Stevie’s French '98, Mid-90's WR/YZ/DT (An idiotproof guide to building your own DTR)
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As for the leakages this is more then likely my water pump needing some attention as I seem to remember it leaking slightly before.
Failing that it’s possibly because most of the casing bolts weren’t tightened properly or to spec as per the manual
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@Calum I lost my job a week before my first ever stag do in Spain, had to borrow money for the whole trip, then got made homeless and basically everything went to shit for a while, I had to sell the fazer for £750 despite it running. The guy knew me and my scenario and wouldn’t even budge to £800 despite my position or the fact I’d just installed £100 worth HEL racing braided lines on her. A big kick in the balls that was, goes to show who your friends are. Karma works in mysterious ways, I later found out he got thrown off of it and got hurt badly, he broke 3 ribs amongst other things. I’d never wish anything like that on another biker but karmas a bitch. Serves you right for kicking a man when he’s down.
I then found out a certain very close family member took out credit cards in my name and used my name for bills and direct debits and hadn’t paid them leaving me with a CCJ which prevented me renting privately without a guarantor meaning that after me and my other half managed to get nearly 3k together between us it was all for nothing. This also meant I sold the fazer whatever else I could for no reason.
Speaking of which I lost a lot of friends too, including childhood friends that have been with my entire life. It’s really true what they say that people are never there when you’re down and out. Things like that are a blessing in disguise though. But yeah I basically lost a whole year of my life and was living out of a bedbug infested hostel with 14 people to one shower, no running water or means to make food living next to junkies and pissheads. Police where a regular occurrence and at one point the whole place was turned into a crime scene and someone was being investigated for drugging and neglecting/abandoning their children.
So yeah, I basically lost an entire year of my life. Got fucked over by near enough every one close to me, a lot of my immediate family turned their backs on me. They’d rather I slept on the street then get involved and every possible thing that could go wrong went wrong. I even landed a trial shift with MSS Performance of Kawasaki only for a resident at the hostel to try assault me after calling him out for being a wrongen (i couldn’t retaliate or physically hit him otherwise I’m then the bad guy and the council would’ve stopped providing me accommodation) and then having to leave in an emergency the day before the trial shift. Meaning I turned up using my girlfriend’s granny bike with mismatched clothes and my head filled with everything from the day before. To make matters worse I lost out on the job to one of my girlfriend’s friends. What where the chances.
I also missed out on a one off opportunity to be an apprentice for Betongpark, a very reputable company and skatepark designer thanks to being homeless and not knowing where I’d be staying in a months time.
The lexmoto I had rebuilt, I paid a years insurance on and never got to use, my CBT ran out only to find out renewing one these days is £170 so that had to wait and the DTR despite having the engine rebuilt didn’t get ridden any further then to the end of the road and back the day it was rebuilt. Sad really.
I’m not one for airing out my dirty laundry but like I said, everything that could go wrong was going wrong and didn’t stop for nearly an entire year. It was shit and beggars belief it was actually happening.
I’m very lucky though because throughout this whole ordeal my other half never faltered, left me or stopped supporting me for a single second. I’m extremely fortunate and grateful for her. If things were different and I didn’t have her I’m not sure if I’d be here today writing this. It’s reminder to always cherish what love you have in your life even when you don’t have any love left for life itself. Life can be cruel but nothing worth doing was ever easy.
One last thing to tie all this up is of course my DT, I’d sooner walk the streets then sell that bike. Sad? Maybe. But that bike has been a beacon of hope in my darkest hours on many occasion, a reminder that no matter how bad things get I’ve still got something. You take away hope or something to strive for and you’re left with what? Nothing. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, that bike is so much more than a bike to me. It’s an educator, a passion project, a healthy distraction but most importantly a reminder that no matter how bad things get to keep going.
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Sorry to hear that bud
That's really awful. Times appear worse than ever, but try and remember, it's always darkest before the dawn. Yeah, you're better off with one solid mate that'll always be there for you rather than a ton of leaches that would rather use you as a step ladder to achieve their own goals.I don't have a whole ton of friends, but the ones I do call "friend" I know I could depend on them for anything.
I am sorry to hear about your troubles.
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Now back to the bike stuff.
I’ve learned from my mistakes in the past working on my bike and have learned patience is a virtue.
This time around we’re starting from the front and working our way back.
