alfalfa
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Posts posted by alfalfa
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West-Pest '23 looking pretty scenic
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1 hour ago, johnnyfive said:
Those both look awesome guys
So you'll be coming along then
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Bags not
edit: I'm sure we can sit down with a beer and a laptop and with our mapping powers combined come up with an ultimate sweet route
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I sketched this up a while ago. 160 km day 1, 180 km day 2, 90 km day 3.
Plenty of gravel. Haven't looked into accom options at all.
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I put everything back together, splashed some oil and petrol around the various tanks and wheeled it out of the garage to go for a first ride. Wouldn’t start :haha:
Checked spark (ok), fuel (flowing freely through line from tank), pulled carb and checked jets (all clear, fuel in bowl). Put everything back on again.
Lots of kicking, coughed a couple of times, some backfires and eventually it fired up and idled for not very long before dying. More kicking and got it started again, turned up the idle speed screw so it wouldn’t die. Jumped on, rode up the driveway and down the street for a few hundred metres and of course it died when I slowed down to turn around and come back home. Absolutely would not fire this time so I had to do the push of shame home.
I suspected electrical problems (likely condenser?) as fuel is there, carb is clean and set to factory specs and the electrics are 50 years old. It looked like quite a bit of pitting on the points surfaces so maybe the condenser wasn’t condensing properly and it was arcing across the points gap instead? I sanded the points smooth and reset the gap.There is f-all info on the YB125 on the internet for parts numbers etc so for anyone from the future looking for a YB125 condenser, the RD250/350/400 part 1A0-81625-10 is close enough to be correct. Capacitance, size, mounting and spade connector is identical, just the lead is a few cm shorter but still fits ok without stretching and too tight.. I got one from eBay from a seller in France. New plug, new condenser, fingers crossed?
The muffler - header gasket was missing and the header/barrel gasket was pretty beat up. There was quite a bit of exhaust leaking out from the muffler joint. Again, nothing online that I could find for a “YB125 muffler gasket” and the part for its more common predecessor YA-6 is NLA everywhere. I did some measuring and trawling through other yamaha parts and the stock replacement for 70s XS500/XS650 371-14714-03 looks identical. These appear to be readily available which is nice. Order from PlenterNZ arrived with one of each, fitted the header pipe back on and tightened everything up.
The air cleaner foam has gone rank and started disintegrating. Again stock replacements don't exist online that I could find so rather than making the engine inhale chunks of foam I ordered a replacement sheet of filter foam and cut to size and glued together to fit the cleaner housing. Oiled up and reinstalled.
Everything back together and started up 3rd kick! Fiddled with the air screw and idle adjuster to get it sitting at 1200 rpm as per shop manual, checked with a cheap AliExpress hour meter/tacho. Its happy as.
Took it out for a decent ride around NP, went great. Brakes are quite rubbish but work, got up to 80kph on the flat without speedtuck. Neutral top gearbox is wack, I have to think about each shift but I'm sure I'll get used to it. Got props from an old lady walking her dog when I stopped for a photo "now that's a proper motorbike"
Time for more riding to see what else breaks before I start the re-registration process.
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Yeah pretty funny, I was so confused at first when it just turned and opened with no loud cracking or popping noises!
It's not all plain sailing, stay tuned for the next update...
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So I’ve been pottering away on this since rolling it into the garage. I'm rubbish at taking picture while working on stuff so this is mostly words sorry (not sorry).
Locksmith took aaaages to cut a new key so I couldn’t do much on the electrics/starting/running side while I was waiting for that to happen. In the meantime I pulled the carb off, stripped and cleaned it and reassembled. There was a bunch of varnish and crud in the bowl so gave that a good scrub out. Gasket still looked good so reused it. The main jet currently in it is a #190 which is 2 sizes smaller than the factory spec #210. I think I’ll get some extra jets to bring it back to stock so I can tune from there rather than have it be (potentially) too lean.
New AGM battery arrived. Connected up and slotted in nicely.
All of the control cables were either extremely stiff or completely seized up so I squirted some lube down them and worked back and forth until they were smooth(er). If these go bad again I'll look to replace.
Sprayed/brushed some phosphoric acid rust converter gel stuff on the header pipe and muffler which actually worked pretty well. The chrome is quite pitted but not too worried about that at this stage.
Finally got the ignition and new key back so it was time to fire it up. Connected everything and put some premix in a syringe connected to the carb (fuel tank still locked shut) and she fired up 3rd kick! Was a bit rough at first but settled down to idle pretty nicely. Stoked as, so good to hear it ring-a-dinging away. All lights and signals work. Charging system is putting out 13.5v at idle which is a little bit below the 14.0v @2000rpm spec but no worries?
