Thread: Rebuilding a Yamaha Rx135 4-Speed (1997) aka 'Rustique'

Hi guys,
I'm back with the next installment of my rebuild tale. The earlier plan was to leave the engine untouched, but what's life without a few extra twists? Looking forward to suggestions and knowledge on the following:

• Upgrading to 5Speed Gearbox:
  The current 4-Speed gearbox is the stock one and hasn't been changed as far as i know. She was alright at lower rpm but when the revs climbed, it felt like she would love to run a 'lil more relaxed. Adding that 5th cog would give her the headroom that she seems to need.
  
  Thing is that, much as i would like to go in for a brand new 5Speed 'box, both, the availability and costing are beyond my means. The next option would be a used 5Speed Gearbox or a conversion kit).
  What are the pros and cons of both options, in terms of Reliability, Suitability, Costing, availability,etc.
• The Carburetor:
  The current condition of the carburetor can be seen from the images
  

Considering that the jets & needle are OEM & replaced recently, i don't really see the need for a replacement. However, I do wish to clean the gunk and muck that has settled in on the body.

I did discover soda-blasting and came across this site that speaks about the benefits of the same. It also has a pictorial account & a short video on the DIY equipment & process that can be seen here: AircooledTech's Tools-On-The-Cheap - DIY Soda Blaster

What are the benefits, risks & feasibility issues of following this method? Can this be done out here?

• Coil Plate:
  The Coil Plate assembly and associated wiring loom is now about 15 years old.
  The individual coils on the plate assembly have been replaced over the years and their origin is unknown.
  The Rectifier, i think, is a HH one while the OEM Magnet is in good shape.
  Minda makes OEM Coil Plate wiring as can be seen from the mention of the 'Magnet wire for Rxg' in their catalog
  
  
  However, i am still looking for a retailer in Mumbai who can source the same for me.
  Also, can the individual coils involved be sourced individually or do they have to be purchased along-with the entire Coil Plate assembly?

• Gladiator Disk Brake Assembly:
  When upgrading to the Gladiator's Disk Brake Assembly, aside from the disk brake components & the front suspension (fork, t-stem)?
  Do we have to use the associated parts at the wheel end (spacers & stuff) or can we use those from the existing Rx135 Front Suspension setup?
  
  Secondly, how do we get the speedometer & odometer working with the Gladi setup & Rx Speedometer?
  Would the speedo/odo cable being used here would be from the Rx Parts Bin or the Gladi Parts bin? Is there some adapter that must be used in such cases?

• Spokes & Spoke-Nuts:
  I had purchased OEM Spokes & Spoke Nuts and was told that these would mate with the Rx Rim & Gladi Hub.
  However, the guy who fits the stuff said that the spokes are mismatched and hence won't fit.
  I would hate to use non-oem or poor quality stuff that would rust in no time and detract from the overall quality & appearance of the build
  A mech did advise me to look for Stainless Steel Spokes, but my search this far has been non-fruitful
  Any advice/thoughts on this?

• Bolts, Nuts & Washers:
  Quite a few bolts sheared off during the just concluded strip-down of the bike and it was then decided that new Bolts, Nuts & Washers would be used in the rebuild.
  
  Looked around for a 'kit' and found all local stockists to be having just one single brand of such a 'kit'. However, the quality of the bolts, nuts & washers is abysmal.
  
  Someone has even suggested making my own custom set, however, the technicalities & costs involved in such an exercise would be prohibitive and hence, undesirable.
  
  Awaiting possible solutions and leads on good quality nut/bolt/washer kits that are specific to the Yamaha Rx series. The stuff should hold good for about 5 Years, will probably replace the same after that period is over

I have tried to be as clear as possible while penning down my doubts. Looking forward to hearing what you have to say about it all.

