Sym XS125-K

Caporegime
Joined
30 Jun 2007
Posts
68,770
Location
Wales
The guy who parked next to me at work has a 2010 model YBR and it's similar, but not the same. I'm interested in the hosing because I have a couple that are just vented to atmosphere and hanging loose, which doesn;t seem right to me. The bike rides fine,a nd there's no oil or fuel coming out of them, so I'm trying to understand what they do.

?

Breather/overflow tubes for your fuel tank.
 
Caporegime
Joined
30 Jun 2007
Posts
68,770
Location
Wales
I didn't have a ground anchor fitted so the bike was just chained to the "security" cover at the front and rear wheels, the front via a D-clamp,the rear via the chain.

The front and rear wheels couldn't have turned due to the locks so the beggers must have lifted the bike up with the cover on and carried it off, I'm guessing into a van. The back gates are ply-board and were barricaded shut so they must have been watching me come and go, then waited till we were in bed, climbed over the back wall (which is 8ft high!) and then opened up the back gates from the inside, then lifted the bike out.

I've bought some pad lockable shed door type locks with alarms on them for the rear and side gates so that now as soon as anyone tries to tamper with the locks, they go make some noise.
I've now fitted a ground anchor and bought an Oxford screamer disk-loc alarm so, as long as someone's in the house, anyone meddling will be alerted. I've also bought some security cameras and plan on building a brick shed to keep my next bike purchase in.

sorry to hear that seems an insane amount of effort to rob such a bike though.

do you think they thought it ewas something rarer under the cover?
 
Associate
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22 Jan 2006
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1,454
Location
London
Have a look at http://www.fastbikesmag.com/fastbikes-forum/showthread.php?t=441

I've bought one in advance as they are buttons on ebay. Not sure if it's needed in addition to the Spy5000m, but it's certainly worth looking at.

Now that is a very clever guy. I'd be somewhat tempted at giving it a go just as a mini project over the Summer to keep me busy.

I haven't had a pay as you go sim/phone but how does he know when he has low credit/needs a top up on the SIM from sending out messages etc etc?
 
Caporegime
Joined
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Posts
68,770
Location
Wales
Now that is a very clever guy. I'd be somewhat tempted at giving it a go just as a mini project over the Summer to keep me busy.

I haven't had a pay as you go sim/phone but how does he know when he has low credit/needs a top up on the SIM from sending out messages etc etc?

One thing to rember is most of those dirt cheap "gps" trackers arent theyre just GSM which means they get thier position very roughly from.the nearest cellphone tower
 
Associate
OP
Joined
22 Sep 2008
Posts
1,485
Location
Liverpool
sorry to hear that seems an insane amount of effort to rob such a bike though.

do you think they thought it ewas something rarer under the cover?

No idea - sorry.
If I could get into the mindset of someone who does that sort of thing, then I'd probably be out here getting some for of retribution, so probably best I don't think about it - it's left a horrible aftertaste and really made me feel like our home has been invaded. I don't even want to buy another bike while I live here - after all, why bother???
 
Associate
OP
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22 Sep 2008
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1,485
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Liverpool
Oh.

maybe not so good then =/

My bike doesn't really need it, only £5k

My next one will be in the same ball park so it's an appropriate solution in my mind.

As for the cost of PAYG - I think you can check the amount of remaining credit online these days so tracking balance etc shouldn't be any more than an admin task.
 
Associate
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Location
London
My next one will be in the same ball park so it's an appropriate solution in my mind.

As for the cost of PAYG - I think you can check the amount of remaining credit online these days so tracking balance etc shouldn't be any more than an admin task.

I've not had pay as you go since around 2000-2002 and back then I had to send a message from the phone to BT Cellnet to get a reply hahaha
 
Associate
Joined
11 May 2016
Posts
2
I read your comments about the Sym with interest as I bought one second hand back in March. It's four years old and isn't perfect, but was a bit of a bargain and I'm still on L plates so just looking for cheap run about to get experience on.

Like you I found it hard to get an info online about the Sym, but I have managed to locate the service manual for it, which is around 120 pages long!

It's a pig to start, but once it's warmed up it's okay. Only issues I have so far is side stand is knackered so have to use centre stand all the time. Also very hard to find neutral, so I don't know if this is common with this bike or the gearbox is on its last legs.

Anyway plan to run it for a year or so then go on to do direct access course, funds permitting!!
 
Man of Honour
Joined
26 Dec 2003
Posts
30,837
Location
Shropshire
125 gear boxes in general aren't the smoothest of things especially when you're looking got neutral but make sure your chain is properly adjusted and lubed along with your clutch cable.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
22 Sep 2008
Posts
1,485
Location
Liverpool
I'm told that the side stand is a common fault. Mine's dead wobbly and there's nothing I can do about it - it even blew over in the strong winds we had which broke the indicator stalk and mirror :(

The 'pig to start' is also a common thread with mine. I've NEVER been able to start it off the kick start when i've tried. The recent service mine had certainly made it work much better - i'm sure John (the guy who serviced it) said something about lubricating the carb butterfly or something as it was sticking - either way, it starts first time, every time.... with choke applied, from cold, and that's not necessarily when it's actually cold if you follow my logic.

The bikes ok - stick with it, it'll not be too bad. Keep the chain lubed and keep it protected from the rain and it'll look after you :)

Just watch it in the wet - the wheels are too easy to lock when it's wet. I've had a couple of very near misses due to that, and I wouldn't consider myself a late breaker. I am 16+ stone so that may have some bearing though, but I doubt it.

Enjoy, and keep posting back. Be great to hear how you get on. Mine's still going strong 5 years on....
 
Associate
OP
Joined
22 Sep 2008
Posts
1,485
Location
Liverpool
Oh yeah, going to/through neutral is tricky on mine. It's only done 10k km and from the start if you weren't almost booting it from 1st into 2nd it would miss and end up in neutral. Thing is, you'd have to drop it back down to 1st to then do it again. The garage I bought it from and others who have subsequently serviced it have all told me it's just the way they are. I don't get it any other time, just 1st->2nd

Go figure....
 
Associate
Joined
11 May 2016
Posts
2
Agree with all the points above and that's interesting to learn about the carb butterfly. I'll have to have a look at this when I get round to stripping it down. Accidental neutral is also very annoying, particularly when you pull out onto a roundabout, go to change up from 1st to 2nd and it slips into neutral so you suddenly find you're coasting! Took it over Dunstable downs today and had a lovely ride once it had warmed up. Even saw an indicated 120kph, although I wouldn't trust the speedo reading as it seems pretty erratic! Anyway all good fun. Yet to ride in wet but I can imagine that the tyres don't provide a huge amount of grip.
 
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