pat_56

Went for a pretty good trail ride today with my 14 year old son on his 1976 TY175. Very impressive for a 38 year old bike. He loved it for it's ability to practically idle over roots and rocks at a crawl under ease of control. He has been talking about it ever since. He was practicing riding standing up because it is how they ride in the videos he has been watching, he would also try standing still standing up with feet on the pegs and was getting it to two or three seconds at a time. I have not seen him this excited about anything with an engine. - And when I showed him the identification tag where it says it is a "Built for Competition" he was smiling from ear to ear. This bike fits him like a glove and is still a pretty darn good looking bike.

Well I like the voice just fine! I started watching your videos before I joined this forum or bought a trials bike and played them to my son to interest him in the trials style. Your sort of like the Jeremy Clarkson of off road motorcycles, only not like him, but not totally unlike, sort of like - only different. I would definitely find the videos less entertaining without your voice. Unless maybe it was Jeremy Clarkson voice of course, he's awesome.

Is that your voice on this video?

After 40 years and over 30 bikes I have never seen a half link! Thank you for the link link for the half link, I will be getting one of those.

This is not the post that I had originally seen but the link Ourian posted took me to some photo's by David Lahey. I like the look of this arrangement. The other kit which provides built in clearance looks to me that it may have sacrificed width to clearance. Feetupfun, if you have a photo or two that will help I would really like to see them. Thank you, Pat

A few days ago I stumbled onto a post that had a great photo of an aftermarket set of wide pegs that had a built in pin for holding the peg up so the kick start would clear it. Tonight I have spent over an hour and a half trying to find that post so I could see what brand or source of those pegs were. Can any one please tell me what source of wide pegs for the TY175 has the little pin that holds the peg back? Thank you, Pat

Well, I removed my clutch cable and had a closer look, it really wasn't that bad. The cracks were in a piece of old tubing that had been split and slid over the original cable. I cleaned them up and worked clear hydraulic oil through them. I also removed the pivot arm, cleaned and lubed it. The clutch feel and operation has improved exponentially! I also replaced the rear brakes. The old shoe friction material had fallen completely off one of the shoes. After cleaning and installing new shoes I had fairly good brakes but I had to use 100% of my adjustment and there is still a lot of pedal travel so that was a bit disappointing.

Both sprockets and chain were past due so today I installed a 12 and 55. It works great but puts the link count at an odd place where one extra link off would be too little but the one extra link used 75 % of my available adjustment. Result is good - though at this point of my experience I must admit the effect is somewhat wasted on me as it seemed super low before. I suppose it will benefit our learning curve not to have to struggle to overcome the limitations of the taller gearing. Learning off the experience of others is usually a pretty good thing.

Wow! I just did some reading on some of the threads for 2 stroke oil! Followed a link to some great explanation that answered my questions. Basically what constitutes a great oil for a high revving motor cross bike all be it expensive and high tech, it appears it may actually be not so good for an older trials bike due to deposits left behind in lower rpm / lower temperature operation causing some undesired things like plug fowling and build up in the head and exhaust ports. A very interesting and informative read. I looked through 2 shops today and there were no W3 rated oils. I guess good old basic petroleum based 3W oil will be the way to go.

I will run the best oil that is appropriate and once I start I will keep with it as long as I own the bike unless there is a compelling reason to change, I have run the same oil (Husqvarna 2 stroke factory oil) in my 2c bush cutter for 30 years it has cut many acres of bushes and grass and works as good as when it was new, I would not run saw oil in my bike though. I was told that the proper grade of oil had to have 3W on the bottle, I looked at some top grade oil (about $20 per litre) where I get my parts, didn't say 3W so wanted check into it online. Would there be any point using synthetic 10W-30 in the transmission? Start easy? I don't think you could push the start lever a full stroke slow enough that it wouldn't start. This bike just can't wait to start! And it settles into a steady slow idle. Remarkable really for such an old machine. I was told by the guy I got it from that he knew the bike since new, the original owner used to ride with him and every thing including the tires and chain were still original. The sprockets I got are 12t front 55t rear. He did however use whatever 3W, 2 stroke oil that he could conveniently find.

He was just right for it the year we got it but he took a growth spurt and this year just looked way too big for it. We got it new and I thought I would talk my wife into trying it but nothing doing now way, no how on that idea. A kid sure grows a lot between 12 and 14!

