150 2 Stroke Against 400cc

[Datsun240Z]

Its a known thing that running a 2stroke at the same revs for long periods can cause a piston sieze (see this). Piston sieze can occur if the piston is starved of 2stroke oil (hence you want to see smoke pouring out of the back). This NSR of mine had a piston sieze on me. Bottom line is always be looking out for it, and when it happens pull in that clutch! Luckily I was going slowly and was awake enough to pull in the clutch! One moment was the sound of my engine and the next a thud and silence! Sometimes you can just unstick the piston and put it back!

Piston sieze is mostly the lack of a to lean mixture

[MaiChai]

Hum, I think Honda NSR 150 days are numbered. No Thais want them and only bigger farangs seem interested in them. I don't really like the NSR much; much prefer my TZR, which is a much newer design (and it looks it too). I think NSRs are perceived to be expensive to maintain; I gather some of the parts come from Japan=expensive, some of the parts are Made in Thailand=reasonable. Copy parts are becoming much harder to come by now (well compared to a couple of years ago).

TZR shares parts with quite a few other bikes, thus it makes sense for the copy parts folks to make parts for TZR as they will go on a VRR/TZM and maybe BelleR and RXZ. TZR parts are still easy to get. To be honest, the NSR/LS125/etc range were never as popular as the TZR/VRR/TZM/RXZ. As a side issue, the ex has a BelleR and its getting on for 15 years old, no one maintains it and its still going strong!

My experience of buying old bikes here: you need to have a fixit fund because there will be problems. So you need to factor this into the price you pay. For a Thai bike, put aside 5000 baht. For a non Thai bike, well I could not guess, but I have avoided this route so far.

Maybe we foreigners are stupid wanting a decent bike? The Thais just see it as transport, and we should too?

Ah, shock oil seals; tricky. My TZR needs doing. Parts are cheap for this but alot of labour! If you are in the country you can get this labour charge down, providing you can find someone good enough to do the work for you.

My NSR steering needs some work. Got it running ok now after some further carb tuning, but gear shifting is a little stiff (clutch oiled up?). Wonder if I should continue with it, or just sell it as it is?

I can't really recommend anything about your NSR, other than try and find someone cheaper to do the work (eg in the country). If its any consolation, two strokes are easy to maintain with low running costs? Well once you have spent that 5000 baht on fixing all the problems?

My recommendation if you were going to do this again is get a cbr150. If my TZR gets difficult to get parts for I will go the cbr route.

[Datsun240Z]

TZR is great bike. They come with 6 gears in Thailand?

[MaiChai]

The Thai/SE Asian TZR/TZM/VRR is like the Japanese TZR250, but with a single piston. Yes, 6 gears.

Get the TZM if you want a big frame, get the TZR if you want a lighter bike like the cbr150. VRR is like the TZR but no power valve. I don't like the fairing on the TZR; mine has the VRR faring which makes it look a little more modern/naked bike style.

If you don't want a money pit then you are forced to go for a Thai bike. These bikes are old so make sure you buy a bike that has been maintained. Alot of bikes have had low maintainance done (Somchai please fix it but don't use any expensive parts).

[lennya12threh]

Well Honda says they have the parts and they are coming. I was a little angry but then I was thinking Thailand just had a 5 day holiday so that is why there is such a delay.....

I dont know what to do. I dont need a tricked out bike. I just want it to go places now....

I kind of wish I had gotten a TZM/TZR/KRR now, but most people put down the yahamas as being not good, and the KRRs were so hard to find online. I waited 2 weeks and couldnt find a KRR, though the local motorbike shop had a Victor and well as another kawasaki that they said was basically the same as the krr only with a different frame. Should have got the victor. My mechanic said the yamahas are no good, and that for speed the kawasakis would be the best, and that an nsr is good if i want to sell it in 2 months....

Now I want that victor! LoL

[VocalNeal]

Well Honda says they have the parts and they are coming. I was a little angry but then I was thinking Thailand just had a 5 day holiday so that is why there is such a delay.....

