Moto WASABI : Spice on 2 wheels

The Terrible Truth about cost

As I mentionnend at the start, this blog is also to help me remember stuff about the bikes I restore. This will stay on top (look at the date!).
The more up-to-date message are right below this post.

Total Cost (shipping to Switzerland included): 1129 CHF, roughly 930 US$

Finally…

Received my complete loom and accessories from the US… paid 3 month agao and just received today… there were posted on the 9th of MAY!!!

Just in time to stop me from rebuying all this stuff. I just need an afternoon in the workshop to put it all back together.

New bits

Found more electrical stuff at the breakers, my rectifier was missing so that's sorted. The frame is clean I could refit the motor now...still missing others thing, ballast, I don't like my coils (the wires look melted), a turn signal cancelling unit and of course turn signals (saw them at the breakers).

Wish my parcel from the states would arrive or was I burned?

Moving along nicely

Thanks to Easter, Iv'e been able to advance this project.

From this

to this

Everything went smoothly, except that the head gaskets in my kit are much thinner (0.5mm) as the original ones(1mm). What should I do? I can always re-anneal the old ones. For those of you who don't see much difference, THERE IS!
New crank, new seals troughout, new gaskets. I'm always surprised to see how clean these motors can stay IF there's some oil in them.

I might need a mate around for the fitting in the frame, with everything on the motor, it gets pretty heavy. I still have to redo the pum and fab a new oil pump cable.

Fine tuning

Had a better look into the electric side and decided to kick out the regulator. It is very cleanly integrated but after testing my rectifier (was OK) it boiled down to maybe getting the bike back to Intl version. The regulator wire bullet are not Japanese type but european. Garanteed to rip out when you disconnect the reg. Very well welded on and all but just a tad too big for the Jap female connectors.

These regs must have been installed at the Importers.

I also adjusted the brakes and clutch as usual. Should be Ok now. I do find the motor slighly noisy, bearing noise and clutch noise.
It does pull quite well even though it's not quite run in. The seating position is very senatorial, I need to make a visit to the breaker's yard to collect the remnants of a rer set system I saw on another T. MAy be also a "Speed" saddle?

Bright Sunny day

And time to check if all is well, not too many cops on ester week-end, perfect for slapping plates on another bike.
Little bugger runs well, needs just a few tweak for controls, brakes and the idle is a bit off, too rich.

After a short ride, the batery went flat, si I still have my electrick problem…after testing the rectifier OK, I just removed the regulator as it doesn't appear on any diagrams (but all my T250 have it )

After a ten-minute idling tuning session, the bttery was at 13.5 Volts... I suppose it'll be fine for riding.

I'll post more on these regulator as they do appear to have been fitted at the importer here in Switzerland.

You gotta love that "Mojave Red" color, I feel the itch for a repaint!

Houston, we have…

AN IDLE 1200rpm and stable.

After many scratching of the head, we finally found what was the prob with my 69 T250… You bet it was stooopid (I told ya!)

It has 72 "R" jugs and the carbs, carbs are a bit bigger (26 instead of 24, if i remember well). The friggin cables we a bit short or so it seems. The bottoming sound I heard was the slides hitting the throttle stop... not the bottom.

I had to fab new end cables, nice and easy, gave them 7mm extra travel which is a bit too much but works... maybe there was a prob at the cable distributor, cables that popped out I don't know. I also had bent thzrottle stop rods, certainly didn't help... BUT IT WORKS NOW!

Thanks for all the help, I just need a seat cover and it's over. I still have dreams of putting rear sets and a race seat à la Fang on it, though

Another visit from Tom

Tom will probably buy the remaining T250s, I do need the space... and I need to know what I need in exchange.
He also offered 2 of the final T125 carb ruber repros, this could also bring some money on the spares front.

Now, did it repair itself?

This is just to tell you that all of a sudden there is a bit of hope for the little T... I haven't given up yet!
Had a lot of work lately, as well as a few horror stories at home: How about getting asked for 15 LArge ones on the 1st of JAn? Year is not starting well and I have to make a bit of dosh… funds are real low so bikes become really the last of my priorities.

Electrickery 3

I had 4 T250 at one point in the workshop and ALL of them are (were) wired up with this regulator. One bike is broken in spares now.

2 of the Ts are 69 and in original shape, no bodging electrically, they come from different parts of the country... can't be the same mechanic.

The connectors are original and both original bikes are wired EXACTLY the same (color of wires, connectors and all)...

As I said, Switzerland was used as a test market (because of license laws) and often got "specialized" models for the Swiss market.

I am pretty sure signals were an option for you guys, but here they had to be on.... of course you could remove them, but for model approval on the DMV side, it was easier for the importer to slap them on and get the approval done.

This is getting interesting... I will mock up a wiring diagram with this thing on... I am not brilliant (aprt from bulbs) with the electrics. Stay tuned.