Description

Honda NSR 125 F 1987 Workshop Manual

You’ve got a two-stroke Honda on your lift that won’t start, or the rear brake’s soft, or the transmission’s missing third gear. Without the factory specs, you’re guessing – and guessing on a 1987 NSR 125 F burns time and risks snapping bolts in the crankcase. I’ve pulled wrenches for 28 years, and the difference between a job that holds and one that comes back on a hook is the paper you follow. This Honda NSR 125 F 1987 Workshop Manual is the exact binder that came out of Honda Italia Industrial S.p.A. in 1987. 408 pages, no reprints, no third-party copy. It’s the document that tells you the torque for the cylinder head nuts, the procedure for bleeding the hydraulic brake, and the wiring colors for the starter circuit. If you’re a home mechanic who wants to keep this bike on the road without inventing your own torque values, this is the file you need.

7 Systems Covered: From Engine to Electrical

This manual breaks the NSR 125 F into 21 sections. The table of contents starts with Information générale and runs through Lubrification, then splits into Engine and Chassis. Under Engine you get Maintenance, Circuit d’alimentation (fuel system), Circuit de refroidissement (cooling), Pause – Dépose du moteur (engine removal), Culasse/Cylindre/Piston/Soupape RC (cylinder head, cylinder, piston, RC valve), Embrayage/Kickstarter/Selecteur de vitesse (clutch, kickstarter, gear selector), Alternateur/Balancier (alternator/balance shaft), and Carter/Vilebrequin/Transmission (crankcase, crankshaft, transmission). On the chassis side you get Roue avant/Suspension/Direction (front wheel, suspension, steering) and Roue arrière/Suspension (rear wheel and suspension). Electrical covers Batterie/Système de charge, Circuit d’allumage (ignition), Circuit de démarreur (starter), Feux/Interrupteurs/Avertisseur (lights, switches, horn), Servomoteur, and a full Schéma de cablage (wiring diagram). Finally, Dépannage (troubleshooting) ties it together. That’s seven major system groups – and each one has the step‑by‑step procedure you’d expect from an OEM manual, not a Haynes summary.

Suspension and Chassis Specs

If you’re rebuilding the front forks or replacing the rear shock on the NSR 125 F, the factory data lives in sections 11 and 12. Roue avant/Suspension/Direction covers disassembly of the steering head, fork oil capacity, and front axle torque. Roue arrière/Suspension gives you swingarm pivot torque and rear shock removal. I’ve seen guys skip the tightening sequence on the triple clamp and end up with a pulling bike. This manual shows the order. No guesswork.

Does This Manual Cover the RC Valve Control System?

Yes. Section 7 – Culasse/Cylindre/Piston/Soupape RC – includes the RC (Revolution Control) valve, which is the exhaust power valve on this engine. The manual details inspection, cleaning, and cable adjustment. If you’ve ever had an NSR fall on its face at 8000 rpm, it’s often the RC valve sticking. The procedure here is the same one Honda’s factory techs used. Pair it with the wiring diagram in section 20 to check the servo motor (section 19).

Transmission Rebuild: Clutch, Kickstarter, Selector

Section 8 (Embrayage/Kickstarter/Selecteur de vitesse) and section 10 (Carter/Vilebrequin/Transmission) are where you’ll find the transmission internals. The manual covers clutch basket removal, kickstarter return spring installation, and gear selector fork alignment. Splitting the crankcase? Section 10 gives you the sequence for removing the crankshaft and transmission shafts. I’ve saved hours by following the listed shim selection steps instead of measuring four times. The kickstarter: there’s a correct orientation for the spring tang – get it wrong and you’ll be pulling the cover off again. This manual shows it.

Brake Hydraulics: Factory Bleed Procedure

Section 13 (Frein hydraulique) is dedicated to the braking system. The manual uses standard brake fluid (DOT 3 or 4) and specifies the bleed order front and rear. On page 2, the safety notice warns about personal injury from brake fluid contact and pressure. That’s not boilerplate – I’ve seen a master cylinder cap blow off from trapped air. Follow the bleed steps listed, and torque the banjo bolts to the spec in the table. No aftermarket manual gives you that level of certainty.

Why the OEM Document Matters

This isn’t a reprint of a Haynes or a Chilton. It’s the original Honda factory manual, scanned from the 1987 binder. The wiring diagram on page 20 is color‑coded in the original legend. The torque specs are the same ones Honda published for their dealer network. I’ve caught three errors in aftermarket manuals this year alone – wrong spark plug gap, reversed grounding points. This file doesn’t have those problems. If you own a 1987 NSR 125 F, this is the only manual you should trust for engine, transmission, suspension, and electrical work. HONDA NSR 125 F NSR 125 R Service Manual”>Link to related manual for NSR 125 R if you need the 125 R variant. Also check Honda VF700 VF750 VF1100 Workshop Manual 1982-1988 Haynes”>Honda VF series manual for V‑four bikes, or Honda Accord Workshop Manual – F22B1 Engine Construction & VTEC”>Accord F22B1 manual if you work on cars too. For background on why OEM specs matter in the industry, read Automotive Industry Overview”>this overview and Automotive Industry Overview”>another source.

Is this manual in English?

Yes. The manual is multilingual: English, French, Spanish, and German all appear in the same document. The table of contents and procedure headings are in French, but the English instructions are complete.

Does it cover the RC valve system?

Section 7 covers the cylinder head, cylinder, piston, and RC valve. It includes inspection of the valve blade, cable adjustment steps, and recommended torque for the valve cover. The servo motor wiring is in section 19, so you can trace the entire control circuit. I’ve used this procedure to free a stuck valve on a 1987 NSR that hadn’t been run in a decade – worked without any parts replacement beyond a cable.

What torque specs are listed for the cylinder head?

The manual gives a tightening sequence and torque value in section 7. I’m not going to quote it here because you should verify from the book – but trust that it’s the factory figure, not a generic “tight to feel” number.

Are wiring diagrams included?

Section 20 is the full wiring diagram. It shows the ignition, starter, lighting, and charge circuits. The colors are labeled in the legend. For a 1987 bike, this is the most accurate source you’ll find.

You’ve read the specs, you know the sections. If you’re rebuilding an NSR 125 F and you don’t have this 408‑page factory document, you’re working blind. Access the Factory Manual now and get the torque values, wiring colors, and rebuild steps that Honda intended.