I dont know what to do. I dont need a tricked out bike. I just want it to go places now....

I kind of wish I had gotten a TZM/TZR/KRR now, but most people put down the yahamas as being not good, and the KRRs were so hard to find online. I waited 2 weeks and couldnt find a KRR, though the local motorbike shop had a Victor and well as another kawasaki that they said was basically the same as the krr only with a different frame. Should have got the victor. My mechanic said the yamahas are no good, and that for speed the kawasakis would be the best, and that an nsr is good if i want to sell it in 2 months....

Now I want that victor! LoL

I think you will enjoy your 150. The Kawasaki is a lesser bike. Just wait until you hit 8000-8500 and the PC valve moves. You will be grinning from ear-to-ear and all this talk of parts and delays will vanish.

I would recommend you only use the Shell synthetic 2-T oil in the black can. (VSX?) i could go downstairs and look at a can but... This has the best lubricity of the 2T oils avalable in Thailand. When you get a bit more flush and need a bit more speed thare are some bits, not cheap, available. Alas the Race prep. kit stopped being available when the SP class disapeared from the Thai racing calendar. Exhaust would be the first choice. You are unlikely though to get much more than 29-ish HP. Anyone who tells you 40 is lying.

The oil that leaks from the engine? If it is coming from the rightside front of the motor, check under the small cover. That is where the oil tank connects to the pump and where the oil adjustment is. There are some rubber tubes under the cover. Mine blew off once and I lost all the oil. and off course all the lubrication.

Oh and always use the correct spark plug.

Edited July 10, 2009 by VocalNeal

[Datsun240Z]

My mechanic said the yamahas are no good, and that for speed the kawasakis would be the best, and that an nsr is good if i want to sell it in 2 months....

That makes no sence at all, Yamaha has great bikes, R1 is shit to offcourse? Problem is they don't know much of this brand, so they say it's no good.

[wrathfultalon]

I used these guys for just about all my parts, nice folks and very knowledgeable. Depending on the parts they will ship in thailand just email them personally.

http://tyga-performance.com/site/index.php...8c4207c2e2dad66

[MaiChai]

I also too almost bought a Victor! Its a naked KRR with a round headlight. I think there is an M/R version of the Victor.

Well I bit the bullet today and took the whole steering/forks apart on the NSR. Turns out the steering bearings are worn (top and bottom); the ball races are pitted which explains the non smooth movement. So I have wacked out the old bearings. The forks arn't great either so I took one apart, just about managed to get the oil seal/dust seal out (you should always change this irrespective). Oil looked suspiciously NOT like fork oil (looks like diesel engine oil; now thats a surprise!). Looks like the steering has been taken apart a few times, and well, Somchai and co don't like putting new parts in, so they I guess they just regrease it, told the previous owner it was fixed and charge for the work!

The forks look slightly different to the ones in the NSR SP manual, so I will need to go and look at the parts book for my NSR (a local parts shop has loads of parts manuals; I will make a copy of theirs). I just wonder if a Somchai has taken them apart and not put them back together properly? The parts manual will confirm correct assembly/any parts missing.

Now I have a bunch of worn parts I can take round the bike shops tomorrow looking for parts!

PS: Honda deliver parts from a central warehouse. So when you order bits, normally they are delivered the next day. Thats why you have to wait.

Spark plug: make sure its a NGK B9xxx and not a B8xxx. B8s run hotter and for colder climates. The NSR should have a B9ES. The TZR should have a BR9ES; R means resistive and reduces radio interference and is supposed to protect your CDI. However you will get a smaller spark, so I use the B9ES in my TZR.

Edited July 10, 2009 by MaiChai

[MaiChai]

I don't want to hijack someone else thread, but an update on my NSR steering/forks issue. I got a new set of races/bearings for 120 baht; thats top and bottom and all the ball bearings. Appears to be high quality with fancy packing. They did not supply a rubber dust sheild for the bottom bearings, so just used the old one. Anyway this is all fitted after some careful tapping in of the new bearings. Seems very smooth.

