So Close!...
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@SpookDog said in So Close!...:
Cheers Ollie! I PM’d my addy…
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Does anyone have any pics of a bike with the seat & tank off that shows where the wiring loom is supposed to be situated/routed? Big help if possible!
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I fuxin dread this bit! 35 year old wire and all the previous ‘mowners’ tinkering!…
For some reason this is taking a lot longer than I thought it would! I spend more time staring at it than I do assembling it! Then mending & cleaning whatever part I pick up to bolt on!
Anybody want to do a lottery as to when it’s together and riding? How many daze?!
…The loom on the DT125R is on the opposite side,the way you have is for the DT200R.
But it will probably be ok. -
That’s interesting to know. That’s the side it came on when I got the bike. I was just never sure of it…
PS: Is there supposed to be plastic between the air box and the taillight/number plate unit, to protect the frame?…
Edit: WhatTF is it with that expansion chamber pipe that goes from the radiator?! It’s left me feeling kind of ‘compromised’
nasty little fuxor!… -
@SpookDog said in So Close!...:
That’s interesting to know. That’s the side it came on when I got the bike. I was just never sure of it…
PS: Is there supposed to be plastic between the air box and the taillight/number plate unit, to protect the frame?…
Edit: WhatTF is it with that expansion chamber pipe that goes from the radiator?! It’s left me feeling kind of ‘compromised’
nasty little fuxor!…Unfortunately there is no plastic protection for that part of the frame.
It's essential the protection there,a lot of debris hit the frame from the wheel there.
I am designing something for that problem but haven't resourced the right plastic for the job,if I can not find I'll have to weld smaller pieces together.Which pipe do you mean?
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Radiator to expansion tank, the rubber pipe is a bit of a beeyatch
…I’d use the plastic that garages use for their shampoo and other car-wash stuff. White 5 gallon butts…
These things. We used to use them for water when I lived on site…
Very strong and durable. Easy to heat and mold (sp?) to basic curve/shapes, which is all that space needs. Make a form and knock them out on fleabay! … -
@SpookDog That expansion tank tube describes a tortuous route around the top of the airbox yes. Whatever you do don't be tempted to route it underneath the airbox; I've known people to do this and the chain will cut the tube in half when the rear suspension is fully compressed (in fact the upper chain roller stops it from doing this to the airbox).
@MadGyver It would protect the frame if you could design something to fit behind the airbox there. After I wash my bikes I like to throw old towels over the wheels to protect the tyres and brakes, then absolutely saturate places like that area, the front of
and underneath the engine etc. with WD40 to protect the frame, wiring etc., then wipe off the excess. Get loads in the radiator core as those fins are wafer thin and corrode away to powder if you leave salt on them. Doing this also helps the degreaser to cut through the road grime and dirt next time.It can also be beneficial to attach some approximately 10mm thick foam to the lateral ridge on the seat base where it butts up against the top rear of the airbox, this gives the air intake area a little more protection against mud and water ingress. Yamaha did this when the DTR was new but in a bit of an afterthought kind of way; new foam and some 3M VHB double sided tape and nothing will get past it even greenlaning through a swamp.
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My tube does go under!
I like the idea of both the foam and a plastic ‘shroud’ underneath. The amount of ultra fine dirt that gets thrown up (in road water) and into the top of the air box isn’t funny. The stress it causes the seat tubing is bad if you ride in winter salt conditions…
If a bikes a keeper you have to consider it’s longevity…
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Throttle cable outer is badly cracked. Getting the heat shrink tube in through the throttle rubber was interesting
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Should keep oil in and water out once shrunk!…
Edit: Thank fux that never caught fire!
Couple wrinkles to heat out but well happy with!…
Edit: Top bit done as well. I’m happy with the new lease of life it’s given this cable…
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Fux me! My old carb rubber inlet sure spoiled me! It used to slip in and out like… well, use your imagination
The new one needs a freakin’ crowbar to get it to pop in!…Edit: Wow! Blowtorch and grease!…
I need to use a hairdryer more often! … -
Hey bud! I’m glad & sad you sold your last Dtr. I’m glad it’s gone to some new blood who’s hopefully going to wrench on it himself? You should get him to post here…
I’m gutted that it’s because the roads have turned into a ‘not fun’ and dangerous place to be. I don’t think it’s just the Rose tint of yoof, I’m sure they used to be different. I never used to fear for my safety, let alone my life, ever! Now I seldom get a trip where I don’t have a few ‘moments’…
I can remember when I got my first dog, a little German Shepard. I used to walk around at nights and have the whole world to myself up on the Milldown in Blandford, now at night it looks like close encounters! So many LED lit dog collars everywhere! Every other person has a dog now!
