I had a 72 TS125 for my first bike. I stripped it to ride in the desert. That bike had turn signals. I ended up basically abandoning it and kicked myself for years for it. I eventually came across another complete bike 6 years ago. The only thing it doesn't have is the turn signals. This is a really cool build.
Thank you so much for taking the time to produce these videos Mr. Sweger, it is a joy to watch you work. I am setting up for my first ever restoration project, a 1975 RV90M, and in many aspects the TC125 looks very much like a scaled-up version of the 90. The information (and entertainment) you are providing here is extremely valuable to me. I will be attentively watching your videos, many times over.
Thank you for the kind words, I am enjoying putting out these videos. If they are helping folks in the meantime, that is icing on the cake. I remember the RV90 and 125 from my days working in a Suzuki and Hodaka shop in the 70's Those machines were bulletproof. As were most of the others. Keep watchin my friend many more videos to come.
Thanks very much for these videos, they're going to prove very useful for my '82 TS125 which I brought over from France to the UK. Such a joy to work on these old smokers and likewise to watch you work 👍😉✌ 🙏
Thank you for watching, I love these old bikes. Glad to hear you are working on a similar project. Hope what i post is helpful to you. My hope has always been that I can help folks keep these bikes running. Thanks again for your comment.
Man that’s a great looking bike! I sure miss the days we spent in your shop. However, I have to give you a DSV for safety for wearing a ring and watch while doing maintenance 🤣. And while I’m at it, give me a 341 for that haircut! Miss ya brother!
Hey buddy I wondered how long it would be before I heard from you. Yeah those were good days for sure. Lots of water under the bridge sense then. Must be what...20 years now. You know those were good rules about safety, but Ive kinda gone rogue since the good ole Air Force days. Yep Im a rebel, but no real cause. Just like wrenching on the old bikes. I'll leave you with this. hair grows if you dont cut it. Thanks for all your help with this youtube thing, and thanks for watchin brother.
@@montana2strokeracer I may be coming your way in July. Several of us are riding motorcycles to Whitefish for a concert. I know, that’s stupid, but what the heck! If I come, I’ll call you
Hi Dale, you have done a great job and the bike looks as good as new, the 70s bikes are a joy to work on. Im waiting on parts from across the pond, we can't get them here in the UK. Looking forward to the next Suzuki build.
Thanks Kevin, will be starting a new bike soon. Going to try to get two going. So hoping when I'm waiting parts on one, can work on the other one. Good luck with your project and thanks for watching.
nice job Dale. first kick start that's great .bike came out great . you did everything on this bike .most people start projects and never finish.I think it will take a while but if you keep doing more bikes ,i think your channel will grow .I don't know what your next bike will be but ill be watching . I think a honda elsinore project will be a good one if you can find one .thanks for all the info!
Thanks John, Its been a journey for sure, but this is not the first there have been three others, just started doing videos a year ago this coming June. Will be doing a riding this bike video probably by next weekend. Never done that so we will see how it goes. I have never been a Honda guy, but I can appreciate the Elsinore for sure, they bring big bucks these days. Thanks for watching buddy. Hope you get your project going again, I know the frustration...Hang in there you will get it right.
I got my hands on a TC185 recently. Right now, besides replacing tires, I need to get the oil pump working. Not a fan of mixing oil every time I gas up. The 125 is pretty much identical, and this series is exactly what I needed. Actually, I have one question about an issue I have around top speed. So when I'm in 5th gear cruising at 40mph, I am holding about 6000 rpm. Red line is 8000. If I push up to 50mph, I'm at 6500. If I push above this, my engine cuts out on me and the best way to explain it is, it chugs. I pull the clutch and give it a rev, no go, until rpm's fall below 6000. Then it runs again, usually after I slow to 35-40mph. Any idea what's going on? I did notice my spark plug feels a bit loose, so maybe a compression issue? On my first gas fill up, I mixed a bit heavy on oil, maybe about 40:1. And I had this issue when reaching 35-40mph. Since I gassed up again with oil precisely measured at 50:1, I'm able to hold higher speeds for longer. Part of why I want to get the oil pump working so I can see how it does then. Starts great, idles poorly, though I need to adjust the throttle a bit. I'm 1200ft lower than where I bought it, so fuel mixture may need to also be adjusted a bit. I live in the Yellowstone area so there are lots of bike trails my bike is well suited for. It runs great at 20-30mph which is all I need, but for road use, it could be better. I already have my registration and tag for it up to date, so it's been fun taking it out.
Hi there, welcome to the channel, have you checked to see if your exhaust pipe is restricted? Pull the baffles out from the rear of the pipe and heat them with a propane torch and then hit them with a wood stick to knock off the carbon. It's a start in finding out what is wrong. If your oil pump is working, you should not need to augment with premix. We are near neighbors I suppose, I'm just north of you in Great Falls, MT. Hey hope this helps, the exhaust is a big problem with two strokes, thanks for hanging out in the shop with me.
