The project debt payment plan finally kicked in on my Honda SL125

[Kyle]

It all came to a head when I loaned my garage space to a local film crew to shoot a commercial. One member of the crew took a real liking to the SL125 and asked for the number that would make me sell it, to which I confidently replied with the phrase I thought I would never say; "That one's not for sale, I'm gonna fix that up one day."

Read the full story on Hagerty.com: https://www.hagerty.com/media/maintenance-and-tech/the-project-debt-payment-plan-finally-kicked-in-o... 

[drm101]

Very cool bike. You're young. Plenty of time to finish it! I like that Kawasaki. Reminds me of the '74 Kaw 90 I had back in the day. My first bike. 

[67Firebird]

Had a TL 125, only mod was changing out sprocket to lower top speed, good grunt on bottom. Bike was so quiet I could sneak around in suburban woods unseen/heard. 

Weighed around 175, hope new E bikes similar, I am vulnerable

[Kyle]

Ii re-geared this one with a CB125 rear sprocket, and my goal is to use it as a commuter. It's a fine line on gearing this machine. Would be a lot easier if I was only going to ride the woods with it like your TL! A previous owner put a different exhaust on this bike, and it is way too loud for me. I'll be building a baffle for it over the winter.

[Flashman]

"Stater"?  Also, you're missing an "a".

[Kyle]

Thanks for the correction on stator. I've got it fixed in the article now.

[GRP_Photo]

A friend of mine had two of those back in the '70s. I had a Ducati 250 scrambler. We had a lot of fun running the tracks that Georgia Power laughingly called "maintenance roads." He gave up trail riding after a close friend of his came over a hill and met a pickup truck coming the other way. I gave it up when I moved out of Georgia.

[Porsche911914]

I had a 1972 SL125 brand new, I was 14 at the time.  Mine was a silver tank with red and black stripes. I went ahead and stripped the extra weight off of it, instuments and lights, until I figured out I had total freedom with instruments and lights. I was able to ride on public streets to expand my riding area and the local Sheriff didnt even give me a second look. I would ride for miles away from home. My SL125 gave me freedom. It was so reliable I never really had to repair anything so I would take it a part and put it back together just for fun. What great memories. 

[StephenStIves]

Porsche911914: Your story exactly matches mine; 14 years old, first bike 1972 SL125, silver, black, red. Freedom! Freedom to roam. Man, it was magic. Just recently found one just like it in Washington State. Bought and brought it home to Texas.

[brb]

Funny how you can get stalled on a project and leave it languish for a long, long time; then get motivated and make real progress in a weekend.  I once left a CBX in a major state of disassembly dangling from a chain hoist for 10 years(!) before getting my act together and putting it back on the road in a week.  The motivation?  I needed the hoist for another project.

[cyclemikey]

We all feel that "debt" to the machines, but the truth is we run it up ourselves, willingly.

To each his own.  I would have left the stock ignition, which worked fine, tossed in a Shorai six-volt, and......done. Then I would have used my time and energy sourcing and building the proper Keihin carb to replace that vile POS that's on there.