Basket Cases

Need help finding information or parts for that old machine in your shed? Someone in here will know!

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Greg Harding
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Re: Kawasaki KT250 clutch springs shooting match

Postby Greg Harding » Wed Dec 05, 2018 9:09 pm

Hi Everyone,
Nice work Roger, I think that might be a JC model?
David Lahey wrote:
Greg Harding wrote:Hi Everyone,
David Lahey wrote:Whatever you do, don't anyone tell Greg Harding about this because he and I have a competition going for whose KT has the lightest clutch pull and I don't want to give any secrets away

:shock: :shock: :shock: NOT LOOKING DAVID :idea: :idea: :idea:
It must be a :kawasaki thing, just don't tell Chippy!

There is no way Chippy would be interested in a clutch pull competition, but just in case, please no-one tell Chippy either and as for you Greg, stop reading my secret :kawasaki posts

David, my Norton 750 Commando software allows me to see your secret :kawasaki posts but I am still not looking! So I have been busy making projectiles for our clutch pull competition. Should we shoot for distance or accuracy or maybe we can do both? There should be enough for Chippy to join in but don't tell him!
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Continuing my GREEN THEME for 2008TEEN, this time I was not satisfied with my plastic tank rehydration idea so I tried again. The beige tint from the fuel makes me feel a bit, well beige. This time I sealed the fuel tap hole and filled the tank with premix Castrol TTS, a very strong batch as there was enough oil in the :italjet: tank for the 22 litres in the soak tank.
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After 2 weeks, there was no migration of the blue fuel into the soak tank and when I lifted the :italjet: tank, Still beige so I mixed all of the fuel:
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After another week, still beige :( :( :(
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And another problem has come to light, it has gone a bit BLOWFISH, a beige one and the mounting holes don't line up.
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Still enjoy riding it, 3 weekends now and it has picked up a :kawasaki trait in so much as at a certain Rev, it hums a hollow growl until drowned out by exhaust noise, I think the tank is rubbing on the frame just above the motor?


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Twinshock200
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Re: Basket Cases

Postby Twinshock200 » Fri Dec 07, 2018 3:55 pm

The latest on the TY175 rebuild, its coming on now, wheels rebuilt with stainless spokes , new front, 95% rear.
Big spark, new air filter element new cables, working on exhaust now.
Still lots of small stuff to do.
Galps
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Re: Kawasaki KT250 clutch springs shooting match

Postby David Lahey » Sat Dec 08, 2018 9:38 am

Greg Harding wrote:David, my Norton 750 Commando software allows me to see your secret :kawasaki posts but I am still not looking! So I have been busy making projectiles for our clutch pull competition. Should we shoot for distance or accuracy or maybe we can do both? There should be enough for Chippy to join in but don't tell him!
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Well I'm quite happy to shoot for accuracy because, as you would have seen using your Norton 750 Commando software, one of my secret :kawasaki KT250 clutch-pull improvements also improves accuracy by 33.333% so I've currently got quite an advantage if we go that way. Unfortunately because you now know all my secrets, I will have to dream up some additional secret improvements and keep them out of range of your Norton surveillance equipment, to stay ahead in the clutch-pull development race.
One hint I got about fancy modern surveillance equipment was from watching the well-made ABC TV drama/travel advertisement series "Pine Gap". When the top spies want to talk without being spied upon themselves, they leave their phones in the car and go for a walk in the bush. I've taken that hint and now when I'm in my workshop (in the bush) discussing with myself (important) things like the technical aspects of the clutch pull of a :kawasaki KT250, I leave my phone in the car with the doors and windows shut and a book over the camera lens. I know that your Norton 750 Commando surveillance software is pretty clever, but I reckon this new technique will keep my secrets safe for a while.
I just thought of another option for keeping my secrets safe. Maybe if I don't post them on a public forum it would help? Arrrrgh! why didn't I think of that earlier?


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Re: Basket Cases

Postby David Lahey » Sat Dec 08, 2018 9:44 am

Twinshock200 wrote:The latest on the TY175 rebuild, its coming on now, wheels rebuilt with stainless spokes , new front, 95% rear.
Big spark, new air filter element new cables, working on exhaust now.
Still lots of small stuff to do.
Galps

Looks very pretty Roger. I'm about to rebuild some more TY wheels and am interested in where you got your stainless spokes from


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Re: Basket Cases

Postby outforfun » Thu Dec 13, 2018 9:49 am

Looking great Roger. Keep us posted on your progress. Just because our projects start off as basket cases,shouldn't mean they stay hidden when we bring them back to their former glorious condition.

I've also got a couple of TY 175 wheels to respoke and am interested in where to find good quality stainless steel spokes without having to mortgage the house.