I also got new oil and dust shields for the folks; 20 baht each so 80 baht for both forks. Fork oil is 20 baht for 20ml, manual says it needs 33ml for each for, so bought 3 bottles. So in total spent 260 baht for new steering bearings and fork oil and dust seals. Will do the forks tomorrow.

I also copied the NSR parts manual for my particular model; bloke in shop says 90% of the bike is the same across all models, and checking the diagram for the forks, they are slightly different to the pro arm version (pro arm version has more bits; I assume more sophisticated). Anyway no bits missing, so just a case of changing the seals over tomorrow, refilling them and putting them back together. To copy the parts manual cost 80 baht or so.

One last thing, he fork seals also fit a Honda Wing, Fighter and Phantom (whats a Wing/Fighter?)

[lennya12threh]

How much do you think is a normal charge for rebuilding and cleaning an nsr150 engine and cleaning the carb? I want to get it done but dont want to get ripped off. My engine is acting a little funny today and yesterday. Sputtering as if it cant breath a little bit here and there in low-mid rpms....

[lennya12threh]

Assuming of course no new parts are needed.

[wrathfultalon]

Assuming of course no new parts are needed.

man you cant catch a break!

[MaiChai]

The trouble with the NSR is the fuel filter is rubbish. Basically its not fine enough and lets loads of crap into the carb. You can locate the filter under the fuel tap. You need a 10mm spanner to open it up. I cut up a cheap inline filter and glued the gauze in it over the NSR filter so mine does filter the crap out, so the crap stays in the filter. In essence you probably need your carb cleaning. Could be that some of the jets are blocked; if you don't use the bike for a while the fuel in the carb turns into lacquer, which is thick gooy stuff that blocks up the carb jets. Carb clean out should not cost more than 200 baht and your local bike shop should be able to do it. You can also get alot of rust in the tank, which blocks things up.

Nothing to clean in the engine, although the RC valve can get clogged up with carbon. You should be able to clean it from the exhaust; just remove the two bolts for the exhaust. The exhaust can get full of oil/carbon; just remove the three bolts holding the silencer on, and you get access to the internal tube. Foam in air box sometimes needs washing/replacing. If its clogged with oil, clean it with some washing up liquid and hang it up to dry. When dry, lightly oil it with 4T oil. All these jobs easily done by your local bike shop and they should be able to do a 'general service' for 300 baht or so.

Also check the plug; chances are its gunged up. Best to buy a new plug.

The shop manual has a big 'maintenance' section. PM me, and I will send you download instructions to get it.

Unfortunatly, 2 strokes need more maintenance than 4 strokes as the 2t oil cloggs things up.

[lennya12threh]

Well I took it to Honda and they cleaned the carb. It was full of oil. Now it seems to run fine. I asked why there was fuel in the carb and I couldnt understand but he looked like he knew, then I asked now it is ok and he said yes. Now it feels nice....

I washed the bike because it was dirty, hoping to identify the reason oil was dripping (very small amounts) after a nights rests. Maybe 10 drops in a night leaving an inch or two of a mark.... I have not seen anything since the oil soaked carbo was changed except for some spatter build up already from the chain rotating. I hope its chain oil.... but dont know what else it could be. I will look again tomorrow closely at the area.

Im already sick of Honda they forgot the most important parts for the bike.... I need the dam_n shocks rebuilt and some new seals for sure..... But hey, they remebered the dam_n pieces of metal you mount your feet on and a new handle (throttle) for the right side. As well, because the shocks are leaking the brakes are limited, but after washing they were great. The chain is a little loose and the mount is wobbly and two places, Honda being one said that the chain couldnt be tightened and that I needed a new part.... Honda said some pieces in the mount, another place said the chain.... I dont know....

