The plan! (for my bike...)

[NoYou]

So after the current mess I'm in is sorted out i am going to ... spruce up my bike a bit! and by a bit i mean a lot, of course!
It's a 2001 Aprilia RS 125 and at the moment its near enough bog standard. I've fitted paddock stand bobbins, changed the fairing bolts, screen bolts, tank bolt, wheel nut and mirror bolts to blue alu/titanium replacements and have just rebuilt the engine and put a RAVE valve in, fitted a RAVE controller and swapped out the standard CDI, with the annoying emissions dip at 6k rpm and the really annoying retardation of the engine past 10.6k rmp, for a single curve race CDI. Apart from that it is as it was when it came out of the factory 10 years ago!
The general plan is get some more power out of the engine without going completely nuts. Then get it looking all fancy, then depending on what happens in the mean time I may go balls out and get a 154cc big bore kit, have it ported and treat myself to a £500 Jolly Moto race exhaust! However for now this is my shopping list:
Ramair Air Filter
V-Force 3 Reed Valve system
Arrow Performance Exhaust System with Kevlar Shouty thing
34mm Dellorto Flat Slide Race Carburetor
34mm Inlet Manifold
RK Heavy Duty Chain (Blue)
Race Renthal Grips
Tax Disc Holder (Blue)
Alloy Bar End Weights (Blue)
Carbon Look Rear Indi.
Carbon Look Clutch/Break lever
Billet CNC Quick Release Petrol Cap
Gilles Tooling Rear Set (Black)




Possible Later Purchases:
BI-Turbo Rear Shock
Jolly Moto Race Exhaust
Polini 154cc Big Bore kit

that is in the order I'm planning on doing it but the order may change because some parts will need the carb re-jetting and I don't want to have to re-jet it 5 times because i didn't plan it out properly!

This isn't going to be a particularly fast moving thing as living alone is somewhat expensive, the bike is very high maintenance anyway needing a 300 odd pound top end rebuild every 10k miles tops, so the speed at which this progresses is very much dependent on how much life gets in the way.

I'm also planning on replacing the fairings, I love the way the bike looks its one of the best looking "sexy" bikes you can buy IMHO but I still think the fairings could look much better with some custom ones, You can get a set of race fairings fairly cheaply which can easily be modified to work for road use and I just happen to have a brother who is an absolutely AMAZING artist. I'm going to get him to draw up some concepts for me and will post them up so you can give your opinions!
Geo

[silly_simon]

To be honest mate youed be better off putting that sort of financial outlay towards a bigger bike :)

[NoYou]

To be honest mate youed be better off putting that sort of financial outlay towards a bigger bike :)
I would agree with you but I'm almost 100% going to keep this bike for my 2 year restriction due to not being able to afford the insurance for a bigger bike because I'm just getting stupid quotes from every insurance company, normally more than the bike costs... and I can't really see myself sticking to a standard rs 125 for 2 years and every time i spend more money on the bike the more money i lose if i sell it, if you get my logic... The other reason I'm thinking about sticking with this bike is what anybody who's ever owned one says when they see me on it, "Had one of these x amount of time ago, I'd definitely have one again" or something along those lines anyways. Yes a bigger bike is faster and more reliable but i'll still get about a ton out of this if not a bit more and do i really need any more than that on the road?! I often find myself over the speed limit by complete accident as it is, I'm not one to sit at 60 in a 60 but i also find that i forget about speed limits completely, not deliberately but because it is so easy to go that much faster, even on my rs 125 i just don't realize how fast I'm going!
Geo

[Nooj]

Kick ass! Go for it I say. Anyone can trade up to a bigger bike but what ever you get there will always be things you want to change on it, it's much much more involving and satisfying (and almost certainly cheaper long term) to get the spanners out and make your current bike into something special and unique that's right for you, that you'll want to keep for years.

