P1050925a

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Comment by James Doulton on January 6, 2013 at 21:51

It's a Honda XL125 Varadero - a learner legal bike with a twin water-cooled engine with big fins on the outside of the water jackets to make it look like a 650. A colleague has a 650 and a casual observer wouldn't notice the difference, until you rev it or ride it.

Comment by Big Vern on January 6, 2013 at 20:33

You won't lose 3" probably using two of the escort long mounts instead of a long and a short. If its sitting properly the cam belt cover and oil filler should just rub against the inside of the bonnet. Use a Ford Sierra manual sump as its the shallowest. Some people lower the suspension so as the wheels 'look right' in the wheel arches then have to raise the engine to stop it dragging on the ground.

Comment by Adrian Southgate on January 6, 2013 at 20:14

If you switch to RS 2000 alloy engine mounts and shorten the sump the engine will sit lower. 

If you have the engine out then it might be worth looking into swapping to Sierra ones (ford Sierra that is) and fitting new mounts to the chassis. looks like you need to lose about 3 inches to give you a bit of room under the bonnet and the only way to drop that much would be with fabricating new chassis to engine brackets to take either of the above mounts. Mk1 / 2 escort mounts are not sufficient to take the oomph or inertia (weight of boat anchor) from a pinto in my experience. (both my Legerra and Sierra run boat anchors pinto's.

Comment by Pete Clayton on January 6, 2013 at 19:52

First time i've seen cut outs for the oil filler and camshaft pulley on a melos with a pinto, must be mounted high up!