The point is that the roads are like that now, so many more drivers than there used to be. It’s impossible to find a quiet stretch to have a moment to yourself! There’s always a car up your ass and an idiot or two waiting down the road. It’s almost become a chore to go out on the road. Even beauty spots like zig~zag through Cranbourne chase have clogged up with white van commuters!…Is a shame
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@SpookDog Yes it was a shame to see "Greta" go (noisy, irritating, aimed squarely at the youth market and responsible for thousands of them bunking off school all over the world), she was my favourite of all three due to her patina of being the highest mileage and the fastest of all of them. I think there must be differences between the 3MB (Greta) and 3NC (the others) ignition advance curves as there were places round here such as steep hills where even a French full-power 3NC would struggle to accelerate but Greta would just keep revving.
On the bright side the lad was pretty likeable and clued up, and he said he'll join this forum (hi Liam
). I think he'll make a decent bike out of it and enjoy it the way Yamaha intended.I feel the same way about the roads; it's even a struggle trying to keep to 30 and 40 limits in the car as you always seem to get someone tailgating you. And then when you go past the National Speed Limit sign and accelerate to 60, they disappear because they just want to do 40-45mph everywhere like they're in their armchair at home; we've reached a point in the West where people are too bone idle to use a labour-saving device (i.e a motor vehicle) correctly.
And the selfishness is jaw-dropping. I try and do all my trips anywhere in the evening when there are fewer people on the roads, if you go out when it's busy it's just a never-ending conveyor belt of argumentative tw@ts.The last few times I've gone to Bridport to see relatives I've headed over Bulbarrow Hill, then through all these villages north of Dorchester which is the way I used to go on the bike. Proper DTR roads; not many people about (apart from tractors), bumpy, gravelly single track lanes just begging for long-travel suspension and trail bike visibility. And peoples' attitudes always seemed a bit different to me going that way as well, they were happy to move over and let me go where a lot of drivers on main roads don't like being overtaken. I don't think even a TDR250 would be any more fun than a DTR around here so maybe a potential route to get away from the Rat Race when yours is back together! It's coming along nicely, always feels good when it's rolling again
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I’ve gotten myself lost over Milton and Melbury Abbas way before. I thought I knew that way enough, but nope! I’ve gone from Gillingham through that way to Poole as well, some of the most jaw dropping views when you crest a hill and pop out into the open! I love that I don’t feel the need to go over 40 as well, 50+ and I feel like I’m doing a ton!
…I want to take a sleeping & a Bivvy bag and sod off for a week or so in the spring/summer to explore the coast. I’ve never really seen much of our island, which is another shame. I used to know a bloke who did the whole coastal shebang on a mountain bike, lovely, crazy bloke. Did it in an anorak instead of Lycra!
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I had a very close near miss a few years ago. I was out with my brother on my RS on a notorious road that leads to Cirencester from Stroud. It's a national speed limit road and it was a gorgeous summers afternoon, too hot to be stuck in leathers pootling around and "Driving Miss Daisy L Plate" driver just pulled out in front and there was a huge queue of traffic behind it.
I really am not one for speeding and if I were on my own I'd have just hung back, but nope not today, dropped it into the powerband and accelerated to overtake the 40MPH on a 60MPH driver. The road ahead was clear but a white van was waiting to turn out from a minor road onto this national speed limit road. I reckon he saw the L Plate driver and the tail of traffic behind it and didn't want to get stuck behind that lot. So he pulls out...
What he didn't see was me on my bike overtaking the queue of traffic, some 50MPH and accelerating quickly (for a 125 remember). Bearing in mind, him jumping out in front of this L plate would have resulted in her slamming the brakes on. The van pulls out and I am on a direct course for collision smack into the side of it. I dart the bike into the grass verge, bike tank slapping as it hits the dirt but wrestle it back onto the black stuff. I was probably a few milliseconds and half a metre from being something else...
What I want to know, is how my brother, who was hot on my tail, managed to wrangle out of it. I was nearly killed so gawd knows how he made it out., although he is a lot better of a rider than me.
And after that, I pretty much put the RS to bed. YOU CAN'T EVEN USE A 125 WITHOUT GETTING YOURSELF INTO TROUBLE FFS! I like using my DTR. It doesn't do a lot more than 60MPH at a push. It's comfortable and handles well and it scratches that itch should I need to go out on the bike. The Cagiva Raptor is also superb, but any sense of an incline or head wind and you have to drop it down a gear. Again, this is fine in the twisties and I had a wail of a time on it this year.
