parts being so difficult to find and especially electrical parts and wiring.

[taysidedragon]

It's looking brilliant Dave. Better than factory. 👍

[Laverda Dave]

Tim, Do you have one of these springs at all? Nobody has one, even CMSNL. I have it on my watch list but don't hold out much hope! I have fitted the r/h footrest without the return spring fitted otherwise I can see carnage when I go to kickstart it and break the knuckle (400/4 anyone🫣).
Anyway, I found someone who can make one-off and small runs of springs as long as they have one to copy of course......
If you have one Tim I could get it copied and maybe get a few made, I'm sure they'll sell like hot cakes, or 400/4 knuckles if they were available 👍

[Laverda Dave]

Oops, senior moment, this spring......

[Laverda Dave]

It's looking brilliant Dave. Better than factory. 👍

Thanks Gareth.
I'm surprised how a small bike can be so fiddly to build. One thing I found out the very hard way is to fit the small rear brake rod lever onto the splined shaft of the actual brake lever itself along with the 6mm x 25mm bolt BEFORE fitting the engine into the frame because there is absolutely no room to fit it afterwards!

[Rozabikes Tim]

Tim, Do you have one of these springs at all? Nobody has one, even CMSNL. I have it on my watch list but don't hold out much hope! I have fitted the r/h footrest without the return spring fitted otherwise I can see carnage when I go to kickstart it and break the knuckle (400/4 anyone🫣).
Anyway, I found someone who can make one-off and small runs of springs as long as they have one to copy of course......
If you have one Tim I could get it copied and maybe get a few made, I'm sure they'll sell like hot cakes, or 400/4 knuckles if they were available 👍

No sorry Dave. Surely pretty simple for a man of your talents to adapt an existing spring to have curly ends? At least as a temporary fix as you do like originality!😜

[Laverda Dave]

Tim, Do you have one of these springs at all? Nobody has one, even CMSNL. I have it on my watch list but don't hold out much hope! I have fitted the r/h footrest without the return spring fitted otherwise I can see carnage when I go to kickstart it and break the knuckle (400/4 anyone🫣).
Anyway, I found someone who can make one-off and small runs of springs as long as they have one to copy of course......
If you have one Tim I could get it copied and maybe get a few made, I'm sure they'll sell like hot cakes, or 400/4 knuckles if they were available 👍

No sorry Dave. Surely pretty simple for a man of your talents to adapt an existing spring to have curly ends? At least as a temporary fix as you do like originality!😜

I might have to try Tim, it has to be strong enough to hold the footrest back but weak enough to allow it to be unhooked quickly. I'll start with the spring from a Bic biro and work up to a valve spring and see how I get on. It's just the thought of not sleeping at night worrying about the departure from originality 🫨. There are so many stainless nuts and bolts on this thing I think the rivet counters will have a nightmare. I must have spent a couple of days filing the script off stainless bolts and polishing.

[Johnny4428]

Not a good look when you see that bolts with the script still on when replaced. I do mine in the pillar drill.😜

[Laverda Dave]

I collected the paint set this morning from Tony at CycleSpray near Haywards Heath in Sussex. He's done a lovely job. I've used enhance settings on the camera because the photos were a bit dark but this has given the red a more orange hue. The correct colour of red is Honda Fighting Red.
I feel like I'm making progress now so off out into the garage with a mug of splosh for a bit more fettling

[Rozabikes Tim]

Jealous...

[Johnny4428]

These look fantastic Dave nice paint job, good progress.

[Laverda Dave]

A brief update on the TL build.

I got the exhaust back from the powder coater a couple of weeks ago; he advised me NOT to Cerakote it as the corrosion on the front header pipe would be really noticeable. Instead he used a high temp powder coat to build it up. It looks good and hopefully it will last. When I came to fit the exhaust I encountered two problems. The first was the cheap and nasty unbranded rear shocks that came with the bike fouled on the silencer box. The original Honda shocks are very thin like candlesticks and are of course no longer available. Every shock listed on the web for a TL will not fit, the springs on aftermarket shocks are 52/53mm OD and will only fit if you junk the original exhaust and fit a Sammy Miller type replacement. Enter Falcon Shocks in Dorset and a phone call to Robin the owner who told me he could make a pair with the spring offset by 2mm. A few days later they arrived and following a bit of fettling to the bush diameter and length (everyone needs a lathe) they fitted, perfect!

The second issue with the exhaust was the flange supplied by the owner as a genuine spare was way too big, the collets just fell through it so I was forced to use the flange the bike came with, a big aluminium competition item that was covered in hammer blows and was very manky. I put this in the lathe and faced it off and turned it down to remove the hammer blows, not standard but I think it looks ok.

Next on to the nightmare of the wiring, I purchased connectors and cable from VWP and set to. First job was to make another headlight earth tab. I was lucky to have one for the other side and I made a new one using the original as a pattern, not great but it’s acceptable. I’ve begun to make the loom and used my new ratchet crimp tool for the first time, what a revelation these are, every home needs one of these and an automatic wire stripper (along with an air fryer I guess) they make the job so much easier.

More to come..........

[Bryanj]

I guess the air fryer is to shrink the sleeving!

[Rozabikes Tim]

Dave more nice work but.... It may be the image making it look too big but are you really sure about the exhaust header clamp. Everything else looks so original....?

[Laverda Dave]

I know Tim, it's ermm.....big! That was fitted when I was given the bike along with a 'new' OEM item that didn't fit. I've got fed up keep organising the parts etc so thought this can just go back on after a bit of lathe time.
I've got another 10 week wait for more chrome (the rear light bracket) but I've had enough of doing this bike now, it's just so frustrating finding bits that are missing and getting parts that don't fit. It's costing me £50/month having to rent garage space to store my own bike whilst I do this one. I want it gone by end of September so the original rear light can go back on if the chrome isn't ready.