[bobf279]

and if you are lucky you'll have time to ride it too

[Nooj]

and if you are lucky you'll have time to ride it too

Where would the fun be in that?? ;D

[NoYou]

and if you are lucky you'll have time to ride it too
Hahaha to be honest that is the beauty of a 2 stroke engine, none of the mods that involve the engine are particularly difficult to do or very time consuming, even putting on the big bore kit is a job that can be done in an afternoon! The exhaust is just 2 springs and 6 bolts, changing the carb is 1 screw... you get the idea xD the only thing that will take a while to get sorted is the new rear set! But its just so shiny that I can't resist it xD

[Nooj]

*Shameless plug*

Don't forget I offer discounts on Pro-Bolt parts if you're thinking about getting any more blue ally/titanium stuff ;)

[NoYou]

*Shameless plug*

Don't forget I offer discounts on Pro-Bolt parts if you're thinking about getting any more blue ally/titanium stuff ;)
Oooo... I didn't know that! I'm holding you to that! Bc I probably will be!

[RichardJH]

Can I ask on what bikes have you been given quotes on?

Cos last year when I passed my test I got a Kawasaki GPZ500s insured for well under £250 and considering the money your thinking of shelling out on an rs 125 .......well seems madness!

[Squashed_Fly]

I loved my RS125. Miss it sooooo much!

More power is great, but there's just something about the way the little 2 stroke engine sings that is quite narcotic!

[NoYou]

Can I ask on what bikes have you been given quotes on?

Cos last year when I passed my test I got a Kawasaki GPZ500s insured for well under £250 and considering the money your thinking of shelling out on an rs 125 .......well seems madness!
I've got quotes on everything from SV 650s to bandits to ninja 250s and everythiing inbetween, even tried a few cruisers and I still get rediculous quotes. Tried every insurance company I've been reccomended and loads of others besides so its not just the company.
The problem is, I think, I'm 19 and I've had an accident for which, officialy anyways, the fault was mine purely because I was filtering -.- those two things combined have given me a big fat red cross next to my name with insurance companies. Hardly fair imo but not a lot I can do about it.
Also if I get a bigger bike I will be putting out a fairly large sum of money all at once whereas by doing up my current bike I can spread the cost over as long a period as needed, and even if I get a bigger bike I'm not going to want to keep it standard and from what I've seen in my googleings the bigger the bike the more expensive modding them becomes so although its a lot of money to spend it would be even more if I got a bigger bike. And as I've already said I can't really see myself having a use for more power on the roads, I struggle to not speed as it is!
The other thing is even when the bike was restricted apart from on straight roads the rs outdid almost every single 600 and thou that it met, only falling down because of my ineptitude as a rider! It is well knon for being one of the best handleing bikes you can get and that is what I look for in a bike, any chavvy urchin can twist the throttle on a straight road it doesn't take much, it also shreds you licence very quickly!
Another thing to bare in mind is I've just spent 700, probably 1000 pound by the time I've had the crank rebuilt because of a bigend failure, getting this bike back on the road, and as these bikes struggle to sell for more than 1600 I would be basicaly selling it for £600 when its just got a brand new engine, rebuilt crank and another 400 odd quids worth of electrics and RAVE valve.
Geo

[NoYou]

I've just read this thread through and realised it is sounding like the ONLY reason I'm thinking of doing this is because I can't afford a bigger bike, which I agree would be stupid. That is not the case! I love my RS its a fantastic bike and there are very few bigger bike I would really WANT as a replacment. I have looked at all sorts of bike for insurance quotes but the list of bikes I would actualy BUY is really very short!
Yes its a 125! Yes most bikes out there can outrun it! And yes pretty much every other bike is more reliable! But very very few bikes would be as fun, and fun is the main reason I have it!
Geo

[Scotty]

You've listed in print on a public forum a whole heap of modifications that you intend doing to your RS - I presume that you'll be informing your insurance company of these will you? They'll stack your premium up like a wedding cake mate so it may end up no cheaper than one of the bigger bikes that you've been given high quotes on already. ::) ::) ::)

You're 19, and you have an accident on your record already, conforming somewhat to the high-risk demographic profile that the insurers use... You haven't said what you've been quoted on a bigger bike, though if you get the RS back together you could probably sell it and for no extra cost, buy something bigger, not pretty maybe, but usable for a couple of years and insure it for what you'd spend on modifying and rebuilding the RS. An additional benefit would be getting used to the way a bigger bike rides and handles, which would stand you in better stead for trading up when your restriction's over... :-?