One thing that I’ve noticed is how using the incorrect guides has started to eat at the brake hose.
Being extremely anal Id love to get some hose guides from a ‘03 WR/YZ so it has that factory fresh look, the downside is their pretty much non existent. Drawbacks of using enduro/motorcross parts is parts are extremely limited.
Any help looking for them would be greatly appreciatedI’m gonna be on the hunt for these parts
This little hose clip I bought the very last one of CMSNL only to crash my bike and it go missing. I often wonder if it’s still laying in the grass/street where I crashed.I also found out I was on the right path with the speedo drive however their must be an issue with them as I’ve bought 3 of them secondhand and none of them have worked, including one which has all the parts and operated perfectly until you put a cable in it.
£100+ pounds later for a brand new 5NG speedo drive (which I knew there was a solid chance might not even work) and I got lucky.
Now that I have a working speedo drive again I’m going to need these bits
The fork guards you can still buy and are widely available, although it’s a shame I can’t find aftermarket ones with the mount for speedo cable. Saying that I also noticed whilst fowlers sell the correct fork guard with built in guide they don’t come with the metal clip that attaches to them as seen here.
So any help finding the correct hose and speedo guides / anything front end related like that would be greatly appreciated!
I’m not sure if I mentioned but I managed to get another set of clocks too, they’re off an ‘01 French DT and are identical to mine. I tried at least 5 different companies to get them repaired but none of them would touch our jap nippon clocks. £170 too, ouch!
As it’s only my Rev side that’s seized all I’ve got to is unplug the original ones that are seized and plug in the new donor ones. Once this is done I’ll have a look at the originals to see why they’ve seized, may as well right? It’s not like I’ve got anything to lose.
Before I do this I first must get rid of the 3ET 200r headlight this meant acquiring a new headlight bracket as the original one got the chop shop treatment and was used to create a bracket for the 200r headlight.
A big thank you to Al for his help with this. Headlight frames aren’t that common and everyone wants stupid money for them.
I also managed to get a few other goodies which are worth their weight in gold, that number plate bracket especially. I don’t even want to talk about how much they’re going for now. I also got a spare front fender meaning I’ve ditched the one year only 96 pastel mineral blue yz fender and gone back to original. Something I plan to continue doing. Rather then trying to change the DT into something it isn’t I’m now going to just try and improve on all the things I don’t like about the bike, like a slightly modernised version / resto mod.This means that now I’ve got clocks, headlight frame x2 and a working speedo drive all that’s left is to put the headlight, headlight frame and cowel back together and jig a new mount for the ignition and headlight frame to attach too!
Since I took it apart so long ago I’ve lost many of the original bolts and fittings and can’t remember for the life of me how it all goes back together. No doubt an order from fowlers will be required as will lots of time spent staring at these diagrams!
Front end wise the only other thing besides sorting out the clocks/headlight cluster and sorting out some guides is to do to buy a tap and die set / thread chaser and thread chase all of the threads on the lower forks. When I crashed 95% of the bike got away without a scratch but a lot of the bolts in this area got pulled clean out and stripped the threads.
Once that’s all sorted the only thing preventing me getting an MOT is not having a rear brake. I went to change the brake pads on her only to find out the calliper is seized to the hanger and the seals have started to protrude. I’ve tried un-seizing the calliper but had no luck.
This leaves me two options, pay to have the original one fixed or alternatively get that DT200WR swinger that’s been laying around a while now painted and installed. I have the brake calliper and hanger for it (which as far as I’m aware work perfectly), I have the rear wheel spacers, axle blocks and everything else it just needs measuring up. Saying that it would be worth putting new bearings in as well as it’d be a shame to go to all that work only have to take it apart again.
I’m a little hesitant with swapping the swingarm as even putting the original one back on after the rebuild was a total cunt and that was with two people doing it. It’s certainly not a job I want to attempt alone that’s for sure! That and I’ve been told how to measure up the difference between swingarms but for some reason I can’t seem to figure out the maths to it, like it isn’t clicking with me for some reason.
The other reason I’m hesitant is I’ve just spent this long without my bike either because of what’s happened or me modifying it and I’ve realised I’ve robbed myself of one of the most important things. The actual enjoyment of riding the thing!
