Topic: I’m an Idiot

[RAFster122s]

Yamaha has the worst rep for parts availability for older models, except a few models that have a cult following...then aftermarket picks up some slack.
Honda owners are spoiled...

[BenelliSEI]

Yamaha has the worst rep for parts availability for older models, except a few models that have a cult following...then aftermarket picks up some slack.
Honda owners are spoiled...

You are right! Almost nothing.

[Stev-o]

John...you should be able to find everything you need on eBay, including a starter clutch.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2505460.m570.l1313&_nkw=1974+TX750&_sacat=0

I'd search for a seller that appears to be parting one out and buy as many good parts that you need from that seller.

[grcamna2]

John,what condition are the balancer chains in? They stretched to the end of their adjustment yet? if not,that's good.

[CycleRanger]

Yamaha has the worst rep for parts availability for older models, except a few models that have a cult following...then aftermarket picks up some slack.
Honda owners are spoiled...

Not to mention how vastly superior the Honda factory manuals are compared to the Yamaha manuals.

[BenelliSEI]

John,what condition are the balancer chains in? They stretched to the end of their adjustment yet? if not,that's good.

The bike only has 16,000 miles on a working speedo. More news, the CVMG a member that sold them the bike told the guys they can bring it back if it’s more than they can handle. Fingers crossed they make the right decision! I want it gone.

[grcamna2]

John,what condition are the balancer chains in? They stretched to the end of their adjustment yet? if not,that's good.

The bike only has 16,000 miles on a working speedo. More news, the CVMG a member that sold them the bike told the guys they can bring it back if it’s more than they can handle. Fingers crossed they make the right decision! I want it gone.

That Yamaha 750 has been slowly gaining classic status.

[jgger]

Just take it back FOR them. Better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.  On the plus side maybe they won't bring the next " ran when parked" they find. See WIN/WIN😁

[BenelliSEI]

Just take it back FOR them. Better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.  On the plus side maybe they won't bring the next " ran when parked" they find. See WIN/WIN😁

I would but the they travelled a LONG away to get it. About 8 hours, each way!

[RAFster122s]

Just take it back FOR them. Better to beg for forgiveness than to ask for permission.  On the plus side maybe they won't bring the next " ran when parked" they find. See WIN/WIN😁

I would but the they travelled a LONG away to get it. About 8 hours, each way!

Scheiss, so much for that idea...

[jaytee-nz]

I wouldn't buy a used starter clutch because they will all be junk by now due to it being a known weak point of the bike (amongst many others).
Did you read my previous post about a Kawasaki replacement ?

[BenelliSEI]

Thanks for all the good help and advice. The boys decided to return the bike……

I’m out 4-5 hours and relearned a valuable lesson; LOCK THE GATE!

[MauiK3]

Over the years I’ve helped folks with various things that required tools and a small bit of skill. Lately I ration my time out…….shall I say….in a stingy way. I’ve found that many are very willing to take advantage of generosity in a bad way. Only a few really appreciate the effort.

[grcamna2]

Thanks for all the good help and advice. The boys decided to return the bike……

I’m out 4-5 hours and relearned a valuable lesson; LOCK THE GATE!

I hope more people can appreciate how to do regular maintenance and up-keep on their vehicles,etc.
It just doesn't pay to run precision machines into the ground and leave them sitting like that for a couple decades,then try to sell that 'heap' to an unsuspecting buyer.

[Don R]

 My brother called, he was having a drink with a guy that had an 80's Kawasaki mid-size bike cheap or free, I declined saying I'm trying to quit. If there was a big old barn out back, I'd have it full but I'm out of space and time. 

[BenelliSEI]

My brother called, he was having a drink with a guy that had an 80's Kawasaki mid-size bike cheap or free, I declined saying I'm trying to quit. If there was a big old barn out back, I'd have it full but I'm out of space and time.

Don…… Great. Just keep reminding me and I’ll keep an eye on you!

[seanbarney41]

Ha ha... yeah, I got a close riding buddy named Lucas.  He shares a love of mid-sized classic Japanese fours...  This Lucas is one of the most talented riders I have ever seen or met.  As he has ridden dirt bikes nearly since birth, his control over a motorcycle is phenominal and he enjoys going fast, so the smaller, older bikes tend to keep him closer to the limits of legality.  His attention span moves even faster than his riding and although he is a trained mechanic, he struggles to slow down and do things right... And struggles to stick to one bike for more than a few months.  I will spend hours getting his latest acquisition dialed only to find he has sold it on and is starting fresh with some new to him, but beat up old heap.  Sometimes I just have to say no!  You can do it yourself!  I need time for my own projects!  His latest trick is to find a bike, sell it to me for a low enough price that I can't refuse, wait til I have it sorted, then buy it back at my profit...which of course never could quite cover how much time I got into it.   But ahh well, he is a good friend, and we are both having lots of fun!