[Cemorah]

I take it you are on an A2 licence 33BHP & Power to weight restrictions. Will an RS unrestricted meet this?
have you got quotes for the bike with all thes mods?

Finally you'll end up with a bike that cannot be ridden by a learner so worth less than it is now probably.

[wi77y]

Well said george biking is all about the amount off fun you have on it not what bike you ride or have.
Insurance is funny tho cos mine will be cheaper when i get a big bike lol :)
I personally cant wait to get on a bigger one, but everyone to themselfs i say ! :)

[NoYou]

RIGHT! I've modified the original post to try and steer this thread away from the "is it worth it" bs. I put together the list for my own benifit and thought id post it up just to see if anybody had any suggestions or advice about WHAT I'M DOING, not if its worth it! I know a lot of people are going to be of the "get a bigger bike" opinion, but that is not what I wanted to discuss or I would have called the thread "should I get a bigger bike" .

Now scotty I'm going to skip past the insurance questions bc again I want to try and steer this thread away from that area, as for the accident, yes I happen to fall into that "high risk bracket" with insurance companies because all the 17 yolds riding about in hoodies and shorts, on scooters decide its alright to fly through traffic at 30. Just because I fall into that bracket doesn't mean I am a cause of that high risk status. The situation I was put in was impossible to avoid regardless of age or experience, and before anybody comes up with "oh well I wouldn't have done it" posts please don't bc its not the point. But this is what happened, I going down a high street filtering through slow moving traffic, I wasn't ever going above about 15 mph. I came arround a bus, I would guess at about 10mph when the bus hit its breaks hard enough to cause the nose to dive noticably I tried to react but was already in the side of the car that had pulled out into a gap barely big enough for it to fit through and into the busses, and my, path. If that had happened on an empty road fault would have been the cars without question but because I was filtering it was blamed on me before I even had a chance to contest it! From what i remember of the highway code section on pulling out of side roads onto a major road, it says something along the lines of "wait for a gap big enough so that no other motorist will have to change their speed or direction" and "Only emerge from a side road if you have a clear view of the road in both directions", neither of these things were true in this situation, the woman driving couldnt' possibly have had a clear view in both directions because their was a bus there... and she also made the bus break sharply which means she caused another motorist to change their speed. Make of it what you will but please done post about it on THIS thread!
As for what you said about a get a bigger bike "it may not be pretty" but get one anyway, well frankly I'm just going to ignore that because with my RS every time I see it, it brings a smile to my face whenever I ride it I get a massive thrill out of it and any bike I buy in the future would have to do the same because that's the way I am. Simple as!
In reply to gunterpot a standard derestricted rs falls well below the a2 restrictions, can't tell you how much under because the power output very much depends on how the RAVE valve is set up, but even a really highly tuned rs (with the standard bore size) would be just over, realisticaly the only way an rs will go over the a2 limits is by putting a big bore kit on, which is on my list of things to do but not until AFTER my restriction is over :)
Geo

[Squashed_Fly]

G3o - opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one, and some stink.

If you're happy, it's your money and your time so that's all that matters.

The RS125 is an iconic motorcycle for many reasons, and will become an appreciating classic in years to come I'm certain (although more likely in standard form).

If you can afford to spend the money, and would rather spend it on the bike than lining the conmens insurance peoples pockets, then go for it. When yuo come to trade up, it doesn't matter to the insurance what you've been riding. Only how long. I've never been asked what my previous driving/riding experience has been, which is part of the joke of insurance. You could pass your test, own a C90 for 10 years, insure it and never ride it. Then go out and get a good insurance deal on a hayabusa and kill yourself on it.

The RS125 is a brilliant bike in so many ways. Have fun on it.

I'm quite jealous as I loved mine.