Thank you again for your patience in reading this long post
Cheers

Originally Posted by firbie

Thanks for the speedy approval @antz.bin




Dualdisk & Sriram,
thanks a ton for the warm welcome and the kind wishes. I have been more of a lurker on the forum this far. So it is glad to be posting again

About the bike:

Mine is a Yamaha Rx135, a 4Speeder who'll be 15 this year

Her existing setup is as follows:

• Block/Piston: 1st Oversize ART Piston in an un-sleeved block
• Crank Replaced in 2005, running with crank rod of 'unknown' origins
• Suspension: Rear Suspension replaced with OEM Escorts Shock-Absorbers. Front suspension running the same as 15 years ago, with bi-monthly oil & oil seal changes. Both, the Oil as well as the Oil Seals used are OEM Yamaha India parts
• All Cables barring the Choke cable are OEM Yamaha
• Speedometer is OEM Pricol
• Light & Ignition pod are non-OEM make due to unavailability of OEM Parts
• Wiring Loom - Replaced last month with MINDA OEM Wiring Kit
• Fuel Tank - Replaced with Yamaha OEM last month
• Running OEM Fuel Filter
• Carburetor is the same that came with the bike 'Mikuni', runs standard 17.5/165 Jets & needle set at half-point (OEM Yamaha, replaced earlier this year)
• Spark Plug is NGK Japan, OEM Yamaha
• Oil Pump functions normally, oil being used is Yamalube. A small amount is also added to the fuel tank at every top up to prevent engine from running fully dry
• Clutch & Pressure Plates are Yamaha OEM Replacements from the YBX (i think) 4 Stroke bikes
• Engine was rebuilt last year for 1st Piston Oversize with all OEM Bearings & Oil Seals
• Rims are Hero Honda & Tires were replaced earlier this year to Michelin Sirac 2.75*18 & 3.0*18, front & rear
• Sprocketing is 16T up front, unsure whether it is (34/37 or 38T at the rear), both sprockets again being OEM Yamaha
• Exhaust is the same 15 year old one, with an OEM Yamaha (36Lxxx) Core being added last year. The bend pipe sadly is non-OEM

The Journey in a nutshell:

In the past 7 years since she's been with me, there have been 2 cosmetic builds and countless 'mechanical' ones. Lack of knowledge, about this forum, sources of information on the parts & highly restricted finances had meant that i was to suffer endlessly. Having being butchered and pillaged by almost every mechanic i have been to, the journey has been nothing, if not a nerve wracking one.

It was some time last year when i had my first cut of luck that things began to change for the better. I was to begin her rejuvenation process at the beginning of the year, but lack of funds for parts & the subsequent monsoons meant that it had to wait till now.


A Mechanic's Tale:

I finally have a mechanic who has agreed to let me work in his garage for a few hours every night and help me with the rebuild process. 'Mahesh' is a rare breed as far as mechanics come. Loyal to his Enfields, he has been my go-to guy for all things Royal Enfield. With the patience of a sage, he is a sight to see when working. Unassuming fella, he's at his workshop, coaxing the best out of Bullets 7 Days a Week. Yes, that's not a typo, this guy loves his bikes so much, he only takes a leave when there's a family celebration or when he's short of parts to finish off the job. Both scenarios are extremely rare and he's possibly got access to the entire range of RE OEM Spares.

He usually is reluctant to take on bikes of other makes as "running around for parts saps him out of his energy". Thankfully, after much coaxing, he's agreed to assist and guide me in my Rebuild process.


The 2012 Rebuild Begins:

Been shoring up my war-chest of OEM Yamaha Parts for some time now. Brought the wrong ones, brought too many, brought too little, lost many a pretty penny, but its all added up. This rebuild process is all about bringing the bike to Factory specs with Yamaha OEM parts being used to the extent possible. The Engine has been mechanically rebuilt just a few months ago and is turning over decently. Hence, it is only going to see a good paint job. The internals shall be worked upon once a few critical parts are in hand, the funding for which, shall take a while.

I managed to do a partial strip down of the bike last night. As of now, the Grab rail, exhaust assembly, fuel tank, carburetor, wiring loom, meter pod & headlight assembly have been dismantled. Fingers crossed on getting the garage space to finish the job tonight.

I get in about 90 mins to 2 hours after office to work on the bike and the timeline for the rebuild is about a month.

Shall keep updating with doubts, queries & my thoughts on the rebuild as time goes by

To Be Continued....

Thank You for a patient read
Cheers

Fantastically written my friend... Welcome to the world of 2 strokes and all the best for the restoration.
From the information you provided you have a tons of goodies in the bike..