Anyway, here’s some old photo’s I found of my bike when she was looking “plain Jane”
And here’s some other bikes that have been a source for inspiration
This old bush-wakka DT200 is my bikes aussie big brother
No glitz or glam, just made for one purpose riding trails in the bush.I can’t remember for the life of me where I saw this photo but I believe the bike to be Sri Lankan, believe it or not DTR’s are popular there. It’s what set a lightbulb off in my head that made me miss my bike as it was before this jackass decided he had to mess with it.
I don’t know why but I just love it, raw rugged, just as ready to be loaded up and driven 100 miles as it is chucking mud on a trail. Even though it’s essentially the same bike as what I began with it’s now my main source of inspiration and why I’ve started hunting duplicates of things like plastics, number plate holders etc etc so I can return her back to this point. -
@Calum @MadGyver my sincerest thank you’s that really means a lot.
From pressure come diamonds.
I may have lost a lot but I’d like to think I gained just as much as well.
I have new found appreciation for life, my loved ones, a cooked meal and running water and having a roof over your head.
I always said it’s better to have a few good friends than a load of bad ones but if there’s anything I’ve learned it’s always the ones you least expected who do the most. Finding out those people aren’t who you expected them to be hurts but it’s the biggest blessing. I’ve never focused so much on myself and doing what’s right for me.
Once again thank you boys,
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Wow! Sorry bud, I went though some shit back in 2009. I was brought up by my Grandmother, who was my mum to me! I was living with her in ‘the family home’ that I’d lived in on and off for most of 40 years since I was born. I was a carer for her at the time. The day she died I had my money cut off and the housing association declared me a ‘tolerated trespasser’ and threw me out. Me and my siss (aunty) had to clear out the home that Mum had lived in for 50 years while raising her five kids plus me and my half sister. So much stuff had to be dumped
My cousin took me in , then his girlfriend didn’t like me cause I showed no interest in her ‘open relationship’
He chose her and all my belongings!
I ended up caravaning in a lay-by known for doggers (5 bridges, Henstridge) with some travelers who tret me better than every member of my family (except my Siss/aunty)
Every person I knew suddenly smelt weakness and tret me like an absolute
cunt!
I was on the road for six years before I could get a place, even then it was only if I paid over £1000 for ‘damages’ to the family home that they saw me as no part of. Fuxin housing associations!…Having the rug pulled out from underneath your life fuxin hurts! There’s no bigger traumatic experience than having your life cut off and being left out in the cold. My Siss and my two dogs were my saving grace…
If I sometimes come across as cynical, well!…I feel for you bud, hope things are on the up and up…
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@Stevie-Wonder I am also at the point thinking go back to stock looking bike with a little improvement twist I already have.
Already the alloy 3ET parts are on the bike, now servicing a set of stock DT200 alloy wheels in very good condition for their 30 years old. -
@SpookDog thank you man, you’re right. I’ve been through some things but nothings ever felt like being vulnerable, entirely not yourself, not knowing where you’d sleep at night and relying purely on the kindness of other people. You see a side to yourself you never knew existed. Like you said, people smell weakness and in the position they either abuse that, turn their backs on you or do what they can to help. It’s safe to say things are only getting better. A couple weeks ago marked the 4 month mark of having my own place. I have a job again and whilst it’s not the best I can honestly say I like it. April will mark my second anniversary with my other half, my longest relationship to date. I’ve quit smoking/vaping + I don’t rely on smoking weed daily and drinking near enough every night anymore. I’m not an addict or anything and I’m not a depressed type either, I’ve just seen more and lost more people in my short lifetime than most adults ever do and developed some not so healthy coping mechanisms as a result. Life catches up with you and that’s been my escape for many years. However I now have a new found appreciation for life, the things/people I have in my life, myself, being clear headed and have learned a lot of lessons from everything that’s happened. I feel really optimistic and hopeful about the future. I’m grateful for everything and the growth that’s come from that.
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With that being said I’m going to leave a song to set the tone and keep the mood light. Onwards and upwards! -
@MadGyver it makes a lot of sense! It also makes life so much easier and owning / maintaining the bike a lot more convenient. I don’t think any of us want to be to afraid to ride our bikes in case something irreplaceable breaks or for our bikes to be off the road for however long because we’ve got to locate some unobtainable part that can’t be found anywhere!
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28/02/24
Update!
Boy we're in for gooden!
These days I’m being patient, methodical and organised.
