[Petrolhead1209]

Winding back to the year 1999, a time when I wasn't born, my dad's friend placed a booking for the RX 135. Waiting period was around 6 months at that time. 5 months in the guy needs some cash. But the name cannot be changed before delivery of the vehicle. The vehicle rolls out and straight into my dad's hands where he becomes the second owner on paper That's where all this started

Moving forward by 2 years is when I'm born. In the days of the kindergarten my place on that bike is perched on the fuel tank with my feet on the crash guard merrily. As the years passed I became the pillion. I grew up with this machine.

Once I finished my 10th Grade, dad hands me the keys and says "Go ahead, ride it". Younger me was very excited. Dad gives me a grand total of 5 instructions on how to ride and I was on my own. 20 mins go by and I'm thorough in riding bikes. Love for the bike grows immensely as I potter around the pocket roads mastering the craft of butter smooth gear shifts. The bike is still in good condition with its fair share of minor scuffs and scratches. 1 year later one of our acquaintance wanted the bike for a day as his bike was being serviced. He brings back the bike with huge gouges on the the top of the tank. Turns out he placed his welding equipment on the tank. Aargh. It was an eyesore.
The next year COVID hits. The bike then goes into a garage for storage as a scooter better fit the bill for getting groceries. I had my NEET exams and other academic stuff that year so it sat in storage for a while. This is around the time I've gotten ample access to the internet and outside world to know that what I've got is an absolute gem of a vehicle. I start to realise how well balanced and joyful it is to ride. I'm now craving to take it out but the circumstances are not in my favour. It sits another year in storage.


Finally taking the bike out and claiming authority

After a long 2 years, in June 2022, I finally decide enough is enough and I need to take it out. I'm stubborn this time with my dad and after a couple of weeks he takes me to the garage where it's sitting under covers gathering dust. Filled her up with a bit of petrol, 5 kicks and she roars to life. The familiar brap brap sound fills my ears, an ode to the good old days. I take it home get it washed and straight to the mechanic to get a check done mechanically all good. The seat bottom was cracked and the speedo was disconnected. Got all that fixed and next was to get the papers in order. She was registered in KL but now since it is to be used in Bangalore decided to register it in KA. Got all the necessary documents and 3 weeks later a new registration number has been issued. She's now road legal.

Where restoring this beauty is coming to fruition

Entire 3rd year of my college she served me well taking me to and from the metro station with absolutely zero hiccups in the entire year. Fill her up with petrol and that's pretty much it. Come June of 2023 and I have around 3 months before college starts again. I wanted to go all handy man and dive in head first but at this point in life I cannot afford a single mistake on this. Around this time is my visit to Kerala and then my uncles RX135 was in all it's glory completely done up in amazing shape. I was sold. In July I sent the bike over to Kerala via train to completely get done up completely entrusted in my uncles hands (huge shout-out to him for handling everything for me and relaying feedback to and fro from the mechanic to me and back amidst all his work, this would be impossible without him)

Here the long wait started. My uncle used to give me an update every 10 days or so. Due to it being the Onam season combined with me not requiring the bike on urgent basis, my project was kept on the back burner.

These mechanics were very very thorough with what they've done on the bike. The chassis was twisted ever so slightly to the left so they got that done. All the nuts and bolts were all swapped out. All the rubber parts were swapped. Immaculate work these guys have done. Everything executed with meticulous attention to detail that I've rarely seen. Not a single stone was left unturned to make this the perfect bike.












A couple pictures from the rebuild.


After all the mechanicals were fully sorted out and ready to go with the engine tuned perfectly, It was time for the cosmetics and oh boy was I excited. Wheels I went for the classic spoke wheel 18 inches. Opted out of the 16 inch rear wheels from the yezdi as they simply don't look good. Got OE from Hero Honda as they are practically the same. Rear tires still have a good amount of tread left. Front tyres were changed to Ceat.

Cosmetics

Boy oh boy was this the most anticipated part of the whole build. I contemplated a lot over the various colour combinations that I could possibly choose for the bike. A change in color was on the cards for a while but no colors spoke to me as I'd liked them to. A deep shade of grey was also considered but it was just too boring. And didn't add as much as it took away. Emerald Green from the Rolls Royce color palette with metallic flake was an option. But something about the maroon was just nostalgic and hit home.
So some inspiration later, a color was chosen. A deep red heavily inspired by Rosso Fiorano from Ferrari. And this shade hits hard.



The plan initially was to restore it perfectly to factory condition. But as time passed I got an idea of a OEM+ build. A part of this was the the custom paint shade which would not require a change in the RC. Part 2 was the engine cover and the clutch cover. Original paint is a sort of light silver with nothing special about it.


The light OEM silver that's on another bike being restored.

Went with a lighter gunmetal grey color to some what compliment the deep red that I'd gone for. Now to decide where all this grey went on the bike. After a lot of thinking, the wheel drums, chain cover, engine components, and the front forks were painted in this color.



