And another bike enters the garage

So... the YZ has been a little difficult to start on occassion and easy
on others. I presume it's a 20 year old two stroke thing. Cleaning the
carb/air filter, replacing the plug, plug leads cap, decoking the
exhaust checking timing etc. etc. would probably work wonders and it may
do over the winter.

However with the recent yamaha off road experience and the forthcoming
'off road experience plus' I've been looking at the WR250 and 450
models. Which are mostly far too expensive for my tastes.

I made the critical error of bidding on a 250 on ebay which seemed to be
going for too little (it didn't, made up about 400 quid in the last few
minutes). This then put me into full on buying mode... and I looked at
Autotrader.

I went to look at a WR250F on Thursday evening, 2002 model, a little
battered and been standing for a couple of years. It has the 2003 cam
fitted for easy starting (automates the decompressor) and it started
easily enough; couple of light kicks, twist of throttle, light kick and
off it goes.

So, as they say a fool and his money are easily parted. I've now got a
WR250 which I picked up from London on Saturday. Felt quite the redneck
driving my pickup with a dirt bike in the back.

It's road registered but not MOTd. I think I need a chat with my MOT
man about what I need to do for a 'daytime' MOT. I've got the full road
kit (speedo, lights) but I don't really want to fit it and, anyway, the
headlight glass is missing.

Starts and runs well enough. I think it's getting taken to a local MX
track in due course... once I've sorted out something better than a
scaffold plank to get it in and out of the pick up.

Pictures here; http://www.flickr.com/photos/8963323@N05/

 

Looks ok.

There's actually no such thing as a daytime MOT, you get a full MOT
written with an advisory notice that states the vehicle didn't have
lights at the time of test so it can't be used in hours of darkness or
when visibility is impaired.

In sort, all you need is the bike to pass all the tests except those
regarding lighting. You must not have any lights fitted that can be
seen when turned on but it's worth checking with your MOT guy about the
reflector because some misinterpret the rules and say you need one[1].
The tester's guidelines state that the lights can be covered or taped
up as to make them completely hidden from view[2]. This means that
basically as long as the bike is safe wih regard to tyres, brakes,
steering etc, all you'll need is a horn[3] and a legal number plate

[1] The rules are ambiguous, but if you take time to read them properly
it states you must remove it or cover it up.
[2] This also applies to the brake light - the rules regarding the
testing of this do not apply if front and rear lights cannot be tested
because they have been removed or covered up.
[3] Can't use a squeezy bulb horn any more on vehicles registered after
a certain date.

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Tourer, CBR600F-W racebike in the making, TS250C, RD400F
(somewhere)
BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite
they churn out)

 

That looks tidy enough.

 

Gas cylinder powered honker does the trick here, doesn't it?

 

I'm not really sure

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Tourer, CBR600F-W racebike in the making, TS250C, RD400F
(somewhere)
BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite
they churn out)

 

Well, it sounds a continuous note, which is all the legislation demands.
Isn't it?

 

As Lozzo says, no lights at all and you will be OK. The speedo isn't an
MoT item IIRC, but you could be nicked under construction and use regs
if stopped. A vestigial horn should be possible so long as the primitive
charging circuit is still pushing out a steady 12 volts. My place always
checks that with the engine running.

You just need to source a pair of spare 17 inch wheels with sticky
rubber and come and play up the garden path at Wiscombe.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

" "

 

Well done that man, glad to see you've taken the redneck crown back.
Does that mean I can start drinking wine again instead of this
moonshine shite?

Been doing them for years on the Fantic (which passed again Saturday,
much to the tester's disgust).

It's very simple really. The lights have to be either taped over,
removed, or 'permanently' disconnected. I've left them fitted on the
Fantic, but removed all the wiring & switchgear.

You need a horn that emits a continuous sound, so I use a little 9v
push-bike horn from Halfords. It just straps on with rubber clippy
things.

You don't need a speedo fitted for the MoT, but obviously do when you
actually ride it. Halfords push-bike bits to the rescue again if you
don't want to keep the original speedo.

I don't know the situation with tyres at the moment. They mustn't have
'not for highway use' or similar on them, but I don't know if they need
the MST & E marks. That should be in the online tester's manual though
so easily checked.

Feel free to give me a call if you're not sure on anything.

 

How much for the YZ? Year/photo? A colleague here at work is after a stroker
field bike.
Cheers.
JB

 

Yep.

 

I picked up a nice folding aluminium ramp for around £30 last year at an
autojumble. The same bloke might be at Kempton at the weak end.

Machine Mart do some nice ones but a tad more expensive.

 

Only if you first pass me the moonshine.

Well I've got the original horn and clocks so I guess I can simply put
those back on.

Not sure whether I can just tape over the light on the rear mudguard
(there's just the lens in the mudguard, all else removed). I just
want to make sure my MOT man won't be funny about it. I doubt he will
because he rides pre-65 (I think) trials stuff himself.

*sigh* I liked the old MOT place where sometimes they didn't really do
much; check the lights, beep the horn, have a cup of tea and chat for
thirty minutes.

They are 'e' marked but they're also pretty chewed up. Also has a
mousse in the front. Maybe I should just get some new tyres?

Thanks, as a starter...

What's the meaning of life?
Is there a God?
Surely everyone's is this small in cold weather?

 

Check your email. (if it's still the blue yonder one)

 

Yes I'm still with the Blueyonder addy. Will check/reply when I get home.
Firewall here is getting a bit strict.
Cheers.
JB

 

<proffers Exxon barrel)

That'll be fine if you don't want to rip the wiring/switchgear out.
Might be best to tape it even if you do to be doubly sure. The only
reason I've left the rear light on the Fantic is because it's built
into the mudguard.

Should be fine iwt, but if not, Biketreads isn't /that/ far away.

Chewed up knobs should be ok, as long as the sidewalls aren't too badly
fucked. Handy hint - take it to the MOT in the pick-up, & tell them
it's too scary to ride on the road & you only need it to be legal as
some of the Welsh forest trailbike rallys require it.

To collect toys.

Don't be ridiculous.

Yes, but shaving your pubes makes it look bigger.

 

Problem is the pickup is quite high (bed's about 4 foot off the
ground) so any ramp needs to be wide enough for me to walk on or at
least get both feet down; say 3 to 4 feet wide. It also needs to be
quite long; 6 foot is definitely too short since it makes the ramp too
steep for comfort.

I *think* I might need to make something that folds and hopefully
doesn't collapse out of plywood and battons.

 

Poof. Build a dirt ramp and jump it in.

 

Sir needs an 8 foot wheelchair ramp but you could probably pick up
a bike trailer for around the same money.

In the past I made a simple ramp from an 8x4 sheet of 13mm ply bolted
through to 4 lenths of 1" square tubing to give it rigidity. Having
the steel tubing on the underside allowed me to weld on some bent
metal to hook onto the bumper. Folding is the hard bit to get right,
I just stuffed the whole ramp into the van. If you make a folding
version you will need a fold down support in the middle with some
form of bracing.