In the past I would write big lists at home with every known issue and bit of info I could possible think of and then try order everything I need all in one go. I thought this was a good and efficient approach but it’s cause me to order things I don’t need, already have and get burned out (ADHD and thinking of a million problems at once + info overload don’t mix well
). This has ultimately hindered progress, put pressure on myself and made things take more time.I now work front to back, tackle problems as they arise, only write lists (things that need buying, fixing etc) relevant to the area I’m working on and only whilst stood with the bike. You’d think it obvious but assessing what’s wrong and writing it down vs what you think you know is wrong from the top of your head helps massively. I also now take photos of anything that needs attention for a reference/reminder. I’ve also started taking photos as a work, it’s got multiple benefits. I can now reverse engineer what I’ve done if I forget/fuck up, I’ve got a reference for the future if it’s 2am and I can’t sleep because I’ve got a sudden random urge to investigate something (Yes, this really happens and I always end up going down a rabbit hole unable to sleep because of it
) and lastly I actually have pictures to accompany my forum posts!Doing this has made a BIG difference, I'm not getting burned out, I’m a lot more thorough, we’re I’d usually say fuck it and skip a job if I could because it makes life easier my attitudes now “well I’m here now so I may as well get it sorted so I don’t have to come back to it”, because I'm taking my time I’m actually enjoying the build aspect, jobs don’t feel like jobs anymore but tiny victories and steps of progress and as a result I’m having a lot of fun and finding it very very therapeutic. I’ve always loved working on my bike but I must confess I’ve been a bit of lazy cunt when it comes to getting of my ass to go do the work.
Not anymore! There’s nothing more I’d rather do then be making some progress on the bike, it’s cheaper then therapy. Actually looking at how much I’ve spent recently maybe it isn’t… but that’s a different topic
Anyway intro over let’s commence…
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First thing that I wanted to tackle was the headlight. For this we need a headlight frame, Voilà. We have one.It’s been a long time since I took mine apart and I’d completely forgot how it all went back together so in my head was going to be the biggest ball ache. Best to get it over and done with first.
Whilst messing around I found one of my old indicators, I thought I left them stashed away indoors. I must’ve left one of the front ones out to see if I could use the original brackets to attach the front indicators too.
As you can see, evidently not. The pinch bolts on the DTR’s triple tree’s face forward unlike on the YZ/WR ones.I guess this means in the future I’ll have to make some myself. Hopefully I can get them to look like the OEM ones.
The face of my bike, it pains me to admit it but using the 3ET headlight really wasn’t that well thought out. It really was just a case of I like the look of it, I want it, let’s do it. In reality it just doesn’t work though, at least not with having USD’s. If things were different and I had stock forks then I’d definitely run it. Unpopular opinion but I’ve never been a fan of the big bulky cowl of the DTR. I’ve always thought Darty’s bike with the RX headlight was the way to go.
My super advanced ultra weight saving primary jogger quick release. What started as a bodge actually saved my bacon a couple times by allowing to get to the cluster of wires behind the light after the electrics having some moments.
The only thing that was missing where the rubber collars which got reused on the 3ET light but went missing.
Oh no they’re unavailable!
Aha these will do and with two in stock i best be having them!
I’ll miss the OG camel trophy stickers, made we wonder if the bike it came from was ever involved with it, especially as it came from Greece. Despite being before my time Camel trophy brings back a lot of nostalgia and good memories. When my mum and dad split I remember sitting in his little apartment feeling pretty strange and then watching it together and all the bad feelings go away. Seeing that camel trophy stickers makes me think about that and smile. I still don’t think he’s forgiven me for blowing up a TV and ruining one of his tapes though trying to watch it one morning though.I really have no need for it but just because of the connection to camel trophy and my dad I think I’ll keep it. How much better does it look in comparison to the regular DTR’s headlight too?
That’s the original headlight back on. One drawback to the 3ET light is I could never see fuck all, bulbs where expensive and spare glass is non existent. My best mate went on a 3 day enduro trip with his dad only for his dads ktm to spin up and put a stone through the glass. Considering I’ll be spending a lot of time off road and hopefully with people it gives you something to consider.Let there be light! Feels good seeing the original light glowing bright
I probably mentioned this but you really couldn’t see shit with the 3ET headlight. I feared riding at night
I was originally using pro-bolt anodised gold bolts on the fork bolts only issue is they’re ally meaning they strip if you so much as sneeze a bit of torque their way. Would I order some more though? Ofc I would they look amazing. I will be ordering some proper OEM ones from fowlers as well OEM axle pinch bolts so I’ve got a full set of OEM fairing bolts. Not a fan of the stainless Allen head pinch bolts considering how tight they get done up I don’t trust Allen keys not to round. But then again I still need to invest in a set of 3/8”-1/4” Allen sockets as half the issue with Allen keys is keeping them level as you torque them.
