Stevie’s French '98, Mid-90's WR/YZ/DT (An idiotproof guide to building your own DTR)

[Stevie Wonder]

@calum in all honesty bro that’s what I thought too. It wasn’t until I phoned my uncle and he’d said “ive just welded it in” I rolled my eyes and though ohh bloody heck

Not to worry though, even if it was a pain in the ass to take off realistically the chances of me putting the original forks on anytime soon aren't exactly high.

Also treated myself to a few little Apico YZ bits. One of the best bits about using YZ parts is the amount of snazzy bling you can grab. Not trying to over do it though.

Another development is that I’ve realised yz125 aren't sprung very well to suit a bike that weighs around 100-110lbs more then it so I’m going to get a set of 450 forks instead and sell the YZ forks.

I’m not sure if I mentioned but the yz forks aren’t in the best condition anyway. My uncle made a real big rookie move and took a copper hammer to the fork top cap whilst removing the stanchions, took him a minute to realise why I was shouting at him. Besides that the forks are useable it’s just the upper fork legs look destroyed which isn’t very easy on the eye and seems that a new fork cap is around £70-80 and fixing the original isn’t an option (ill grab a photo of the damage) it makes more sense to flog the ones I have and get some new ones.

[Calum]

@stevie-wonder That's what I'm running WR450F Forks. Been ramping them about for years no worries

[Nottsbiker]

@calum

Might have to do the same with my 200WR forks as new parts other than seals and bushes are impossible to find now. The newer forks are also better for fitting bigger disc's for a supermoto conversion

[Stevie Wonder]

@Nottsbiker a lot of the ‘02 onwards YZ you can actually get a 320mm brake conversion kit that comes with a disc and the disc conversion plate for the later YZ’s
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184616428375

@Calum i honestly can’t wait man, I haven’t rode my bike since June last year but now the RM80 is in the process of being sorted and simultaneously everything is in full swing with the DT. Absolutely buzzing. I’m gonna make sure I make up for my lack of riding and really put them forks to work. (Nows probably a good time to publicly admit setting up suspension/forks is a myth to me so I’m gonna tackle that too )

Second to handling improvements and weight savings I’m also really excited to see how she looks, I think with everything I’ve got now it once I get it on there she should look how I want

[Stevie Wonder]

We’re slowly starting to piece things together, like always when you’re at this stage the only thing to be holding you back or those little bits that no smarter how hard you plan you just always somehow forget.

As you can tell by the way it’s sitting in the frame I need a crown nut, some dust seals and washer plates. I forgot that mine came with them... I swear having to reorder from Fowler’s for something silly like £10-20 order after you’ve already done one the door before takes the P. I bet Fowler’s employees see them and are like “oop there’s another one”

For whatever reason as well my forks didn’t come with any handlebar clamps??? Fuck knows why, like what sort of dodgy person thinks to themselves I’ll flog them on eBay? I picked up some silver 22mm Apico risers.
I have a set of black fat bars from my last bike that I’ve been tempted to put on but never really got around to it. I know loads of people like them but not sure on the DT.

I also didn’t have a top nut for the stem too, OEM one? £40 I think. Luckily our good friends from Apico have got us covered. £10. Nice! A little bit of tasteful bling that that actually saved me some dollar, you love to see it.

The other thing that arrived was a seat cover! Let’s just say of all the things I’ve ever tried to hunt for for any bike an OEM/Replica replacement seat cover has been the hardest

It’s weird too because according to “how many’s left” website 97/98 models are the second most common model. I know the seat cover was a 1-2 year only thing but I didn’t think it’d be that hard to find. Honestly boys I’ve spoke to the aussies, Germans, French, tried blagging Facebook and eBay and no luck until someone came through and give me a link for a shop called “bikerpartseu.com” which oddly enough stocks quite a lot of DTR replacement parts and other bits and pieces.

I messaged them a picture of my bike just to confirm the seat cover they have and colours correct, they confirmed.
Needless to say “GASSSED” was how I was feeling. I hate so much how the original seat covers ripped and even worse due to the nature of vinyl it just dries, cracks and forever worsens. Shit.

There’s just one issue though...