Just got back from Vacation where we spent some time Kayaking along the beaches on the Northumberland Straight. I picked up chain, sprockets and brake shoes on the way home. The dealer was fine with keeping the "O" ring chain and selling me a non "O" ring chain out of stock. I also got a chance to put the chains side by side for curiosity. As you knew the "O" ring was wider, a lot wider (by at least 3/16 of an inch)! So glad for the words of caution about the chain. My son hasn't been on it for any length of time, just a couple trips around the yard. The old chain was so stretched I was afraid it would come off and do some damage. Also there are a couple things I want to bring up to a better state, should get him out after the chain and brakes go on. Is there any recommendations for best oil to use for Premix and what oil should go in the transmission?

I contacted the dealer on the chain, it is on it's way but he said he has no problem adding it to his stock and selling me a non roller that he already had in stock. "Roller chain sapping power"! It never occurred to me for a second. Now that's attention to detail. I especially would not want to damage my casings that could put our little bike out of commission for quite a while. Thanks!

Good tip on the clutch lever lube, I would not have thought of that. I plan to do a transmission oil change so this would be a good time to lube that arm. I did not know about the lever covers being included in the OEM cables, this and other advise received I will go with the OEM if I can find them. I'm not expecting modern braking, just hoping to get something close to original. Or at least somewhat better than what I have as all of my adjusters are pretty much maxed out. FYI, the stoppie in my member photo was a Photo Shopped gag for the guy I was fixing the bike for, I had one leg on the ground. That little Chinese bike would have folded under my weight. All good information that will be put to use in the project, thanks for the help! This years goal is a little TLC to unwind the clock a little for this old girl and a few hours in the trails for my Son to get to know the bike. Pat

Really! The thought never crossed my mind! I will see if I can change up that order today!

My old cables are a bit ratty, some kinks and cracks etc. When I squeeze the brake and clutch levers, although they do activate after a fashion; the clutch does the clutch thing and the front brake mildly suggests that it would like the front wheel to slow down some if it's not too much trouble. New brake shoes are on order, however: What I notice is, there seems to be a lot of flex and squirm on the cables as they are applied. It would seem to me that I might be loosing some application force and smoothness with all this movement being used up to pretension my ratty old cables. While I expect just about any new cable will be an improvement, is any one aware of a superior grade of cable that is more robust? Surely there must be a better cable that people who ride competitively use, that surpass the performance of other available units. Any advice in this area? Thanks.

My old chain and rear sprocket is roached so I just ordered 55 rear with 12 front. The ratio comes in very close to the 51 and 11. I thought I would try this way so I don't have to modify the washer and the less teeth on a front sprocket the faster it will ware, partly due to reduced contact area over less teeth etc. I ordered them via our local Honda dealer along with brake shoes. Prices were actually a little better than on line over all when considering shipping and the old currency exchange rip off scam the banks play. I also ordered an "O" ring chain. I'll post how the installation goes with a few photos although my riding evaluation wouldn't account for much at my level of Trials Newbie-ness.

I ordered sprockets and an "O" ring chain today. I went with 55T rear and 12T front. This gives a ratio of 4.58, Had I gone Stock Rear 51T and dropped to a 11T front the ratio would be 4.64, stock was 3.92. Hopefully this will be a good choice for longevity and light trail riding. Ordered from my local Honda shop at as good or better than on line prices, no shipping, no currency exchange and it will be here by the end of the week.

I have checked out the Sammy Miller tank on line and I like it but I calculate that it will cost nearly $600 landed. I got the bike for $800 but it cost me $500 to get it and I have a pretty good list of must haves to make it a safe ride: brake shoes front and rear, cables, chain and sprockets, and the tires are cracked. So goes the tally. All things considered I am happy with the bike and my list freshen-up items are all consumables. I will attach a couple photos of my son's 1st bike that we just sold this spring after we used it for a little over 2 years. Always driven on dirt and believe it or not never spun. My son is just happy to drive along where I lead. He loves it but just does not seem to have a desire to ride aggressively. We like a small grove where we ride around between trees over lots of roots and mildly irregular mounds and rocks which is what gave me the idea of a trials for his next bike. He is thrilled to boast that he has a 175cc two stroke. These photos are after 2 years use, not before! Never spun, never on pavement, never had the throttle all the way open. Believe it or not.

