'74 DT250 Bitsa. The "Aussie Mutt."

[Raymond]

Impressive work. Continuing to watch this project with interest.

I guess you have plenty of options for forks? Don't much matter what they're off?

 

[drgonzo]

Cool project. Lookin' good.

 

[Jim]

Impressive work. Continuing to watch this project with interest.

I guess you have plenty of options for forks? Don't much matter what they're off?

Thanks Raymond.
Yeah, as long as there's a slot arrangement for the brake plate and they're 34mm.... pretty much whatever I run across.

 

[Raymond]

Thanks Raymond.
Yeah, as long as there's a slot arrangement for the brake plate and they're 34mm.... pretty much whatever I run across.

Uhm, I'm sure a man of your demonstrable skills could make or modify yokes or spacers if you found forks of different diameter? Don't know how you get around the brake plate problem - weld on pieces to secure the plate? But what do I know . . .

anyhow, interested to see what you come up with.

 

[Jim]

Ever start one of those tasks where halfway through you say to yourself "why the hell did I start this?"

Yeah... me neither.

 

[Mailman]

That is a cool look!

 

[Jim]

Thanks Bob. I seriously considered red like the rest of the frame, but Mr Soichiro polished his. So, in keeping with the overall theme, polished aluminum it is.

 

[Adamc]

And We're Off...
I've owned several DT's. More than I can remember actually. The last one was an early 70's 250 that I sold when I retired from the Air Force in '94. I've wanted another ever since.
A year or two back I decided to get another one..... 'till I saw what they fetch nowadays. Seems gold plated ones are all that's out there now.... and fixer uppers are few and far between. And those they want the gold plated prices for anyways. Finally decided to "bit and piece" one together. I'm not doing this to flip it, so I'm not worried about it being a worthless mutt. 'Sides, I don't have enough projects.
I started keeping an eye out. One day I ran across a 74 frame on Ebay that looked in fair condition. The ad said it was straight. Here's the pic he had in his Ebay ad...


View attachment 193248


There was one day left on the original post for 20 bucks. It was in Australia and the ad said he'd ship worldwide for 60 bucks. Bid the twenty and won. A day later the seller contacted me and said the only way he could stay at his shipping ask was to cut the rear hoop off. Sigh.... yeah, go ahead.

About a month later it showed up.... shipped to Gladstone Mo. USA from Gladstone Australia... what are the odds....


View attachment 193249

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So, turns out the Ebay pic was on it's best side. In real life there's a fair bit more rust than the pic shows. Also, the left footpeg was welded on... it's supposed to be splined and adjustable. Once I cut the peg mount off, the problem was obvious, the spline had sheared off. So they (whoever...PO) gobbed it back on with a welder.


View attachment 193251


Also, it's not straight... looking down it has a fairly good bow to it.
Also, the sidestand mount has been completely boogered.
Also, the 4 rock guard mount tabs were broken off.
Also..... well, that's it really.
The first thing I did was fab some plugs and weld the rear hoop back on. Next I went to town sanding and wire brushing all the tubing I could easily get to. After that I invested in a little sandblaster from Harbor Freight. The little HF gun worked a treat and it was down to bare metal in short order.


View attachment 193253

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So... scratch rusted off the list. Next up, the bow in the frame. I ran a string across the top of the frame so I could see and roughly measure the amount of bend. It looks like right at a half an inch bow, measured at the tank mount stud....


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I looped some chain around the left shock mount and through the head tube. Set a scissor jack in the middle and went to jacking....


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It's now down to less than a 1/16" or so out.... close enough for me.
Also fabbed and welded on the 4 rock guard tabs.

Fair play Jim, not much defeats you.

 

[Adamc]

Fantastic work Jim. Deserving of all the praise here.

 

[2XSive]

Looking fantastic Jim! Looking on down the patient road, after you've eaten most of that elephant, will you be able to title that bike as a custom build or did the frame come with a title?

 

[Jim]

Thanks Larry!
Not sure which way I'll go. Frame (and vin) is from Australia, so I'm almost positive it'll come up clean. Shouldn't be a problem getting a title. I asked a cop a few days ago if he could run the vin for me just to be safe and he said yeah, he could. So I'll prolly have him look at the frame and give me a document saying it's clean... then I'll go from there.

 

[Jim]

Fantastic work Jim. Deserving of all the praise here.

Thanks Adam. Shouldn't you be busy shinin' your bike up for some calendar pics?

 

[Adamc]

I should be polishin' and cleanin' thanks for reminding me!
Unfortunately work is and 8am - 8pm necessity and I'm knackered at the end of the day.
Hopefully Sunday will give me some opportunity to shine it up; and maybe even ride it (weather permitting).

 

[Jim]

Another Piece of the Puzzle...

Picked up a rear inner fender for about 20 bucks. Ebay ad said it wasn't cracked. Never said it came with about 3lbs of dirt though...
After cleaning it up, discovered that the Ebay seller told the truth for a change... straight with no cracks.

Drilled off the rubber grommet thingy, cleaned it up and shot it with some silver and clear. Didn't use a flex additive to the paint because I reasoned that it doesn't really flex all that much in use. Also didn't want to spend what would have been almost twice as much as I paid for the fender itself.

Not sure what size rivets Yamaha used, but the 3/16" ones I had were a good fit....

Installed it with stainless hardware. Forgot... shot the inside with truck bed paint.

Anyone know what that rubber's on there for, I'm all ears.

 

[Mailman]

Anyone know what that rubber's on there for, I'm all ears.

That’s funny , I was going to ask you the same thing. I tried finding reference photos, and I found a bunch.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1974-yamaha-dt250-enduro/

But nothing with the seat up, where you might get a look.

 

[Jim]

Think I figured it out. The exhaust passes inside the frame tubes. Since the fender almost touches the rear tubes, it would have to pass through the fender. Must be some pretty heat resistant rubber, 'cause this one's still real pliable.

 

[Jim]

Good a place as any to add this....
@MaxPete stopped by today to pick up his paintwork. Was a pleasure meeting him. We yakked like ol' women in a bridge club.

Lunch at the Smokehouse. Good barbeque.

 

[Signal]

Jim that bike is coming up a treat. I know what you mean when two kindred XS spirits get together the conversation rarely flags.

 

[Rasputin]

So nice to put faces to names.

 

[Jim]

Thanks guys. Yes, is nice to put names to faces. And yes, far as I'm concerned, if you're a gearhead, you're kindred spirit.