You might notice some more stuff is missing.
2003-2004 YZ’s/WR’s were unique in the fact the axle is hollow and threaded to allow the attachment of a hose cover/guard. The only drawback is that how do you get your axle in and out 95% of the time? With a hammer. This means the threads get burred and prevent it from accepting the main screw holding said cover. sigh I guess Yamaha expected us to hammer the axle in and out with our palms. I’ve since bought a set of dead blow hammers to avoid any burring in the future. It still doesn’t change the fact that I’ve still got to thread chase inside that axle. I once spent 15 minutes continuously trying to get a brand new bolt trying to grab the thread. You could say I’m still a bit annoyed about it.Most of the missing parts in the photo I actually had at one point. The cover and bolts etc fell victim to a crash and the hose clip/guide and accompanying bolt (which also acts as a caliper retaining bolt) mysteriously vanished around the sort of time I was using my bike to get to work a lot.
I always thought it went missing after my crash but flicking through my photos showed me it just mysteriously disappeared. Gutted. The metal hose clip I ordered from CMSNL and was the very last one, generally speaking if it goes out of stock there you can pretty much wave good bye to any decent chance of finding another brand new.
Writing this has actually made me scratch my head a little… it seems suspicious that it should magically work its way completely out under normal riding conditions, even if not done up tight. I’m also quite lucky because it took me a day to even notice. Every time I used the front brake I’d hear a grinding sound, yet the brakes operated perfectly? I thought I was going mad. When I checked I found the brake pad retaining pin nearly sawn in half by the rotor…
I won’t speculate further but I think we all know how disastrous/potentially fatal that could be. Thinking back to @HOTSHOT-III about someone unplugging his oil feed pipe reminded me not everyone steals when they get jealous. Some people will outright try causing you harm. Maybe this was my close call. I must admit I’m not one for believing in coincidences.
Here you can see why I need to replace the DTR guides with WR one’s. Why they made these guides so that you have to disconnect your whole brake hose is beyond me. I’m so anal about keeping things that are original to my bike but I suck at bleeding brake’s and you can still buy them new for a tenner so I think the hacksaw is coming out.
You’ll also notice a couple of mismatched pinch bolts, don’t ask why but somehow the originals went missing. I’ll be adding them to my fowlers order.Luckily I was in the right place at the right time as someone happened to be breaking their prized WR450 up they’d raced, he was in two minds about breaking the bike but I think me chatting to him and explaining it’s for my bike and that it’s going to a good cause swayed him a bit.
When I say he has a complete wr450 I mean there’s not a thing missing and had a lot of money spent on it so I was very surprised that he’d break it just for me to get these. Jake if you ever read this, I appreciate it so much! Thank you for being more then reasonable with the price as well £27 for all of the parts (plus extra’s) I couldn’t find anywhere did me a solid. I was expecting it to cost me a fortune.It has to be seen to be believed, brand new speedo drive hooked up and working as should
Except even better, it’s now hooked up to the speedo!
A giant personal victory is getting this all hooked up, I’ve bought at least 3 different speedo drives and had 0 luck every single time. I kept throwing money at it in the hopes of making progress but never got anywhere. I was starting to lose faith that I’d be able to get the stock DTR clocks working with the YZ/WR setup.
However I can in fact confirm that you can indeed run DTR clocks with a YZ/WR front end/running gear, a couple good spins of the front wheel confirms everything works as it should. In all my time being active within the DT community I’ve never seen anyone do this, feels good to say I might be the first.
Next up is a thing that I’ve wanted to do for a long time now, for as long I’ve owned the bike actually. It’s such a simple mod yet I’m surprised I’ve never seen anyone do it before.
It’s an Apico Magentic kill switch, I believe they’re intended for trials riders but I see it having a few benefits. It also makes a good fidget toy. Magnets are so satisfying haha.
