My Yamaha RD 125 restoration: Parts painting & engine work in progress

The engine of the RD 125 is ready with the coil plate being fitted and once its put on the chassis the final timing can be marked on the bike.

BHPian SnS_12 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

RD 125 Paint 2.0

The RD 125 parts have finally gone for paint and this is the second time they are getting painted after a gap of close to 15 years. Rusting is a major issue on older bikes and when a bike is left out in the open for decades at a stretch it just makes matters worst. The OE tank had already rusted beyond repair and had to source a used one to replace it and the next metal part which needed attention was the the rear mudguard which had developed many small rust holes which had to be filled up and smoothened out. Luckily all the old paint and base coat was completely scrapped out which made us aware of these issues to be fixed or else the paint would have eventually bubbled up again.

Even though the process is taking longer I am glad we are doing a proper job and giving all the attention and care these rare bikes need and deserve. The engine of the RD 125 is ready with the coil plate being fitted and once its put on the chassis the final timing can be marked on the bike. Hopefully, by next week the RD 125 will be standing on its own feet once again and we can work towards firing it up for the first time in decades. Looking forward

Some pictures….

Magnet fitted on the engine

Coil plate. Converted to CDI and won’t be running on points any longer for ease of maintenance

The carbs have been thoroughly cleaned

Body parts being sent for paint

The remaining batch of parts

All the plastic parts will be cleaned thoroughly and a protective coat would be applied

All the parts scraped down to the metal. The problematic rear mudguard stands out now showing its true condition

A lot of pin rust holes have to be filled up

The OE RZ front brake master cylinder cap. When you decide to rebuild a bike to OE spec you just have to go all out. Mine being a JDM spec has the Kanji lettering and I was not happy with the black finish from the powder coating process as it was too thick so getting it painted instead.

Getting parts painted of three different bikes and don’t miss the side cover fins for the RD 200 in the right bottom corner. This last few months have been a marathon rebuild exercise.

Up close

Time to iron out imperfections to get a smooth finish

And to fill up a few for a stronger base that will last a few more decades

All set to get the striking Ducati Red shade

Parts continue to arrive back at home

The missing kick spring for the RD 200 came in from Thailand. Ordered an extra piece and this time the parts attracted custom duty as well. You can’t be lucky always

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