Sticker set was stock I decided. Considered the RX 100 sticker set for a while but the pinstripe was a bit too minimal for my liking. Told them to lay the sticker set and then spray a final clear coat over the stickers to seal them in. No worries on that peeling off now. All the chrome parts were rechromed fully like the exhaust, mudguards etc. Did try swapping out the instrument cluster but the new ones just didn't look authentic compared to the OG. Key set was changed entirely.



After all this came the assembly of all the parts together. This by far took the longest. Painting was finished by the end of August. Assembly took a lot of time. Around a month owing to lack of man power and holidays combined. Slowly but steadily she was built up and towards the middle of October my uncle took delivery of the bike. And she was beautiful. The paint the fit the finish. All immaculate.

Instructions received from the mechanic were

• Speed limit is 40 kmph for the first 1500 kms after which I should get the tapettes and everything tightened if anything has come loose. Tighten up the brake levers and clutch cables etc.
• For every Rs. 100 of petrol, I had to add Rs.10 worth of oil directly into the tank for the break in period.
• Another 1000 kms of cautious riding and she'd be ready for life.
• I was assured that provided I follow this break in period correctly, the bike would be good for another 100,000 kms. Bold statement from them but I'd not expect lesser from these amazing people.

My uncle pottered around town for a couple of days so that any errors can be corrected before sending it over.
1 week later, I receive the bike at the Railway Station, filly packed with bubble wrap and foam and old sacks to protect all the gorgeous paintwork. Filled her up with a bit of petrol and she starts in 1 kick. Idle was amazing. The exhaust now was a bit more metallic in sound than what it was before but not a drastic change.









The first pictures from when I picked the bike up

I've now rode the bike for around 1000 kms in these 4 months that I've had her.
And she's smooth. Really smooth. Very refined but still that old timer feel. Everything runs perfectly. No unnecessary clacking noises like before. One kick start each and every time. I've been getting good mileage too. Around 40 kmpl owing to the conservative riding that I've done for the break in period.

A before and after reel I made. Quality is much better but youtube compression.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZBpXiBJ21...UYT0iih7Vohaju

Am looking for some upgrades to do. Will list them out below, would love some help that I can get on this

• Wider tyres for the front and rear. Something about slightly wider tyres at the rear and front is so drool worthy. I'd like to fill the arch a bit more at the rear. Am running 18 inch spoke wheels so kindly suggest which tyres I should get
• Something to do with the headlight. I don't do much of night riding but still there is a severe lack of lighting.
• I was thinking of wiring the horn directly to the battery instead of the dynamo because I've got no horn at idle. Need some guidance on how to go about this.
• PPF or ceramic coating. Since the paint is relatively fresh, how long do you guys recommend before I add a protective layer on the paint. Mainly the tank is what I'm looking for. Am just using the Turtle Wax Spray Ceramic to make it easier to clean.

This build was a restoration of sentiments - a repository of countless stories. To me this thing is not any ordinary 2 stroke legend, it's a blast from the past. A diary book of my life from childhood to adulthood.

Some of my favourite shots













About the Bike

Engine/Gearbox :

A singular kick and the engine comes to life. Pull the clutch in and slot the not so smooth gearbox into 1st gear. And immediately shift to 2nd because 1st gear is really really short. Move into second a pretty normal gear length. And then third. This is like a CVT gearbox from a scooter. You want to do 20 kmph as you creep around the bustling town. Done deal. You want to fly past at 75 kmph. Also no problem. Shift into 4th and it pulls all the way to 100 where the fun stops.


Brakes

Spongy to say the least. Gets the job done but don't feel the necessity to upgrade to discs because I mainly cruise on the bike and enjoy the sounds.


Weight

Barely weighs anything. Give it the nimble character that I love. Also very very narrow but the OG butterfly crash guard adds a lot to the width
Ergonomically really good. Everything is really well placed and not straining.
Seat is not the most comfortable. Looking into changing the upholstery

Tank capacity and fuel economy :

Tank Capacity is 12 litres I think or 11.5. Not sure. Get a fuel economy of around 36 kmpl with plenty of open throttle overtakes and spirited riding

Final Note


The sounds, the vibrations, all the little details is what makes her special in my heart. I have received a bunch of compliments and lucrative offers for the vehicle at signals and parking lots, but as some of you might relate, I cannot bring myself to let her go. Deep in my heart I do want to own something modern to the likes of the Interceptor, but I don't want to do that at the cost of this gem. I guess it's back to saving money up for a while.

She's now back to commuting to and from the Metro Station with the occasional cheeky 60 km round trip to college and back. Does that put a slight dent in my pocket. Yes. Around 100% more than if I use the metro but I do not mind the extra expense on an occasional spirited ride. She runs like absolute clockwork giving me no problem in any aspect whatsoever.
She can be a cruiser, a looker, a screaming 2 stroke at any instance you want.