As you can tell I was rather happy with myself. I was running out of daylight and had already made loads of progress and had no intentions of even doing this so it was a great feeling getting it done. Only down side is I didn’t have a bullet connector as one of the wires had the wrong connection point so I’ve ordered a set bullet connectors.
“There’s nothing good about chaving up a perfectly original DTR” said a friend Oh well the damage is done If I wanted an original DTR I’d have left it alone the day I got it
Here’s the new kill switch! I’ve not had one for as long as I’ve the Apico YZ throttle setup so it’s good to have one again.
It’s always a pleasure seeing these clocks glowing, unfortunately a bulb has blown on my MPH side. Luckily bulbs are only £3 and look like a piece of cake to change.The last thing I need to sort out is this baby…
She’s screaming for a lick of Competition Silver 00T9
Notice the guard is a bit different? I snapped it up a while ago from eBay America for next to nothing, they where made by devvol way back when WR200’s where still rolling out the factory. I won’t lie I kinda prefer the original OEM design but it’s a cool bit of history and probably quite rare now.Sorting out the DT200WR swingarm isn’t a huge priority and now that my clocks are working there’s nothing stopping me putting the old 3ET headlight back on, sorting the rear brake then chucking her in for an MOT… however as said earlier I’m really enjoying the build and I’m not cutting corners this time around. I won’t stop until everything is dialled. Also I know putting on that swingarm is going to be a huge upgrade and personal victory as I’ve had it laying around for ages so I can only imagine how rewarding it’ll be having that on her.
Anyways enough waffling! If you’ve read this far thank you and I look forward to next time! Love my dudes, ride safe!
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I haven’t seen ‘a beautiful mind’ but I have seen ‘the accountant’ . Kinda reminds me of all the notes written on any available surface, while trying to bird dog down a problem. Been there!
if I don’t write it down I forget my train of though nowadays…
I ended up just using Callum’s hard drive in the end!
Fair play on getting the clocks working on usd forks! ITmakes hellova difference…
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@Stevie-Wonder Cool post bud, looks like it's all systems go!
Fitting the WR200 swingarm, if you have a spare rear hub/wheel and some crankcases/an output shaft you can get an idea of the wheel alignment on the bench as it's the engine boss (along with accurate swingarm side clearance adjustment) which really dictates this more than the frame. This is a 3ET swingarm and wheel drive side spacer/caliper hanger mated to a DT125R hub (3ET hub is different and has two bearings on the drive side) with a 2mm thick washer between the arm and the hanger:
For those allen bolts (and for a lot of small- to medium-sized stuff on bikes generally) it's well worth getting one of those 1/4" drive torque wrench sets from one of the online bicycle retailers. More and more stuff on bicycles these days has a torque setting due to carbon bars etc. so they've become a lot cheaper since the days of the Snap-On man demanding a sqillion billion million pounds.
I can fully understand why you don't like the OEM DTR headlight cowl, the 1st time I saw this picture I had half a mind to get on the next boat to the Far East where DTRs are supplied like this new and import one:
However I do think that for UK riding the OEM setup is better, mainly because the DTR has AC lighting (i.e the power for the lights comes straight from the magneto without involving the battery) so you can run a 100/80W halogen bulb without flattening the battery unlike a lot of bigger bikes which run DC. The DTR’s actual light unit is the same as all Yamaha superbikes of the 80s like the RD500LC and XJ900, but Yamaha cheaped out and fitted a 45/40W candle to the DTR which is why lots of people don’t find it bright enough. 100/80W bulb lights up the roads/trails like a rally car, retains an MOT-friendly beam pattern and doesn't overload the wiring as Watts = Volts x Amps so you're only pulling 8A instead of the 5A you would be with a 60W bulb. Once a year or two ago I met up with a bunch of guys greenlaning on modern KTMs and decided to tag along with them as it was getting dark; they couldn’t believe how much brighter my headlight was. Get this one as the DTR headlight is P45T fitting which isn't the same as H4:
Very pioneering to have successfully engineered a USD front end with a working speedo drive; you could continue the theme by taking the bike to a known good alloy welding guy and get him to attach some mounts to your triple trees for your stock headlight bracket so the cowl lines up perfectly with the forks, front mudguard etc. The clocks also mount to this as you know (they fit between the mounts and the bracket on the stock bike) so you could end up with one sharp looking USD-forked DTR. Mods always look better when people have to look twice to clock them, think about that YZ125-engined twin shock DT175 on eBay the other day where the builder had used the space normally occupied by the stock pipe to mount a long thin radiator behind the original 1970s chrome exhaust heat shield. Get the guy to attach some mounts for getting the ignition switch in the proper place at the same time. This is a good example of how when you start modifying, it's often a case of two steps forward, one step back and the thing is never really finished, it just keeps evolving and improving. I don't doubt the USD forks are better on a technical level than the stock forks and you did the conversion very well (a lot of people on FB etc. bodge this as we know) but I wouldn't be without the OEM DTR headlight/high wattage bulb turning night into day, people even used to comment on it in bright sunshine. It was like Sarah Connor taking John to the play park!
