brucej

Found another site that is easier to navigate for this info, www.ducatimeccanica.com/dellorto_guide/dellorto.html Click on section " 3.2 Fuel System " and scroll down to section " 3.2.2 Selection of the float" Lots of other good tuning info for Dellortos here, too. P.S. How do I type in these web pages so that people can click on them directly from my post?

Try dellorto's website, www.dellorto.it/ They have instructions for setting float heights, should get you going.

A few years ago, there was an article published in Dirt Rider magazine about replacing 'non-replaceble' coil wires on Honda coils. It was in the Trail Tips department, sorry I can't remember the name of the guy that submitted it. Anyway, what he did was yank the old wire out of the coil, then solder a small screw into the hole it came out of. A new wire could then be screwed onto the coil, the same way you would screw a spark plug cap onto the other end of the wire. I haven't tried doing this myself, but it sounds like it might be worth a try, especially for an older bike that you don't want to spend much money on.

These things can be tricky to bleed. If you look around on this site you will find some horror stories about what can happen when you start to mess around with them. Not that it can't be done, but why open a can of worms if you don't need to? The clutch pull should be very light, it quite likely is working fine. Make sure the kill switch works, then keep your thumb on it as you nick it into gear. If you do need to bleed it, you will find some tech articles listed on the front page, in the right hand column, that will help. Bruce

The TY is a good bike but of course it is getting a little old. The newer machines have much better performance and are easier to ride. When I switched from a TY to a 98 GasGas, I found a world of difference. The brakes especially helped me out on big downhills, they were so much stronger and easier to control. The riding position is also easier for a beginner on a newer bike, less hunched over than the old style machines. That being said, the Yamahas are very reliable and have a very controllable type of power. They are certainly good enough to have fun on and learn some skills, so if your Dad's mate is on a tight budget and the price is good, it is worth considering. Bruce

" Sometimes I can backfill the hose from the caliper bleed nipple to the master cyl. and the next minute I can't" I had a similar problem when bleeding my clutch a while back. I checked the master cyl. piston return, lever adjustment, completely diassembled the master to clean it, nothing seemed to work. Eventually I tried to see if I could push fluid back up the hose with the master off. It wouldn't go. I took the hose off, blew it out, made absolutely sure it was clear, put it back on and tried again. Still nothing! And yet once in a while it would work for little bit before stopping again. After spilling about a gallon of DOT 4 all over the bike and floor I realized that it worked when I was pressing the hose firmly down onto the bleed nipple, and didn't work otherwise. The fluid was leaking out past the nipple threads instead of going up the hose. When I kept steady pressure on the nipple, I was able to pump fluid up the hose and into the master to my hearts content, and when I was done the clutch worked better than it had since I first got the bike. The next time I try bleeding one of these things I will use teflon around the threads like Rob suggested. BTW, I found that a small oil pump can is a good alternative to a syringe - it's easier to work one-handed, but you have to clean it out carefully before and after using it. Good luck!

Bigfoot, did you take the spring pressure off the adjuster before you tried turning it? I have found the job goes much easier if you use a pry bar to compress the spring, then turn the adjuster nut. This works better with a extra pair of hands. I used a small block of wood on top of the swingarm to lever the pry bar against. Bruce

If you open the bleeder screw the pistons will be much easier to push back in. It still takes a fair amount of pressure, though. I did mine by laying the caliper on its side, with the hose and master cyl. still attached to the bike, on a wooden crate that was about axle height. I used a rubber covered hammer handle to push down on the piston. I then opened the bleeder, pushed down on the piston until I thought it had moved far enough, and quickly closed the bleeder before it could suck air back into the system. Try to push the pistons as straight as possible so they don't get cocked in their bores. Hope this helps! Bruce

