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Took a couple weeks off, but finally spent a day on the YAS1C refurbishment project working on the front end.

Painted the fork ears and headlight bucket. Also installed speedometer with new indicator bulbs and replaced vibration gasket.


Forks were dismantled, resealed and new boots installed. Since original boots were non-existent I found out that a Honda CT90 had the same dimensions as Yamaha YAS1C, with the exception of one additional rib, 13 instead of 12. Hope no one is picky enough to notice. LOL


After forks were pulled up through the tripe tree the front fender was polished and also cleaned up on the inside, along with some rust prevention. Also installed a new tire on the wheel. Tire was replaced with the proper tread pattern and size. The tire that was on the bike at time of purchase was to large and incorrect pattern which rubbed the fender. New brakes were also installed.


Headlight bucket installed and main wiring harness pulled through new grommet. Waiting on some more grommets for speedo cable and handle bar switches before closing up. Then called it a day!

Finally getting started on my YAS1C Scrambler. This example is the super rare "special edition" Yamaha provided for the best 200 dealership owners. Only one per dealer was available for this promotion. Unfortunately mine, which was given to a dealer in NYC was not exactly treated well and will need extensive work to bring it back to it's original luster. Motor shouldn't need a lot of work, as it shows only 698 miles on the working odometer. Another plus is it was only in New York for 1-2 years last registered in 1969 before the family moved it to the western slope of Colorado, so rust is very minimal. Will try to keep this build thread to a minimum as I typically take 100's of photo's.

Here it is on the lift to get started. The seat here is an NOS seat that I temporarily fitted after taking off the destroyed original.


First step will be a complete dismantling of the the bike, as it will need serious clean-up that can't be achieved
while together. Here I've removed the front wheel. The sealed beam headlight was missing, so a replacement has been acquired.


Here I've disconnected all electrical from the headlight bucket. Removed the bucket along with the forks and fork ears.


Removal of the skid plate and foot rest assembly exposes a lot of mud and tar like substance this bike has been ridden through.


Mufflers and heat shields are now removed. Decided to quit for the day before the rear wheel and motor are removed.

A couple of shots of the finished YCS1C

Likely the last ride of the year here with snow in the forecast. What can I say about this 1968 Yamaha after attempting a decent refurbishment...other than it's been the most frustrating, self-inflicted money pit I've ever been involved with in my 20 years of restoring and putting vintage Japanese bikes back on the road. Plus there is still much to do, as every time I look at it I see another $100 bill fly out of my pocket. 😕 I won't even begin to start a list of the parts required to get it to this point. However here's a few pics I took while riding it for it's first time with less than a mile on the top end and only a couple of good heat cycles. Sorry no WOT bursts with this ride due to the break-in regimen. Here's a link to the approx 2 mile ride today. Here's a link to the finished YCS1C posted from above. It is the first ride on this 180cc twin two stroke scrambler I noticed the pictures I put up are gone. I guess it would help if I knew how to link the photos directly from my computer rather than a URL that expires.

Super cool bikes. Those remind me of my '65 Big Bear 250 YDS3C?

Lots of fun to be had with those bikes.

Funny you should relate them to the Big Bear. I have a '66 YDS3C which I did a complete nut & bolt restoration back in 2016. They were always a model I was fascinated with, largely in part due to the sound when I was a 15 yr old kid. I'll share a pic of it here. It actually has been a show winner at a few shows around the country!

Here's a couple of my current projects, both somewhat rare Scramblers from 1968 when they first became available. Models are YCS1C and YAS1C which are variations from the street versions first appearing in 1967.

My YCS1C, in it's original rare black & white scheme, nearing finish, but a few more items left to attend to.


My YAS1C in the rare special edition color scheme. Anxious to get started on it after the New Year.


From the January edition of Yamaha News introducing the two new Scramblers. Note the YAS1C has the standard color design with pearl white painted side panels instead of black.


I found this Japanese text mentioning the Black side panels. My research has indicated that approx 200 were made in the reverse design and were designated only one per dealership. I've only seen one other than mine in original condition. Some have been restored but have been incorrectly IMHO, given black head light buckets and fork ears.

If you're a serious bike restorer or mechanic forget the Harbor freight hydraulic lift. You'll wear your leg out pumping it up and down. Any good air lift is the way to go. Speaking from experience, and I've had a couple Harbor freight lifts as well. Just make sure you get one with a good half wheel chock and a removable plate at the rear for wheel removal.

Neat bike.

Is it a survivor or has it been restored?

It has been restored sometime prior to 2011 when I purchased it.

What a lovely motorcycle; what's the riding experience like?