The 2T oil tank had a bit of rust inside and around the outside seams. I wire brushed and scotched of the loose stuff from the outside. The oil that was left in there had gone real gross and started to separate with some big globs of gross suspended. Sloshed some petrol around to try and dissolve it and it cleaned up ok. Still some crud on the mesh filter around the outlet so I got in there with a very long toothbrush and some more petrol and got it pretty clean. Poured in some evapo rust to deal to the rust spots and left it for a few days. Cleaned up really good, that stuff is magic. Also threw miscellaneous rusty fasteners and other gubbins in a jar with evaporust to clean them up. I cleaned up the autolube pump and had to add quite a lot of shim washers to get the idle stroke set correctly. Bled the air out from the supply hose and checked it was pumping oil through into the case. All good!
Then I looked at the petrol tank again. The new ignition key didn’t fit in the tank lock (boo) so I had a go at making a tension wrench and lock pick from some old wiper blade spring steel but obviously I’m rubbish at lock picking
as this didn’t work. Screwdriver time. Put one in the keyway and started turning it with a spanner and the whole cap twisted open :o. Turns out I’m also rubbish at checking things properly and the cap was unlocked the whole time but seized up just enough to not open easily by hand when I first checked. Good news though, it’s mint inside so quick rinse out and chucked it back on. The chrome side panels came up pretty well with some autosol and elbow grease. I will redo the white lettering on the Yamaha badges at some point too.
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Man I just wanna say its so cool to see this badboy rolling around again! That idle is grumpy/10 for sure!
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Emailed someone at bits4bikes who I think are attached to the NZ wholesaler/distributor somehow?
QuoteHi there
Thank you for your email. We have these tyres (SR241 3.00-16) listed as indent order only which means we don’t order them for stock unless a dealer orders them AND being indent order they need to order a minimum of 5 tyres at a time. Then once the order is in place, they cannot be cancelled and will take between 4-5 months to arrive.
If you want to order a minimum of 5 then please talk to your local dealer who will talk to us and we can order as we cannot back order via bits4bikes and will need to go to the wholesaler
5 tyres is a few more than I want sooo does anyone else want/need a couple of SR241s in 3.00-16?
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Tyre people! The YB125 runs 3.00-16 front and rear. This appears to be a not particularly common/available size here in NZ. The tyres on it are currently holding air fine and don't look too badly cracked/perished but I want to put something new on soon once I get it up and running.
Best I can see in stock are $79.90 Shinko SR714 in 80/80-16 which is a pretty close metric size match or $$$135 Michelin anakee in the same size.
SR241's come in 3.00-16 according to the Shinko international website but no NZ stockist/distributor show this size as existing. Has anyone had luck ordering from somewhere odd sizes like these that aren't normally stocked?
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Also, here's something weird. When it was last registered, it was as a "1999 YB125 Autolube"
1999 is also the year that it was first registered (I think?) based on the little 12/99 on the registration tag.
It's definitely 'in the system' so I'm hoping re-reg shouldn't be too hard. It's got a vin tag and new font white plate.
Has anyone had a go at correcting an incorrect model year like this before? I've heard some chat that a while ago bikes used just be tagged with the year they were first registered rather than their manufacture year? I definitely want to get this on vintage reg if possible!
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I recently got the urge to get a bike back in the garage and start enjoying that small bike life again. Was browsing up a storm on FB marketplace, trademe etc but everything seemed to be either too fucked, moonbeams or in the South Island. Sitting on the couch one night with the Mrs I got the notification that a 73' YB125 was closing soon. Had a few bids already but was still only $550 or so. Chucked a bid on, few back and forths with someones autobid "just to see how high it might go" and I ended up winning it for $590. Whoops
. Supposedly a runner, but has been sitting for a while and the key is lost. Has been registered previously but lapsed.
Got in touch with old mate, bike was in Wellington so organised to go down easter friday and pick it up. Borrowed @anglia4's trailer and he decided to come along for the trip too, legend. Early morning hoon down to Welly, bike on the trailer, back to NP by mid afternoon.
Got it into the garage and started taking it apart to see what is lurking underneath.
Lots of surface rust
Grimey build up on autolube pump. Carb looks pretty good inside though?
Managed to get the exhaust header off without much trouble. Rings and piston looking good to me so I probably wont bother taking the head or jug off for now.
Things to do:
I have taken the ignition off and given it to the local locksmith to see if he can cut a new key that fits. The petrol cap has a lock on it too so I haven't been able to get inside that yet to see what state its in. I've taken the petcock off and there's no fuel in there so hopefully no holes. My big idea is that the fuel cap and steering lock and helmet lock were all keyed alike to the ignition but just used 2/3 of the 4 pins (or whatever) so if I can get the ignition key cut then I don't need to bang a screwdriver in and wreck the petrol cap. Worst case there seems to be NOS ignitions with keys and petrol caps on ebay indonesia for acceptable $$ so I will get one of them if no bueno with the locksmith. Fingers crossed he can because I don't really want to wait for Garuda Airmail to be able to ride it properly!
