thats_a_five

I have a '74 TY250 and it seems like the back end is a bit skittish. I saw someone had posted in one of the forums about modifying the rear suspension to match the dimensions of a Honda TLR200. I checked the measurements and it looks like the swingarm on the TLR is about 1.56 to 2 inches longer that the TY. I have seen a set of weld on extensions for the TY250 on eBay. Anyone have any inputs on this? Anyone extended theirs? How did it work out? Note, I am in the USA so no problems with scrutineers. The TY250 is mostly a buddy bike and occasional play bike, not a serious competition machine. Thanks.

I am surprised that nobody mentioned the possibility of water leaking past the O-rings under the head. They can get out of position when reassembling the head after replacing the piston. Don't run the bike with milky oil. Water is not a very good lubricant and you don't want to have to do another repair. Let us know what you find.

The pickup is how you set the timing on the bike. It is not a case of push it all the way one way or the other. I believe there is a you tube video on how to properly set the timing. You said it runs backward oif you move it too far in one direction. Does it run well backwards? If it runs well, then spark and fuel are OK, it is just timinig. If it runs poorly in either direction it could be spark or fuel or other problems.

I have a '94 JT25 and i think uses the same seal as yours. Changing the seal is not a hard job if have some mechanical skills. You have 2 primary choices: replace just the seal or replace the seal and bearing. I took mine apart and went to a local bearing and seal shop. The seal was a 15 x 26 x 7 and the bearing was a #6000 sealed. I think yours should be the same but I would take the old ones with you to compare. These parts only cost me US$5.60. I cut a new side gasket from sheet gasket paper. I think Gas Gas sells a kit that includes the seal. bearing and shaft. I do not know what they charge. 1) Replace just the seal. This can be done with only removing the water pump cover, pry out the old one, press in the new one and reassemble. 2) Replace the bearing and seal. To do this you have to remove the side case, after removing the kick starter and water pump cover. Remove the seal and bearing (don't lose the little C-clip). Check the pump shaft for wear and replace if needed. Reassemble everything with new side cover gasket, being careful to engage the gear of the water pump with the one in the engine. It will take a couple oil changes to get all the old milky oil out because it does not drain fully each time. Use ATF, it is cheap and works fine. Note: It is most likely that your milky oil is from a bad water pump seal but it is also possible to get milky oil if you ride a hot bike through a deep water crossing. It can draw water in through the vent into the box. Check your oil from time to time - clean oil makes a big difference in clutch performance.

I prefer the iridium for my 94 JT25. It seems to foul a lot less than standard. If you go with the standard, buy 2 so you always have a new or clean one to install when the one in the engine fouls.

From my research there was not a published manual for Gassers in the '90's. Tazz has pointed to a parts list. Google Jim Snell Video and you will find great youtube videos that Jim did. They will show you just about anything you need to do short of welding a broken frame.

A few tips: 1) Drain the oil and see if it is milky. If so, replace the water pump seal. Water or coolant in the oil will cause lots of clutch drag and cause the friction material to come unstuck from the clutch plates. Also if the water is in the oil, it is not in the radiator so the bike can overheat. Water is not a very good lubricant of thr bearings or gears. 2) If your oil drain plug is not magnetic, change it to a magnetic one. It is amazing how much stuff collects opn that little magnet. None of that stuff is good for the bearings. 3) Change your fork fluid. Easy to do and often overlooked. 4) Keep the feet up and the rubber side down and most importantly, have fun!

I think it is a safe bet that the replacement rod is too long. If you can see the slave cylinder bulging and the pressure plate being pushed past the basket it is clearly getting way too much pressure. An over-long shaft would do exactly that. The fact that it pulled out a thread just shows how much pressure the hydraulic system is capable of. If you still have the original push rod put it back in. I put a dial gage on my '94 JT250 pressure plate and it only moves about .030 inches from full clutch to non clutch. I think your '99 should have about the same travel. 60North makes a good point about the pivot ball. Mine had some flat spots from wear so I replaced it. The best thing I have found to reduce clutch drag is clean fluid! Amazing what a difference that makes.

Your "new bike." If you mean a brand new bike, there is something assembled wrong or not tightened correctly. If your "new bike" is used but new to you, then I think Jandy's post is right on the money. Loose bolts, warn linkage bearings, work swingarm bearings, warn rose bearing in the shock eye, are the likely culprints. Assuming you are talking about free play in the rear of the bike. If you have free play in the front suspension, check your fork fluids, triple clamp bolts and steering head bearings.

Oh, one last thing I forgot. I had a set of brake pads wear down too far creating a raised edge. Once that got bad enough, putting the brake on hard would gradually slow me down, but often it felt like I had no brake at all. Grinding that ridge down was a good "short-term" fix, but the real solution was to install a new set of pads.

I am just making a guess here, but did your brake pads ever get oil soaked? Perhaps from a leaking fork seal? If Brakes get saturated with oil, it is almos impossible to get all the oil out of them so they will not grab as they should. Check for things like warped brake discs, oil on the leaking on either Brakes, and handbrake, etc. disc pads, Check that the pads are making solid contact for the entire size of the pads themselves. How are the hydraulic hoses, Look for any leaks or bulging of those hoses. Good luck and let us know what you find.

