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Login to post Forums » Sprockets » Now what am I gonna do with this

Dec. 23, 2011 5:26 p.m. ditchdigger Dork

My father drove down from portland today with this on a trailer.

He bought it last year to commute to work on and after 3 days realized his knees couldn't take kick starting it. He parked it in the back of the garage and forgot about it. He thought I would actually do something with it and use it so he gave it to me.

It is a 71 CL125 scrambler

It will probably make a better commuter than the vespa.

He says it starts right up if the battery is charged, but since it is dead now I can't get anything out of it. He did add stabil to the tank before he parked it. Hopefully it won't be too gummed up.

First thing it needs is tires. I can't believe he drove this thing anywhere on these old cracked things.
Dec. 23, 2011 5:29 p.m. Woody SuperDork

That's awesome!

Hint: Everybody puts premium in the tank because it's so small. Use regular and it will start easier.
Dec. 23, 2011 5:30 p.m. Woody SuperDork

Just noticed the cable brakes. You may want to put some new cables on there.
Dec. 23, 2011 5:44 p.m. Curmudgeon SuperDork

A buddy had a CL100, he could keep right up with all the guys on the SL true dirt bikes when we got in the snotty stuff.

The cables will be goopy, get a cable luber, blow them out good with carb cleaner and then lube them. The brake shoes are bonded not riveted and yes the linings will come off! BikeBandit shows shoes for $19.55 per wheel.

Neat little bikes and nearly indestructible! Have fun.
Dec. 23, 2011 5:59 p.m. Woody SuperDork

I'd just be worried about the cables breaking or blowing out of their casings. For brakes, I'd replace them to be safe.
Dec. 23, 2011 6:40 p.m. ditchdigger Dork

Due to my location and proclivities I have no intentions of ever taking this thing off road. I plan on swapping the sprockets out for the more relaxed CB units and installing some road only tires.

Other than that some bars with less rise and maintenance is about all it will get. Keep it simple, right?
Dec. 23, 2011 6:56 p.m. wbjones SuperDork

you could box it up and send it to WNC .... though I doubt you will
Dec. 23, 2011 6:59 p.m. Woody SuperDork

The bar swap is a little trickier than you might think, since the cables and wires run inside them. They will be stiff, brittle and too long when you add a lower bar. It's easy to ruin them (and your switches) when you try to get them out after 40 years. Enjoy it as it sits.

Been there...
Dec. 23, 2011 8:55 p.m. ransom Dork

In reply to Woody:

I have never known this man to own a mechanism that he could leave completely alone.

Maybe silverware.
Dec. 23, 2011 9:08 p.m. TRoglodyte HalfDork

Looks like a commuter/trials bike from here . Ride it anywhere you don't want to walk.
Dec. 23, 2011 9:12 p.m. Woody SuperDork

ransom wrote:

In reply to Woody:

I have never known this man to own a mechanism that he could leave completely alone.

Maybe silverware.

Fair enough. I just checked the contents of his garage and he seems well up to the task.
Dec. 23, 2011 9:17 p.m. TRoglodyte HalfDork

Make a bong out of it?
Dec. 23, 2011 10:36 p.m. stroker HalfDork

first thing you do is put some air in the rear tire.
Dec. 24, 2011 6:57 a.m. 44Dwarf Dork

That would be great for the 150cc and under single 4 stroke under TT and flat track class.
Dec. 24, 2011 7:21 a.m. Woody SuperDork

I love the simplicity of this thing: One cylinder, one carb, two valves and cable operated brakes.
Dec. 24, 2011 7:38 a.m. Curmudgeon SuperDork

Dood. Those ARE road only tires. I wouldn't trust them on anything more challenging than dusty asphalt. Caution: it is VERY easy to cross thread the valve adjuster caps! BTDT.
Dec. 24, 2011 9:21 a.m. The_Jed Reader

Nice bike!

If you swap out the handlebars and want to sell the originals the wife is looking for a set similar to those for her XS400.
Dec. 24, 2011 9:28 a.m. Woody SuperDork

If that has a cam chain tension adjuster, be very careful if you try to adjust it.
Dec. 24, 2011 9:40 a.m. Curmudgeon SuperDork

Yeah, that should be the one with the eccentric bolt setup that bows the tensioner. IIRC the eccentric's at the bottom, behind the left side magneto cover. You'll also find the oil strainer down there, behind another one of those caps like the valve adjusters have. The strainer is spring loaded. It has a centrifugal oil filter on the end of the crank on the right side, also. EDIT: I had a brain fart. The tensioner's down there but it's not the eccentric type.
Dec. 24, 2011 9:42 a.m. Woody SuperDork

That bolt will strip in a heartbeat
Dec. 24, 2011 9:49 p.m. ditchdigger Dork

The battery is less than a year old but seems to be dead. With the charger on I can start it first kick. After 6 hours of charging it still won't fire up without the charger running.

I don't have the manual for this yet but shouldn't the stator or coil give enough poop to make it run? Is the bad battery too much of a load on the system so it can't generate spark?

Other news the muffler is pretty shot. Dime sized holes on the bottom and it sounds awful. Needs for fork oil and seals too.
Dec. 24, 2011 10:01 p.m. Curmudgeon SuperDork

Those are battery and coil ignition. No battery = no spark. There are rectifier kits called 'battery eliminators' as a way around that, but they won't run the lights. Or you can use a RC car battery pack.
Dec. 24, 2011 10:04 p.m. JoeyM SuperDork

ditchdigger wrote:

My father drove down from portland today with this on a trailer.

You could do this
Dec. 24, 2011 11:34 p.m. fast_eddie_72 SuperDork

I really, really like that. I've always been too chicken to ride a bike, but if I did, it would be something old, cool and small like that. Just super cool.
Dec. 25, 2011 12:03 a.m. ditchdigger Dork

In reply to Curmudgeon:

Thank you sir. Just what I needed to know.

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