In this photo they look the same

In this photo they don’t because as much as I don’t want to believe it, they don’t match. I thought to myself “I wonder if it’s just because of how much age has effected the colour?” But a quick check under the seat strap where it’s not aged or weathered reveals it’s just not to be, they’re different shades.

I even started to looking to replicating it myself and finding the materials myself but a local upholsterer with a textiles shop told me ” you will never find the exact cover the company that had it commissioned would have had the colour dye made and copyrighted as i have over 45 years experience selling vinyl it will always be different” so I’m wondering if I’m chasing a lost cause?

If anyone could feel I’d appreciate it so much. I need your help or someone like Scrimm for this one. Baffles me how common my model is yet you can’t get a seat cover

[Calum]

@stevie-wonder So you still need to raise the yokes a fair bit so that the bottom bearing mates with the bottom race.

My seat on my Yamaha is original from new 17 years old and there isn't even a blemish on it.

Could it be that your seat cover is a replacement of the OEM one? Since it's synthetic, there really isn't much for it to "dry" on.

[Stevie Wonder]

Nah I wasn’t gonna run it like that don’t worry, think the MOT tester might have something to say hey bro I think in the post previous I mentioned that I haven’t got a crown nut and a few other bits that’s what’s causing the gap.
I’ve now ordered a full RFX steering bearing kit as it comes with top and bottom dust covers (saves a tenner), I’ve just received the three spacers I need and I’m pretty sure I’ve also got the crown nut in a parcel next to me. I double and triple checked the parts diagram to make sure they where right, so fingers crossed no mistakes again

I s’pose there’s no guarantee it’s genuine although I’d put money on it being genuine. Why? The only thing not original to the bike when I got it was the rear tire and it came with nearly 20 years of receipts and garage history from a Yamaha dealer in France and it’s only a two owner bike

Also when I say it’s dry too I mean on the areas where there’s rips/splits. Only in those areas like in the photo the materials have gone dry and gone brittle, like if you bend it it just cracks. Not having anything more then a bike cover to protect her from the U.K. weather hasn’t helped.

[Calum]

@stevie-wonder In my ownership, it's always been kept in a garage. It only had 5k on the clocks when I bought it so it might just be down to how it was stored. But my previous DTR was not so looked after and that was fine. But this is going back 10+ years ago.

[Stevie Wonder]

Lights! Camera! Action!

Another package from Greece, you know that means something 200 related.
WR200 engine maybe?

I wish , although anyone seen the DT200WR top and bottom end for sale? £800 starting bid

If the headlight is kinda like the face of my bike I guess that makes this like the eye right?
The headlight I bought never came with a bulb, connectors or anything of that nature. It was just spare glass and plastic. Luckily these lights are also used by WR200’s so they’re a little more common and spares are still available on Fowler’s. Genuine bulbs are pretty expensive though at £70, so I took a gamble ordering this one from eBay.
Fingers crossed the bulb in this one still works.

Also had the ‘03 WRF 450 forks turn up. Much much better condition then the ones I have already. On first impressions they feel noticeably lighter then the ‘02 YZ forks. I like them. Only a couple minor scuffs around the clamping area too, something a lot of USD forks seem to suffer from.
A bonus is that the fork also has the same fork sticker as I was going to buy too

One issue though is I bought these forks as they where l quote “lightly pitted”. I imagined some wire would and autosol would’ve done the trick

I swear 3 things are guaranteed in life

1. as there must be life there must also be death
2. what goes up most definitely must come down
3. Parts from eBay not being as described

The right stanchion is actually in good condition with only a few tiny little pits like described on eBay meanwhile the right stanchion isn’t the best.

Here’s the right stanchion

And the left one too

Leaky and pitted, nothing terrible but a far cry from what was described and even further from what I expected.
Anyone know any little fixes?

I’ve got my ‘02 YZ forks which are basically spares/repair and I think the 02-03 use the same left stanchion. It might be as simple as just stealing the stanchion from the YZ fork if they’re in good condition.

In other news...
I had a really nice stroke of luck that’s left me being able to afford something that all of you guys from day 1 have all said are one the best things you’ll ever do for your bike

a custom mappable ignition!
Whoop! Whoop!

So I shot the illustrious yet elusive Jiri over at link text
Email: ignitech@ignitech.cz
(I also recommended that he change where his email is placed on his website or at least the colour as blue on blue at very bottom of the page isn’t exactly the clearest and probably why so a few people have got confused on how to contact them.)

