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

mossproof · Super Guru

Just a little tidy-up and tweek for the 325

TerryK · Super Guru

Looking good

Cheers Terry

mossproof · Super Guru

The engine is starting to burn a bit of oil, and smokes a little when I give 'er the beans, but I'm not going to address that yet. She might become a 350, or I might just try a new set of rings and valve seals first... For now I'm leaving the motor alone.

I have got some other little things in mind - I've fancied a screen to take the pressure off my arms on long highway runs - you feel like you're clinging on a bit at 65-70mph, but I don't fancy that throat slasher when I go over the 'bars (that's "when", not "if"!) especially as I usually use an open face lid, so it's got to be folding. This is mark 1, but the linkage is a bit flimsy and only gives me 2 positions:

Next is a complete waste of time and money (maybe) but this rear wheel is a little different to stock. Can you tell what it is?

mossproof · Super Guru

Cheers Terry!

Here's the frame as of today:

The job I started out with - the rear shock - is being held up by Danish customs! I finally managed to find someone to supply me with an XTrig preload adjuster.(How long are your memories?) Sadly, they're in Denmark and whilst they were really helpful and fast, the package has been awaiting customs clearance for nearly 4 weeks. FFS cry Of course, Brexit will be the excuse, but really it's just incompetence or perhaps a little "(not) working from home" covid boll*x. Anyway, after the 350 project, my levels of patience are well known biggrin The remote reservoir hose needs to be removed to fit the RPA, so there's no point rebuilding, reoiling and regassing just yet. Shock is sitting at Revs Racing half done.

mossproof · Super Guru

Has anyone tried the Hyperpro progressive rear shock spring?

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143266014431

I thought the linkage was progressive so no need of a fancy spring?

Jeff B · Senior Member

Great looking wheels but they cost as much as a used bike. The cush drive on the rear wheel is indeed overkill unless you have a too much play in your chain & sprockets or carby problems causing the bike to buck at low speeds. My DRZ400 doesn't have it nor does it need it.

Cheers

TTRfan · Super Guru

Looking great Simon smile

I love a frame up build but it does put pressure on as you then need all the parts going back on to be as clean and fresh as the frame!

Brian

mossproof · Super Guru

No Brian - I don't feel the need to do a restoration - clean yes, but all sparkly and rejuvenated no. I prefer what I call 90% restorations for my customers - that last 10% will take up 90% of the time, and if it's a working bike it's a waste of my labour and their money! Concours is a different matter, as is prepping a bike for sale

Jeff: I've noticed on long road runs there is a strange harmonic in the chain, particularly at a steady speed/throttle opening. I am interested to see if this goes, and also whether any other vibes are reduced. Knobbly tyre wear whilst on tarmac might also reduce, which would be a bonus. On the down side it's 2 lb extra unsprung weight.
Currently, used TTRs (and most similar trail bikes) in the UK are approximately 3x the price of a set of these wheels at retail cost, but I also have the advantage of being a trade customer

-- Edited by mossproof on Monday 15th of November 2021 09:45:14 PM

Kaos · Senior Member

Always good to see a refurb. Nice wheel. The more trick parts the better!!

TTRfan · Super Guru

I get a bit of chain snatch and have the parts (if I can remember where they are - had them nearly ten years waiting in the wings!) to make up a chain tensioner of the sort we used to fit to our enduro bikes back in the day. Maybe one day soon......

mossproof · Super Guru

Well the shock preload adjuster never got past Danish customs - returned to sender. Marvellous! No wonder so many UK companies are struggling post Brexit. How can I order something from China (as rarely as possible) or the 'States (see below), and get delivery within 9 days and no extra fees, yet something from a near neighbour can be refused for no apparent reason?

Anyway, the cush hub has made a difference - 2 days 'laning in Wales with a chain beyond the end of it's life, and things were smooth and quiet the whole time. No harshness of drive take-up and no discernable delay in power delivery. Was it worth the money? For a trail bike? Not really. A well adjusted chain in good condition would behave similarly. However, for a "dual sport" doing more road miles I think the reduced harshness and the lack of clatter from the chain hitting the top roller when loaded is worth the extra weight, if not the expense.

The screen idea has been simplified, which has actually allowed for more adjustability, and the headlight shroud has been modified to take 2 Baja Designs Squadron lamps (1 wide angle, the other driving combo spot/wide, delivery from the USA 9 days. Fantastic smile

I'm not completely sold on the twin lamp look, yet, but the light at night is brilliant (literally!) and the wide angle as dipped beam has a good enough cut-off not to dazzle the tintops (although those bl**dy Audis and Teslas with the overbright badly adjusted led dipped beams deserve a bit of their own back I reckon!) and my mot tester is happy. Just a shame I had to sell the kidney to buy them biggrin

mossproof · Super Guru

Just a bit of an update:

After just 2 outings, the sprocket carrier bearing on the cush hub is lumpy. Admittedly it relies on it's own seal and is exposed to the elements, and it's from the home of Covid, but that's rather disappointing!
Chain lash is definitely reduced, and there doesn't appear to be any power lag (all the rubbers are good and tight 250 miles in, as you'd hope!)

I'm going to leave on the Heidenau K60 I've just fitted for a run to Spain, and keep it for long trips to dry places (Morocco 1 day? ....) reverting to my standard, more waterproof, wheel for UK laning.

dlee22 · Senior Member

That's a shame about the mixed success but as with most thing nothing ventured nothing gained!

The ttr is looking great though and will be perfect for those long days on the road/accidental night trail riding for places to wild camp!

When will you go to Spain?

mossproof · Super Guru

I've got a plan Dan. Going to press-fit a seal housing onto the cush hub where there should be one already. Maybe on the KTM there isn't room, but it's definitely a design flaw, and there should be an o ring to keep the worst muck out of the cush drive rubbers too.

We quite often end up riding home from green laning trips in the dark. The new lights will definitely be useful not just looking for bush camps!

Spain - mid May. Hopefully I will remember to take pictures...

TerryK · Super Guru

Bike looks great, love the headlight & screen, good luck with the trip to Spain & ride safe

Cheers Terry