These bikes are little, but bits can be elusive and expensive..



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Re: Basket Cases

Postby Twinshock200 » Sun Dec 16, 2018 10:01 pm

Slowly making some progress on the TY175 project with some more parts replaced or restored and fitted and others placed in position to keep me motivated.
Not sure where my wheel builder gets the stainless spokes from David but they look great when fitted and seem to stay clean and shiny for years.
I had taken advantage of my trip to the UK and the Isle of Man last Aug/Sept to pick up some urgently needed TY parts but they came at the expense of having to leave my trials boots and helmet in the IoM to make enough room in my luggage for the new parts.
A few more hours and it will be ready to fire up, can't wait.
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David Lahey
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Re: Kawasaki KT250 clutch springs shooting match

Postby David Lahey » Wed Dec 19, 2018 1:15 pm

Back on the subject of the Kawasaki clutch pull competition, I noticed that someone else is taking clutch pull seriously and they don't seem to be interested in accuracy

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Greg Harding
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Re: Kawasaki KT250 clutch springs shooting match

Postby Greg Harding » Mon Dec 24, 2018 10:49 pm

Hi Everyone,
David Lahey wrote:Well I'm quite happy to shoot for accuracy because...........

David, OK, I have found a suitable target in an old catalog, I think they made Agricultural Equipment?
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Continuing my GREEN THEME for 2008TEEN
Disaster struck last ride and I broke my custom :italjet: Kickstart! Somehow I managed to get myself in a awkward position and didn't give it a good kick and I think it was coming to a stop on compression as I was having a hurried 2nd kick and snapped the pin off! It has always amazed me how many people in Trials that are friendly and helpful and I now have a selection of :italjet: kickstarts! Another trip to the parts shed and I found a bottom piece off a :yamaha XT 250, a little Tigwelding, filing, swearing and good to go again.
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The end result is a little unorthodox, so I will try and explain with photos :
An
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Kickstart arm swings on a
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Pivot pin welded to a
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Knuckle in
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Gets it all working again, all good on today's ride!
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Merry Christmas Everyone!


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Team Hardwood, the only licenced trials riders in Coffs Harbour!
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Re: Basket Cases

Postby chippy » Mon Jan 14, 2019 9:33 am

Hi Everyone,

Roger, nice work on the TY and did you get it finished?

Greg, how is the :italjet: tank problem going and nice work on the kickstarter as they are renowed for breaking as I recall I had a green :italjet: from brand new and had problems with the kickstarter early on and I think thats the one I gave you.

So in my absence, I see Greg and David have been attempting to have a :kawasaki KT clutch lightening "shoot off". So David, with using the TY clutch springs, does that give you any problems with it slipping on say a big hill climb and I would be interested to know, or if any other clutch springs will work. Greg, so using the KX250 clutch cover creates a straighter pull for the cable, but did you have to do any other modifications to get it to fit and how hard is getting an early :kawasaki KX250 clutch cover to get?

Why I am asking these questions, is that during the Christmas break, I decided to have a close look at all my :kawasaki KT parts with the thought of doing a modified bike, to some degree. So over a couple of nights I assembled what I had and so see if I could get spark out of the motor and check for any play in the main bearing and if there is any wear in the cylinder bore etc.... Well so far so good..... Happy Days!!!!

I am missing a few parts, so does anyone have any spare :kawasaki KT parts lying around to help me out please?

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CHIPPY



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Re: Basket Cases

Postby David Lahey » Mon Jan 14, 2019 10:42 pm

chippy wrote:Hi Everyone,

So in my absence, I see Greg and David have been attempting to have a :kawasaki KT clutch lightening "shoot off". So David, with using the TY clutch springs, does that give you any problems with it slipping on say a big hill climb and I would be interested to know, or if any other clutch springs will work.

CHIPPY


Absolutely no slipping Chippy. You can try it out for yourself if you want.

I have one of my TY250 motors set up with an obscenely light clutch pull and that bike is right on the verge of clutch slip in top gear, but the KT is not set up as obscenely light as that. If I was serious about beating Greg in the clutch pull comp, I would be doing experiments with a range of other springs in it.

To cover the setup I'm using in the KT again: new friction plates bought from Kawasaki, serviced release mechanism, release arm set up to act at 90 degrees to the cable, high quality cable well lubricated, sensible cable routing, Ballards high ratio lever assembly, serviced clutch basket, serviced KT steel plates and four springs that came out of a TY175 motor instead of the six KT250 springs. I have that KT motor in pieces at the moment so if anyone is interested I can measure up the TY175 springs for reference (overall length, coil OD, wire OD and number of active coils).


relax, nothing is under control


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