I am questioning selling the vfr already... The vfr has no problems anymore and Ive spent now 100,000 baht on it and I know its ok.... The NSR is going to need some work and its just not the same..... Plus I was asking only 50,000 baht for this vfr I already put 100k into with a dam_n new engine and all just because Im have no money and the money for the vfr was going straight to mastercard..... But now Im thinking just take 4 months to pay it off, get the new tires, and keep the vfr that seems so perfect....

Im sick of buying from thai people i dont know, they always lie and say everything is ok, or else they dont even know or care....

The vfr needed so much work, when everything was supposed to be ok. I test drove it, but of course I cant keep it for 5 days to truely know... This NSR seemed ok, and really it is. Just needs some work, but again everything was supposed to be fine and there is enough wrong with it that I am upset about the price.

I bought the nsr for 17,000 baht and now I feel like just getting ride of it 9000 baht, a week and a half later....

Its engine seems fine and it is fast. Had a dirty carbo that was cleaned and it seems ok. Have driven it every day for 10 days and never actually had any problems getting around... Never couldnt start or stalled. One time needed the choke...

The brakes are ok but because the shocks are leaking they are only 50%.

It is missing its neutral light which is only 50 baht or something. Another thing honda forgot to order.

The chain is loose and wobbly, potencial needing a new chain or mount, but I am not a mechanic.

And the rpm/speedo is not connected, and Honda tried with new connecters to the engine and wheel but said there was problem at the connection point and that the conecters were ok.

Other than those problems I believe it is all fine.

Unfortunately the Thai guy failed to let me know anything and said it is perfect and has no problems, and took 17000 baht from me..... He did mention the neutral light and that the rpm/speedo needed the cables, but the lack of cables arnt the problem and he probably knew and just took them out.....

So if anyone wants it for 9000 baht they can have it. If not it will go swimming in Chao Praya River...

[MaiChai]

Forks are rebuilt and new steering bearings installed. Seems pretty perfect really, maybe the shocks are a little stiff, but I guess they need to bed in (or if I don't like them after bedding in, reduce the amount of fork oil). On the whole a messy job with all the fork oil. My forks are slightly different to the proarm ones, and I could not put the amount of fork oil required in them, so I just followed the instructions: 'compress forks without springs and measure oil level, which should be 125mm from the top'. Used about 20ml of oil per fork (one bottle each).

Now just working through other issues. Need a new front sprocket (40baht), chain is gunged up/worn, gear shifting is vague (worn linkages; drill out and put larger bolts or replace), etc. Just minor stuff really.

[MaiChai]

Forks are rebuilt and new steering bearings installed. Seems pretty perfect really, maybe the shocks are a little stiff, but I guess they need to bed in (or if I don't like them after bedding in, reduce the amount of fork oil). On the whole a messy job with all the fork oil. My forks are slightly different to the proarm ones, and I could not put the amount of fork oil required in them, so I just followed the instructions: 'compress forks without springs and measure oil level, which should be 125mm from the top'. Used about 20ml of oil per fork (one bottle each).

Now just working through other issues. Need a new front sprocket (40baht), chain is gunged up/worn, gear shifting is vague (worn linkages; drill out and put larger bolts or replace), etc. Just minor stuff really.

[lennya12threh]

The trouble with the NSR is the fuel filter is rubbish. Basically its not fine enough and lets loads of crap into the carb. You can locate the filter under the fuel tap. You need a 10mm spanner to open it up. I cut up a cheap inline filter and glued the gauze in it over the NSR filter so mine does filter the crap out, so the crap stays in the filter. In essence you probably need your carb cleaning. Could be that some of the jets are blocked; if you don't use the bike for a while the fuel in the carb turns into lacquer, which is thick gooy stuff that blocks up the carb jets. Carb clean out should not cost more than 200 baht and your local bike shop should be able to do it. You can also get alot of rust in the tank, which blocks things up.

