1971 Kaw F8 Bison 250 goin' down.

[runmikeyrun]

Fuck that tire. Mounted the front, waiting on the tube for the rear to come.

Leaky seals in the clutch cover were replaced along with some new gaskets. Scraping 45 year old gaskets, my least favorite lol. Inside of the trans looks clean! Put some oil in the transmission to check for leaks, so far so good.

I cobbled together a headlight from the old sealed beam and a 6v halogen bulb since the right size sealed beam was unavailable.

Yes that's JB Weld lol.

Still waiting for the plate/registration from Vermont. It's been 18 days since I sent it and they haven't cashed the check yet so I figure it's in the mail on the way back with the correct amount due.

I'm hoping to be on the road by tomorrow evening and hopefully legal in the near future!

 

[adventurco]

Sweet man. Where'd you source the 6v halogen I need to do the same thing for the XL headlight?

VT sent all my stuff back after a week because I went by the min sales price tax and they made me pay based off the "good" NADA value which is BS.


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[runmikeyrun]

I picked up the bulb on Amazon:

OCTANE LIGHTING One - 6 Volt Halogen Headlight Headlamp Clear Glass Light Lamp Bulb 35/35W H4 6V https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GNU2PJA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1yU3xbA6HZVNR

I should give them a call Monday, 19 days seems like a long time. However, I'm not prepared to answer any questions like "why are you registering your vehicle here?" Lol. I guess I can always just hang up!

 

[adventurco]

Nah they won't ask any questions, They just want your money, lol. I sent everything certified so I knew when they received it. They were pretty helpful when I called a couple times. Thanks for the link in the light


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[runmikeyrun]

Nah they won't ask any questions, They just want your money, lol. I sent everything certified so I knew when they received it. They were pretty helpful when I called a couple times. Thanks for the link in the light


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Awesome, I will give them a ring. And no problem man!

 

[runmikeyrun]

Well, it runs. It won't idle and it takes a second to spool up. Pulls ok up to about 5,500 and then sounds like it's at a rev limiter tac-tac-tac-tac staccato. Sounds like it's strangled or starved for fuel but choking makes it worse. I'm thinking weak spark and/or timing issue. The points don't look terrible but the condenser looks antique. I have directions on how to set the timing but I don't have the corresponding photo- the directions say turn flywheel mark A to match mark B on crankcase then loosen screw E etc. I have a good guess what it's talking about though lol. Bummer that I've got to pull the flywheel to get to the points/condenser.

The headlight doesn't work. I don't have juice at the socket or headlight switch, and applying power at the connectors near the ignition switch gives me nothing. I did, however, apply power to the instrument lamp socket (which is in series with the headlight) and it lit up, so I'm thinking my ignition switch is bogus- it switches the headlight on/off. It's mangled beyond recognition from too many years of being turned on/off with a screwdriver. I have a replacement switch coming tomorrow so we'll see if that helps.

I hope to mount the rear tire and service the rear brake soon, the latter of which contributes zero effort to stop the bike lol.

Wish I could just call off sick the next two days! Lol

 

[runmikeyrun]

Good news today- Vermont DMV cashed my check so it appears that my application was approved. Hopefully in a few days I'll have a registration and a plate now if I can just get it running properly in time lol.

 

[adventurco]

You'll get your plate first, but probably have to wait a week or so for the actual registration and sticker.


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[davedogg]

Since it's a two stroke... check your timing and change those old crank seals before you give your piston a moonroof.

 

[runmikeyrun]

Since it's a two stroke... check your timing and change those old crank seals before you give your piston a moonroof.

Good call. I'll have the flywheel off to change the points anyways, and the other one is easy to access if I'm not mistaken. Thanks for lookin out

 

[runmikeyrun]

Well, buttoned up a few things today. Checked ignition timing with a light, it's pretty close. I cleaned the points with some 800 grit sandpaper. I cleaned the carb really well and set all screws back to stock setting, they were way off of course. I also discovered the head bolts were loose! Torqued them to spec. Installed the new rear tire and freshened up the rear brake.

