Yamaha YBR 125 Owner Blog : Yamaha YBR 125 Clutch Cover Removal: Oil Filter & Internal Health Check

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In my original 2014 post, I looked at the "clutch side" of the YBR 125 engine. By 2026, many of these 154FMI engines have reached high mileages where simply changing the oil isn't enough. To maintain your "Wide Moat" of reliability, you must go deeper.

1. Why Remove the Cover? (The "Secret" Filter)

The YBR 125 does not have a replaceable paper oil filter. Instead, it uses a Centrifugal Oil Filter (the "spinning cup" on the end of the crank).

The 2026 Issue: Over years of delivery runs or commuting, this cup fills with metallic "sludge." If it’s full, dirty oil circulates through your engine, increasing "maintenance debt."
The Fix: Remove the three small screws on the centrifugal filter cover and scrape out the grey sludge. It’s messy, but it’s the best "R&D" you can do for your crank's lifespan.

2. The Oil Strainer Mesh

At the bottom of the casing, there is a small wire mesh.

Check this for plastic shards (timing chain guide wear) or metal flakes (bearing wear).
Clean it with brake cleaner and blast it with compressed air.

3. The "Grinding" & Wear Check

Clutch Basket: Look for "notching" on the fingers of the clutch basket. If the edges are notched, your clutch will feel "sticky" or won't disengage smoothly.
The 2026 Hack: You can lightly grind/file these notches flat again to restore smooth shifting, but don't take off too much metal or the plates will rattle.

4. Reassembly Tips for 2026

Gasket Surfaces: Use a plastic scraper to remove the old gasket. Do not use a screwdriver, or you will "gouge" the soft aluminum, leading to permanent leaks.
Kickstart Spring: Ensure the kickstart return spring is hooked back into its hole correctly before closing the case.
Oil Seal: If your kickstart or gear lever is weeping oil, now is the time to swap the seals.

i have mentioned in the past about engine failure maybe due to oil i think , maybe its the oil filter internal to the engine .
i just checked and this one was quite clogged so it may be worth doing every few thou , although a pretty big job if you have to remove engine to do it ( i just tried and you can do this job in the bike ill do an update on that later.)