I've got a new battery coming too. This model is electric start too which is lush/not in the spirit of old 2T at all
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Questions for the hive mind: unsure what I should do (if anything) about the rusty bits. My initial thinking was to do a quick wire brush of all the loose stuff that is out of sight on the frame under the tank, seat etc and then brush on some rust converter to try and slow down/stop whatever is left. Mixed reviews on effectiveness of that stuff though. Would that be worth it or a waste of effort? Better off hitting it with a wire wheel to properly get rid of it then spraycan/brush on some rustkill primer and closest colour matching topcoat?
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10 hours ago, Mop Head said:
My first time having any of my writing published. Quite cool to see it with that URL attached.
https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/story-behind-the-story-how-a-dealer-in-boise-invented-the-honda-trailGreat storytelling and loved the video, what a legend Herb is. Get him in the AMA hall of fame!
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18 hours ago, xsinclairx said:
Ahhhh, Barry...
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1 hour ago, anglia4 said:
Consider it a rideable project
I'm sure you'd find things to do.
You guys need to come round for a cuppa. I've got a new project too... which is also why I'm desperate to get rid of the GT haha the trailer was not supposed to come home with more bikes on it than it left with
Keen for a cuppa and shed yarns! We're finally home on weekends for the foreseeable future so lets do it soon
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11 minutes ago, xsinclairx said:
Every time I scroll past this I click on it to have a chuckle and then don't add it to my watchlist
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16 minutes ago, anglia4 said:
Buy my GT50/100!
I can deliver it and/or store it and keep it a secret from Bex for as long as required
Ahahaha she actually said I should buy it the other night. Although I kinda want a project...
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Alright, I think the time has come to get me back on two wheels via the collective wisdom of OS. I'm after a small bike for occasional tarmac pesting, local gravel road exploring and East-Cape/Te Urewera hoons.
Something old that can hang at or near to 100kph would be ideal. So a scoot or moped is probably out. A grot dung covered farmbike seems like a good candidate (lots of 70's AG175s on TM at the mo). I love how gross they are. Is it possible to gett one of these reg'd for the road? Do I need to find one with a plate and a history in the system on Carjam and then head down to VTNZ with the right form? Have all the TF's been rode into the ground farmbike racing?
Otherwise I'm pretty into the ol' pressed steel frame style (YB100/A100 etc) or early scrambler/ADV DT's, CL's etc
Prices have jumped up heaps too (or maybe i'm just grumpy old man spec now) what happened to the $150 rusty poorly running YB's that were everywhere in the 2010s? Also $1k AG's wtf has happened!
GN is a last resort
Thanks gang
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On 17/03/2023 at 12:09, cubastreet said:
Anyone know who does the best courses in Wellington? There's on in the hutt, one in tawa and one in kapiti iirc.
Been a bit long on my learners really.
Also, anyone had experience getting a bike put on the lams list?
I got my old '71 Kawasaki A7 Avenger 2T added to the LAMS list probably 10 years ago. Was easy as. Just filled out a form, attached a scan of the factory manual with weight, power and cc rating shown. Got a reply back not long after that saying it was on the list. This was pretty soon after the LAMS rules were created so lots of slightly more obscure bikes weren't on it - I imagine most models have been added by now?
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Imma be there and I have a surprise for y'all
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Toe overlap is a good thing and should be strongly encouraged on all fashionbike builds haha.
Seriously though, straight blade forks would have pretty much the same amount of rake (or offset if you prefer) as the bent ones you have now. They are still bent, its just the change in angle occurs at the fork crown instead of in the leg.
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Posters look meke especially the Avenger one!
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Problem you will/may have elliot is that the forks are 1" and threaded. You could go to a 1" threadless headset & forks but you might struggle to find some nice old straight blade steel forks in 1" threadless. Having a look on ebay would be my best advice, you could probably find some nice double crown straight blade 1" threaded forks that are the right steerer length. If they are for 700c wheels (which they probably will be if they are higher quality) then you will end up with heaps less tyre-fork/frame gap which always looks better
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if you buy one of those piss arse tank sealing kits i recommend getting the tank phosphoric acid diped at the strippers as the little bottle of acid they give you won't be enough
Was more than enough in it for what I had to do. Just gotta keep turning the tank round and shaking it to get full coverage around the inside
Eastcapescapade #6 2022 November 11th, 12th, 13th
in Upper North Island Region
Posted
Perfectly blocking the mountain with that tree takes real photographic talent I tell ya