I always start my emails with a hello and a good day, does anyone else do this? Kindness is a courtesy that costs nothing. Ignitech also recommend you give part number for your CDI and as most of you guys know that’s just not as easy as that when you own a DT.

Jiri was very helpful, only issue is me owning a earlier model limits to how much Ignitech can do for me.

Ignitechs units don’t allow you to program powervalve openings unless you have a later 5-wire servo, pretty crap when your bikes a 1998 and for the added expense of a servo you could just as well buy a Zeeltronic...

Before I move on though I’d really like to praise Ignitech for their help, reply time and information. Contrary to what I’d seen
If you have a later model bike with 5 wire servo definitely give them a message. Yes the Ignitech doesn’t have all of the features of the Zeeltronic but at only £162.33 (with everything rounded up as well) for absolutely everything you can’t go wrong. As they say “it does what it says on the tin” and in this case without breaking the bank.

But how’s about a Zeeltronic though

[Stevie Wonder]

Slowly... Slowly... Slowly...

But surely, we’re getting there.

[Stevie Wonder]

I treated myself.
This another where I just simply thought I’d never got around to buying and I’d never afford.

Any guesses what it is?
All the way from Indianapolis

[Nottsbiker]

@stevie-wonder Reeds?

[Stevie Wonder]

@nottsbiker

I wonder what gave it away

The quality is beyond anything I expected, they’re simply beautiful.

[Stevie Wonder]

3 steps forwards and 5 steps back

Spent some early mornings and afternoons down the workshop with my uncle down the workshop and got the ‘03 WR450 forks and the yolks. A quick bit of masking tape over the vin plate to spray the bearing cup and Voila, she’s a honey. All I needed was to chuck all the right spacers and crown nut and then she was set. Apico stem nut is a nice little touch too

She’s now resting on her weight for the first time in 7/8 months now. Crazy.

Although getting to see this makes it worth it.
I rarely say this about my bike but woah.
It likes 100x better then I imagined + the suspensions noticeable so much nicer. Super super stoked.

Except as ever there’s an issue..
I fucked up during one of my many late CMSNL part compatibility binges that I guess you could also call research. I was trying to see what the latest year forks I could run with my ‘02 YZ yolks.
At the same time I was also trying to make sure the set of forks on eBay I wanted where as describe and the correct year. I ended up getting the bits for the 03 forks I was comparing and 02 muddled up. What a twonk.

I planned to ditch the YZ wheel for a WR one at some point anyway. Remember before I said about trying to use the WR’s odometer and modding it to hopefully work with the DTR’s clocks.
I still need a new bracket caliper though as 03 forks can only run 03-04 callipers.
In a strange twist of fate it also turned out that the caliper that came with my forks wasn’t even right anyway, when it came to fitting it the bolt holes where about 5-10mm out. I believe it to be an 05.

[Stevie Wonder]

I’ve now got to get
1 02-04 WR wheel
1 03-04 Brake Caliper
1 Brake hose.

For the wheel scenario ideally I’d like to find a decent condition ‘02 426 wheel and have matching excels like I do with the YZ rim. Only issue 2002 was the first and only year the four stokes would receive them, from then on only the 125’s got them.
Although that’s the last of my issues as I’m struggling to find a decent wheel of any type in the first place. They’re all 05 onwards or in America.
My solution? Buy an ‘05 and put an ‘04 axle in it.
See the hub is the same from 02-19. Axle 98-04. Bearings 03-16 and just about everything else matches up so fingers crossed this fixes that.

The brake caliper is just annoying. It’s hard finding one that be in good condition for sensible money / not in the states. It’s gotta be done though.

Brake hose is a broke hose. I’m just gonna buy one second hand for now depending on how much money I’ve got snd my urge to get my bike closer to having an MOT.

I did notice though that the YZ’s and WR’s brake hoses have different part numbers and I just wondered why? They use the same lower legs and the hose routes under snd over the fork leg the same?

[Stevie Wonder]

Not sure if the dogs that interested

Sorted out a brake Caliper. £50 for one like new only drawback is the 2 week wait for it to come from America however at this point I’ve just accepted that a 2 week wait isn’t even that bad. It gives me time to do everything else.

