YL1.. Project thread

[Kawtriplefreak]

 

[1976RD400C]

Mines geared 15/35. It seems to have a big jump in ratio between 3rd and 4th.

[m in sc]

Mines geared 15/35. It seems to have a big jump in ratio between 3rd and 4th.

really? whats your top speed? i think mines 14/38

[1976RD400C]

Mines geared 15/35. It seems to have a big jump in ratio between 3rd and 4th.

really? whats your top speed? i think mines 14/38

Speedo says 62 and I can roll back on the throttle a bit and hold 55 to cruise. Next time out I'll check with phone gps. It definitely has 15/35 sprockets.

[m in sc]

ah ok. mines indicating what i stated... and was being paced by 2 new modern bikes so im sure its accurate. weird. i'll have to investigate a bit . do appreciate the data point though. I know my old hs1 would do a legit 60

everything ive read this morning (slow day int he office). says 50-52 is normal max speed, which is fine if thats what its supposed to be.

mines like a 14/35 gearing, which is stock on mine. it def wont rev all the ay out in 4th and everything's dead stock, top end is fresh.

the yl1 def has a LOT of online information that conflicts though. 

[m in sc]

I played with it a bit, reset point gap and i think it just is what it is. thats fine. 

on another note...

since apparently no on on the planet had a seat pan I decided to repair mine, i just gave up looking and didnt want to have to buy a whole bike to get one.  (for those that saw that parts bike on FB..     and it was 4 states away).

the nose had been cut off and the sides hammered in flat. yeah, i know. so i was able to get the side flanges straightened out somehow, and then made the nose from scratch. this was the preliminary fitment. it snot pretty in here, but its .040 mild steel sheet. i plug welded it to the stock pan after getting a rough shape. I had 1 pic and a repro seat cover to go off of.





the next day i wire wheeled the rest of the pan, and flap wheeled and filled in the holes /gaps int he part i made, smoothed it all out.  brought that and the new cover to my local guy to cut soem foam and fit the cover. should finish it off nicely. Im pretty excited about it.

[msr]

... now we just have to find a rack for it. What a cool bike that thing is.

[m in sc]

i think im going to have to make one. they are unobtanium.

[JBeasty]

What a fierce little thing! And what an awesome job you're doing. Every time I read the updates to this thread, I find myself wandering over to Craigslist in search of old neglected gems.

[m in sc]

thanks, its appreciated. It was def a spur of the moment purchase, i wasn't looking for one... actually, MSR (Matt) peer pressured me into it/tempted me. which im notoriously known for to do to all my friends. 

I've really, really enjoyed this bike way more than i expected.  yesterday i finally got a chain guard for it. I got a used one, there's nos ones on ebay, fairly priced, but.. i'll refinish the old one. it def needs one.

I -hope- to make the DGR next year with this one, probably. 

   

[soonerbillz]

I expect to see this bike at our next Tiddler run..

[m in sc]

in Oklahoma? doubtful there Scott.. doubtful. 

last night was a rainy one, so i did clean up the pass pegs, pulled apart cleaned w out stripping the zinc plating.



and after the chain guard arrived a few days ago, i finally got around to stripping and painting it & getting it mounted. had to weld on the rear nut on the guard as it was missing.





its the same shade of silver as the rear fender section of the frame vs the duller engine paint. thought it looked better that way,

[1976RD400C]

That's looking real real good. I need a chain guard for mine but only find the rotted one and the ones from Thailand on Ebay.

[m in sc]

thanks. man yours looks good.

the one i got was the one from mr monkeyclaw. i figured it was worth a shot.. was way better than i expected it would be.

i paid 40 ish.

[m in sc]

slight update: Decided to get some shock covers for the rear, long story, but had t use 2 different sets, these are for girling shocks for nortons/bsa's.   not 'correct' but i dig them, knocks back the 'too modern' look of the shocks i put on. I cant deal w the stock shocks, they are just miserable IMHO

seat is at the upholstery guy being done as we speak, ready by end of week.

next thing is a retrofit of a dyna-s electronic ignition. then, dare i say, im finished.















roughing in of the seat pan repair... i wire wheeled and smoothed all this out, finished the welding and painted it before sending it out.  yes, the front had been cut off.