kodiakbill Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 I spotted a forlorn TY250 out in the rain and just had to rescue it. Cost me a hundred bucks. It is part yellow 1974 and part blue 1977. Frame is 434-000xxx and engine is 493-20xxxx. It's 99% all there and would probably start and drive but I optioned to give it a quickie restoration first. Then do it up right if it bike runs and drives fine. The Good: Motor is free and has spark & compression, wheels are round, steel tank solid, seat/fenders/side/skidplate cover present, lighting kit present and presentable. The Bad: White death in the carb (needs rebuild kit), broken upper throttle cable (how does one replace just the upper?), marginal front brake cable, clutch cover busted under oil pump, big dent in headpipe. The Ugly: Does not seem to be many parts available for this model. I've never ridden a trials bike unless you count my Bultaco Matador way back in 1970 but his might be the perfect bike to get the wife interested in dirt biking? I told her "I bought it as a present for YOU, honey" Kodiak Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian r Posted July 16, 2007 Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 Welcome Bill, Where are you from? It would help to know if you need parts. I'm guessing Alaska by your name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakbill Posted July 16, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2007 Brian, thanks for your reply. Yes, Kodiak city on Kodiak Island, Alaska. We have a Yamaha dealer that stocks no parts and is really just an auto tire store. The old-time Yamaha dealer left years ago and sold his old stock as a lot off-island. There ARE a lot of old rusty Yamaha's laying around but occasionally a garage door opens to reveal a cherry, never-ridden product ot 60's/70's. Parts for my 1976 XT500 come from Thumper Stuff and Ebay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 Yamaha parts for a lot of the old bikes are still available from the dealers. Most people pulled the oiler and run pre-mix on those TYs (at least all of the ones I've seen). This weekend I must have seen almost a dozen TY250s. Like frinken' jackrabbits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakbill Posted July 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 Thanks Dave. Someone here on the island suggested Lynwwood Cycle in Washington State as a source for vintage Yam parts. Premix sounds good and would simplify my search for a throttle cable, I'll make one. Yes lots of 175 & 250 TY's were around here at the end of the earth. Maybe a dozen. Back in the day Alaska got all the non-current models as consumers here wuld buy anything offered. Can you believe four Norton Atlas Scramblers were sold here (and three still exist)! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 Also be sure to check out the TY Owners Group on Yahoo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaylael Posted July 17, 2007 Report Share Posted July 17, 2007 (edited) Hey, Bill. If you have been on Kodiak island since at least the '70s I wonder if you remember the Taurman family. (Pronounced Torman) Don Taurman was one of the fastest mx riders this side of haides and he raced on the island about 1973 or '74 I'm guessing. I would be surprised if he wasn't the champion of that part of the country. He became a motorcycle daredevil in Missoula Montana. I witnessed a "jump off" between Don and a guy called "Reckless Rex" in 1981, and these two guys jumped over some ridiculous number of Honda cars at the Missoula county fairgrounds. Don said the only mods done to the YZ 465 were a smaller rear sprocket and a speedometer. He told me that he would get the YZ doing exactly 90 mph and just line it up with the ramp. What balls that guy had! Rex won the jump off on accuracy after Don overjumped the ramps which were set at 190 feet and flat landed it at least twice at 90 mph. That was impressive I'll tell you! Don had two younger brothers who did golden gloves boxing and a little motocross. One was Montana state champ at boxing. They were nowhere near the riders Don was. Since there aren't many people on the island I thought it was worth a shot. Good luck with that TY and try bikebandit.com for nos Yamaha parts. Also Trail and Trials in UK have alot of great stuff for Yams. Just google them. JL Edited July 17, 2007 by JayLael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakbill Posted July 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2007 I do not remember hearing the Taurman name. I arrived in 1976 and went straight out to the fishing grounds for about three solid years. Maybe it was a Coast Guard Family that rotated off-island before I became aware of them. There was a impromptu MX track at the fairgrounds in those days (and one has been rebuilt there in recent years). I'll ask my brother who got here in 1969. Speaking of Montana daredevils and bandits, The Sandy Bandit ,Cliff Majhor, tells the story of a jumping show he preformed in Butte, MT once upon a time and impressed a young Robert Knievel.... Thanks for the parts tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted July 19, 2007 Report Share Posted July 19, 2007 I do not remember hearing the Taurman name. I arrived in 1976 and went straight out to the fishing grounds for about three solid years. Maybe it was a Coast Guard Family that rotated off-island before I became aware of them. There was a impromptu MX track at the fairgrounds in those days (and one has been rebuilt there in recent years). I'll ask my brother who got here in 1969.Speaking of Montana daredevils and bandits, The Sandy Bandit ,Cliff Majhor, tells the story of a jumping show he preformed in Butte, MT once upon a time and impressed a young Robert Knievel.... Thanks for the parts tips. Do take Cliff tales with a grain of salt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsv Posted July 21, 2007 Report Share Posted July 21, 2007 I spotted a forlorn TY250 out in the rain and just had to rescue it. Cost me a hundred bucks. It is part yellow 1974 and part blue 1977. Frame is 434-000xxx and engine is 493-20xxxx. It's 99% all there and would probably start and drive but I optioned to give it a quickie restoration first. Then do it up right if it bike runs and drives fine. The Good: Motor is free and has spark & compression, wheels are round, steel tank solid, seat/fenders/side/skidplate cover present, lighting kit present and presentable. The Bad: White death in the carb (needs rebuild kit), broken upper throttle cable (how does one replace just the upper?), marginal front brake cable, clutch cover busted under oil pump, big dent in headpipe. The Ugly: Does not seem to be many parts available for this model. I've never ridden a trials bike unless you count my Bultaco Matador way back in 1970 but his might be the perfect bike to get the wife interested in dirt biking? I told her "I bought it as a present for YOU, honey" Kodiak Bill I'm currently restoring a TY-250 - 1977, have found loads of parts on E-bay (American) virtually New Exhaust System for $9.99 + postage, keep looking as parts are available... Mark... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geewizard Posted August 15, 2007 Report Share Posted August 15, 2007 Hi Bill, If you decide to sell it, please let me know. I've got a 74 TY250 I want to keep running. Geewizard Fairbanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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