Yamaha DTR 125 - Newbie looking for advice

[Joe5y]

Hi,

As above really. I'm looking at a few of these over this weekend and having never owned a bike let alone a 125 or 2 stroke I was after a little bit of advice as to what to look for?

Mileage?
Rebuild?
Modified (or not)?
Condition?

How about other options in a 125 off-road road legal (non SM) bikes?

Thanks in advance.

[podman]

If you really have no idea, best advice I could give you would be to take someone with you who knows some basics at least, an off road learner bike of this era will have had an interesting life by many previous owners , everything and anything could and probably would have happended to it..

Whereabouts in the country are you?

[Joe5y]

podman said:

If you really have no idea, best advice I could give you would be to take someone with you who knows some basics at least, an off road learner bike of this era will have had an interesting life by many previous owners , everything and anything could and probably would have happended to it..

Whereabouts in the country are you?

I'm going in with my eye wide open but, not that it helps I guess, I have bought and sold cars for years (privately) so like to think that I have an idea when it come to looking for pups.

I'm based in Berkshire.

[Magic919]

If it's done some miles, then I'd expect at least the top end needing work. Low miles ones shouldn't, but how many 'low miles' examples are genuine? My mates used to disconnect the speedo for most of the year. That was DT125s and I can't see the R being so different.

Expect that it has been dropped a few times and maybe even a proper crash. Check that the bike is fairly straight.

I wouldn't be concerned over an exhaust swap, maybe an air filter. I'd avoid bikes with proper nobbly tyres, but that's just me being cautious.

[Tribal Chestnut]

I wouldn't worry about knobblies. Many of these bikes will have been offroad, they can handle it, like any bike, if looked after.

HPI it - when I was looking it was shocking the amount I found with dodgy odometer readings, broken steering locks and only one key available.

[Joe5y]

I've come across a few that are MY2000 with only 7-9000km on the clock (4-5000miles). 14 years and its only done 5000miles and with only 1 MOT cert - I cry bullst.

I sort of expect them to have been dropped or scratched - its exactly what I'll be doing owing to it being my first bike (@30) and mainly being used to go offroad.

[Tribal Chestnut]

Yep, it will have been dropped and I'll be dropped some more.

I managed to flip mine on concrete and it was fine once I'd replaced the rear light and front brake lever.

I did get a bit pissed off with some of the bent ones that I looked at as they were after straight money. wkers.

BTW I got mine at 32!

[littlebasher]

Weren't these restricted by a wire in the speedo cluster, that needed shorting to earth to allow the powervalve to fully open?

Although thinking about it, the later ones may have been restricted by the CDI - there was another black wire near the coil that needed shorting to earth.

Personally, i never found them a very good commuting bike (when compared to a 4 stroke 125). Mainly as they'd cut out when ridden in rain, no matter how much i tried to waterproof everything.....That and when thrashed they didn't half like to drink fuel.

[Tribal Chestnut]

Mines been fine going through various streams and brooks, sometimes for a good mile or so.

The power valve isn't something I'd bother mucking about with. Apparently it gives more at the top at the expense of some torque lower down. It's hardly got the most oomph before fiddling with it and certainly isn't built for high speeds.

[littlebasher]

Tribal Chestnut said:

Mines been fine going through various streams and brooks, sometimes for a good mile or so.

The power valve isn't something I'd bother mucking about with. Apparently it gives more at the top at the expense of some torque lower down. It's hardly got the most oomph before fiddling with it and certainly isn't built for high speeds.

Dunno what it was with mine, the rain water used to make it's way somewhere it shouldn't!

Derestricting the later ones just allows the powervalve to open fully, these were controlled by a servo motor so it didn't make any difference to anything lower down, just what's there at the top.
On the earlier DT's, TZR's and TDR's the motor wasn't fitted, so you'd peg them open at the best compromise between low end / top end performance.

[Joe5y]

littlebasher said:

Personally, i never found them a very good commuting bike (when compared to a 4 stroke 125).

Maybe a good thing as I only intend on using this a fun you for green-laning. I'm fortunate to have some amazing lanes (Ridgeway, Reading - Swindon and further) which are legal (season dependent). So as long as I and the bike are road legal it will mainly be used for fun, light off-roading.

[Dannaz]

I had an early DT 1990 on a Greg as my first bike at the age 17, was a cracking bike, mine was the typical big knobblies (road legal) Michelin's, full DEP exhaust, K&N filter, rear end tidied up with a proper enduro light unit and number plate barcket. Was a cracking bike, always maintained. Never had any issues, only issues I had was when I took a spill in a bog and the carb ended up filled with st.

Mine was used for a 2 mile commute 3 times a week then the rest was greenlaning and offroading in a local disused quarry. Bike never complained about any of this.

Will be a good, managable place to start.

Alternatively you could look at the KTM EXC 125, bit more aggressive than a DT, so may not meet the legal limit allowed on power for L plates (assming you are using L plates)

[Joe5y]

Well, I took the plunge and within 4 days have bought a bike, done my CBT, got all the gear possible grabbing one of everything like a kid in a sweet shop and promptly crashed several times (off-road).

Here she is . . . (Didn't she look clean!)



Weirdly looks small in this picture but I assure you it is full sized.

[rufusgti]

The first bike I ever owned/rode. Xmas 1991, I'm 11 years old and my dad opens the shed to a big old DT125, kickstarts it and puts me on the pegs. I will never forget how much I loved that bike. I couldn't touch the floor. I couldn't kickstart it. I could barely ride it. But pointing it up the field and banging that throttle wide open in first second and third before skidding to a halt time after time after time will stay with me for ever.
DT125 There was simply no better bike.

[Joe5y]

rufusgti said:

pointing it up the field and banging that throttle wide open in first second and third before skidding to a halt time after time after time will stay with me for ever.
DT125 There was simply no better bike.

Embarrassingly I am having this same feeling only I am 30!

Went out with a few friends who have Yam 400's and KTM 450's, I and they were mightily impressed with how the DTR performed. Off-road there is very little in it when it comes to ability (of the bike).

It's no longer clean and won't see a sponge for a while!

[podman]

I want your bike........enjoy it mate, looks like a nice example.

[bimsb6]

Great bikes , the different models through the years were all restricted in different ways some with servos to the power valves some restricted in the exhaust you would need to do some internet searching to find out where yours fits in .

[Tribal Chestnut]

st bikes. I hate them.

(Above comment might be slightly influenced by me having just spent 90mins stood beside the A1M at Stevenage)

[bimsb6]

Tribal Chestnut said:

Mines been fine going through various streams and brooks, sometimes for a good mile or so.

The power valve isn't something I'd bother mucking about with. Apparently it gives more at the top at the expense of some torque lower down. It's hardly got the most oomph before fiddling with it and certainly isn't built for high speeds.

Then you need to try it ! A solid motor with the power valve turned will run off the clock no problem and turns it into a rev happy fun bike .

[Tribal Chestnut]

bimsb6 said:

Then you need to try it ! A solid motor with the power valve turned will run off the clock no problem and turns it into a rev happy fun bike .

As it stands I feel like burning the fking thing and getting a CR250L or something.

When (if) the fker decides to work again I might have a fiddle.