WRF wheel, axle and odometer ordered as well, going to be looking into making a mod for it to work with DTR clocks. I’m praying I get lucky and they just work with each other without any modifications but that’s just being a bit too optimistic.

[Stevie Wonder]

with the Forks well and truly firmly planted on the bike everything else can get done.

Slowly but surely everything’s coming together.
Been spending every bit of free time inbetween university and trying to make a buck going down the workshop with my uncle to get shit done.

Decided to ditch the HPires fender and go OEM but with a tail tidy, much to my uncles and Ryan’s distaste who both said it looked tacky... which to be fair I do agree with considering I’ve got the OEM tail piece that suits the bike really well. I’d rather clean that back end up though and out the original one in the loft to preserve it for the future.

As I’m doing a tail tidy I’m going to weld a bar / tray to rear of the frame so I can have my tail tidy without three ugly protruding bolts in the fender and to also give a bit of protection against mud + make cleaning easier.

I’ve got to say it’s been a blast too! It’s been proper ideal whilst I’ve been studying at home to give myself something else to focus on and not have to think about being trapped in doors so much.

I had a weird stroke of luck too and the ‘05 axle worked perfect with the ‘03 450 forks leaving me with a spare front axle and odometer.... could be useful for the future so I’ll keep it.

Ryan’s cleaning 22 years worth of gunk and corrosion out my ignition barrel. It looked like an ancient battery inside there. My uncle in the meantime is welding brackets for the 3ET headlight. Also when I say welding I mean we chopped the original headlight mount and modified it to work with the YZ 125 yolks and 3ET headlight.
(I’ll grab photos when I’m next down the workshop to show)

One of the issues with mounting everything is the YZ 125 yolks only have tabs for a number board so they’re not the most structurally secure thing to go mount clocks and a headlight too especially on an off-road bike.
My uncle had the brilliant idea of creating a central bar for the clocks and then two support columns made of steel to weld the pre-existing yet now modified DTR light bracket

Trying to get the fitment perfect was a little bit tricky as the clocks on the DT protrude like a fat blokes belly after a carvery. However as chance would have it I spoke to a dude with an original 3ET who gave me a pretty good idea of the fitment for it on a standard bike

As luck would have it we wasn’t far off

[Stevie Wonder]

First start in 9 months.
I had to give her a bit of a tickle to work but straight after she jumped to life and run like a champ

Headlight brackets/ignition

The 200R’s headlight design has left a bit of dead space. I wonder what I could put there.

The columns/frame for the front headlight and everything

Big issue is the Rev cable now doesn’t reach.

Tail tidy

Welded tabs across the rear part of the frame to attach it too so you don’t have no disgusting tabs through your fender.

Nice new Doppler master cylinder cover.

I still have an old one from Devol I could use but I wasn’t 100% sure if I was keen on it personally. I’ll try grab a photo of it at some point.

Fast forward two days and we’re back in the workshop

*This is where we’re at currently *

I love the way she sits, bloody lofty though mind you
This is it against a XJ600 and against a bloke that’s 5’ 11

(Quite a nice bum too don’t ya think )

She runs like a trooper. Just gotta run a compression test and see how that top ends doing / how much life she’s got left in her. Maybe she’ll be good and last through the summer? We’ll see.
Just gotta Chuck the front brake caliper on her (when it arrives), do the speedo + Rev cables as ones to short and the other I just don’t know wether it’ll work and might have to be made. Then it’s MOT + Riding time!

I’ve still got the 200wr swinger and some plans for a rear shock but their going to have to go on the back burner just for a little while

[Darty]

Front end vibes, it's looking a bit 'function over form' could do with being alot lower down

[Stevie Wonder]

Hahahaha for fucks sake. True story though.
Function over form 100%.

Realistically there’s not a nice way of getting that headlight to work with those clocks. Every way way we tried left the headlight either too high and looking like something from Easy Rider or to low and in the correct space but completely exposing the clocks or having them awkward above. Flattening the clocks rather then angling them towards you just pushes the 200r light so far away that it no longer matches the flat silhouette and looks weird.

The space isn’t bad but honestly it’s just the best of both worlds and the best bit is it’s functional (aside from most of the cables barely reaching / not at all)