The speedo illumination always fails on DTRs, well worth sticking in a new Lucas 5W bulb as found by @SpookDog but usually the culprit is the connectors where the blue/black wires attach to the main loom which will probably just need cleaning up.
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My memory isn’t great but that looks kinda like it’s got an LC thing going on! Front guard maybe?…
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I don’t know what it is that kills dial lights. I had them blow for a pass time! Since getting quality bulbs they’ve been bright and unblown! Then again I did upgrade the rubber mounting on the clock mount to top yoke. But again! I’ve found that you get what you pay for with bulbs. I used to think that a bulb was as good as another bulb (I’m more than a part time Fool!) I only use Philips for headlight now, or Osram nightbreakers. They fit my XT headlight unit if you trim a bit off of the three locator prongs…
PS; I’ve had a couple MoTs without having a parking/sidelight fitted into my headlight unit.
I think it’s more of a ‘if it’s fitted’ it has to work thing… -
@SpookDog It's the same front mudguard but a slimmer headlight cowl with a smaller light, same as the yellow one on @Stevie-Wonder 's USD conversion. These were a genuine Yamaha DTR part in countries which don't have the same rules on headlight types as we do and transforms the look of the bike, possibly at the expense of brightness.
Agreed I don't think you need a sidelight to pass an MOT, all the TDR250s I had never had one, never even had a space in the light unit for one. Just anything fitted has to work as you say.
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Bye bye stainless bolts. I got to the bottom of what bolts go where. Both YZ triple trees and WR front ends use domed bolts up top and recessed on the lower tree and axle.Only a small thing but I can’t deny feeling better about knowing it’s exactly as it would be if bought brand new from a dealership.
Was only a matter of time before something doesn’t fit, at least it was only this though. It’s my fault for forgetting I didn’t have WR triple tree’s and that the YZ’s ones a have are an ‘02. Must’ve been some variation or change I didn’t know about or realise.Luckily fowlers and CMSNL stock the guide used by the ‘02 YZ. A pleasant change for once. Oddly enough they’re identical and according to CMSNL list of bikes that use part no. 4EW2331EL1 an ‘03 wr450 is amongst them???
Strange… nonetheless I’ve ordered part no. 4EW2331EL1 Fingers crossed it fits.
Here’s a link for the part in case you feel nosy.
Feels good to get this piece back. I’ll be using some thread locker to make sure it doesn’t go missing a second time. I’ve also ordered a 1/4” torque wrench, found a service manuals online for ‘02 YZ, ‘03 WR450 and the DTR and have decided to do everything up finger tight until I know I’m finished working on everything.
Once that’s done then I’ll do everything up to torque value’s. I was reading as well apparently you shouldn’t grease your bolts? I was always taught this where good practice? Apparently it misses with the torque values ?
I see on jauce people making replacements for the outer part of the ignition and was wondering if anyone did identical replacements? If not nevermind it adds character.
New clocks who dis?Only a couple differences between them too. The models have an embossed Yamaha tuning fork logo which I think is a smart detail, the temp is replaced for the symbol, font is different and the new ones are white by the redline however i think this is just discolouration from age.
The clocks having taken them off properly and had a closer look don’t look too complicated and now I have another working set I can safely take my tacho apart without fear of breaking anything. I’m very eager to see how they work or more importantly why they don’t work!
Poor rubber has started to detoriate, finding another would be nice.
They rubber dampers have also come unstuck from the clocks, would anyone reccomend me some form of sticky rubber sealant?
Better photo.I also noticed my new clocks had an extra washer behind the hairpin keeping them firmer in place. Oddly enough I always thought there was something missing or wrong with the way mine or that they all moved a little in the frames.
