A forum for owners of Yamaha TTR250 trail and enduro bikes!

TTRHead · Senior Member

Doing up TTR

petenz · Super Guru

it's got less paint worn off than mine....

TTRfan · Super Guru

What paints did you use Mart? That looks really good!

I haven't found a good match for the frame or the panels cry

Brian

TTRHead · Senior Member

Done exhaust but not going mad as it's going to get muddy anyway. Lol

TTRHead · Senior Member

Boss, I used this for the frame and put a lacquer over the top

TTRHead · Senior Member

TTRHead · Senior Member

T

This for the engine and it don't come off

locky · Guru

Nice tidy job you've done, the colour match looks good.

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

Woah smart mate, what a transformation, looks proper clean now. Yeah good colour match on the engine.

locky · Guru

The only thing with the halfords paint is petrol will attack it.

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

Might not be high heat either. Prob be ok though

TTRHead · Senior Member

Yeah I used it before and it was fine... The standard paint don't seem to be much good iti soon wears off the fins thats for sure...

This is what I have been working with mostly rust!!...Sorted this though...

Really started to go to town on the engine now...Must of belonged to an old forum member as it has loads of aftermarket stuff on from the forum shop..

-- Edited by TTRHead on Saturday 20th of June 2015 11:11:07 PM

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

Look at what mud does!! I always pressure wash up under there real good. Can only help..

TTRHead · Senior Member

When the bloke said to me on the phone I got it from a really nice fella in wales...I though dirtbike from wales...that's gonna be hanging!!!

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

Ha yeah. Taken a battering from the rocks to I bet

locky · Guru

You've done a great job so far. Bet the subframe took some time to get sorted..

TTRHead · Senior Member

Cheers. Yeah it did I managed to take the support arm off and blast and re spray that but it's a shame the whole subframe don't come off the bike like most...would make it easier.

Waiting on me front fender from Brian then the graphics I have had made up. The good thing with the TTR is there ain't much on it and it's so easy to pull apart...

Saying that I need to start cleaning the carb later. I must say I do like the look of that polisport headlight on the TTR I think it looks better than the standard one...

The frame paint matches well... It's easy to match on this bike I think...out of all the dirtbikes I have owned the TTR just has something about it... They certainly don't make them like this anymore... Shame

TTRHead · Senior Member

I'll use a 3m clear vinyl to trace the frame shape and stick it where your boots go to stop any future rubbing

-- Edited by TTRHead on Sunday 21st of June 2015 08:56:14 AM

-- Edited by TTRHead on Sunday 21st of June 2015 08:56:46 AM

-- Edited by TTRHead on Sunday 21st of June 2015 08:57:13 AM

TTRfan · Super Guru

The rear subframes and the parts of the frame where your boots rubbed were always the most challenging bits of my rebuilds back in the day. It was incredibly difficult to get all the rust off the rear subframe and my aerosol treatments only seemed to be temporary fixes because of the mud, water and gravel that pound it.

I eventually gave up and started stripping the TTRs right out, making any repairs on the frame and then getting them blasted and powder coated. In my opinion the powder coating is better than the original finish - much tougher.

A warning to anyone looking to do a strip and powder coat is to look carefully for cracks or rust so that it can be repaired before powder coating. Blasting will find any flaws but its almost too late to find problems when you pick up the shiny frame from the coaters

The main places to check are the weld on the footpeg mount on the LH side and where the rear subframe meets the main frame assembly.

Brian

TTRHead · Senior Member

Did you get a colour match for the frame with powder coating it?

To me it just looks like the bare metal of the frame of sprayed at the factory it doesn't look like they use primer...

locky · Guru

Got a pic of the finished subframe ?

TTRfan · Super Guru

TTRHead wrote:
Did you get a colour match for the frame with powder coating it?

To me it just looks like the bare metal of the frame of sprayed at the factory it doesn't look like they use primer...

The very first frame I had powder coated was in black as it was for a metal-tanked TTR.

I had resigned myself to getting the frames on my blue TTR restos done in black (as per the last of the Australasian TTRs) but when I went to see them, I was shown some Yamaha parts that they had done for a local quad bike concern and they looked really good. A very close match to the original.

What they do is start with a metallic silver, and then apply a blue lacquer to bake over it biggrin

I have found there to be a very thin layer of black primer under the frame's blue paint.

Brian

TTRHead · Senior Member

Not really as I put the rear fender back on!!

I am where I want to be now with the engine...done the side stand also..

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

Did you get a rear mudguard?

TTRHead · Senior Member

Didn't bother in the end. The one on it has come up ok. Another picture...I will get one of the finished article! just waiting on my graphics and hand guards and I am done. Should be all done by tomorrow. Cleaned the carb also. checked valves, Set the carb up nice and she's purring like a cat now..

Once I do graphics and that i'll post a photo up.

BEFORE

AFTER

-- Edited by TTRHead on Wednesday 24th of June 2015 10:06:34 PM

-- Edited by TTRHead on Wednesday 24th of June 2015 10:09:50 PM

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

Looking good so far. Look forward to seeing the WHOLE bike pic. smile The gear lever is pointing down a fair bit I dunno how useful that will be out on the lanes.. confuse

TTRHead · Senior Member

One for Pete. graphics didn't turn up today so hopefully tommorow! And still waiting on me handguards!

currentlty just taken the rear wheel out to clean the spokes.. I am a bit of a perfectionist to be honest got the old OCD...