[HondaMan]

Over the years I’ve helped folks with various things that required tools and a small bit of skill. Lately I ration my time out…….shall I say….in a stingy way. I’ve found that many are very willing to take advantage of generosity in a bad way. Only a few really appreciate the effort.

Yep, been there...
The one 'thing' like that I still do, though, is the "College kid's Special" if it is safety-related. For this nowadays it usually involves rebuilding a swingarm for some broke (as in, working his/her way thru college, or the like) kid or if the bike is the sole transport and needs something sort of a full rebuild to make it viable. In Denver traffic, for example, if the stoplight turns red and you can't stop because your brakes are done, I won't turn my back on that rider because Denver drivers will take him out in a day. Some take a while to pay, but no one has 'stiffed' me in years!

[BenelliSEI]

Over the years I’ve helped folks with various things that required tools and a small bit of skill. Lately I ration my time out…….shall I say….in a stingy way. I’ve found that many are very willing to take advantage of generosity in a bad way. Only a few really appreciate the effort.

Mark…… Hopefully there is a reward for good deeds. A few months ago, a lady down the road from us pulled a “U” turn and managed to slide the back end of her car into an icy ditch. FWD only, and they were in the air. I hooked my tow strap to an actual hook under the engine compartment and pulled her back, level.

Later in the week, her husband called to complain I’d scratched one of the rocker panels!! i just smiled and apologized.
Yep, been there...
The one 'thing' like that I still do, though, is the "College kid's Special" if it is safety-related. For this nowadays it usually involves rebuilding a swingarm for some broke (as in, working his/her way thru college, or the like) kid or if the bike is the sole transport and needs something sort of a full rebuild to make it viable. In Denver traffic, for example, if the stoplight turns red and you can't stop because your brakes are done, I won't turn my back on that rider because Denver drivers will take him out in a day. Some take a while to pay, but no one has 'stiffed' me in years!

[grcamna2]

Ha ha... yeah, I got a close riding buddy named Lucas.  He shares a love of mid-sized classic Japanese fours...  This Lucas is one of the most talented riders I have ever seen or met.  As he has ridden dirt bikes nearly since birth, his control over a motorcycle is phenominal and he enjoys going fast, so the smaller, older bikes tend to keep him closer to the limits of legality.  His attention span moves even faster than his riding and although he is a trained mechanic, he struggles to slow down and do things right... And struggles to stick to one bike for more than a few months.  I will spend hours getting his latest acquisition dialed only to find he has sold it on and is starting fresh with some new to him, but beat up old heap.  Sometimes I just have to say no!  You can do it yourself!  I need time for my own projects!  His latest trick is to find a bike, sell it to me for a low enough price that I can't refuse, wait til I have it sorted, then buy it back at my profit...which of course never could quite cover how much time I got into it.   But ahh well, he is a good friend, and we are both having lots of fun!

Sean,was wondering if that was how you found the 82' GS1100EZ you now own ?

[scottly]

I hope more people can appreciate how to do regular maintenance and up-keep on their vehicles,etc.
It just doesn't pay to run precision machines into the ground and leave them sitting like that for a couple decades,then try to sell that 'heap' to an unsuspecting buyer.

You don't get it. The TX 750 was a piece of #$%*, and no amount of maintenance would have fixed it. I had a '72, the worst of the lot. Some of the "fixes" in the '74 required a different engine; some of the '72s had the engines changed under warranty, but not the one I had. I bought the factory manual, and found the back half to be service notes, a good deal of which dealt with oil leaks, and the common theme there was to use generous dosages of RTV. The bike did run once I got it kick-started, which was no easy task as I weighed 125 pounds at the time, but it leaked oil worse than any BSA. I paid $100 for a full gasket kit to try to stem the flow (I earned about $6.50 an hour then), but threw in the towel when I found that to remove the top end to replace the leaky head and cylinder base gaskets I had to break the cam chain, then rivet it back together with Yamaha special tool #xxx. I wish I had gotten off as easily as Benelli or his friend...   

[seanbarney41]

Ha ha... yeah, I got a close riding buddy named Lucas.  He shares a love of mid-sized classic Japanese fours...  This Lucas is one of the most talented riders I have ever seen or met.  As he has ridden dirt bikes nearly since birth, his control over a motorcycle is phenominal and he enjoys going fast, so the smaller, older bikes tend to keep him closer to the limits of legality.  His attention span moves even faster than his riding and although he is a trained mechanic, he struggles to slow down and do things right... And struggles to stick to one bike for more than a few months.  I will spend hours getting his latest acquisition dialed only to find he has sold it on and is starting fresh with some new to him, but beat up old heap.  Sometimes I just have to say no!  You can do it yourself!  I need time for my own projects!  His latest trick is to find a bike, sell it to me for a low enough price that I can't refuse, wait til I have it sorted, then buy it back at my profit...which of course never could quite cover how much time I got into it.   But ahh well, he is a good friend, and we are both having lots of fun!

