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. 

[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.