Nothing to clean in the engine, although the RC valve can get clogged up with carbon. You should be able to clean it from the exhaust; just remove the two bolts for the exhaust. The exhaust can get full of oil/carbon; just remove the three bolts holding the silencer on, and you get access to the internal tube. Foam in air box sometimes needs washing/replacing. If its clogged with oil, clean it with some washing up liquid and hang it up to dry. When dry, lightly oil it with 4T oil. All these jobs easily done by your local bike shop and they should be able to do a 'general service' for 300 baht or so.

Also check the plug; chances are its gunged up. Best to buy a new plug.

The shop manual has a big 'maintenance' section. PM me, and I will send you download instructions to get it.

Unfortunatly, 2 strokes need more maintenance than 4 strokes as the 2t oil cloggs things up.

Well I starting writting my little rant before your post and didnt see it until after.

I dont know. I have no tools and all honda seems to want to do it tell me what new part is needed and to come back in 4 days with some price in mind.... Though they did a good job with the carb. Then they foret the dam_n parts.

Maybe I should just get the shocks rebuilt and get the parts for the chain, change the plug and service it a bit. It is ok, but it just seems rediculous. Spent 17k already and Im no mechainc, and they are quoting high prices for new original parts, when someone like you could just tinker with it instead.... But then Im thinking about the vfr thats already ok and all the ads saing 50k baht when ive spent 100k already and its so nice new engine, lalalala. LoL

These things are like girlfriends... Making me go crazy..

[MaiChai]

Internet slow tonight, for some strange reason...

lennya12threh, I just missed your posting! Thais don't really look after their bikes, and when you buy a bike, there will be a list of things that need doing, and hence why you need to have some cash to fix the problems. With the VFR you had already done this, but I suppose there is always the fear with a bike like that that something else will break, and there goes another 10,000 baht? Also downsizing a bike (and going from a quad 4stroke to a single 2 stroke) is bound to disappoint? I feel your pain!

The oil in the carb: that could be the oil pump putting too much oil in. Basically there is an oil pump connected to the engine, that drip feeds 2t oil into the carb, which gets swirled with the fuel and fed through the reed valves into the engine. Carb being full of oil could mean an oil pump problem. Or it could be the oil pump 'leaks oil', say over night or over several days when you don't use the bike. This leaking is gravity pulling the oil down, and the pump not preventing it leaking into the carb. You will get this anyway if you leave the bike several months (eg when you go away); when you start the bike again it will generate loads of smoke; just let this burn off!

Parts for the shocks are really cheap (see how much it cost me to do mine). Your average bike shop should be able to do it no problem. They would probably just stick a bottle of fork oil into each shock, which should be enough. Get a quote from Honda and a couple of bike shops. If you go the local bike shop route, make sure they change the dust caps AND the oil seals (the seal you can see is the dust cap; the real seal that does the job of keeping the oil in the shock is buried underneath this and is more important to replace). Chances are your fork oil is old and very thick too.

Although 2 strokes are generally messier with the 2t oil and carb, on the whole there is less to go wrong, and the bikes just go on and on.

I know what you mean about gf's too!!!

[lennya12threh]

Forks are rebuilt and new steering bearings installed. Seems pretty perfect really, maybe the shocks are a little stiff, but I guess they need to bed in (or if I don't like them after bedding in, reduce the amount of fork oil). On the whole a messy job with all the fork oil. My forks are slightly different to the proarm ones, and I could not put the amount of fork oil required in them, so I just followed the instructions: 'compress forks without springs and measure oil level, which should be 125mm from the top'. Used about 20ml of oil per fork (one bottle each).

Now just working through other issues. Need a new front sprocket (40baht), chain is gunged up/worn, gear shifting is vague (worn linkages; drill out and put larger bolts or replace), etc. Just minor stuff really.

