Teaching my wife to ride: Kaw 175

Rich Ard

doin' the backstroke in an estrogen ocean
DTT BOTM WINNER
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All there but a turn signal. Starts first kick, needs new chain and sprockets. My plums feel manlier already - finally, a smoker in the stable!
 
I burned that excuse about twelve years ago on a Honda 550. I came home one day and my Aprilia was gone, had to buy her a Harley to get it back. Neat find..... Good luck with it.

Dang, I keep looking at that pic, and that looks to be a pretty nice ride.
 
I'm safe, Bill - I talked this one over with her in advance (and the only moto videos she'll sit through are the ones where somebody starts out on the road, goes through a field, through a warehouse, and so on), and when I pulled it out of the van she sat on it and rolled it around the driveway with a big grin.

She balked at the MSF last year, in large part (I think) because she doesn't want to be the "girl that drops the bike"; this we can take out to a buddy's place and she can dump it a bunch of times without it being an issue.

And if I ride it to work once in a while...hey, you gotta work the kinks out, right? :D

Anyway: '73 F7 175, titled, complete less a turn signal, starts on the first kick. Guy thought the transmission was bad, so I got it for $150 with a bunch of shit thrown in. The chain is completely loose - so new sprockets and chain are in the future, and we'll strip the tank and paint it.

But the thing is in outstanding shape, aside from being dirty. I'm pretty pumped - and so is she, which puts a big grin on my face. Now she wants to come down to Kentucky in May.

Guess I better find a babysitter, and a parts diagram.
 
$150.... I would have pulled that out of my pocket so fast I would have started a fire. Unless my screen is in LSD mode, I see about 10X that parting it out. Good job, around here I couldn't buy the front rim and tire for $150...
 
I had about a ten-minute window to catch the guy before he had a 9:00pm appointment. I broke about thirty laws between my door and his, but I got it.
 
Found a service manual here: http://www.pdfmotomanual.com/index.php?r=site/page&view=manuales&order=t&key=K&make=1058&lang=ENG

Now to read about rotary valves. No, wait, it's 2am. How did that happen?
 
Rich Ard said:
I had about a ten-minute window to catch the guy before he had a 9:00pm appointment. I broke about thirty laws between my door and his, but I got it.

Well worth it :) Thanks for posting the link to the manual as well, never seen that site before have it bookmarked now.
 
I'll have to ask my wife! She is already getting territorial. Tonight we break into playing with the transmission!
 
follow me for a sec 175+175=350 so 350-175=175. if you find one rd350 chamber the math should be close enuf to be worth while
 
If only I knew somebody with that kind of stuff around.

Getting ready to get into the clutch - going to start by making sure the rear wheel turns the transmission, and assuming that's all clicking in place, I'll move on to the clutch.

In order to get to the clutch, I have to get the carburetor out of the engine.

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I don't believe so sir, but I'll admit I'm learning.

Looks like time to buy a transmission.

First we labeled the lines to the carb:

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And pulled the sidecover. I had to beat the shit out of it to get it to cooperate, and the gaskets are finished. Time to start spending money!

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I'll be taking lots of pics as we go, especially once we get into the rotary valve.

Pulled the clutch plates and picked up the rear so the wheel could spin, and while the bike is in gear, I can hold the center spindle and keep it from moving (this gets progressively more difficult to do from 1st to 5th). It isn't popping out of gear, but it's slipping. Any input is appreciated.

So the engine's coming out, and apart.

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I`ve see that rotarywalve system before and i believe it was the same on my previous Kawa ke 125.
When taking it a part be sure that u mark the sprockets on the axl so u get the walve in the exact same place when putting it back together.
Whats the diameter on that walve?
I might have them both stock and trimmed for more toruqe.
The cyl on this one has how many ports/channels? (not sure about the english word on that :-[).
My experience is that these small engines run like a bat out of or hell or exact the opposite.
In my case nothing in betveen! I`ll see if i have some drawings and measurements if u want to modify some walves!
Love these old green smokers!
 
I had an RD250 back in the early 70's, and dozens of girlfriends and friend's wives learned and took their exams on it. Not only was it small, but it had a smooooth clutch, smooth throttle response, and was absolutely non-pipey. It was great to run to the store or commute on, but was traded in for my RD400.

I'd suggest you keep that smoothness in mind for the wife's learning bike. Performance can be added later.

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