Step aside Moto Guzzi...........Yamaha SR250 coming through :-)

[lchris21]

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen from across the pond and beyond...

Just been searching around the forum for some inside info on my current project, so though it might be a good time to start a project thread for current, and future builders and a record for myself

Yes indeed, the plan like most projects was to give an aging Moto Guzzi Cali the once over and bring it back to life as a nice heavy weight Cafe racer. Inspired by Craig Rodsmith's Guzzi creations, the plan was to tear it apart, put it on a diet then rebuild it!!.....

A few pics of the beast I picked up prior to the world imploding back in March.....

 

[lchris21]

So, after months of searching, researching and accumulating bits for the Guzzi re-incarnation...................a late night on Ebay..............yep we all been there

I came across a little neglected Yam SR250? How I came across it I do not know?.....................But cut a long story short it ended up in the back of the wife's VW Golf

 

[lchris21]

By this time the Guzzi, had become little more than a glorified hanging rack and extra shelf in the garage....

 

[lchris21]

Plan with the SR was to re-assemble it then get it running as a quick and dirty make over and have some low powered fun around the local back lanes for next spring.................So I quickly assembled it so see what Id ended up with.........there was quite a few extra bits and pieces. Enough for nearly 2.5 bikes minus a frame?.........should be a simples task to get it running and look half decent with the minimum amount of work??

 

[lchris21]

Then, back on the internet for some inspiration......................and low and behold there's some sweet SR250 custom bikes out there, and lots of info from forum supporter @JadusMotorcycleParts who's done some awesome development work on the bikes...................that was it, a baby scrambler in the planning I think?
So back to taking it apart again
And Im glad I did after seeing the wiring !!!

 

[lchris21]

After some quick research on Scrambler type conversions I picked up a Gilera TS50 Tank and just threw it on there to see what it looked like. Im not a fan of the original tank, or the way it sits on the frame. I threw the tank on there but couldn't quite get the line of sight.......................so the poor old Guzzi had to come off the build table and make way for the SR250 so I could get a better look....................the Guzzi will have to wait, there's a new patient on the operating table now. Plus you can never have too many project on the go !!!

 

[Maritime]

Nice, sign me up to watch, grabbing a CB125 soon to do something similar too as well.

 

[Brodie]

Good start mate. Love the SR250.

 

[remotorcycled]

Good lad looking forward to this

 

[lchris21]

Good lad looking forward to this

ha.......i recognise that username

 

[speedmotoco]

Great bike! Just had a guy do a Mikuni on his. Made her rip!

 

[lchris21]

Great bike! Just had a guy do a Mikuni on his. Made her rip!

Im planning on getting rid of the BS34 and sticking on a VM. I find the VM a bit more tunable when the airbox has gone.

 

[speedmotoco]

Great choice. Bike will really haul the mail!!

https://speedmotoco.com/yamaha-sr250-carburetor-kit-mikuni-vm32/

 

[lchris21]

Great choice. Bike will really haul the mail!!

https://speedmotoco.com/yamaha-sr250-carburetor-kit-mikuni-vm32/

Ha. Thanks for the heads up. I'll look into it...just a shame theres 3000 miles of ocean and the UK taxman between us....I'll probably source one this side of the pond? I'd be interested in the jet, slide setup though? Cheers

 

[speedmotoco]

 

[JadusMotorcycleParts]

Looking forward to this!

 

[lchris21]

Decided to ditch the tank..............and those wheels!!.....That 16" rear just looks wayyy out of proportion for the little machine. Sourced a pair of alloy rims, an 18for the rear and a replacement 19 for the front. The box of spares came with a nice twin leading shoe drum brake wheel from some random Yamaha? No ide what it came off? The spindle is a little smaller but I can make up a replacement to fit the random forks that Im using? I've been given lead from fellow forum members that they might be off an early Ducati and may well be Marzocchi as the decal suggested? Anyway they are in much better condition than the Sr250 originals which are toast!!

 

[lchris21]

Was hunting around for an alternative tank then spotted quite a nice youtube build of an NX650 which was sporting a CG125. Quick interweb search revealed the original Honda tanks fetching good money even for batter rust buckets...........step up our far eastern multi manufacturing supplier emporium..........A nice shiny new one was soon on the top tube and looking much more at home than the Gilera unit, and much better lines (IMHO) than the original SR tank?.....Sods law though as Id placed a few bids on ebay for a Honda original, I managed to bag one locally for a decent price!!!.......It will always come in useful. Strangely, I know that Honda tweaked the design of the CG over the years but it was quite a fair bit of difference between it and the copy
Just needed to hack off the original mounting bosses and trim off the coil bracket and on she went.....

 

[lchris21]

With the tank roughly in place it was time to get out the custom bike builder tool of choice...............and get busy

 

[lchris21]