So you do all this yourself eh? You have tools? How much free time do you have? Where abouts do you hang out? LoL

[lennya12threh]

Internet slow tonight, for some strange reason...

lennya12threh, I just missed your posting! Thais don't really look after their bikes, and when you buy a bike, there will be a list of things that need doing, and hence why you need to have some cash to fix the problems. With the VFR you had already done this, but I suppose there is always the fear with a bike like that that something else will break, and there goes another 10,000 baht? Also downsizing a bike (and going from a quad 4stroke to a single 2 stroke) is bound to disappoint? I feel your pain!

The oil in the carb: that could be the oil pump putting too much oil in. Basically there is an oil pump connected to the engine, that drip feeds 2t oil into the carb, which gets swirled with the fuel and fed through the reed valves into the engine. Carb being full of oil could mean an oil pump problem. Or it could be the oil pump 'leaks oil', say over night or over several days when you don't use the bike. This leaking is gravity pulling the oil down, and the pump not preventing it leaking into the carb. You will get this anyway if you leave the bike several months (eg when you go away); when you start the bike again it will generate loads of smoke; just let this burn off!

Parts for the shocks are really cheap (see how much it cost me to do mine). Your average bike shop should be able to do it no problem. They would probably just stick a bottle of fork oil into each shock, which should be enough. Get a quote from Honda and a couple of bike shops. If you go the local bike shop route, make sure they change the dust caps AND the oil seals (the seal you can see is the dust cap; the real seal that does the job of keeping the oil in the shock is buried underneath this and is more important to replace). Chances are your fork oil is old and very thick too.

Although 2 strokes are generally messier with the 2t oil and carb, on the whole there is less to go wrong, and the bikes just go on and on.

I know what you mean about gf's too!!!

Honda said they could order the whole forks and just replace what was needed, but they forgot along with some other parts....

Honda actually said a set of new forks would be 6200 baht though i obviously dont need new forks completely......

Local shops dont have NSR parts stocked do they?

Actually, my girlfriend right now is amazing, just a little crazy sometimes.

Edited July 13, 2009 by lennya12threh

[dave_boo]

Well I took it to Honda and they cleaned the carb. It was full of oil. Now it seems to run fine. I asked why there was fuel in the carb and I couldnt understand but he looked like he knew, then I asked now it is ok and he said yes. Now it feels nice....

Read here for a quick course on how carbs work. But to summarise, the fuel level in the carbs needs to be maintained at a certain level because it's not injected into the air stream entering the engine, but rather is sucked in by the vaccum created by the airflow through a venturi.

I washed the bike because it was dirty, hoping to identify the reason oil was dripping (very small amounts) after a nights rests. Maybe 10 drops in a night leaving an inch or two of a mark.... I have not seen anything since the oil soaked carbo was changed except for some spatter build up already from the chain rotating. I hope its chain oil.... but dont know what else it could be. I will look again tomorrow closely at the area.

Hopefully it's a cheap 25 THB hose...

Im already sick of Honda they forgot the most important parts for the bike.... I need the dam_n shocks rebuilt and some new seals for sure..... But hey, they remebered the dam_n pieces of metal you mount your feet on and a new handle (throttle) for the right side. As well, because the shocks are leaking the brakes are limited, but after washing they were great. The chain is a little loose and the mount is wobbly and two places, Honda being one said that the chain couldnt be tightened and that I needed a new part.... Honda said some pieces in the mount, another place said the chain.... I dont know....

The replacement chain tensioner (that's the part that goes into the square tubing that makes up the rear swingarm) is simple to replace. A bolt taken out and it pops right out. Look at the chain itself; does it look work to you? Are they're obvious wear marks? Than most likely it is the chain. If it doesn't look worn, and the tensioner doesn't have a bunch of threads sticking out the back of the swingarm, than most likely it is the tensioner. I'm going to assume you're talking about the tensioner since you say 'mount' unless you're talking about the sprockets...