@@montana2strokeracer Last night I was checking my exhaust and found the gasket was made with gasket maker and has been blown out for awhile it seems. I got everything to fix that now, and I'm also gonna repaint the exhaust. It's off the bike right now. I took the baffle out, and alot of what I guess is small bits of carbon deposit came out. Anyways, the other day I tightened down my spark plug and went for a short ride. When I got back, I found black sludge had come out of the top and side of the head, aswell as the exhaust (why I checked the gasket.) Since I was there with the tools, I checked the head gasket and... there was no head gasket. So that's now being fixed. I picked up some high temp gasket material and I guess we'll see how that goes. I built a 2 stroke motorized bicycle earlier this year, and the difference between a good exhaust and a bad one was pretty big, so I've been eyeballing the exhaust as a potential source of my problem. I'll let you know how it goes once I got it all back together.
@@montana2strokeracer It was the head gasket. The one I made worked great for a bit. I held 55mph with no issues... until the gasket blew. Luckily I was only a mile and a half from home out in farm country, so it was a nice push home on straight level roads with almost no traffic.
Dale - Is there any tricks to putting on a rear wheel and not scratching the swing arm with the adjusters ? Whenever I've put on a rear wheel to a freshly painted frame the wheel adjusters scratch the paint.
Yes, pull it completely off the plate, disconnected from everything, and check for continuity thru the coil. Not sure what the reading should be, there will be some resistance, the thing is these don't go bad unless they have been cut or abused in some way.
What a Beautiful restoration ! Excellent work and it sounds Great .
Thank you for the kind words, that Suzuki TC125 was a fun project.
I had a 72 TS125 for my first bike. I stripped it to ride in the desert. That bike had turn signals. I ended up basically abandoning it and kicked myself for years for it. I eventually came across another complete bike 6 years ago. The only thing it doesn't have is the turn signals. This is a really cool build.
Great story, think we all had similar experiences. Boy I sure did. Good ones are hard to come by these days. Thanks for watchin.
Thank you so much for taking the time to produce these videos Mr. Sweger, it is a joy to watch you work. I am setting up for my first ever restoration project, a 1975 RV90M, and in many aspects the TC125 looks very much like a scaled-up version of the 90. The information (and entertainment) you are providing here is extremely valuable to me. I will be attentively watching your videos, many times over.
Thank you for the kind words, I am enjoying putting out these videos. If they are helping folks in the meantime, that is icing on the cake. I remember the RV90 and 125 from my days working in a Suzuki and Hodaka shop in the 70's Those machines were bulletproof. As were most of the others. Keep watchin my friend many more videos to come.
Thanks very much for these videos, they're going to prove very useful for my '82 TS125 which I brought over from France to the UK. Such a joy to work on these old smokers and likewise to watch you work 👍😉✌ 🙏
Thank you for watching, I love these old bikes. Glad to hear you are working on a similar project. Hope what i post is helpful to you. My hope has always been that I can help folks keep these bikes running. Thanks again for your comment.
great job! I just restored a 1971 TS90 and now am onto a TF100 with a spare TS100 engine. Thanks for making this series, its very helpful.
Thank you, glad you like series, more coming, appreciate your watching.
That's an awesome bike! Congratulations on the build.
Thanks Erick, more to come. Thanks for watching.
Man that’s a great looking bike! I sure miss the days we spent in your shop. However, I have to give you a DSV for safety for wearing a ring and watch while doing maintenance 🤣. And while I’m at it, give me a 341 for that haircut! Miss ya brother!
Hey buddy I wondered how long it would be before I heard from you. Yeah those were good days for sure. Lots of water under the bridge sense then. Must be what...20 years now. You know those were good rules about safety, but Ive kinda gone rogue since the good ole Air Force days. Yep Im a rebel, but no real cause. Just like wrenching on the old bikes. I'll leave you with this. hair grows if you dont cut it. Thanks for all your help with this youtube thing, and thanks for watchin brother.
@@montana2strokeracer I may be coming your way in July. Several of us are riding motorcycles to Whitefish for a concert. I know, that’s stupid, but what the heck! If I come, I’ll call you
Sounds good buddy
Hi Dale, you have done a great job and the bike looks as good as new, the 70s bikes are a joy to work on.
Im waiting on parts from across the pond, we can't get them here in the UK. Looking forward to the next Suzuki build.
Thanks Kevin, will be starting a new bike soon. Going to try to get two going. So hoping when I'm waiting parts on one, can work on the other one. Good luck with your project and thanks for watching.
Perfect bike, beautifull!! Nice vid. Just wanten to sees you ride her also. ❤
Your in luck, check it out, Thanks for watchin
th-cam.com/video/8u28hUxGsEo/w-d-xo.html
New subscriber I love the video
Thanks Larry
nice job Dale. first kick start that's great .bike came out great . you did everything on this bike .most people start projects and never finish.I think it will take a while but if you keep doing more bikes ,i think your channel will grow .I don't know what your next bike will be but ill be watching . I think a honda elsinore project will be a good one if you can find one .thanks for all the info!
