2020 Boom Vader Motor Mounts & 200 Mile Report

[hounderd]

I bought my 2020 bd125-10 brand new a few months ago from venom motorsports. A lot of people were saying that the newer models of the vader have the upgraded motor mount bolts, but in my experience that is not true. They may be marked as a certain grade, but I believe its just cheap chinese metal still. I have 200 miles now on my 2020 vader and my engine bolts sheered right off. One sheered completely while riding, and the other was cross threaded so badly it was destroying the bolt, almost to the point of breaking (thank god I changed them both out). I recommend all vader owners get the two engine bolts swapped out asap for solid hardware. I went with grade 8 zinc plated bolts with nylon locking nuts. no more vibration, at any speeds! the vader runs solid now, check your engine mounts if you are experiencing a lot of vibrations!

(sheered motor mount)
https://i.imgur.com/3RyAEET.jpeg

secondary question: what size chain should I upgrade to? the stock chain is awfully loose, no matter how much I tighten it.

also, has anyone replaced the swingarm chain adjusters with the OEM style grom ones? curious if they would work better than the vader ones.

my next plans for the bike:
1. oil cooler
2. tune the vm22 carb, its a huge performance upgrade from the restricted stock carb, and can get more power with better tuning (i need to order jets)
3. upgrade chain and sprockets
4. klx110 handlebars
5. dirt bike throttle tube

200 miles and counting, vader running strong!:yay:

https://i.imgur.com/BpGxJ9K.jpeg

[franque]

Glad to hear you got it sorted out. Whatever chain size you're currently running is probably fine, Chinese bikes tend to ship with cheap chains. It's probably either a 428 or a 428, either one should be sufficient for a stock motor.

[Ninjaguy23]

Do you remember what sizes the two bolts were??

[Big Bird]

Do you remember what sizes the two bolts were??The factory bolts are M8 120mm. So if you go to standard 5/16 4.5-5" should work. I'm using some grade 12.9 from home depot and they seem to be holding up so far. If these fail I'm upgrading to ARP brand bolts.

[Big Bird]

I'm having good luck with my Niche brand non oring chain. The factory chain had to be adjusted almost every other ride. This one I had to adjust once shortly after install and not since. 428, 108 link.

[hounderd]

I'm having good luck with my Niche brand non oring chain. The factory chain had to be adjusted almost every other ride. This one I had to adjust once shortly after install and not since. 428, 108 link.

hey there big bird, thanks for the advice. i went ahead and got a 16t sprocket with the niche 428 chain. have yet to install them because its pretty cold around here now.

i was reading some info on exhausts and saw you posted this in another thread:

If you want a exhaust this one bolts right on though. You just need to add a 51mm slip on muffler and make a simple L bracket to mount the muffler.

https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Ex...=grom+&sr=8-30

can you give me some more info on the L bracket? or mabye a picture? ive been looking at grom exhaust options for the vader but alot of them require modifications, does this one bolt right up besides the l bracket? also what 51mm slip on did you go with? Thanks!

[Big Bird]

hey there big bird, thanks for the advice. i went ahead and got a 16t sprocket with the niche 428 chain. have yet to install them because its pretty cold around here now.

i was reading some info on exhausts and saw you posted this in another thread:



can you give me some more info on the L bracket? or mabye a picture? ive been looking at grom exhaust options for the vader but alot of them require modifications, does this one bolt right up besides the l bracket? also what 51mm slip on did you go with? Thanks! Since nothing comes with the pipe you need a attachment point for the muffler clamp. Since bending aluminum makes it weak my first one started to form a hairline crack, so this is my second made from thicker stock. Steel would probably be better but aluminum was handy and quick to work with.

I just used the typical cheapo slip on that can be found on ebay for around $30. They have different lengths available. I'm using the shortest, its pretty loud with the db killer in it and really loud without the db killer.

Since this pipe is a two piece you can twist it and it doesn't need heat and bending like a typical one piece grom exhaust. That said, if you bolt up the engine side first it will seem like it's not going to work. What you want to do is bolt up the header pipe to the engine last,bolt up the muffler side first, and then the header pipe goes on at a slight angle. The two gaskets crush to compensate for this slight angle. The header flange still bolts flat to the engine so you can torque it down and it doesn't effect the 'wedge' created by the double stacked gaskets. I recommend the copper gaskets(32mm).

Disregard the orangness of the slip on, the flash makes it look that way. It's really a very dark brown after the heat weakened the black anno.

[hounderd]

Thanks big bird, I ordered the header and the slip on, I'll report back when I get a chance to install them :tup:

[Big Bird]

Thanks big bird, I ordered the header and the slip on, I'll report back when I get a chance to install them :tup:It's a decent little pipe for the money. I have about 600 miles on mine with no issues so far.

On the slip on, I'm running mine without the plug in the db killer. Had to grind the spot weld to pop it out.

Just mock the whole thing up but leave the header flange loose against the head so you can move the pipe around. You can see where the bracket will need to meet the muffler clamp. If you want to keep the passenger foot pegs you will just need a long 6mm bolt to replace the pin.

Another way to mount it is make a drop bracket and you bolt it with big washers to clamp to the ends of the rear sets. I think my way looks cleaner though.

[GScott]

Did you figure out the stock chain adjuster question? Seems like they would work if you also change the rear plate, since the grom screw is offset and the clone screw is in the middle.