It's a great riding bike, a bit low on power at low rpm's but comes on fairly strong as it gets into it's power range. Here's a link to a riding video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QIdke5MVjE

Designed to be a utilitarian commuter bike, but dang it is still more beautiful than models of today. Out in the daylight for the first time since not being ridden for 14 years. I did show it at numerous shows around the country in 2018 but didn't start it up (only cleaned up). I bought this '66 Suzuki S32-2 in 2011 and rode it only 46 miles, before putting it away. Nice fall weather today so I put in a battery and fired it up and went for a ride.

Under a savage looking sky, here's my 1971 Suzuki TS-250R "Savage"

The Yamaha YG1, first introduced in 1963, was a popular small motorcycle known for its sporty design and practical features. It featured a 73cc single-cylinder, two-stroke engine with a rotary disc valve and a four-speed transmission. The YG1 was praised for its reliability, ease of maintenance, and enjoyable riding experience, making it a successful model for Yamaha. Just like Honda's C100's the little YG1 was Yamaha's bread and butter during the early to mid sixties which kept the company afloat. 

Here's my 1963 and 1964 YG1 Yamaha's. Both are pre-mix models as Autolube wasn't released until August of 1964.


The 1964 is a survivor, I did a partial restoration on the '63 as it had more patina than I liked.


The easiest way to identify the '63 from the '64 is by the tail light. In 1964 the tail light was enlarged from the round '63 to meet new DOT requirements beginning the first of the year in 1964.

Picked up this rough looking Mini Enduro as part of a package deal. I've got it to run nice but have many parts on order to complete it. Not looking to make it a show bike but hopefully a respectable rider.

I was really happy to find this complete 1970 DS6B. They were a one year model for Yamaha (actually less than 9 months), before being replaced by the YDS7 which was the first horizontally split 250. Going through the carbs etc before firing up. Still haven't located a key so may have to hot wire.


 

Just like the American and European motorcycle manufactures, Japan had many companies that didn't survive in the post war motorcycle industry, but a few of them came close. Manufacturers such as Yamaguchi, Tohatsu, Marusho and Pointer lasted into the early 60's before collapsing due to various economic reasons. Kawanishi Naval Aircraft Corporation started producing Pointer motorcycles in 1946 and by 1962 or '63 had stopped manufacturing motorcycles but still continued with other products under several different name changes. The last Pointers were built by Shin Meiwa Industry Co., Ltd., of Osaka Japan. It was one of Japan's leading aviation firms.
While most of my collection is focused on the "Big Four" Japanese bikes that were commonly purchased during the '60s to early '70s, I am fascinated by the rarely seen or heard of models that also came out of Japan during that era. Pointer had several models that were advertised in nearly all the cycle magazines from about '61 to early '64. The Super Lassie and a larger Comet model were the most heavily promoted. From the research I've done, I believe the factory quite producing motorcycles by late '62 or early '63, and any bikes sold after that time were just closeouts. This Super Lassie is titled as a '64 so it was probably one of the very last Pointers sold in the US. Now it has finally found a home in my "Rizingson Collection", where it will be occasionally ridden, shown and preserved as is. If anything breaks on it, it will become an instant boat anchor as there are absolutely no parts available that I am aware of at this time. Only one other and possibly a 3rd exist in the USA, and one I've found in Canada. If anyone knows of one hidden away please speak up!

The Pointer Super Lassie was a sleek, mostly cream colored, 90cc two stroke motorcycle imported into Cleveland, Ohio, from Japan, beginning in 1962. The 89cc 2-stroke engine put out 7 hp and could reach the advertised top speed of 60 mph, which was verified by a road test in Cycle World (April 1963). Mine will need some fine tuning to perform that well, as it feels a little boggy now. I understand that the luggage rack may not have been a factory option, but seems to fit the bike well without detracting from the styling.

A few people have suggested that the styling is taken from Honda's C110, due to the upswept pipe, full chain guards and horizontal engine. Also the plastic front fender with rubber mud flap. The leading link suspension looks similar to other Japanese brands, but is said to be a torsion type designed by Neidhalt. The dual rear view mirrors were standard equipment, unlike Honda.

The speedometer is showing only 442 miles, but it is hard to say if it is correct, however the Mecum ad says it is believed to be correct. Within the speedometer is the neutral light and charging light. The Super Lassie is also equipped with turn signals; fortunately these are in good working order, as are all the electrics, such as headlight, starter, tail lights and horn

One particularly interesting feature is the fuel tank.  A new type of construction incorporates the fuel tank as an integral part of the frame structure, allowing a greater fuel capacity (2.4 Gal). Here you can see how the fuel tank is part of the frame. The 3 position ignition switch is located in the left side of the headlight bucket.