Originally Posted by Dinesh.P

Fantastically written my friend... Welcome to the world of 2 strokes and all the best for the restoration.
From the information you provided you have a tons of goodies in the bike..

Thanks a ton buddy. The goodies hunt is still on. Hoping to have a few missing pieces of the puzzle soon, and then i can finish the build.

Will keep you'll updated

Cheers

Where are you exactly in Mumbai? So that We can help you with some spareparts shop where you can get Rx spares?

Hi Everyone,

Reviving a dormant thread after a long time.
Loads has happened in the months that have gone by and am happy to share that Rustique has come back from the dead to start her Second Life.

I prefer the stock look a lot and had decided upon the same. But there have been many a twist and turn in this tale. As she has crossed the 15 Year mark, her paperwork has lapsed and work is in progress to bring it up-to-date.

Shall share my views on this journey soon, and i hope that the updates will come quicker than last time around.

Thank you for your patience,
Cheers

Originally Posted by firbie

Hi Everyone,

Reviving a dormant thread after a long time.
Loads has happened in the months that have gone by and am happy to share that Rustique has come back from the dead to start her Second Life.

I prefer the stock look a lot and had decided upon the same. But there have been many a twist and turn in this tale. As she has crossed the 15 Year mark, her paperwork has lapsed and work is in progress to bring it up-to-date.

Shall share my views on this journey soon, and i hope that the updates will come quicker than last time around.

Thank you for your patience,
Cheers

Good to hear the restoration is completed.... waiting for the pictures and write up

So,

it has been a mad and eventful journey this far.

It was around November last year, the bike had crossed the 15 Year mark and i had been getting antsy. All the parts that could have been gathered, had been gathered. The bike had begun life as a stock 1997 RXG (multiple people have told me that the Rx135 wasn't launched then). The plan was to rebuild this bike, bring her back to stock specs. The only upgrade having been planned was to give her a Front Disc setup borrowed from the Yamaha Gladiator. Everything else was to remain visually the same. A brief overview of the parts that had been collected in the run-up to this build:

Spokes Set
Rims Set
Gladiator Front Disk Setup (End-to-end)
Carb Manifold Kit
Reflector Set
Brake Lever
Brake Pedal
Accelerator, Clutch and Choke cable set
Swing Arm & Swing Arm Bush Set
Front, Rear & Swing Arm Axle assembly
4 Speed Main Stand
Side Stand
Rims & Spokes Kit (Front & Rear)
Reed Valve
CDI
Ignition Coil
Driven Gear Assembly with Primary
Clutch Boss
Clutch Rod
Push Rod
Crank - 4TL
4 Speed Block Piston Set - NOS, Purchased from individual dealer a few years ago
Meter Pod Set
Meter Bracket
Lock Set
Side Panels
Oil Tank
Oil Tank Separates - Gauge Lens, Washer
Oil Seals
Main & Wheel Bearing set - SKF India
Tool Box (4Speed)
Air Filter Box Assembly
Tail Lamp Assembly - Alpha Toyo
Mirror Set - Alpha Toyo
Front & Rear Mudguards

The above parts were all purchased new. All other parts were either local (e.g. nut & bolts kit) or were to be harvested from the old bike.

Purchases had been made from Local Dealers (Town & Goregaon, Bombay); Individual Dealers (Online Forums, offline suggestions) and Yamaha Official Dealers. The purchases (Barring the Block-Piston Set) were made in the past two years and were paid for, in batches as the amount that i could spare each month at that time was too low for one-shot buys.

A month went by and the old engine was ready to be disassembled. Small disappointments happened looking at the state of the engine and as the mech discussed the torture that it had been subjected to. However, a bigger shock was in store when the above listed parts came up for scrutiny. Many a parts were either too old, hence, rusted and unusable. Some were local parts packaged and sold as factory originals, others were seconds/refurbished and a few were available as complete assemblies, while i had been sold individual spares.

It was going to be one painful affair and honestly, i had no clue about what the future had in store for Rustique. All the suspect spares were immediately discarded and sold off after listing them as local spares.

To be continued...