My Vader came 'assembled' and it had the black hex head cap screws installed for engine bolts. They are marked 12.9, but I don't know it they are good bolts or if they will fail too.

[hounderd]

Did you figure out the stock chain adjuster question? Seems like they would work if you also change the rear plate, since the grom screw is offset and the clone screw is in the middle.

My Vader can 'assembled' and it had the black hex head cap screws installed for engine bolts. They are marked 12.9, but I don't know it they are good bolts or if they will fail too.

I'm still researching the grom chain adjuster stuff, i don't see why they wouldn't work. probably my next purchase.

if the head of your engine bolt looks like this;

https://images.homedepot-static.com/productImages/8909f610-a92c-4275-84c5-2c855f574a7e/svn/crown-bolt-socket-head-cap-screws-43088-64_1000.jpg

change them immediately. they are no good.

[hounderd]

It's a decent little pipe for the money. I have about 600 miles on mine with no issues so far.

On the slip on, I'm running mine without the plug in the db killer. Had to grind the spot weld to pop it out.

Just mock the whole thing up but leave the header flange loose against the head so you can move the pipe around. You can see where the bracket will need to meet the muffler clamp. If you want to keep the passenger foot pegs you will just need a long 6mm bolt to replace the pin.

Another way to mount it is make a drop bracket and you bolt it with big washers to clamp to the ends of the rear sets. I think my way looks cleaner though.


got the exhaust hooked up. it bolted up easy, just like you said. fitment was perfect, just took a little bit of finessing with the header flange and the crush washers. right now i just hooked it up with zip ties from the slip on mount, i'll hit the hardware store and get an L-bracket for it soon.

it sounds and runs so much better now! actually sounds like a bike haha :yay::yay:. i am VERY pleased with how it looks aswell!

i will need to rejet my vm22 now, its running very lean with the new higher flowing exhaust system. what jetting kit do you have in your vm22? thanks for the help bigbird :):)

https://i.imgur.com/fb3XN46.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/8wGo2V4.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/lgIG8qc.jpg

[Big Bird]

I have one from wingsmoto on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B017SJO94S?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

[hounderd]

figured id post an update on my vader.

im at about 400 miles and going to do another oil change, getting the bike ready for spring and summer fun, vader is running strong!

i did replace the chain adjusters with OEM honda chain adjusters, the ones that came with my vader would never hold tension on the chain properly, often slipped, and were hard to properly align the rear wheel (no alignment markings). after replacing with the honda adjusters, all of those problems are eliminated. bike feels like it connects way better and feels torquier due to the lack of chain slip.

i also replaced the handlebar mounts with OEM honda hardware, the ones that came with the vader bent and twisted after one low speed crash. same with the throttle tube, it broke after one crash, so i replaced it with a motion-pro dirt bike tube. works great now.

another thing i did was get a proper pod filter for the crankcase breather hose and routed it up behind the side plastics. since i have a vm22 and no airbox, this breather hose wasn't being filtered or anything. figured it would prolong the life of the motor.

in terms of cosmetic mods, i got a fender eliminator kit off amazon and some cool moose racing handguards. also threw on the protaper klx110 bars, and replaced the turn signals with less dorky looking ones. i think thats about it, mabye forgetting some minor additions, but ive been riding this thing alot more lately so i wanted it setup how i like it :), oh and for the MOST IMPORTANT mod, i added some honda decals so nobody can really tell its a clone at first glance lol..

https://i.imgur.com/4Wv1I5t.jpg

[hounderd]

Did you figure out the stock chain adjuster question? Seems like they would work if you also change the rear plate, since the grom screw is offset and the clone screw is in the middle.
.

just as an update after doing this, you will need the adjuster plate aswell as the 2 nuts that go on the chain adjuster.

here are the part numbers for anyone reading this in the future:

40543-K26-900 - ADJUSTER, CHAIN
40546-K26-900 - CAP, SWINGARM END
90302-KBP-900 - NUT, SPECIAL (6MM)
94001-06200-0S - NUT, HEX. (6MM)

:tup:

[RustyJames]

I'm at 310.8 miles glad you wasn't injured
I'll cheap a eye on mine
And I gotta question where the rectifier ? Yesterday my voltage meter peg to the top
My virago would blow the main fuse before I had to replace it

[Lizard]

The factory bolts are M8 120mm. So if you go to standard 5/16 4.5-5" should work. I'm using some grade 12.9 from home depot and they seem to be holding up so far. If these fail I'm upgrading to ARP brand bolts.

I have a 2020 Vader BD125-15 and my bolts were marked 12.9 from the factory. I think I will replace them just as a precaution. I dropped my engine out of the frame anyway and China could mark them anything they want, but doesn't mean it is what is advertised. ARP bolts is a great idea. Thank you. I'm going to order up some 5/16 SAE to replace them.

[CheapThrills]

FYI, My Boom Vader came with engine mounting bolts labeled "12.9" and I now have a "12.9" broken bolt.



Not a bolt expert, but this bolt seems to have some abnormalities on the shaft that suggest there were some casting defects. Not sure, but no way now that I look at this bolt, it looked high quality, something "12.9" would suggest.



Just a guess, and once again, let me echo the masses, "Change the engine mounting bolts".


Later,