WHAT IS IT? Honda CRF150RB
WHO? Levi Wilkinson, built by his dad Joel Wilkinson
WHERE DID YOU BUY IT? Joel picked it up on Facebook Marketplace for $3500.
HOW MUCH? $3500 for the bike, plus plenty more in parts, coatings and rebuild components along the way.
WHY DID YOU BUY IT?
Let’s be honest, every kid should have a moto. It gets them outside building some character through cuts and bruises instead of sitting inside playing games. They’re out there learning how to push their own limits.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO IT?
The whole bike was stripped down until I honestly had no idea what went where. I’d never worked on bikes before, but I opened my big mouth saying I’d rebuild it, so I had to learn. The bottom-end bearings were done, so it became a full refresh. It got a new piston and rings, cam chain, radiators and hoses, headset bearings, wheel bearings and spokes, swingarm bearings and a new water pump. All the gaskets and seals were replaced, the carburettor was rebuilt and re-jetted, and both the front and rear brake calipers were rebuilt along with a new rear master cylinder.
Cosmetically it went a bit wild too. The frame, engine covers, valve cover, carburettor, part of the swingarm, rear spring, triple clamps, front brake caliper and wheel hubs were all powder-coated in a colour-shifting purple–gold–brown finish from Static Powders. The water pump cover, rear brake caliper, shock linkage, shock adjuster nut and oil filter cover were coated in illusion chrome red.
HOW DOES IT GO?
They’re honestly one of the best bikes under 250cc in my opinion. They don’t seem to mind copping a hard time and even most adults could have a bit of fun on one. They’re a great option for teenagers just starting out, enough power to make them think twice but still light enough to throw around.
WOULD YOU RECOMMEND BUYING ONE?
Absolutely. My boy loves his. I probably could’ve saved some money and not bothered rebuilding the front wheel though, it only really gets used when it’s parked up! I had to apologise to him because there were a few setbacks and the bike was off the track for several months, but hey, I’m just a concreter. Like they say, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then. In the end, I reckon it turned out pretty good.
5 UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT YOU OR THE BIKE
- Joel had never worked on bikes before this rebuild.
- The bike was completely stripped and rebuilt from the ground up.
- Most of the parts were powder-coated in colour-shifting finishes.
- The rebuild took several months thanks to a few setbacks.
- Levi loves the bike so much the front wheel barely touches the ground.