Spencer had a short ride Yesterday around the yard. Just got on a rode it, no problems. 1974 would have been a 900 Z1, It was the start of a 30 year run with High Performance 900 bikes. I have seen some of those old 900 air cooled bikes "Built Up" that would probably eclips mine at some points of acceleration but probably not have the top end. Still incredible for the era though. Back then they also had a 750 3 cylinder two stroke. The joke expression at the time was that 2nd gear the 750 had enough torque to snap over backwards and smack you on the pavement like a giant fly swatter. The 750 was also hard on gas and had treacherous handling characteristics due to the frame being two much flex for the power.

As a matter of fact The boy just asked if we could go out tomorrow as I was logging onto the computer! I have read about someone who used an 11 tooth on front, a 51 on the back and liked it. Currently it has a 13 front and 51 rear. The front is in pretty good shape so must have been replaced. I think it was just used for a trail bike. I plan to order a 12 for the front, a 51 rear and a new chain, keep the 13 for a spare and trash the rest. I don't know what it is about the 11 tooth but it just looks so tiny and low in circumference, it may not be an issue but there are so few teeth engaged at a time? Just my O.C.D. coming out I guess. Any way, 1st gear is so low that I can't imagine requiring less speed than what it currently has so; I will try the 12 and keep the 13 which looks like new in case I want to go back (for all the difference it will make). I have had my 900 doing about 140 mph which is red line in 3rd gear and just basically what it whips up to when enthusiastically passing a car or two on the 4 lane. Hitting it in 2nd gear while doing 60 (be careful or the wheel may lift) takes you to just over 100 mph, give 3rd and 140 is a second and a half away. From a stop she will hit 140 in 10 seconds, that's a quarter mile. Red line is 12,000 RPM for a claimed and doable (I am told) top speed of 187 mph which is where the rev limiter kicks in. Transmission is a 6 speed, bike weighs about 400 making 150 hp crank and 130 hp at the wheel.... and that's Nothing! BMW has a bike making 197 rear wheel hp! However top speed is limited the same as mine and it is only about 1/10th of a second quicker than mine in the quarter mile, it is however infinitely more sophisticated. Also, the BMW speed limiter can easily be bypassed giving it a top end of Well over 200 mph... Where as mine is geared so red line makes the rev limiter kick in (in theory) at 299 kilometers per hour which is where all the manufacturers have agreed to limit their bikes for some time now. So in the case of my bike 299 kmph / 187 mph is all it can do - adequate for commuting I guess. You can change sprockets but then it will not pull red line in top gear, so to me my bike has achieved ultimate balance with no excess: Red line is all she can pull at top allowable speed. The Kawasaki in fact was the 1st mass-produced land machine on the planet to get under 10 seconds in the quarter mile straight out of the show room with stock tires, under a professional driver, even beating out larger displacement bikes for several years to come. If you are sharp and can hang on to it, she is capable of 0-60 mph in under 3 seconds, and it only takes 1st gear (actually 1st will do 75 mph). I however am not that "sharp". 1st gear it will lift the wheel at just over 1/4 throttle, wheelie violently at over 1/2 throttle and punch you in the face with the windshield if you snap it open (or break loose and smoke on down the road). All the above is just bragging rights. Having it I feel I own a piece of Iconia (my word for owning an Icon). The 900 was a signature number for Kawasaki from the 70's and my bike is from the last year they made an ultimate performance 900 which was 2003. It is comfortable and rock solid. In the later years of production it lost to the competition on the track but was unanimously recognized as the best rocket bike for the street, of all the open class super bikes. Alas, people buy numbers and sales suffered until finally Kawasaki made a whole new bike; the ZX10R which shared nothing but a name with the ZX9R. It was faster and better on the track but not as good a street bike. If I was younger and still progressing I might not feel sad, but in a strange manor I really identify with this bike, it maxed and is holding fast. No matter who do what comes next it will always be the 1st to do what she did, set the standard for many years and still is still one Heck of a machine! 20,000 miles and still on the original chain and sprockets adjusters have moved only 2 marks, chain and sprockets are showing no ware. I bought it unseen from Ontario 6 years ago. I flew up to get her, threw my leg over the saddle and my 1st test drive was just over 1000 miles long - and I enjoyed every step of the way. Highway mileage is over 60 mpg.

The oil injection was disconnected when I got the bike and I have no plan of putting it back in use as I don't know exactly why it was disconnected in the 1st place. So it looks like Pre Mix is the way I am going to roll. Wow, I had no idea the tire pressures were run that low! Good tip on the inner tube, I will check those wheel related items out tomorrow. The tires have lots of tread but lots of cracks besides. They hold air well but if they start to become a problem I will replace them with a good set.