The problem with the RS is that the gearing is so tall, and the powerband so narrow, that you have to wring its neck to use it. That's fine, I haven't got a problem with its power delivery, that's what two strokes all about. Once that thing is on pipe it is a bloody riot. But good luck trying to enjoy it on the roads today. A track day, suitable for a 125, would be fun. But I'm just not that really into motorbiking. I like hopping on and getting a coffee.
So, back to the garage. Back to doing something I enjoy with a topic of interest and sharing it with you lot, as a bit of conversation. For me, it's less about riding and more about the community we all enjoy. @HOTSHOT-III Your contributions are always valued and I hope you lurk around and share some of your other projects.
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@Calum Sounds like you both did well to keep it shiny side up that day, stuff like that can happen in the blink of an eye.
I'll definitely be hanging around here and posting up stuff/helping where I can (and being helped
). As you say this is a great community; based in the UK but members from all over the world including DT200R guys from Australia, mainland Europe etc.Talking of other projects, here are some pics of my 2007 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp which I've just rebuilt. It came from the local secondhand shop which is run by Dorset Council to try and reduce stuff like this ending up in landfill.
No idea why it's green as I thought the Comp from this year was black and red but I like the colour; maybe it was originally sold in another country and the original owner moved here and brought it with them.
Brand new wheelset built using Shimano Deore XT M756 hubs, NOS Weinmann ZAC19 rims and Sapim Race double butted spokes with coloured alloy nipples.
Original Fox Float 120 fork serviced with Fox internals and SKF green dust seals. Travel kicked out to 140mm during the service by removing the plastic spacer underneath the air piston. OEM Triad shock serviced likewise using a nitrogen needle kit and RockShox shock pump to inflate the chamber behind the IFP (this does the same job as the remote/piggyback reservoir on motorcycle shocks).
Every chassis bearing has been replaced with full complement bearings; these have no cage and are packed with balls to take higher loads in low-speed applications. New headset bearings but the OEM cups and crown race were fine so I didn't disturb them.
Shimano Deore XT T8100 brakes; these deliver XT quality without the fiddly servo-wave levers. 180 front/160 rear rotors.
3 x 9 transmission with cheap-ass Shimano 73mm square taper BB and pressed/spot welded steel crankset; I ride mainly in sand/gravel so transmissions on all my bikes get trashed in winter anyway. Deore Shadow rear derailleur with ballraced jockey wheels as these do make a difference to shifting performance.
New FSR pivot bolts made from grade 12.9 M10 x 1mm steel bolts; 2007 isn't all that long ago so Specialized should really still supply pivot bolt kits for these, but these won't add much weight. The seat stay bolts have twice as much thread engagement as OEM as the threads extend about 30mm inside the bosses.
NukeProof bars, Exotic 100mm stem and No Logo external dropper post. Magnesium platform pedals and the obligatory inline cable oilers.
I've wanted one of these for a while. I have a couple of 2008s but the spec wasn't as impressive as the '07 when they came out; IMHO the Credit Crunch hit and they cheapened the 2008 and disguised it as a redesign. For example the '07 has an extra pivot bearing on the lower shock mount whereas the '08 just has plain bushes at both ends. Geometry is similar so looking forward to comparing them directly!
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Cheers bud! They’re ok, I cut off the bad split bits at the bottom. They’re still soft enough. I just have to get around to it eventualy!…
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I’ve just had a bit of a revelation, maybe…
A while back I put an earth from the battery to the frame (because I thought they all had that) and it kept blowing fuses. I’ve just realised there are two (Edit: there are actually 3, maybe 1 for ignition??) separate earth wires going to the front (headlight area) as well as two to the back.
Now I’m thinking that one is for AC and the other for DC! Me having them crossed is probably why I get a big old ‘dim’ of the headlight when I use the brake lights, horn or indicator!…
The only thing that befuggles me is the brake and tail lights have to share a common earth…I’m going to explore and experiment with this!
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@SpookDog I've never seen one specifically for the DTR but a smart way around this is to polish that part of the clutch cover with finer and finer grades of wet & dry, finishing with Solvol Autosol for a mirror finish to seal up the pores in the aluminium. When it gets roughed up by your boots just polish it again. A 750ml tin works out to about half the price of the little tubes you get down the motor factors and would be good for your rims and stainless RH pipe as well:
Yeah toight!