I am questioning selling the vfr already... The vfr has no problems anymore and Ive spent now 100,000 baht on it and I know its ok.... The NSR is going to need some work and its just not the same..... Plus I was asking only 50,000 baht for this vfr I already put 100k into with a dam_n new engine and all just because Im have no money and the money for the vfr was going straight to mastercard..... But now Im thinking just take 4 months to pay it off, get the new tires, and keep the vfr that seems so perfect....

Im sick of buying from thai people i dont know, they always lie and say everything is ok, or else they dont even know or care....

When I was in the States, anytime I had a friend buy a used vehicle, I always recommended taking it to a shop first. Tell the shop you are going to need this in tip-top condition and want to know what it's going to cost you. They'll give you an accurate, more or less, assessment of the vehicle that you can base your decision upon.

The vfr needed so much work, when everything was supposed to be ok. I test drove it, but of course I cant keep it for 5 days to truely know... This NSR seemed ok, and really it is. Just needs some work, but again everything was supposed to be fine and there is enough wrong with it that I am upset about the price.

I bought the nsr for 17,000 baht and now I feel like just getting ride of it 9000 baht, a week and a half later....

Its engine seems fine and it is fast. Had a dirty carbo that was cleaned and it seems ok. Have driven it every day for 10 days and never actually had any problems getting around... Never couldnt start or stalled. One time needed the choke...

The brakes are ok but because the shocks are leaking they are only 50%.

It is missing its neutral light which is only 50 baht or something. Another thing honda forgot to order.

The chain is loose and wobbly, potencial needing a new chain or mount, but I am not a mechanic.

And the rpm/speedo is not connected, and Honda tried with new connecters to the engine and wheel but said there was problem at the connection point and that the conecters were ok.

Other than those problems I believe it is all fine.

Unfortunately the Thai guy failed to let me know anything and said it is perfect and has no problems, and took 17000 baht from me..... He did mention the neutral light and that the rpm/speedo needed the cables, but the lack of cables arnt the problem and he probably knew and just took them out.....

So if anyone wants it for 9000 baht they can have it. If not it will go swimming in Chao Praya River...

If I could be so forward to recommend, take your time, cool down and don't do anything rash. If there is an issue with the speedo, I'm sure that a quick trip to a breaker will net you a replacement front hub (that contains the gear that's broken/stripped in yours) on the cheap. I can't authoratively speak on the tach, but in my experience, it's just a pick-up that reads off the flywheel or a lead from the CDI....but I've been wrong before also!

[lennya12threh]

Thanks boo. I know Im a little cooler now. Im thinking most of it is because im missing the vfr and i havent even sold it yet. thinking i should just keep em both if im considering keeping and vfr and paying it off over 6 months... the nsr is only going to make me an extra 10k, then ill be 60k baht in debt instead of 50k... pick up some more work and feel better than doing so little and thinking so much and going crazy....

the chain problem is one, it is loose and can be pulled back half an inch, and two, the sproket it is mounted on can move (too much) side to side as well. Not back and forth.

Honda seemed to know what to order but i didnt give them a response at the time because i was already a little shooken up...

[BigBikeBKK]

Wow Dude,

100,000 Baht on the VFR and 17,000 on a problematic NSR that still needs a lot of work...

With all the money you've sunk into these thrashed second hand bikes you could have bought a brand new Honda CBR 150 and had money left over or spent just a little bit more and you would have a brand new Kawasaki Ninja 250R with a 2 year unlimited warranty and avoided all these headaches...

That's my two satang

Ride on!

ps. Do you know the meaning of "Money Pit"?

[lennya12threh]

Hehe... I had a cbr150 already before the vfr. Wanted more. Before that, had a wave. The wave and cbr never gave me any problems.

Today I was thinking of scrapping them all and getting a cbr 150 with that warranty. And i could even pay monthly in my girlfriends name she said.

BTW, how long is the free service / fix or warranty period on a new cbr?

[lennya12threh]

Honda quoted me 1300 to rebuild the forks and for 4 new seals, including the oil. It this reasonable? I recall the vfr seals being much cheaper.