College run

Achieved a long time dream with this build. Looking forward to your expert opinions.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[boniver]

Glad to see an RX thread in 2024. These are very simple machines which go on and on no matter what you throw at them. The best bikes one can have when they are in college. All the best!

[Viju]

Well done! You have good taste I must say. Take care of her and she will stay with you for decades to come.

[justin.das]

Originally Posted by Petrolhead1209

Achieved a long-time dream with this build. Looking forward to your expert opinions.

Congratulations your bike looks stunning. Did you manage to find the original pistons? what is the current size of the bore? Is your bike running on the original cdi?

[Petrolhead1209]

Originally Posted by boniver

Glad to see an RX thread in 2024. These are very simple machines which go on and on no matter what you throw at them. The best bikes one can have when they are in college. All the best!

Yup. She's been going strong for all these years with very little hiccups. And true. Best ones for the college days.

[Petrolhead1209]

Originally Posted by justin.das

Congratulations your bike looks stunning. Did you manage to find the original pistons? what is the current size of the bore? Is your bike running on the original cdi?

Thanks!!
1. Piston kit is from GOETZE. OG pistons were coming apart.
2. The cylinder has been bored out to 0.5mm. There was a considerable amount of wear and tear to to the piston head and the cylinder due to the sheer age.
3. CDI has not been changed out in the time that I'm handling it.

[Petrolhead1209]

Some more pictures from the mechanic I just found

[justin.das]

Originally Posted by Petrolhead1209

Thanks!!
1. The piston kit is from GOETZE. OG pistons were coming apart.

Older Goetz Pistons (GIL Pistons) were superior in quality to the blue and red color-boxed newer Goetz.

Originally Posted by Petrolhead1209

T
2. The cylinder has been bored out to 0.5mm. There was a considerable amount of wear and tear to the piston head and the cylinder due to the sheer age.
3. CDI has not been changed out in the time that I'm handling it.

Ok, Mine is also running 0.5 size. check the CDI unit whether it's running the original one or not.

[Petrolhead1209]

Originally Posted by justin.das

.



Ok, Mine is also running 0.5 size. check the CDI unit whether it's running the original one or not.

Checked with my father. He hasn't changed the CDI

[TORQUEINDUCTION]

Hey congratulations. Awesome restoration. I too own a 2002 RX135 with cat con silencer. Last year, I had opened up the engine and the mechanic said that it cannot be rebored as it is running the max size piston. Wanted to understand what is the cost of the piston and cylinder kit. And which is the best make to buy since I understand that Yamaha does not make them anymore. Can you tell the current tire sizes you are running on. Those look good.
Let me know if someone from Pune can point me to a good mechanic for paint job. For engine work I go to Tilak spares at Nana Peth, but the guy there only does repair work and not the full repaint job.

[Thyag]

RX135, Still I crave for this one, it was my companion for long time. After an accident, sold it with heavy heart, even my family was against it as they knew how much I loved it. I have travelled in it to most parts of the TN, never gave up in rain or heat, single kick and it will be alive to leave others in dust. Whatever conditions maybe it always returned a healthy average above 40. Every month will go to the mechanic and will check if something can be done for the bike, have altered the silencer sound many times (playing with the core and all). The only problem I faced were the cops, both law & order & traffic police will stop this vehicle wherever they see it .

The full black painting and other things were done during my college days, it was a head turner in those days and stayed with me for 10 long years. Missing it

[AulusGabinius]

Originally Posted by TORQUEINDUCTION

Hey congratulations. Awesome restoration. I too own a 2002 RX135 with cat con silencer. Last year, I had opened up the engine and the mechanic said that it cannot be rebored as it is running the max size piston. Wanted to understand what is the cost of the piston and cylinder kit. And which is the best make to buy since I understand that Yamaha does not make them anymore. Can you tell the current tire sizes you are running on. Those look good.
Let me know if someone from Pune can point me to a good mechanic for paint job. For engine work I go to Tilak spares at Nana Peth, but the guy there only does repair work and not the full repaint job.

You could try Brotomotive in Dhayari, they've done a good job on a friend's Versys 650 and a Scorpio of one of his aquaintances.

[Petrolhead1209]

Originally Posted by justin.das

Older Goetz Pistons (GIL Pistons) were superior in quality to the blue and red color-boxed newer Goetz.

Yup. That's correct. He did tell me that. But he went with what's the good ones now.

[Petrolhead1209]

Originally Posted by TORQUEINDUCTION

. Can you tell the current tire sizes you are running on. Those look good.

These are 2.75 - 18 on the fronts from Ceat and 3.00 - 18 on the rear from Apollo. I am looking to get slightly bigger ones especially for the rear. Looking for some advice from the forum