noahdog
Been Around the Block
Ok here's the scoop on the kick starter. One day I stumbled across an Ebay listing for a kick start assembly shaft that listed the SR250 along w/ several other bikes. In the description it said it fit a 1980-82 SR250, 80-83 XT250, 80-82 TT250 and believe it or not 1987 -88 BW350s which are 3 wheel ATVs. After watching Ebay for a while I found a complete kick assembly for an 81 TT250 w/ the lever for cheap. Problem is when I went to install it I realized that I needed some other parts to make it work. Mainly the idler gear to actually connect the kick start to the flywheel and the ratchet wheel guide to disengage the ratcheting part of the kick starter. The kick start assemblies can be found on Ebay if you look hard enough and are patient. The rest of the other parts can be bought at www.boats.net surprisingly by searching the part numbers. The part numbers can be found by going to www.powersportspro.com and clicking the "original parts" icon which allows you to look up all of the parts diagram for a 1980 Yamaha SR250 including a kick starter. I wound up using that site to make up my parts manual by printing off the parts list and right clicking the diagrams and saving the images to print out full size to go along w/ the accompanying part numbers. All together it's costing me around $100 for all the parts. Unfortunately I don't need the part I ordered from New Zealand after all. I was going off the parts diagram for a TT250 and appearantly they needed a lever decompression assembly which is what I ordered. Of course when I went back to get the rest of my part numbers I went to the SR250 diagram by mistake and realized I didn't need that part after all. Fortunately I'm only out $23 and hopefully I can resell it on Ebay to recoup some of my costs since it's a very rare part it seems.
The coincidences just continue as far as our bikes go. I just started using "Ken's Electrolysis Setup" as well on my tank wednesday at our weekly bike night at my buddies place. I stopped by last night to check the progress and was amazed at the amount of rust and sludge that came out after the fist day of electrolysis. I thought my tank was a lot cleaner than it really was it seems. Hopefully after a couple of days it'll be close to good as new. I still need to primer and paint the tank but I do have the emblem spots all filled in and sanded as well since it's darn near impossible to find new Yamaha emblems for that bike. At least for a price I'm willing to pay.
You'll have to send me a detailed step by step on how you cleaned and painted your engine and what paint you used. I absolutely have to paint it after seeing yours. I was even planning on polishing the bowl on the carbs just like you wound up doing. You'll also have to fill me in on how you got the cast aluminum cam shaft cover polished up to the same finish as the rest of the covers. I wound up stripping some of the paint off mine when I first got the bike and power washed it and would love to get it to match the other covers.
Also what did you use to smooth and polish the cylinder chamber? I talked to a local cycle shop and they quoted me only $25 per cylinder to hone mine and a friends bike so it can't be very difficult. I know Sears sells a craftsman honing tool for $25 or so that works w/ a hand drill so I'm tempted to pick one up and try it.
Noah
The coincidences just continue as far as our bikes go. I just started using "Ken's Electrolysis Setup" as well on my tank wednesday at our weekly bike night at my buddies place. I stopped by last night to check the progress and was amazed at the amount of rust and sludge that came out after the fist day of electrolysis. I thought my tank was a lot cleaner than it really was it seems. Hopefully after a couple of days it'll be close to good as new. I still need to primer and paint the tank but I do have the emblem spots all filled in and sanded as well since it's darn near impossible to find new Yamaha emblems for that bike. At least for a price I'm willing to pay.
You'll have to send me a detailed step by step on how you cleaned and painted your engine and what paint you used. I absolutely have to paint it after seeing yours. I was even planning on polishing the bowl on the carbs just like you wound up doing. You'll also have to fill me in on how you got the cast aluminum cam shaft cover polished up to the same finish as the rest of the covers. I wound up stripping some of the paint off mine when I first got the bike and power washed it and would love to get it to match the other covers.
Also what did you use to smooth and polish the cylinder chamber? I talked to a local cycle shop and they quoted me only $25 per cylinder to hone mine and a friends bike so it can't be very difficult. I know Sears sells a craftsman honing tool for $25 or so that works w/ a hand drill so I'm tempted to pick one up and try it.
Noah