[Mark_Able]

Go for it George, then pi55 everyone off at the next track day... ;)

[Nooj]

Big bikes are for people that can't make small bikes go fast ;)

[NoYou]

Big bikes are for people that can't make small bikes go fast ;)
Ooo I like that! Going to write that one down :p

[Moo]

Big bikes are for people that can't make small bikes go fast ;)

And for those whose shirts have XL written in them :-)

[470four]

:-X


Dammit.


Why are you wasting money buying anodised valve caps for a bike that will admittedly need its overstrung engine building every 300 miles anyway? If I want 916 power & handling from my Duke then I will go out and buy a 916 & save myself a LOT of wasted money & parts rather that throw cash at something just to turn it into a thief-magnet timebomb.

All this to finally make it crack 87mph? All you will do is bump up your insurance premium from what it already is (assuming they will know about all the add-ons, which they will do when they pull it out of the hedge...)

You like the bike? Good! Keep it, ying around on it while you save you pennies for something better, it may seem like the bees-knees at the moment but I can assure you biking life is a lot more stress-free & straight-forward when you have REAL power underneath you. ;)

If this all seems a bit "Oi boy - NO!" then hey - I was a young'un on a 125 once, we all were - buying filter kits & exhausts trying to impress & make it have 13.4hp instead of 12.97hp, & in hindsight I should have just saved my cash & done something worthwhile with it. :)

Nobody is going to be impressed with a shiny blue tax disc holder FFS, best keep your money for petrol & tyres... 8-)


(afterthought - swap the motor for a medium-capacity four-stroke single...)

[Nooj]

Or alternatively, do what ever you want to YOUR bike, to please YOURSELF and no one else. Who cares what other people say about YOUR bike, they're not the ones riding it every day, YOU are, the only person it's got to please is YOU ;)

[NoYou]

:-X


Dammit.


Why are you wasting money buying anodised valve caps for a bike that will admittedly need its overstrung engine building every 300 miles anyway? If I want 916 power & handling from my Duke then I will go out and buy a 916 & save myself a LOT of wasted money & parts rather that throw cash at something just to turn it into a thief-magnet timebomb.

All this to finally make it crack 87mph? All you will do is bump up your insurance premium from what it already is (assuming they will know about all the add-ons, which they will do when they pull it out of the hedge...)

You like the bike? Good! Keep it, ying around on it while you save you pennies for something better, it may seem like the bees-knees at the moment but I can assure you biking life is a lot more stress-free & straight-forward when you have REAL power underneath you. ;)

If this all seems a bit "Oi boy - NO!" then hey - I was a young'un on a 125 once, we all were - buying filter kits & exhausts trying to impress & make it have 13.4hp instead of 12.97hp, & in hindsight I should have just saved my cash & done something worthwhile with it. :)

Nobody is going to be impressed with a shiny blue tax disc holder FFS, best keep your money for petrol & tyres... 8-)


(afterthought - swap the motor for a medium-capacity four-stroke single...)

mmmmmmmmmmmkay! Completely understand what you're saying and most of the things you've said have gone through my mind already but a few i'm just going to have a go at crushing into tiny pieces, if i may :)
You've said this and that won't impress anybody, well thats not a problem for me because everything i have done and may do in the future is for me, because i like it, or think it looks cool or whatever if other people like it to then great it makes it even more worth while, if not then... hey they've not got to ride it home!

As for the insurance i've got quotes both with and without and there is a £20 difference, not exactly going to break the bank! As I said before there are very few bike i would actually BUY i don't want any old bike etc.etc. Just for the benifit of this post i've just gone and got a quote on eBike which is the cheapest from by searchings on a ZX 250R which was £1812.24 with £500 excess, and an R6 which was £3102.26 with £500 excess. My RS with all the mods on £1107.34 with £500 excess, without the mods its £1086.27 with £500 excess!

As for it being a thief magnet, yea thats a fair point but i keep it locked up with disc lock, padlock and chain, going to data tag it and I'm thinking about an alarm/immobilizer too. I also keep it covered whenever I'm at home so...