That's_a_five, I Like the look of those pegs, I think I can make that happen to mine. Hmm, Don't think I've seen that tank on a TY before? nice how your seat fits the frame so neatly. The whole package kind of has a Euro vibe, up to the tell tail Yamaha exhaust guard. Your bike looks well set up and personalized, I think I can identify with your comfort level with having tailored it to your needs but it has been a long time since I have had a machine that fits that bill for me, I find it takes time and miles to build a relation ship with a machine although I am rather fond of my Ninja 900. Oh ya, riding around will certainly occupy the bulk of the remainder of this year, we have endless trails starting a few hundred yards up our street. As Spencers comfort level picks up I will gradually lead him into mildly irregular terrain and there is a favorite little grove with lots of tree roots and a few small flat rocks that we used to trek around in as a slow control exercise which challenged his Honda 70 because of the small wheels. I am not nearly as daring as my desire to be would suggest, at my age I have a keen appreciation of how badly I land and how much it hurts that keeps the fulfillment of my stunting fantasies well in check. FYI, the little shot of me doing the stopie that comes up as my profile is photo shopped - My right leg is on the ground and I blotted it with a photo editor, the little bike wasn't even running. I looked in the little tool box, it only has a spark plug in it but the spark plug is in a very old box marked Genuine Yamaha Parts. Tonight I made an air filter from a foam lawn tractor filter I stitched the sides with my sewing machine, turned it inside out and ran a bead of silicone over the seam. I stretched it over the original filter basket and the edges shrank over the open end nicely so they folded under when I put it in place, coated with oil of course. I will order a couple originals this week. I tried to take a link out of the chain but found it would not have been long enough if I had by about 1/8 inch so it looks like Chain and sprockets will be on the early list too. I also installed new fuel line and a filter. Then puddled around on it for 5 or 10, the little thing works quite nicely. Later, Pat

Yes, these are the exactly the kind of tips that are appropriate at our stage, and the type of thing that I love because they are what make the early stages technical and interesting and a person will veritably never figure out on your own until progress becomes arrested to boredom and discouragement. I am in fact very well equipped for welding, I did feel that the pegs were a little narrow and had considered off set pegs that I saw on line. Modifying mine is a much better idea and I won't have to wait for delivery. Do you by any chance have a close up photo of the end result? As it is not immediately obvious to me what you mean by "Wider and Longer"? Yes I think they are Universal Tires, for this year though we will be quite occupied making straight lines, figure 8's tight turns, "Stand Stills" and the occasional trail ride for a change up (I will still be using my old XL200). These old hard and cracked tires may be in for a few miles yet. I am not sure if I mentioned this before but I am the "Idiot" on wheels, I want to wheelie and do bunny hops and fancy turns right out of the gate (That doesn't mean I am talented or accomplished, just impetuous and a bit intense even for my age of 56) but my 14 year old Son is not like that at all! I need to focus on encouraging and praising his progress while curbing my own tendency to be the center of attention. This is all about drawing him off of the computer since pushing him off has been ineffective and why should it be unless I can offer him something better. I haven't looked in the tool box, I forgot. I do however have a few immediate needs. I want to replace all the cables for the brake, clutch and throttle. I also want to replace the brake shoes. I have a theory that if there are premium quality cables available it should have a significant in the feel and performance of brakes and clutch. The same with brake shoes. Does anyone have any recommendations for cables and brake shoes that work particularly well? I would hate to spend $125 for a bargain brand parts lot if $200 would net a boost in feel and drivability. How much pressure should I run in these ratty old tires? What is a good brand of Oil for the engine? What is a good Ratio to mix the gas? (Premium only of course) What is a good transmission oil?

After 40 years of having over 30 bikes made to sit on. My first impressions were that this thing feels like the alien of all motorcycles, I wasn't used to standing and sitting on the thing certainly didn't feel right. Anyway it was beginning to rain, it was dark, it was late, my wife didn't want me to bother the neighbors, and my dog was barking at me so in the garage it went. I checked in on the computer and saw your tip to lean the bike in on the turn. I did feel unsteady turning the bike upright but after all - leaning is something you do at speed right? Tonight I had to pull it out of the garage for 5 minutes after work - before supper. The difference of leaning into the turn was immediate and surprising, almost felt natural!