I’ll definitely be stealing that idea! It’s bugged me for a long time that they didn’t sit in there snug and tight!
New bulb
We now have light! I love looking at that dash so much. I’m so glad I never went digital.
I’m a sucker for that glow. I can’t wait to be on to road and watching those needles jump when I whack the throttle open into powerband.
Tried to progress more with the headlight however I can’t begin to make a sub assembly when I don’t have the parts for it. I ordered two grommets and got sent one, unfortunately it was eBay so I couldn’t prove they were wrong. Nonetheless full refund but unfortunately no part.Speaking of the headlight I have found a very reputable alloy welder local to me that can travel who’s willing to have a look at those forks.
If someone provided me the tools I’d be more the. Happy to try great or modify a frame but alloy welding? With cast alloy? I’ll leave this to the pro’s, I think he’s also a machinist so I could kill two birds with one stone getting his help.
I have ordered a new rear caliper and hanger from France that’s in amazing condition, hopefully it won’t need rebuilding and all I have to do is chuck some pads in bleed it up and then we’re away. I done well on the caliper too, I took a punch to mine whilst trying to free it from the hanger and left some nasty gouges in it, nothing too crazy but enough for it to annoy me.
Having seen how much rear callipers are going for (in awful condition and without a hanger) I’m in a good mind to just sell my old one at U.K. DTR tax prices and recover the money I’ve spent.
All the bike needs at this point in time for an MOT is a rear brake and for me to connect the 3ET headlight. A pretty good feeling.
I’ve ordered another 4” cable extender and jap pattern tacho cable so that even with the 3ET headlight and currently mounts everything will work properly (touch wood).
Realising I might be close to finishing her up / getting her on the road I’ve started to collect bits to create an OEM rear taillight / number plate holder assembly as I that’d be pretty cool.
I’ve starting writing a secondary fowlers list for bits to finish up like new mirrors, some panels from bikerpartshop, brush guards and fork guards etc. Ya know all the little cosmetic bits or things I wouldn’t want to fit until last to avoid my grease hands leaving prints all over the brand new plastic
YZ front end specs for triple tree’s
Before I get to that stage though the torque wrench must come out. I took @HOTSHOT-III advice and got 1/4” sealey one. Lifetime warranty and calibrated for £35. Can’t argue with that and at a much more practical size then a 3/8” I can see myself using it a lot.
WR’s front end torque spec's
It’s going to be nice to have piece of mind that everything’s done by the book, every nut and bolt done up properly as intended. No more give it one more for luck and pray the threads don’t pull through or the bolt doesn’t snap.
One other thing I want to attend to and make sure is right is the routing for all the cables. It makes such a big difference seeing it organised properly.
Some pics I’ve nabbed for reference.
Also a reminder for me, when I’d done the rebuild I had some bits and bobs left over and one of them I could’ve swore where these metal bendy clip things. I must check I still have them and that I put them in the right place.
See luckily my electrics don’t look that bad if I’m using this for a reference. If it weren’t for the Tesco bag holding the relay and some overspray then it’d probably look pretty good.Also looking at the way the headlight frame mounts has me wondering.. surely it wouldn’t take much to use what structure I already have to attach the headlight frame too. The only issue is the ignition / clocks. They’re going to need to be very careful tucked away and much lower.
How anyone rebuilds a bike or does a full tear down and returns every nut and bolt exactly back to where it came from I honestly don’t know. I think I’d call even the most experienced mechanic a liar if they told me they didn’t have at least a couple bolts left over that definitely belong someplace.
Anyways until next time. I might post about my other bike I’m working on but to be honest I think I’d be doing you a favour if I didn’t. No one wants to listen to me give a thousand reason why not to buy a Chinese bike and why they’re shit. Peace and as always ride safe! Looking forward to keeping you updated with what happens!
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I always try to clean up the threads in the male and female side before torquing down. With a tap and die…
I went through the same dilemma before when doing head nuts. I figured that I’d rather they were all lubed with grease than some of them were dry and binding. I’d go with a tiny bit of grease every time…
I can’t see it making a significant difference…The dial lights look wicked bright!
I want one of the dial rubbers, I’m using a bit of old mouse mat!…P.S. yep, 1/4 drive torque wrench’s are lovely bits of kit! They’re like toolbox jewellery!
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