Thanks John, Its been a journey for sure, but this is not the first there have been three others, just started doing videos a year ago this coming June. Will be doing a riding this bike video probably by next weekend. Never done that so we will see how it goes. I have never been a Honda guy, but I can appreciate the Elsinore for sure, they bring big bucks these days. Thanks for watching buddy. Hope you get your project going again, I know the frustration...Hang in there you will get it right.
Top job
My 75 tc125 has a shaft on right side that connects to the clutch.
Your model must have the clutch lever on the right-side case, it has been a while since I was in one of those, probably my RM400N.
I got my hands on a TC185 recently. Right now, besides replacing tires, I need to get the oil pump working. Not a fan of mixing oil every time I gas up. The 125 is pretty much identical, and this series is exactly what I needed.
Actually, I have one question about an issue I have around top speed. So when I'm in 5th gear cruising at 40mph, I am holding about 6000 rpm. Red line is 8000. If I push up to 50mph, I'm at 6500. If I push above this, my engine cuts out on me and the best way to explain it is, it chugs. I pull the clutch and give it a rev, no go, until rpm's fall below 6000. Then it runs again, usually after I slow to 35-40mph. Any idea what's going on? I did notice my spark plug feels a bit loose, so maybe a compression issue? On my first gas fill up, I mixed a bit heavy on oil, maybe about 40:1. And I had this issue when reaching 35-40mph. Since I gassed up again with oil precisely measured at 50:1, I'm able to hold higher speeds for longer. Part of why I want to get the oil pump working so I can see how it does then. Starts great, idles poorly, though I need to adjust the throttle a bit. I'm 1200ft lower than where I bought it, so fuel mixture may need to also be adjusted a bit.
I live in the Yellowstone area so there are lots of bike trails my bike is well suited for. It runs great at 20-30mph which is all I need, but for road use, it could be better. I already have my registration and tag for it up to date, so it's been fun taking it out.
Hi there, welcome to the channel, have you checked to see if your exhaust pipe is restricted? Pull the baffles out from the rear of the pipe and heat them with a propane torch and then hit them with a wood stick to knock off the carbon. It's a start in finding out what is wrong. If your oil pump is working, you should not need to augment with premix. We are near neighbors I suppose, I'm just north of you in Great Falls, MT. Hey hope this helps, the exhaust is a big problem with two strokes, thanks for hanging out in the shop with me.
@@montana2strokeracer Last night I was checking my exhaust and found the gasket was made with gasket maker and has been blown out for awhile it seems. I got everything to fix that now, and I'm also gonna repaint the exhaust. It's off the bike right now. I took the baffle out, and alot of what I guess is small bits of carbon deposit came out.
Anyways, the other day I tightened down my spark plug and went for a short ride. When I got back, I found black sludge had come out of the top and side of the head, aswell as the exhaust (why I checked the gasket.) Since I was there with the tools, I checked the head gasket and... there was no head gasket. So that's now being fixed. I picked up some high temp gasket material and I guess we'll see how that goes.
I built a 2 stroke motorized bicycle earlier this year, and the difference between a good exhaust and a bad one was pretty big, so I've been eyeballing the exhaust as a potential source of my problem. I'll let you know how it goes once I got it all back together.
@@montana2strokeracer It was the head gasket. The one I made worked great for a bit. I held 55mph with no issues... until the gasket blew. Luckily I was only a mile and a half from home out in farm country, so it was a nice push home on straight level roads with almost no traffic.
Dale, having trouble finding stator plate for my 1972 TC 125, is they're other years and model that will work
Im not for sure but probably 72 to at least 74 will work, that is TS, TC, RV models.
Hey brother my KE 175 is doing the same thing with the turn signals. What did you do to fix??? Thanks Cain.
It was the flasher
Dale - Is there any tricks to putting on a rear wheel and not scratching the swing arm with the adjusters ? Whenever I've put on a rear wheel to a freshly painted frame the wheel adjusters scratch the paint.
Graham if there is, I sure dont know it. That is always a bad day when I slide those on and mess up my hard work.
@@montana2strokeracer Okay, thanks Dale. Happy to hear it's not just me.
Hi, Dale Frank in las Vegas, what chemical would you use to clean dirt and dust from a installed wire harness that's in good condition just dirty?
I use electrical contact cleaner many company's make it. CRC makes the one I have currently.
@@montana2strokeracer thanks that's what i thought but wanted your advice, boy your a early riser like me, even with the time change.
Dale that is the same problem I’m having with my turn signals. What did you find wrong??
It was the flasher
Hi Dale. Where did you get your emblems? I tried Diablo, but they don't have them. I need the same exact set.
Hi Greg, I bought a nice tank off ebay, they came with it. I am just going to have to paint and recondition them.
@@montana2strokeracer Well I can get them in Orange, but the bike is Orange. Might have to end up using White. Oh well, at least it'll say 125.
is there a way to test a stator plate ignition coil ?
Yes, pull it completely off the plate, disconnected from everything, and check for continuity thru the coil. Not sure what the reading should be, there will be some resistance, the thing is these don't go bad unless they have been cut or abused in some way.
thank you
@@montana2strokeracer
where are you located, do you have a repair shop ?
North central Montana, yes.