gfeero

Ok, so for most the folks on this forum, this is like no big deal. The thing is, it is for me. The last project was a near disaster due to my lack of confidence in my ability to do the job. It all worked out, but it wasn't pretty.

So when we got Stace's bike home and she took it for her first ride, it was a major bummer to have the choke not work, making the bike impossible to start. I did a bit of research on it and found that this is a common occurrence in the TTR 125s. I read it, printed off a diagram, armed myself with a wrench, set of needle-nose pliers and some machine oil and went after it this morning. Within ten minutes I was out waking the neighborhood on the thing. It was so ridiculously easy.

The plan is that she'll learn to ride the bike the way it is, hopefully getting proficient and building confidence. I'll also show her how to unstick the choke plunger when it gets stuck again, because it will. Then next summer, maybe we can modify it with a better functioning carburetor, of which there are several choices available. By then, she should have a handle on the thing and maybe able to go a bit faster.

Nobody else really cares around here other than the kid and she's in school, so had to relieve the building pressure and post up. Hope I didn't bore the more technically advanced folks out there.

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sunofnun

Nice work.. Necessity is the mother of technical aptitude.
The TTR is a perfect bike to start wrenching on. Not a ton of parts, and plenty of people who know how to put it together if you get stuck.

If your disassembling anything use a digital camera to document
then you can put it back together right.

Also organize the parts and remember the order you took them off. You will reverse the order to put it back together. EG. first thing off is the last thing back on.


I have a funny story about myrtle creek.. and the damn vigilantes!!

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courier11sec

Good work!
A job that's intimidating going in, no matter how big or small, is satisfying coming out. No exceptions.

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rickc

Good job Gwen! I hope you both enjoy the heck out of it.

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gfeero

Thanks everyone. Yeah, it's pretty satisfying. So far, her father and I have ridden it more than she has. Hope we can correct that pretty quick. So after homework, we'll start with how to start it, how to use the friction zone and how to apply the front brake. Maybe we'll get a little further, but I want her comfortable in using both brakes before I let her tear around on it.

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kirkcdl

Being it's a dirt bike,being ridden in the dirt,or at best ,"non-stable" surfaces,it might be better to think of it as teaching her when to NOT use the front brake.

I'm sure some will disagree,but the way I was taught was,on the street,front brake is used to bring the speed down,(i.e.55mph-5mph),and the rear is used to stop,(5mph-0mph).Front can also be used in conjunction with the rear to stop as long as the road surface is dry and clean...

In the dirt it's the opposite,with more emphasis on not using the front brake at all if you can manage it...

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MikeyShawn

Couldn't agree more on digital cam. Document the Bjez out of it. Also for small parts my dad used and egg carton right to left top to bottom. I prefer a small bait/tackle box. Has a snap top and plenty of adjustable space.

old coffee cans are good for soak for same reason, got a sealing lid. for larger items, use snap top rubbermaid. just read the label and make sure it doesn't dissolve plastics or rubber. If so remove gaskets and hoses before you dip/soak.

Good job with the repair btw.

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gfeero

Thanks guys on all the tips. Uh, I'm afraid what we fixed was a lot more simple than pulling bunches of parts off. However, I will follow your advice if something more serious happens. Today, she continued working on starting and stopping without stalling the bike, and then we did a little static practice for shifting. She did manage to go fast enough to experience a little target fixation. Now she knows what I've been talking about for years. You look at the thing you don't want to hit, and you hit it. So, now she's aware of how bad this can be. No major crash, but just enough of a spook to take a little of the starch out of her.

To quote her: "I got going fast and then I realized... I was going FAST!"

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Batcycle

nothing feels better than getting an old (even if it's not really "old") bike running again. Glad to see you've found this joy as well

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eseeray26

I agree with Kirk riding in the dirt is very different then the street the front brake can be devistating in the dirt If you want to use it as a lesson for street riding try two separate lessons because dirt and street are very different riding styles just my thoughts.

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