New Project Bike, SMC YB150

Ok time for an update. I figured a few things out on the bike after the first time in the dirt.

I had a retard moment with the round slide carb and was turning the choke to full when I thought I was turning it off. THis caused the issue with catching an idle with the choke "off".:rolleyes1:

Once i figured that out, the bike was running just fine. I do believe it would benefit from a carb change still but that moves it to a lower priority.

I took it out for another day of dirt riding along with a buddy on a Yamaha WR250F. Had a blast and finalized the decision that I have to buy another dirt bike to leave one set up for dirt only. It's just about as much fun as you can possibly have with your clothes on. :thumbsup:

I've been communicating with a woman from FastAce, the suspension manufacturer, and believe I've gotten close to being able to order the heavier fork springs directly from the factory. They are "out of stock" on the heavier shock spring. I did find an online retailer in Canada that has Fast Ace shock springs. I'm waiting to hear from Fast Ace if the springs they have will work on my shock.

The folks at Galaxy Motorcycles have put me in touch with a distributer in Canada to order any other parts I might need. Specifically brake and wheel parts. The only thing I lack in that department is a parts diagram from my bike, the SMC YB150 (or XTR150 as Galaxy calls it), to compare part numbers. Going to try to avoid ordering parts if they won't interchange.

ANyone know of a parts breakout of the Galaxy XTR150???

I have confirmed that the KTM 80/105 SX wheel hubs are a match for my wheel hubs. This will make getting a SM wheel setup much much easier if buying a wheel direct is too costly.

More to come...

Thread update time, although not particularly exciting...

I've been playing email tag with Galaxy and Fast Ace with little success. I do have the line on heavier fork springs. I'll take the small victories where I can :) I have a sneaking suspicion both are using web based free translators...

So after a month of that game I've moved on to finding compatable parts from other manufacturers. After a whole bunch of measurements and some help from a few forums, I've discovered that the dealer wasn't BS'ing, quite a few parts from KTM 65/85's cross over.

Confirmed compatibles so far (confirmed by measurements only so far)

Wheel hubs
brake rotors
rear sprocket
rear caliper/mount (KTM calipers are 2 pot units vs stock 1 pot)
front caliper mount
shock

I've found a seller parting a 85sx out on ebay and am negotiating a deal for quite a few of the parts I want including brake parts, wheels and a shock. Much easier to find a HD spring for the KTM unit than my unit.

If I make the deal with this guy I'll be left with some decisions on wheel/tire combos, and which to use for the track.

My stock wheels are 19/16, the KTM's 17/14. I'd like to be left with a set of dirt wheels to swap to for dirt fun untill i can pick up a bike to dedicate to the trails.

I had hoped when this started to get it track ready for $1000 or less. Looks like I'll end up a couple hundred over but still well under $1500 (fingers crossed) and still be able to ride dirt with it.

If the deal I mentioned above works out I believe all I will need to wrap it up is as follows:

New bars (found some MSR aluminium bark busters for $20 used)
Catch can
Tires once I decide on which wheels will be used
New brake pads
KTM 65/85 SX Front master cylinder (anyone know of one laying around???)
Safety wire session

Also I have buddy who does paint work that wants to paint up my extra set of plastics for me.

Nate,

On the face of it, one completed the project sounds like a steal for 1500 bucks! How does she look now?

CC

Not many asthetic changes to speak of, other than a good bit of dirt on her :)

Wow.. Job well done, very nice bike.. I like the red lining there.. Great work!

Ended up acquiring a rear shock, front and rear brake calipers, and rear caliper mount for just under $200 shipped (all from a 2006 KTM 85sx). Still want to get my hands on a set of KTM 85 wheels, but no luck so far. Two sets have gone for more than I wanted to pay. The set the same seller I got stuff from had went for $340.

So this leaves me with a new front brake master cylinder and wheels as the remaining "large" purchases to make.

Any chance the old front master cyl will work?

CC

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CrazyCarl

Any chance the old front master cyl will work?

CC

---

I'm gonna give it a try but I'm not optimistic. Never seen a master cylinder this small in my life. Heck I have a hard time locking up the brakes with the existing system...

Keep posting Nate, it is interesting to follow even if we don't remark much. I pick up information and knowledge all the time from threads like this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jape

Keep posting Nate, it is interesting to follow even if we don't remark much. I pick up information and knowledge all the time from threads like this.

---

Most definitely will keep the posting up. Not much exciting to see or read about digging around for parts though :) I'll be in Daytona next week for Bikeweek but the real action should start the following week :)

I got back to work on the SMC this past weekend. The WP KTM 85sx shock is a direct fit, no tweaking or odd fitment issues. I am working with a supplier to find an appropriate shock spring for my setup. This is much easier than trying to work with the factory.

The brake calipers are also a direct fit. THe stock single piston caliper used an additional plate mounted to the fork caliper mount points. After this was removed the twin piston KTM unit fits perfectly and aligns correctly with the stock rotor. I've got my eye on a wave rotor on ebay for cheap that may replace the stock unit. The SMC master cylinder won't cut it for the twin piston brake. I'm still patiently searching for a stock KTM master.

Pictures to come shortly...

So is this bike like a Chinese made KTM? That's A LOT of cross compatible parts... makes you wonder where KTM get's their components from!!!

:naughty:
CC

Kind of makes you wonder. At the least when this bike was designed they had a KTM to measure from...

