Back in Running Order

Not my XT, no that wouldn’t make sense, I have not finished procrastinating on that project. We revived Curly’s YZ yesterday after a engine tear down to take measurements and to replace any parts that were in need of replacing. All it really needed was a new set of rings, some new reeds, a powervalve cleaning and a good old carb cleaning and adjustment. The bore was within specs for the .20 over pop that was already on it. The piston looked like new and measured out that way.
It also was a chance to brush up on our drilling and tapping skills. I cannot remember ever snapping off so many screws and bolts. We must have broke off about twelve altogether. Most were all securing body pieces and a couple on the engine cases, so there was not too much drama.No need to crack out the old Helicoil set.

The bike was a bit dirty, mainly because it is a dirt bike. But the frame has quite a bit of boot rash and a few stone chips and such. My pleads to Curly to take off all her clothes so I could give the frame a good going over and a fresh paint job fell on deaf ears. He wanted to get the bike going in a reasonable amount of time, so figuring my bike is still not done, he did not want to wait till December to finish his. I had to remind him, though my bike is almost finished, the first thing I did was strip and paint it. At least all the parts look great.
He said if he was going to keep her, he would consider buying her a new set clothes and putting some make up on her. But he is just looking to turn her around for a quick profit. So after we snugged everything up, added the proper amount of fluids, she started on the third kick. I love two strokes, they are easy to work on, and easy to trouble shoot.
Here are a couple of pics of Curly putting her through her paces. So after about a hour of running her up and down the street to make sure all systems were operating properly and to promote goodwill towards Curly’s neighbors, we figured we had the old girl pretty much sorted out. She ran like new, power wheelies in the first four gears, even with a couple of fat guys pouring the coals to her. I almost forgot how fast two stroke two fifties are, even twenty year old ones.


Till Next Time...............................

If There is a Way

For me to take even longer finishing my bike, it would be helping a friend rebuild his new turd. This just happens to be the exact situation I am in right now. Obligations to others seem to have a profound impact on getting the projects I have sitting around done. They tend to stay sitting around even longer.
Curly, just recently acquired a 1987 YZ 250 from a mutual friend. It is in pretty rough shape by the looks of it, but turns over freely and seem to have good compression. All it probably needs to get it running is a good carb rebuild and cleaning. But there are other issues like the chain and sprockets have seen better days, and the plastics are in bad shape. The tires are also shot. This bike pretty much has been sitting around since 1995 so a tear down and complete going though is in order.
So I made Curly a deal he couldn't refuse, I would help him put a good coat of wax on his turd, if he would reciprocate in kind. My bike really does not have a whole lot left to do to finish, but sometimes a couple of friends working towards a common goal is the best way to get on the stick and get your projects completed.
So in addition to the completion of my bike, I will have another bike to work on and write about. We popped the top end off and things look pretty good so far, just take a few measurements and see where we stand.
Should be fun, stay tuned.


Till Next Time.........................................

Remember your first mini bike?

I still have fond memories of the old wildcat minibike that hooked me into a life long love of motorcycles. Getting to relive that moment again through the eyes of my boy, was just as good a feeling for me as when I first laid eyes on that old wildcat many moons ago.

I had the pleasure of reliving a first time bike again the other day. A friend of mine called and said he was going to surprise his boy with a KDX 50. He came by and picked me up and we made the trip up to pick up the bike while his wife was running errands with their kids. When she returned home we were waiting with the bike. The look on Levi’s face says it all, THAT’S MINE REALLY?????
He could barely wait to ride it of course, so we loaded it up and drove to a nearby field to give young Levi his first taste of two wheeled fun. After a few words of caution from his Dad, he was off like a shot out of a gun. Like most kids first time on a minibike, it was WFO for Levi right from the start. It’s a good thing this bike comes with a throttle limiter, because the boy would have probably rode right though a near by fence. Absolutely no fear from him, until the inevitable first crash. He got up, dusted himself off and was on his way again, (at a somewhat slower pace)

We don’t get to go back in time unfortunately, but at least we get to experience what it feels like to be a kid again with moments like these. Dad couldn’t resist testing out the little fifty for himself, I think he had as much fun as his boy did.

Till Next Time.............................

Winter, Spring, Summer or..............

I don't think it has ever taken me this long to rebuild a bike. But after back burnering this project time and time again, progress is slowly being made.
Why spend twenty bucks when you could spend twenty cents.If a picture speaks a thousand words, this one does not speak well of my welding skills.
I whipped up a valve compression tool out of a couple of washers and bolts that I cut the heads off of. I welded the whole shooting match together, abra cadabra, presto and nothing up my sleeve, I saved my cheap ass some green backs. It also looks as if a monkey welded it together.It actually works great, it took me all of five minutes to compress the springs and replace the keepers.
More to come, I bet you can hardly wait.

Till Next Time..................

KABOOM, KAPOW, KABLAMMO

AH, the exploded diagram, I would be nothing without it. I am in the group of individuals whose best teacher is that of experience. Or to actually watch something being done. Text books are, for me at least, the last method I resort to. Mainly because I normally have to read most things about three times before the procedure I am studying actually sticks in my brain.
Before recordable video mediums became affordable to the general public, all my mechanical skills were developed by taking things apart and not remembering the proper way they went back together. Even though I would bag and mark the different sections of the bike, mower,etc. etc. etc.
Thank God for the exploded diagram. Here I can see how the bag of parts I am holding in my hand go together in their proper order. I would not remember the twenty three step procedure to reassemble intake tract and therefore spend extra hours tracking down the errors of my ways. So while I'm still working on finishing the XT,I have a few odds and ends to finish up. I will get to it as my schedule allows.

Till Next Time...............Gymi