broken 00 cr125 and a mom that wants to fix it because her hubby doesnt think she can

[triciah2001]

Ok here's the pickle. My "I can do it myself" son changed the oil in his cr125 and started making a funny noise right after. He didn't ride it at all. My hubby finally was able to get some time off and help him look at it, none of us know a ton other than the last time it was in the shop they were a rip-off. and now they can't even kick the thing to start it. This all started with them taking the clutch cover plate off because it felt like it wasn't disengaging? right- the shop had just put a new one in because we let the kid figure out how much it costs to replace one. Not quite sure what they did but now you can't even push the kick start all the down to try and start it! I don't know any real "technical stuff" but if somebody can tell me/show me pictures on how to fix what they think might be wrong I can do it. And then I can tell my hubby to kiss my lovely rear @#*! Which would make my year! I just need somebody to tell me what to look for and where to find it. Thanks a bunch!

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Do you have a manual?

 

[slodad]

Need more information about the symptoms. Did it work after the shop was done? Describe the behavior that moved you to take off the clutch cover. What did you see when the cover was removed? Did you remove anything other than the cover? Does the kickstart ratchet back into position after you try to use it? Does it repeatedly stop in the same position when you try to use it? If you remove the spark plug and put the transmission in gear, is it possible to turn over the engine by slowly rotating the rear wheel?

 

[Ol'89r]

If it started right after the shop worked on it, you should take it back to the shop and let them deal with it. Simply changing the oil should not cause a problem like that. If your son used the proper amount of oil and replaced the drain plug with the proper OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) plug, there should be no problem. If he used the wrong plug (too long) it could have jammed up against one of the gears.

If you just don't want to deal with that shop again, give us a little more information. We'll be glad to help.

 

[triciah2001]

Yes we have the man. and he followed the directions on changing the oil. It was running fine after we got it from the shop, they made me mad because they tried to say we needed something done again that they were supposed to have already done and when we called them on it they were like oh we must have been thinking of another bike but they had already start to "fix" it. It took one 2 day trip to the dunes, maybe 8 hours of riding total, and it ran fine. A while after we got home he wanted to go riding with some friends. I told him no because dad hadn't changed the oil or taken the paddle off yet. So he and a buddy swapped the tires and changed the oil. He went to start it to make sure everything was working ok and it was making a funny noise. He didn't ride, and we let it sit for hubby. Hubby thought that the noise almost sounded like the clutch was spinning? but the bike was on the stand and not in gear. Took the cover off to see if when you pulled the clutch lever back if it was doing what it was supposed to inside. It didn't look like it was letting it move freely. So hubby asked if son could move the rear wheel while he held the clutch in. Couldn't budge the wheel like it was in gear. It took both me and the kid to get the tire to turn even a little bit. So then they thought that they would start it to see if they got it freed up and if it was still making the noise. It fired right up, they killed it to discuss if they thought they heard the noise. And then tried to start it again, he kicked it about 3 times? and it didn't start and then the kick froze, like you can't kick it down at all. You can put the peg out and it will move just a bit but no where near what it takes to kick over the thing. Sorry it's so long but hope this information helps out more! Thanks for your advice. T

 

[Ol'89r]

Hate to say it but, it almost sounds like he seized the top end.

Or in other words, the piston seized to the cylinder bore.

Sand dunes and 125's don't mix. Riding in the dunes is very hard on smaller engines. Especially with a paddle tire. They overheat and if the pre-mix oil ratio is not what it should be or the coolant system is inferior, they can seize. Incorrect jetting in the carb can also cause them to seize.

You need to isolate the problem. First, try to adjust the clutch adjustment according to the manual. If that doesn't help remove the clutch side cover and inspect for damage on the clutch actuating mechanism. If that's ok, remove the clutch plates. After the clutch plates are removed, try to rotate the outer clutch basket by hand. If the outer basket won't turn or is hard to turn, the problem is in the top end or crankshaft. Then, try to turn the inner clutch hub by hand. It the inner hub won't turn, the problem is in the gearbox.

You can also just remove the cylinder head and look inside the cylinder for damage if you suspect the problem is in the top end but that won't show you the big end of the crank.

 

[Patman]

Maybe the trans is jammed?

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

I am not following all that..

Were you unable to turn the rear wheel while the bike was on a stand and in Neutral?
That sounds like a transmission problem.

In gear, clutch in and unable to turn the rear wheel might be just a heavy case of clutch drag. Certainly not desirable but not necessarily a problem you need to resolve. It should get better when the engine warms up.

The kick starter jammed up is a problem. I would be really surprised if the engine seized in this situation. The place it would have seized was climbing a sand dune, not a quick start in the garage. It is possible that it simply jammed: try putting the bike down on the ground, shift to 3rd or 4th, then rock the bike back and forth. If you take the spark plug out you should be able to easily turn the engine over by rolling the bike in gear. It is possible that just getting the engine to turn over will free up the kick starter.

If the bike won't roll in gear, spark plug out, then you have serious seize problems. It doesn't sound like cylinder, you might have a problem in the crankcase/transmission.

As for doing it yourself: Top end, clutch and kickstarter are fairly easy things. You will need a good repair manual. Not the "owner's manual", a manual that tells you how to tear it apart and put it back together. Lots of pictures of internal parts. The Honda service manual is expensive and will probably keep referring to all sorts of special Honda tools. Buy an after market manual, such as one published by Clymer. You can buy one for about $25, most bike shops will have them.

If you are willing to get your hands dirty and you can read the manual it shouldn't be too hard. Now, if the problem is down in the crankcase or transmission, which requires splitting the case, I would think twice. I wouldn't recommend that as a first venture into bike mechanics.

Rod

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Check the plug. Pull the expansion chamber off, get a flash light and see if there is any apparent damage. May not be anything wrong with the gearbox or clutch. May be the top end and/or power valve? Did they take the entire clutch cover off, or just the small round cover? Remove the sub frame/air box/silencer assembly. Is there sand in the carb, or intake boots? What type of manual do you have? Do you have any other shops near you?

 

[Patman]

Don't ya' just love Internet diagnostics?! :)