Carbs....

[Bixxer Bob]

Most of the time simple is best.  I read all the time about how the Steamer carbs get crudded up if left more than a week or two, how ethanol fuel goes off after a month or so etc etc.

Yet today, I pull the 350 Yam out to check her over for her annual MOT, look in the tank to see it's half full of stale fuel that's at least nine months old, put a fresh battery on, open the fuel tap to the 28mm Mikunis (no diaphrams here, just a round slide and simple idle, needle and main jets), apply the choke and, as always - 2nd kick - RRRringandingdingding....

I love that little bike -  always eager to go 

[nickjtc]

We all love the smell of two stroke exhaust in the morning..... :icon_wink:

[rf9rider]

Its more the plastic tank re-acting with the petrol i think that causes the gunge clogging up the carbs.

What year Yam is it?

[Bixxer Bob]

1972

[nickjtc]

1972

Sigh. They don't make 'em like that any more......

[Bixxer Bob]

True Nick,  and every time I ride it I wonder how more of us weren't killed as youngsters.  They aren't the most user friendly.

The front twin leading shoe front brake is "average" at best.
The rear single leading shoe brake will lock the wheel if you even think about touching it.
There is nothing under 3000 rpm and it's all done by 7000rpm.
The first gear is high.
The clutch is grabby.
It'll lift the front wheel with very little encouragement.
The friction steering damper broke so I tried riding it without one.  You can't.

Put all that together and it makes for an "interesting" ride.  On the plus side, once the clutch is out and it's singing, it's surprisingly quick.

I've been promising myself I'd rebuild the crank for a couple of years now but I really need to get it done.  There's a roughness to the bottom end that I'm not happy about.  It doesn't knock or anything, it's just coarse.

[nickjtc]

True Nick,  and every time I ride it I wonder how more of us weren't killed as youngsters.  They aren't the most user friendly.

You are right. But at least the bikes then were 'engaging', without all of the modern frippery. I was a four stroke boy myself, starting with Hondas. The only two stroke I had, a '73 or 4 TS125, holed its piston a few miles beyond the (missed) 1,000 mile service. Needless to say the dealer was of no help at all.

Happy memories!

[Bixxer Bob]

I had a TS125 too,  single cylinder with two spark plugs.  Can't remember the year exactly but it must have been about 1975 vintage.  Only bike I ever sold for a profit.

[Chris Canning]

I had a TS125 too,  single cylinder with two spark plugs.  Can't remember the year exactly but it must have been about 1975 vintage.  Only bike I ever sold for a profit.

You better include your YR5 it's making 500 quid year and I'm being conservative at that.

[Bixxer Bob]

Funnily enough, I met a guy at Croft at the weekend with a '73 model (gold and black)  which he's owned from new (£350) and had been in the back of his garage for 40 yrs.  He took the cover off, turned it over by hand a couple of times, put fuel in and a fresh battery, two kicks and ringadingding.

Madman is now racing it   

I said you're going to be really sorry if you get nerfed off - which happens a lot in classic racing. The old guys are a bit brutal...