Update time. This time with some pics

Got to work today on the rear shock spring swap. The subframe design makes it easy to pull the lower mount bolts and loosen the top to rotate the subframe out of the way. Makes for easy access to the rear shock.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_JQ88DzLnrqw/S6...uild%20004.JPG

Once the shock was out of the bike I laid the new spring next to the old shock setup for comparisons sake

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JQ88DzLnrqw/S6...uild%20001.JPG

The old spring is a 3.5 rate spring the new one is a 7.2. Finally the spring I need. All back together and ready to go back on the bike

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_JQ88DzLnrqw/S6...uild%20003.JPG

Back in the bike

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JQ88DzLnrqw/S6...uild%20005.JPG

Back together

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_JQ88DzLnrqw/S6...uild%20006.JPG

Just when things were coming together, the project takes an unexpected turn. I wasn't home last night and didn't come home until around 11am today. WHen I pulled in the driveway I noticed my SMC missing. Some weasely slime ball decided he/she needed it more than I do. I'm hoping it'll turn up on the side of a road somewhere sooner or later but not overly optimistic.

Sorry to hear about your loss, Nate. I've enjoyed following your posts as it seemed you were having a lot of fun with your improvements. I hope your bike turns up.

Oh man that's fucking balls! Really sorry to hear about it because it was looking like a good bike for the track. It's not totally useless though because I'm sure your experiences have helped and inspired others. But who knows... things might look bad but maybe something good will come of it.

Time to bust out a little :shuriken:

Can insurance cover it?

:icon10:
CC

Mate, that is not good! Hope it turns up or that you were insured enough to go bigger and better. The only way I can deal with these odd bad incidents in life and the personal sick feeling it gives, is to think that this world isn't perfect by a long way but we do better than most poor sods on the planet never had a bike or got a chance to get one and to be honest, it is just a bike ... you never get over it really but you can get it in proportion. Hope something else comes along soon and it doesn't stop you tinkering.
I wonder how easy/cheap it would be to devise a kind of gps tracker? Might look into that myself.

Oh Mate, that's terrible news........after all the hard work you've put in. The scum bags want stringing up by their dangly bits !

I've had two Motorbikes stolen, an Aprilia Tuareg Wind 600, and an Africa Twin 750, you never get over losing them or wondering what ever happened to them.:confused1:

Hope it turns up.

Best Wishes

Andy

Shit buzz man, i'm really sorry to hear that. It's a nasty feeling to invest time, effort and emotion into a project and then have it stolen by some :terd who invariably won't appreciate what you've done. Here's to hoping that if you find it on the side of the road, there's someone face down in the ditch beside it...

Very sorry to hear that some waste of oxygen stole your machine. Can you get coverage under your house insurance policy ?

Hi Nate,

I have to start with how invaluable this thread has been to me.

About a year and a half ago I purchased a YB125 with 7000 miles on the clock and in need of an overhaul. I didn't know where to go as SMC have since ceased trading, and knew not where to source parts.....

Then I stumbled upon this thread :)

I have sinse upgraded my wheel hubs (laced onto the original Rims by myself), upgraded to WP suspension, KTM brakes, KTM Triple clamps, Sprocket (Rear) and many other Bearings Inner races and nuts for parts from KTM 125/85 sx's.

It now runs brilliantly, many other upgrades such as 30mm Mikuni carb (jetted 108 main 130 pilot) straight through exhaust, performance intake fully adjustable Clutch/Brake levers, Race CDI and performance HT Coil toname a few.

I am so sorry to hear of the SH*T's who decided to permanantly borrow your bike but everytime I straddle my bike, kickout the back end or just pratt around on the YB125 I smile and think how much I owe you for the thread you created and help you gave me in getting the full potential out of mine.

I know call it the SMC SX125 Nate Edition, my pals ask why and I just smile.

Thanks

Carl

Glad to hear it worked out for you Karl.

I've been keeping my eyes open to find another one. So far no luck. I did stumble across one a pawn shop bought. Someone talked them into giving them almost $1k for it, so they wouldn't let it go for less than $1500.

One of these days...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Danjamaus

Hi Nate,

I have to start with how invaluable this thread has been to me.

About a year and a half ago I purchased a YB125 with 7000 miles on the clock and in need of an overhaul. I didn't know where to go as SMC have since ceased trading, and knew not where to source parts.....

Then I stumbled upon this thread :)

I have sinse upgraded my wheel hubs (laced onto the original Rims by myself), upgraded to WP suspension, KTM brakes, KTM Triple clamps, Sprocket (Rear) and many other Bearings Inner races and nuts for parts from KTM 125/85 sx's.

It now runs brilliantly, many other upgrades such as 30mm Mikuni carb (jetted 108 main 130 pilot) straight through exhaust, performance intake fully adjustable Clutch/Brake levers, Race CDI and performance HT Coil toname a few.

I am so sorry to hear of the SH*T's who decided to permanantly borrow your bike but everytime I straddle my bike, kickout the back end or just pratt around on the YB125 I smile and think how much I owe you for the thread you created and help you gave me in getting the full potential out of mine.

I know call it the SMC SX125 Nate Edition, my pals ask why and I just smile.

Thanks

Carl

---

Dear Carl,

Welcome to MyChinaMoto, and thanks for an amazing post about your own YB125 project bike. You didn't happen to document all the mods and upgrades in pix, did you? Would be wonderful at least to see before and after pix of your bike. Please feel free to post up as much as you can, and come back with more as you make more improvements. I doubt I'm the only one in this forum who would like to see your bike!

Cheers
euphonius