Honda xr125l 2011

[Jonno13]

Hi,
I have bought this old xr125 for a $100 and i am going to restore it. And i want to know the best method to remove rust.

And i wasnt sure if i should keep it stock. Because a friend of mine said they are becoming collector item. And didn't know if that is true or not.
Any thoughts?

 

[Okiewan]

Because a friend of mine said they are becoming collector item. And didn't know if that is true or not.

There's always going to be someone out there that considers a bike "collectable". Maybe they had one when they were a kid, memories, etc. But honestly the bike isn't considered collectable in the true sense of the word. But as they used to say in the car business "There's an ass for every seat", so who knows? There maybe be someone out there that just has to have one and is willing to over-pay for it.

About keeping it stock or "modding" it. There is one certain way to lose money and that's to modify a bike like this. What value it may or could have will only exist if the bike is near mint and 100% stock.

The Honda XR125L was intended to be an economical commuter / dual sport bike with *some* trail / off-road capability. There's not much to improve here that would actually be useful on a bike like this. While loosely related to Honda's XR "R" line, the similarities and capabilities end at "125L".

If you want to rebuild it to ride, cool! Do it and ride it 'til the wheels fall off. But don't restore it with the goal of making a profit, because you won't. If your goal is to use it as a learning experience without losing a lot of money, go for it.

I don't mean to rain on your parade, just keeping it real. There's a lot of fun to be had on that bike. I had one WAY back in the day (actually an XL 125, there were no XR's yet). I Just happen to have a picture of it handy :)

 

[Jonno13]

Thanks