I purchased a replacement ignition switch on eBay and to my surprise I found a matching NOS key from another auction.

Old:

Yeah using a screwdriver sucks. Well worth the $25 I spent.

And... Got this in the mail:

I still can't believe it worked I will head to the Ohio BMV next week when the actual registration and sticker come.

So... It runs!!!! Runs quite well actually. It pulls pretty strong. I think the clutch is slipping a bit. I took a gamble when I did the new seals/gasket that it would be ok, because replacement plates/springs were $100. Well, over the winter I'll handle that. No biggie. It will almost idle, i think it just needs to be ridden some more. I rode it around the neighborhood for about 20 mins and the more I rode it the better it ran. I put some B12 chemtool in along with some fresh gas from the pump. We'll see how it goes.

When I get the points I will probably pick up the service manual for it, the place I go to has 3,000 manuals for sale. If the crank seals are a bitch I will do them over the winter. I'm debating dropping a 350 cylinder/piston into it anyways.

 

[runmikeyrun]

Well she's running pretty good! Still won't idle but it's much better. The more I ride it the better it runs. Clutch seems to have gotten better too, it was slipping a little before.

Tasks for the winter will possibly include a 350 head/barrel and corresponding jetting adjustment. Possibly modifying the rotary intake disc. Have to see what eBay prices are when the time comes. Crank seals, points/condenser and possibly a voltage regulator.

Quick vid of some light off road, nothing adventurous.
https://youtu.be/3RlDPTMe8VE

 

[canyoncarver]

That is pretty awesome. Looks like fun riding wherever that is.

 

[runmikeyrun]

That is pretty awesome. Looks like fun riding wherever that is.

That was by my house, the area is quite small.

Today's ride was at an abandoned brick yard. The bike did well despite some electrical issues that took out all my lights, but who needs those in the woods.

About 15 mins of the ride, choose HD.

https://youtu.be/Anzme860y4Y

 

[adventurco]

Looks like a blast. I sure hope I can find some trails like that near my new place.


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[runmikeyrun]

Looks like a blast. I sure hope I can find some trails like that near my new place.


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I spent some company time searching google maps a few years back. When I'm driving if I see a road going off into the woods or an abandoned factory I pull over and check google maps. I've found quite a few spots that way

 

[skinnej]

I just inherited this bike. It has the carb and cover in another box.
I was hoping you could tell me what its worth. I'm not a bike builder nor interested. I also inherited a Yamaha mx 360. The Yamaha runs and sounds great.
Can you help me with setting a price and where would be the best place to advertise it.

Thanks

 

[skinnej]

here is the Kawasaki.

 

[runmikeyrun]

here is the Kawasaki.

I purchased my Kaw for $400. It ran, shifted, etc but had no title. Lots of issues that took me a couple months to sort out. I'd say yours might be worth approx half that, maybe a little more or less depending on if the lights work, it has a title, etc. If you can button it up and get it to run then you could ask more for it. As for the yamaha, running condition gives it more value as does the apparent cosmetic condition being good, but not as much as some people might think because...

The thing to remind buyers is that ALL of these bikes need maintenance to some degree to get them roadworthy, reliable and safe. I put about $800-1000 into my Kaw to get it running properly, fix safety issues, and get a title, which I was able to do through Vermont. At the least they usually need carb cleaned and adjusted, points checked/adjusted, oil and gas changed, air in the tires, chain and cables adjusted/lubed. I also disassemble the brakes and clean, clean out gas tank, replace rotting/leaking gaskets, replace tubes/tires that are any more than a few years old, check over all the electrical, way too much to list. If a buyer does not know how to do these things then he is going to be shit out of luck, or he's going to pay someone a lot to do it if he can find someone to work on it at all. And he's gonna have to tinker with things along the way too. For those that can't wrench old bikes are a pain in the ass because they "always break down" when in reality they just need tlc.

Good luck!


Here's where I list all my bikes:
'71 Kaw 250 Bison
'81 KZ750 cafe
'94 XR250L
2014 Yamaha Bolt

In progress: '68 CL350