In terms of having more power, I think i've said already, I don't really see it as being necessary! Even before i derestricted the bike i was getting 80 on the flat and I often found myself at that speed without realizing because it felt safe and stable, unless i looked at my speedo i wouldn't have noticed, do you really think MORE power is sensible?! I cant see my license lasting long! It isn't that I'm one of these speed crazed lunatics going everywhere at top speed but I just focus more on the road than my speedo and simply don't notice! The only time i ever felt like i wanted more power was when i was overtaking occasionally and when i was on ride outs and everybody was tearing past me, but other than that i honestly was never wanting more.

Yes i could just keep it as is and swap out for a bigger bike but... as soon as i do there are going to be things i want to change about that as well and from what i can see on a bigger bike everything becomes more expensive so it wont be saving me money at all it will have the reverse effect.

I also KNOW that i like this bike and I know what its like to live with, although i can test ride other bike there's no way i can know how they are in the long term apart from what other people say and I was told I would hate my rs after 5 mins because its too cramped and has a such a small power band but what do you know, I love it!

As for fitting a 250 on it, yes its a good idea and i would do it but i don't have the tools space or equipment to do it, i've looked at other peoples projects doing exactly that and they've had to fabricate new engine mounts, modify the tank, put the radiator under the seat, extend/change the swing arm so they can move the suspension back because it was in the way, etc.etc. i don't have the desire, time, equipment or space to do that!

Eventually I would like to have my RS for going out on my own for fun and for use at track days, and have a speed triple or something similar for everyday and other stuff. Not sure how able I will be to do that but... it's what i would like!

As for the engine needing a rebuild every 300 miles, i know people who've had RS 125's for years now and they run them at a constant 10-15k rpm all year round, put a new top end on every 10k miles and keep the bike maintained well, in the 3 years that i've know one he's had two seizures due to his own mistakes and in the 18 months I've known another guy he's not had a single problem! Need i say more?

Geo

[Dennis_Sinanan]

Hey George,

I like your list of modifications, sounds like it will be fun and the experience gained will be priceless.

Can I suggest you add a couple more upgrades:
1) Bike safe (think it cost 25 quid or free)
2) Advanced training (like IAM or ROSPA), not as expensive as you think.

You can slot these in at your convenience. I have seen you ride and I know you (and the bike) are very good and can keep up with the big boys. I would however advise these upgrades for everyone who has just passed their test as they literally make you faster on whatever you ride, as well as show you how to spot idiots before they do you damage, plus the upgrades are easily transferred from one bike to the next. The interesting part is that they even save you money on your insurance when you tell them that you have added these upgrades :). I suspect the insurance companies will look very favourably on any young man (or woman) who has shown the maturity to add these upgrades and that they will in turn repay you with lower premiums.

So if I get this right, by adding these two upgrades you learn to ride faster and ride safer on every machine while paying less insurance!! Don't know about you but it makes sense to me.

Looking forward to riding with you soon.
Take care.
Dennis :)

[NoYou]

Hey George,

I like your list of modifications, sounds like it will be fun and the experience gained will be priceless.

Can I suggest you add a couple more upgrades:
1) Bike safe (think it cost 25 quid or free)
2) Advanced training (like IAM or ROSPA), not as expensive as you think.

You can slot these in at your convenience. I have seen you ride and I know you (and the bike) are very good and can keep up with the big boys. I would however advise these upgrades for everyone who has just passed their test as they literally make you faster on whatever you ride, as well as show you how to spot idiots before they do you damage, plus the upgrades are easily transferred from one bike to the next. The interesting part is that they even save you money on your insurance when you tell them that you have added these upgrades :). I suspect the insurance companies will look very favourably on any young man (or woman) who has shown the maturity to add these upgrades and that they will in turn repay you with lower premiums.

So if I get this right, by adding these two upgrades you learn to ride faster and ride safer on every machine while paying less insurance!! Don't know about you but it makes sense to me.

Looking forward to riding with you soon.
Take care.
Dennis :)

Haha, made me giggle, yea I'm planning on doing bikesafe before my insurance comes up for renewal and then do advanced training some time in the near future, after seeing what you can do on that cruiser, either your a road rossi or the trainings worth it :) see ya out soon,
Geo