SD, I'd have to say your chain looks like it's done its' duty, time for a new one. Sprockets too. If you use Charlie's test method it will be more obvious, but even without it you can see the wear in the picture. You see how there is a gap between the chain pins and the bottom of the 'valleys' between the sprocket teeth? This means there is a lot of wear on it, it no longer fits the sprocket. If you look at the sprocket teeth closely, you will see that they are starting to hook over. The worn chain has caused this. It also looks like there is a lot of wear on the sides of the sprocket teeth, although it's hard to tell how severe it is in the picture, if it's just the anodizing worn off it's not a big deal. It would be caused by a misaligned sprocket. This would be a good time to check the alignment of the chain tensioner, too, that might be what's causing the wear on the side plates of your chain. When you adjust your chain, are the adjustment cams tight against their stops when you are done? They should be. If they're not, then that's why your chain keeps loosening off. It could also cause the alignment problems. Basically, you need to get a new chain and sprockets as soon as you can, and check your tensioner and sprocket alignment carefully when you put them on. You can probably run what you have a little longer (like if it's a day or two till you can get the new ones) if you take a link out of the chain, to get it back to where your adjusters are useful again. Hope this helps!

Kevin, I think the capacity of the bigger tank is 5 litres, I'm pretty sure it was OEM on the street legal monos. The 'off-road' tank is 3.5 litres. It's too bad they weren't sold on this side of the Atlantic, I think they would be great for trail riding, along with the padded seat. Bruce

It would be interesting to see how they scored such a thing. I can't see it bearing any real resemblance to motorcycle trials - if you dab on a quad you will usually run over your foot. I probably spend more time on a quad than on my trials bike, because I use the quad for a lot of chores around the farm, and I ride it recreationally as well. The key to being safe on one is to know the limitations of the machine and of your abilities as a rider, just like any other machine. To my mind, the most dangerous aspect of a quad is that they are mis-leading; they are kind of a 'Jeckyl and Hyde' type of machine. At slow speeds on flat ground they are stable and reassuring, requiring no balance or body positioning skills to operate. With greater speed their character changes, requiring great skill to operate safely. So people start to feel confidant very quickly on them, and start to go faster, try more challenging terrain and then discover how unstable they can be. The funny thing is, there are people who would never put their children on a mini-bike because "it's too dangerous" but will put them on a quad without a second thought, sending them off with no more instruction than "here's the throttle, there's the brake, don't go too far" Unfortunately, these are the people you read about in the paper, calling for the machines to be banned, after their child is hurt.

It might be that your carb is icing up. This is very common in temperatures a few degrees above freezing if the humidity is high. If this is the case, you will probably see frost building up on the outside of the carb as well. I have heard of people rigging up a shroud to direct warm air from the fan onto the carb to solve this problem, but I don't know the particulars. Here in Canada it is common to add alcohol to the gas in snowmobiles and cars to prevent this icing. Pure isopropyl alcohol is the best kind to use, if you can find it. You have to careful that the gas (petrol for you guys, right?) is free from water contamination, because if there is too much water, the water and alcohol will separate out in your tank or float bowl and cause worse problems. When there is just condensation in your carb, the alcohol will absorb it and carry it through the engine in very small amounts that do no harm. And yes, you might try adjusting your idle mixture and needle position to see if it helps.

Terry, hi! It's very hard to say what's best for somebody else, it depends so much on personal riding style and preference, and riding conditions. Some people will go so far as to change gearing for muddy conditions from what they use when it's dry, for example. Dropping one tooth on the countershaft will make a very noticeable difference and, like you said, is a lot cheaper. It does sound like you could use lower gearing , so it's worth a try. I like Charlie's idea of thinking of the change as a percentage, I think it might give you more of an idea what the difference will be like before you try it. If you want to find the exact ratio of counter shaft sprocket to rear sprocket, you divide the number of teeth on the rear sprocket by the number of teeth on the countershaft sprocket. For example, if there are 12 teeth on the counter and 48 on the back then you have exactly 4 teeth on the back for every 1 on the counter (48 divided by 12 = 4). Well, that's a lot of words to basically just say that you'll have to try it and see if you like it, but maybe there's something useful in there for you. Good luck! Bruce

Well, if you flick my rear end, I'll hop - but not in a gay way!

What kind of preparation work has to be done before bead blasting? Do scratches have to be sanded out?

Air in the clutch system can also cause drag. The symptoms on my bike were that the clutch lever had to be pulled in right to the handlebar to make it release; even then it had more drag than it should have. It took me several tries at bleeding it before I got it right. It was very frustrating because I was never sure if the problem was elsewhere, or if I just wasn't getting all the air out. I hope you solve yours quicker than I did mine!