The pedal is designed to be long to keep it out of the way of your foot while riding sections. In fact, I have seen guys mount their shifter almost vertical to get it even more out of the way. I just measured the lever on my '94 and it is 16cm end to end. Perhaps you can repair the bent end to be closer to your toe. I have not trouble reaching the shifter with my sivze 10 (US) boots. You might try adjusting the lever on the spline to get it in a position that works better for you. I find if mine is too high it get very difficult to shift up.

Wet plug can come from either excessive fuel or no spark. Here is what I would check: 1) Remove plug, clean, connect to wire, hold plug against head and kick the start lever to see if you have strong spark. If yes, install plug. 2) Remove the air filter. Start bike and see how it runs - especially at speed. I had an old foam filter that simply plugged up and flooded the engine 3) Remove the carb, disassemble and clean all passages with good carb cleaner then blow out with air line from both directions. Be sure to count the turns on your idle and air screws before you remove them. Hope this helps.

Squish height has an effect on compression ratio which affects power. The higher the compression the more power but also the more likley you will have pre-ignition (pinging or pinking). Higher compression also makes for harder starting. If you use too thin a gasket, it might be possible to have negative clearance. In other words, the piston will hit the head. You do not want this to happen. Expensive parts break when the piston hits the head.

It is great to hear that the bike is working well for you. I hope you are able to get out and ride more frequently now. I have never changed the headstock bearings. Are they very rough? It is not that hard to lube them. With the bike on a stand, take off the bars, remove the top triple clamp and slide the bottom down enough to get some lube Have fun, keep riding. Bill

There are two ways I have done this: 1) This is good if you will be stripping the forks down. Measure from the top of the upper tripple clamp to the top of the fork before you disassemble. Write this down and set them the same when you reassemble. I use a dial caliper for accuracy. 2) If you are only removing and reinstalling the forks either wrat some tape around the forks below the lower tripple clamp or draw a line with permanent marker. Disassemble, then when reassembling just slide th forks up until the tape just hits the bttom of the lower clamp.

The blue pipe is only a symptom of a different problem. The blue will not affect operation of the bike but the root cause of the blue needs to be fixed. There are 2 main potential causes to consider: 1) Wrong air/fuel mixture. Remove your spark plug and look at the tip. Very dry and white = too lean, Wet and black = too rich. Too lean,look for air leaks first. Otherwise you will need to fiddle with jetting. 2) Cooling system fault. Fill the radiator, run the bike and wait for the fan to turn on. Shut off, let cool and check fluid level. If level is down it either puked it all over your garage floor or it is leaking internally. Also drain the oil and see if it is milky. If milky water is leaking in - mostly likey water pump seal but could be other things. One polish that will remove bluing from chrme is named Simichrome. Fix the problem first them the blue.

May I suggest that you break this into 2 seperate threads? Trying t keeop track of inputs and replies on 2 bikes might becme very confusing for everyone. Thanks

Do you have to take the caps off to slide the forks down? Aren't the caps the same diameter as the fork tubes? I think you should be able to slide the forks out as a complete unit.

I use a specialized rubber lubricant called P80. It is supposed to dry and leave no residual. I think it may be a starch base. I had a bottle that was about 500 ml that can be diluted and still works very well. That bottle last me over 15 years!

I think he means fork SOCKS, not shocks. It can be a bit of work. I like Tankygsy's idea but I am not sure it will work. But, feel free to forward those pics! You have to remove the forks from the bike to put on fork socks. Put the bike firmly on a stand. Remove the brake capiler from the fork mount. Do not remove the hose unless you enjoy bleeding brakes. Remove the axle and front wheel. Loosen the fork clamp bolts on the triple clamps. Slide the forks out and install the fork socks. Reverse the procedure to put it all back together. Make sure everything is back exactly the way it came apart and all the bolts are tight.

New tires usually are wrapped or stacked so that the beads tend to be very close to each other. When I get a new tire, I always put a tube in and inflate it - off the bike - and leave it for a few days to spread the beads apart. That makes it so much easier to get the bead to get the initial seal.

Dunlops can take even more air pressure to seat the beads. I have seen them take 80+ PSI and a frined said he took one to 105 psi before the bead finally popped on. Wow! Those were all using rubber lube!

I just saw a tip in Dirt Rider magazine about grinding a chamfer onto the edges of the brake pads to make it easier to fit the brake disk between them during assembly. I have not tried it but it seems like a good idea as long as you don't get carried away and remove too much pad material.

Sorry, I am a bit confused. Are you trying to fit a new wheel, or tire, or both? Brake pads - sometimes I put a tapered wedge in between the pads to keep them apart until I get the brake disk in place, then pull the wedge. If the wheel is not running true it is usually from a bent rim or spokes, or the spokes have stretched in one area due to a large impact force. Small problmes can be adjusted out but big dents usually require replacement or rebuild by a skilled wheel tuner. If the wheel is true but the TIRE is not running true, it usually means the tire is not seated on the bead correctly. This could be from having the tube pinched or simply not seating fully. Dunlops are known for needing a lot of air pressure to get the beads to seat. Using rubber lube on the bead can help a lot.