prindle@slovax.UUCP (11/18/86)
Greetings fellow maniacs: About four years ago, I got sick of having no transport, and bought a motorcycle. The original reason was that it was so much cheaper than a car, but then I fell in love. I rode this bike through all sorts of crap for these years, and it gave excellent service, but it has gotten tired. Since I have gotten out of school, gotten a job and a car, I can now afford to be off of it for a while. I will buy a new bike in the future, but I would really like to completely restore this one and hang on to it. Sort of like I owe the little beast as much, ya know? The bike is a 1967 (yes, 1 9 6 7 ) Yamaha YR-1. The engine is a 350cc two-stroke twin. This bike was the father of the RD series, and the great-grandad of bikes like the two-stroke rockets Yamaha has put out recently. The bike is in basically good condition, But definitely needs boring, pistons, and probably a new crankshaft. Electrical system still works fine, but should probably be replaced completely just because of advanced insulation evaporation. I have already been told that it just isn't worth it by my local Yama-man, who wants to sell bikes and not parts. But I don't want to hear from people who tell me to give up, since this old bike is a good friend and I refuse to abandon it to rust-in-peace somewhere. What I would like from everyone is advice. I need to know where I can get parts, or maybe the address of Yamaha directly, since parts are so hard to find. I have the original service manual, but this is going to be a pretty major project and I'll appreciate any hints or pointers you folks can give. Thanks in advance. |\/| /\ |\ {uw-beaver | hplsla}!tikal!slovax!prindle | | /--\ |/ |\/| /\ \/ You see me now, a veteran | | /--\ /\ of a thousand psychic wars... -BOC (Brent Prindle)
car377@drutx.UUCP (11/19/86)
> > What I would like from everyone is advice. I need to know where > I can get parts, or maybe the address of Yamaha directly, since parts are > so hard to find. I have the original service manual, but this is going > to be a pretty major project and I'll appreciate any hints or pointers > you folks can give. > > Brent Prindle I have recently used a company called "Factory Outlet Parts" in Ohio to get original equipment Yamaha parts. They order them directly from Yamaha and sell them to me at a large discount (50% in one case) from the dealership price. They are polite, knowledgeable, and have so far been able to provide anything I wished to order. The only drawback is the shipping delay, which can be 6 or 7 weeks for parts they don't have in stock. I don't have their address here at work, but they advertise in the back of "Cycle" and "Motorcyclist" magazines nearly every issue. Also, there are quite a few bike "wrecking yards" advertising used bike parts. Dealing with them might not prove as reliable as Factory Outlet Parts or your dealership, but they might be the only source for older parts. Chuck Rogers @ ATT-ISL, Denver
marauder@fluke.UUCP (11/21/86)
In article <211@slovax.UUCP> prindle@slovax.UUCP (Brent Prindle) writes: I would really like to completely restore this one and hang on to >it. >The bike is a 1967 (yes, 1 9 6 7 ) Yamaha YR-1. The engine is a 350cc >two-stroke twin. The bike is in basically good condition, But definitely needs >boring, pistons, and probably a new crankshaft. Electrical system still >works fine, but should probably be replaced completely just because of >advanced insulation evaporation. >(Brent Prindle) It is fun to restore a motorcycle back to original condition but it is expensive and time consuming. And the majority of people like you jump into the restoration with great enthusiam only to fade away and the project becomes a rust heap in the "south forty". Since it sounds like you are serious I would recommend starting with the engine first and don't take anything else apart. The two-stroke engine is easy to work on and cheap compared to four strokes. The crankshaft may even be alright if it has had good gas/oil mixture care all of its life. After you have located new pistons and rings and gaskets, pull the engine out of the frame and do the top end. You can check the crank from the top so while you are having the cylinders bored, measure the play in the crank and rods. Then when you have a new engine and it is back together and rideable, then start with the rest of the bike. The reason for this is because as a whole bike it is still your friend. As a heap of greasey parts, it is a nuisance and is much easier to discard. As far as where to find parts for it, I would try major Yamaha shops in major cities. Especially shops that have big storage areas for bikes and "stuff". Let your fingers do the walking with the Yellow Pages in neighboring states, especially California. You should be able to find almost everything. Most important is to keep the project moving and fun! If it stops for a month or is no longer fun, it will die and you will lose parts and forget where things go. (I always have a few spare little things left over but those aren't important are they!!!) :-) Bill Landsborough ---- "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude... Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7