[MaiChai]

New forks to fix a leaking seal? I think that would be 6000b per fork=12000 baht. The TZR ones are about that price.

1300 is a bit pricy. I would say its no more than 3 hours work for someone who has done it before. Parts are dead cheap as I just did mine (80 baht for the seals, 40 baht for the oil). Only tricky bit is if the bolt that holds the forks together at the bottom of the fork is stuck (but then its sitting in fork oil so should be ok?)

Trouble is time is money for everyone in Bangkok. Even your local Somchai mechanic. Much cheaper to get stuff done out in the sticks.

Go around a couple of bike shops and ask them to quote (excluding parts). Clever way to do it is buy the parts and give them to Somchai to do for you. Then he can't mark up the parts or rip you off. Alot of Thais do it this way.

I got my bits in Ladprao Soi 71; its a good shop well supplied with spares. He does not deal with copy parts if he thinks they are not good. My seals seem pretty tight (no leaks). Maybe I can get them for you, or show you the shop?

Ok going out for a beer, with check the thread later to see what you want to do.

[MaiChai]

Went out to the Hilary Bar in Soi Nana (on the TZR; park in the PTT). Good night; it was the lady singers birthday and loads of people who know the band were there

You could come around, pick up the bits and use my tools. You can do it yourself (under my assistance); if you get stuck I will help you out. Bike fix feast?

Today busy cleaning the chain on the NSR, replacing the front sprocket (35 baht), checking the rear wheel bearings (ok). Rear wheel rotation was a little stiff; turns out to be the brake. Checked this out and the rear brake has been used and abused by Neolithic man and his stone hammer; I mean someone has changed the seals on the brake pistons in the past and has put some serious dents in the brake. I would be hard pushed to do it so badly; well I tend to think of skills as 'precision engineering' rather than 'brute force'! Anyway it needs some bits, and I am loathed to rebuild it (unless its broke), so tomorrow I will feed it the bits it needs and coax it to accept some new pads (existing ones the pads look like they are coming away from the metal). The NSR rebuild continues... Wonder if its worth it?

[withnail]

Wow Dude,

100,000 Baht on the VFR and 17,000 on a problematic NSR that still needs a lot of work...

With all the money you've sunk into these thrashed second hand bikes you could have bought a brand new Honda CBR 150 and had money left over or spent just a little bit more and you would have a brand new Kawasaki Ninja 250R with a 2 year unlimited warranty and avoided all these headaches...

That's my two satang

Ride on!

ps. Do you know the meaning of "Money Pit"?

Was thinking the same thing and that's exactly why I'm going to be buying a cbr 150. Was thinking about perhaps a super 4 or something similar for a long time but quite frankly I think the second hand market here (for almost anything) is ridiculous. I asked a fairly knowledgeable friend of mine before about it and he said I could get one for 50k but that a good one would be 100k. From what I've seen that would still be for a bike between 10 and 20 years old and of dubious legality.

Just doesn't seem worth it when I can put 20k down for a new cbr 150 and drive away on it the same day. Fair enough if it's a classic car/bike, not your primary mode of transport or if you're after a hobby bike that you, yourself are wanting to work on but that's not me (or you by the sounds of things Lenny). I think the Kawasakis are better choices if you just can't bare to lose the ccs you are used to, but think I'll start off with the cbr. You won't even notice the monthly payments as they'll be about the same as your taxi costs would be without a bike and when you are finished you can take advantage of the ridiculous second hand market and make a down payment on a Ninja.

[MaiChai]

Can a foreigner get bike finance? Was wondering if anyone had done this? Or is it a case of putting the bike in the gf's name and she has the responsibility to pay it (good way to keep her faithful to you). I hate all the racism against foreigners; we should be able to get loans and finance like anyone else; if we don't pay its a secured loan and they can take whatever is used as collateral (bike, apartment, etc).