Bike of the Month - January 2006
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This is the bike that started my new "sickness". When I was a teenager the only motorcycle shop near my hometown was a Honda dealership. I had a '77 Suzuki RM125 (great bike also), but I always longed for one of those all red Hondas like I saw the factory guys riding in the magazines. So, one Sunday afternoon I came across this nicely restored '79 CR125 on eBay. I just couldn't stop myself and put in the opening bid, never thinking I would win. I came home 6 hours later to find that I was the winner! The first thoughts through my head were how in the heck am I going explain this to my wife? And how will I get it to Sacramento from Portland? Where there's a will there's away. I got it home, smoothed things over with my wife and started shopping the internet for parts and info.
The first item I purchased were the Fox Factory Forx from Rick Horvat. Then I ordered a Mikuni carb and Pro-Form pipe from Don at Vintage Elsinores. I got an Excel rim and stainless spoke kit from Buchanan's Spoke and Wheel, so that I could switch to a 21inch front wheel. Next I went to work on the rear of the bike. A rear swingarm was the hardest item to find. I talked to Carl Landrus at Novation Racing and he said he could build one of their swingarms for my CR125. I then ordered Ohlins piggyback shocks from Craig Comontofski at Husky Club. I had him build them a half inch shorter to compensate for the change to the 21inch front wheel. The Tony D replica fender and numberplate came from Vintage Iron. I have a beautiful aluminum brake pedal and brake stay that Joe Abbate machined for me, but I haven't had the time to install them yet.
I would like to thank Rick Horvat and Perry Sconzert for the advice they gave me about this year CR125 and Jeff Moeggenberg for doing a great stock resto on the bike before I purchased it.
Jay Blevins |
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