can anyone confirm if the standard reed petals on 2001 dt125r are metal or plastic? not sure if the spare one i have is aftermarket ? it is clear plastic? i have read conflicting reports that they are metal on some and plastic on others(standard)
any pics please if you can confirm what it should look like?
i always take any stock reeds of if there made of metal. ive seen what they can do to the bottom end of a moped my mate was fixing for someone the reed lost a corner and that nice sharp piece of metal dropped right into the bottom end and worked its magic damaging the crank but it really did damage when it was pulled up into the cylinder and made a nice big score in the barrel causing the lad who's bike it was to brake down at the side of the road with no compression.
On the older bikes they did used to be metal. Not ever on the DTR as far as i know though. Carb vs the plastic wont make very much difference at all. in Racing terms where a tenth of a second can make a difference and they are changed every race then it's probably worth it. They give better throttle repsonse supposedly. I put some carbon ones on my 350 YPVS and swiftly changed them back as i noticed nothing and read about how often they need to be changed over. I personaly would go for the more durable hy techs.
With that said, I will be going for V force 3 or 4 reedblocks for my 350 TZR build but thats mainly because the reed block itself is designed far better than the standard ones. They do use carbon reeds so i expect I'll be changing them often.
I've never changed my reeds on my dt. Had carbon on there for about 3k miles. Do you really think you'll cover more than that on a bike you'll only use once in a while.
When the bikes finished ill be on it all the time lol so yeah. It wont cause damage or anything when they wear but you will gain a low speed rich condition and so could give a false indication of carbs settings etc.
Its just as the reed tips begin to wear and stop sealing correctly. Its a simple case of stripping the reedblock off and checking them every few thousand miles or so. Not a huge deal and gives you a chance to clean the carbs properly and know you've got a good seal on the reedblocks and inlets. On a run around bike then its not too much of a concern but this bike for me is going to be my pride and joy so well worth the checking.
Best bet then is the hytech glass fibre ones then. They are alot more durable. A compromise between the carbon and metal of the old days. Tbh its not a massive job to get the reed block off and the gasket is pennies. Its 2 hose clips for the carb rubbers, pop the carb out to one side and then 4 bolts holding the reed block and inlet on.