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

Nice! Did you use Brian's craft knife technique on the plastics?

TTRHead · Senior Member

No I didn't know about that?

I have heard people rub them down with fine sandpaper but didn't fancy that

locky · Guru

Very smart. They look quite nice without any graphics. Is that a FMF exhaust ?

TTRHead · Senior Member

Cheers. Yeah it's a Q or something I pulled the sticker off because it was crusty but I have another one on the way just to make it neater I am gonna stick copies of the original graphics on it

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

TTRHead wrote:
No I didn't know about that?

I have heard people rub them down with fine sandpaper but didn't fancy that

Brian has said this before : ''The dead white sections on the plastics can be removed with a sharp blade from a craft knife/Stanley knife blade.'' And/Or you can heat them up gently with a heat gun and the plastics 'reset'.

TTRfan · Super Guru

It is surprising how you can bring back plastics with various techniques. After rubbing down plastics with wet and dry (that's what I use anyways) you can get the shine back with a hot air gun.

However, you need to be brave enough to get the heat to just melt the surface to bring back but not so brave as to melt the panel!

Great looking TTR Mart - what a transformation. As Locky says, it looks good even without graphics.

Brian

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

Do you literally scrape the dead white bits with the blade??

TTRfan · Super Guru

Yep - messy job! The tank usually suffers most especially if the TTR sits outside in the sun for most of its time. Gotta be careful with the corners of the blade so that you don't dig into the good plastic and make things worse!

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

I suppose a nice fine wet n dry like 1500 grade is wise..

TTRfan · Super Guru

You can start by scraping out all the nicks and scratches with the blade, rub down with 360 and finish off with 600 before giving it some with the heat gun. Works for me.

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

No way, that's relatively coarse. I will give it a go sometime. I'm sure few others will too. Everyone's got marks on their plastics.

TTRHead · Senior Member

Think I am done with mine now. Put new handguards on. Graphics done. Seems to be running nice since I took the airbox off and line the carb up properly. Pic below

-- Edited by TTRHead on Sunday 28th of June 2015 01:59:01 PM

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

Nice work! Looks great. Wheres the tank decal from?

CaptainHighside · Veteran Member

The number boards make a big difference, and the graphics look awesome

TTRHead · Senior Member

Cheers. Place called LR Designs. They are top notch I always use them..I have the proofs somewhere if anyone wants them you can just send them to them and get the same set made up... I like the standard look so that's what I went for. They suit the bike

-- Edited by TTRHead on Sunday 28th of June 2015 06:58:23 PM

peteBLUEttr · Super Guru

I would defo like tank decals like that yes. They cheaper than the £50 ddgraphics charge?

TTRHead · Senior Member

I paid £60 for the tank and side panels I dunno how much just the tank would be

TTRHead · Senior Member

So here I go again....

back on the spanners. This cheapish TTR that I just bought seems to need loads doing to it... Man why don't people look after thier bikes!! Nobody seems to anymore....

So the engine is good which is a bonus as i ain't got time to be stripping engines down anymore... so at the moment I've rebuilt the front forks

headstock bearings were loose but now I have tighten them up they seem ok. Which I am glad about.. That's a ****ey job doing those!!

Stripped it down and started on the subframe going to paint it.... I have done them before and they come out well... Not got time to be stripping down to the frame.mrs will kill me....

here she she is so far

-- Edited by TTRHead on Sunday 4th of September 2016 08:08:43 PM

ttboof · Super Guru

Wish i hadnt read this im pullng the rear shock out on the weekend to go to the shock doctor

now i think i may have to get the paint of the shelf while its apart

TTRHead · Senior Member

It's worth doing while you have the rear shock out...

I didn't really want to do it but then again whoesle is going to!!

Preparation is the key,,, get all that rust off.. Sand it down to the welds where the subframe meets the frame.. Clean it all off with thinner or suchlike,.. Make it nice and smooth... Then etch primer it... Base coat and lacquer...

Any other bits on the frame can move sanded primed and blown in... Done loads like this

I use bike colours for the paint...

GO FOR IT... after all... What else you gonna do on a Saturday?

TTRHead · Senior Member

So got home earlier and have started on the engine!

Been sanding parts of the frame down ready to respray them. Am thinking of brushing on primier in the hard to get places then touching it in...

shame people let there bikes get in such a ****e state. I got ****

going on in life! i dont need this hassle!!!! Sorting out another old TTR smile

before photo

after photos

-- Edited by TTRHead on Wednesday 31st of August 2016 09:45:00 PM

-- Edited by TTRHead on Wednesday 31st of August 2016 09:46:57 PM

-- Edited by TTRHead on Wednesday 31st of August 2016 09:51:23 PM

TTRHead · Senior Member

More getting rid of rust this morning...Paint flaking everywhere on this thing!!

preperation is the key..

TTRHead · Senior Member

I am where I want to be with the engine. I believe that I have the best colour match for it.. Started etch priming the subframe tonight also. bike needs a bit of love...