Uncle bought a bike...

[Jarlaxle]

He's had a Japanese cruiser (I think a Shadow 900) for a while...he just bought another. It's almost identical to his first Japanese bike (after a bunch of British bikes): a 1978 Yamaha XS750E triple. He got it for practically nothing, still wearing plates that expired in 1998. He plans to ride it on the Dragon this summer.

(Despite its 15-year hibernation, it has about 55,000 miles.)

 

[Iceweasel]

My '78 BMW has 170,000 on her but I've taken care of it too, so it depends. If I remember right those Yamahas were pretty well regarded but I'd go over it really well before going too far. Steering head bearings, swingarm bearings. etc. Were those shaft drive? If so there's a lot there to look at.

 

[Jarlaxle]

It will get a full going-over...minimum, it needs tires, brakes, carb work, and fork seals (the reason it was parked).

 

[DGS49]

Not to be unkind, but what was it about this piece of junk that caused your uncle to buy it? Did he get his first piece of tail on the back seat of one?

By the time he puts enough time and money into it to make it safe he will have spent enough to buy a much, much nicer and more powerful bike. A $2,500 V-65 Magna would run circles around that thing and still have time to go out for coffee.

"He got it for practically nothing." Nothing surprising about that.

 

[Jarlaxle]

It's identical to his first Triple, which still ranks as one of his 2 favorite bikes. (It was stolen.) I doubt he'll have $2000 in it. (He started wrenching today...so far, all it seems to need in the brake system are flex lines, a bunch of seals, and new fluid.) And, of course, a $2500 Magna could easily turn into a $5000+ money pit!

And I would HOPE a Magna would beat it...it has half again the motor! (1100 versus 750cc)

He also found that, in the bottom of an old foot locker, he DID, in fact, still have the service manual for it!

 

[DGS49]

People do crazy shit. I would probably be tempted to do something similar if I fell over on an old Yamaha RD350.

A friend of mine bought a basket-case Bridgestone 200 a few years ago and has it looking and running like new. Doesn't even want to think about how much he has in it.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Already ordered the tires, tubes, fork seals, and brake parts--seals, lines, and front calipers. (Replacements were cheaper than rebuilding the old ones.) Found the steering head bearings have already been done He's doing fuel lines and going through the carbs today

Also did a leak-down test on the engine: under 10% in all three holes. (As an indication of the PO's maintenance, the plugs were good enough he's not changing them.)

 

[Jarlaxle]

It's running! New fuel lines, cleaned-out carbs, and a battery, and it fired right up.

 

[Jarlaxle]

FedEx brought the tires and tubes today, it will be ready to go as soon as the snow melts. (Which will be maybe...July?)