Japanese Bikes, Build Threads & How-To’sBuild threads, tech Q&A and conversations centered around custom-built motorcycles from the Land of the Rising Sun
Nice progress! Looks like we're both going similar directions with our builds. I'm getting ready to roll up a low pipe expansion chamber for my DT175. I don't know if you've read it before, but Gordon Jennings' Two Stroke Tuner's Handbook is a really good resource for pipe formulas and theories.
ok, time for a # plate. found this piece of stainless at a second hand store some time back for 50 cents. don't know what it's for, but it'll work.
cut, bang, bend, bang, cut, bleed, bang and hammer the shit out of it for a while and it starts to take shape
i've about 45 minutes into it so far, with my 2.5 year old helping/hanging out in the garage.
stainless is so much more of a pain in the ass than aluminum or even mild steel.
Last edited by dhallilama; 07-02-2012 at 10:53 PM.
Dood, magnificent work here. I love it. Bought one to build with/for my nephew but some fuckers stole my parts while I was outta town, and been too busy since I been home to start on it. I could dream about this and when I woke up I'd be on a kickstand!
I'm loving this. Got my eye on an IT490, with similar plans in mind. Please, by all that's right and sacred in this world and probably the next, follow the plan to go yellow with the black laser stripe. Why in hell Yamaha ever abandoned that color scheme for that awful blue will never make sense to me.
I'm loving this. Got my eye on an IT490, with similar plans in mind. Please, by all that's right and sacred in this world and probably the next, follow the plan to go yellow with the black laser stripe. Why in hell Yamaha ever abandoned that color scheme for that awful blue will never make sense to me.
a 490 would be mean as hell! i had a YZ 490, with some head work done to make it a bit more livable. what a rad motor.
yellow w/ the funky stripe is the plan. i'm leaving the tank as is for now, complete with surface rust and dents. i've got a quart of yammy yellow and some early YZ laser decals here for the future.
bit more smoothing to do on the # plate... then jewel swirls to come
That thing is going to be sweet. I tried to snag a TS400 off CL a couple weeks ago, but it got snatched up right away. I really want a single cylinder 2 stroke to bomb around on.
so i just got an it 400 is it hard to register these old 2 strokes mine is a 79 i think in 78 ca got all gay with smog shit but im not totally sure any info helps
so i just got an it 400 is it hard to register these old 2 strokes mine is a 79 i think in 78 ca got all gay with smog shit but im not totally sure any info helps
IT were not originally street legal... though over the years someone may have reg'd it. if it hasn't been previously registered, or if it has had an off-highway permit in the past ~7 or so years... my experience in CA is "buy another bike"
the DT was street legal. get a broken/titled DT and swap everything to the titled frame.
that's the easiest in CA. i've gone through hoops there and reg'd a KX500 and a CR250 on the street at different times, but it wasn't easy, wasn't cheap.... and i wasn't able to renew the registration on the KX, had to surrender the plate. also got in mild trouble for putting that KX500 motor in an FZ600 chassis, but that's another story.
I'm really not too sure what i'll have to do here in Oregon. haven't tried yet. this bike has never been registered for on-road use. i'm hoping to slide through due to the age, and with full street gear: signals, high/low, horn, etc.
Washington state law changed at the beginning of this year.... easy peasy to road register a dirt bike there now. Oregon has a history of not being able to renew bikes like this IT. we'll see.
havent had any time, as usual... lots of kids, work, home under construction, we've got a cafe... which is also under construction (im the electrician)... and some asshat broke into the cafe last night...
i stripped the tank. sheeeetload of bondo, filling numerous dents. clearanced/indented the tank for the forks. done for now...
seat unit is next...
the regular, non "big gap" stuff works better... but this is all i had handy
shaped... i use a drywall saw for the rough shaping, followed by a DA sander with a 60 grit disc
then the area that will be glassed gets covered with aluminum tape.
the 'glass will be laid on top of this. it's pretty strong/rigid once all taped in. works much better than aluminum foil or plastic wrap in my opinion.
also started making a cut down silencer for it....
it's got the head that everyone thinks is a dual spark plug head
the second hole, that a spark plug happens to fit into just fine isn't actually for a spark plug. a solid plug goes there, or it can be fitted with a compression release.
the ignition wouldn't be able to handle a 2nd plug... plus it being so oddly off-center the flame front would be a bit wonky if they were both to fire.
if an extra plug were to be kept there, so it could be swapped to if the main plug fowled... that extra plug would be fowled too. plus that flame front thing, again.
2 strokes are pretty simple, but there's a lot of black magic involved.
i'm looking forward to it being done... should be fun to ride, and i really want to move on to another project. heart set on an early GSXR....
I've actually had to switch the plugs before. Neat little trick in the middle of the desert.
Is that the 6 speed?
I got mine about 13 years ago for $1.00. Yep. 1 dollar. My FIL sold it to me on the day of our wedding...so, it's either the cheapest bike I have ever gotten, or the most expensive, depending n how you look at things.
i was actually told that those heads were made to be able to run a "hot" and a "cold" plug. so you could just switch over the plug wire to the other plug depending on temps.
I've actually had to switch the plugs before. Neat little trick in the middle of the desert.
Is that the 6 speed?
I got mine about 13 years ago for $1.00. Yep. 1 dollar. My FIL sold it to me on the day of our wedding...so, it's either the cheapest bike I have ever gotten, or the most expensive, depending n how you look at things.
i was actually told that those heads were made to be able to run a "hot" and a "cold" plug. so you could just switch over the plug wire to the other plug depending on temps.
i've heard that before, too... it'd make sense.
this head has a *LOT* of pits on the inside. a LOT. i've got a milled YZ head for it as well, that i might give a try. want to see how this one does, though...
should be a fun bike. not 100% sure if it'll be easy to register on the street or not... but i intend on riding it around town
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