Sean,was wondering if that was how you found the 82' GS1100EZ you now own ?

naw, I bought that from a co-worker several(maybe 6?) years ago...love that bike   I did let Lucas ride it one time.  He did not care for it much, as the GS is such a big tubby girl.  Lucas really likes lightweight stuff.  Give him a 125 2 stroke in the woods, or a stripped down cb550 on the street and he is happy as a clam.

[grcamna2]

Ha ha... yeah, I got a close riding buddy named Lucas.  He shares a love of mid-sized classic Japanese fours...  This Lucas is one of the most talented riders I have ever seen or met.  As he has ridden dirt bikes nearly since birth, his control over a motorcycle is phenominal and he enjoys going fast, so the smaller, older bikes tend to keep him closer to the limits of legality.  His attention span moves even faster than his riding and although he is a trained mechanic, he struggles to slow down and do things right... And struggles to stick to one bike for more than a few months.  I will spend hours getting his latest acquisition dialed only to find he has sold it on and is starting fresh with some new to him, but beat up old heap.  Sometimes I just have to say no!  You can do it yourself!  I need time for my own projects!  His latest trick is to find a bike, sell it to me for a low enough price that I can't refuse, wait til I have it sorted, then buy it back at my profit...which of course never could quite cover how much time I got into it.   But ahh well, he is a good friend, and we are both having lots of fun!

Sean,was wondering if that was how you found the 82' GS1100EZ you now own ?

naw, I bought that from a co-worker several(maybe 6?) years ago...love that bike   I did let Lucas ride it one time.  He did not care for it much, as the GS is such a big tubby girl.  Lucas really likes lightweight stuff.  Give him a 125 2 stroke in the woods, or a stripped down cb550 on the street and he is happy as a clam.

Your friend Lucas must like sportbikes also.

[seanbarney41]

Ha ha... yeah, I got a close riding buddy named Lucas.  He shares a love of mid-sized classic Japanese fours...  This Lucas is one of the most talented riders I have ever seen or met.  As he has ridden dirt bikes nearly since birth, his control over a motorcycle is phenominal and he enjoys going fast, so the smaller, older bikes tend to keep him closer to the limits of legality.  His attention span moves even faster than his riding and although he is a trained mechanic, he struggles to slow down and do things right... And struggles to stick to one bike for more than a few months.  I will spend hours getting his latest acquisition dialed only to find he has sold it on and is starting fresh with some new to him, but beat up old heap.  Sometimes I just have to say no!  You can do it yourself!  I need time for my own projects!  His latest trick is to find a bike, sell it to me for a low enough price that I can't refuse, wait til I have it sorted, then buy it back at my profit...which of course never could quite cover how much time I got into it.   But ahh well, he is a good friend, and we are both having lots of fun!

Sean,was wondering if that was how you found the 82' GS1100EZ you now own ?

naw, I bought that from a co-worker several(maybe 6?) years ago...love that bike   I did let Lucas ride it one time.  He did not care for it much, as the GS is such a big tubby girl.  Lucas really likes lightweight stuff.  Give him a 125 2 stroke in the woods, or a stripped down cb550 on the street and he is happy as a clam.

Your friend Lucas must like sportbikes also.

no, he does not like bikes with the full race crouched seating position nor does he care for the potential penalty's (legal and health) of a high speed mistake...he'd rather ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow

[grcamna2]

Ha ha... yeah, I got a close riding buddy named Lucas.  He shares a love of mid-sized classic Japanese fours...  This Lucas is one of the most talented riders I have ever seen or met.  As he has ridden dirt bikes nearly since birth, his control over a motorcycle is phenominal and he enjoys going fast, so the smaller, older bikes tend to keep him closer to the limits of legality.  His attention span moves even faster than his riding and although he is a trained mechanic, he struggles to slow down and do things right... And struggles to stick to one bike for more than a few months.  I will spend hours getting his latest acquisition dialed only to find he has sold it on and is starting fresh with some new to him, but beat up old heap.  Sometimes I just have to say no!  You can do it yourself!  I need time for my own projects!  His latest trick is to find a bike, sell it to me for a low enough price that I can't refuse, wait til I have it sorted, then buy it back at my profit...which of course never could quite cover how much time I got into it.   But ahh well, he is a good friend, and we are both having lots of fun!

Sean,was wondering if that was how you found the 82' GS1100EZ you now own ?

naw, I bought that from a co-worker several(maybe 6?) years ago...love that bike   I did let Lucas ride it one time.  He did not care for it much, as the GS is such a big tubby girl.  Lucas really likes lightweight stuff.  Give him a 125 2 stroke in the woods, or a stripped down cb550 on the street and he is happy as a clam.

Your friend Lucas must like sportbikes also.

no, he does not like bikes with the full race crouched seating position nor does he care for the potential penalty's (legal and health) of a high speed mistake...he'd rather ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow

I like riding a small bike fast.