Mad-laners Megathread

Originally Posted by Paul the 6th

Thanks for all the info col mate you're a star You wouldn't happen to know what size bolts they are on the seat? I'll take the right spanner along with me and stick it in my pocket.

They sound reasonably bullet proof

but I've never ridden a single so it should be a new/novel experience the way I'm looking at it is that a 600 with the same power as a 400cc is less stressed and will therefore happily chug to work and back.

10mm socket I think, but I'll nip out to the garage in a minute and check.

They are bulletproof, and the fact they make pretty poor power for their capacity, so not stressed, and a basic old school engine, is exactly the reason they are chosen for round the world type stuff, but "chug" is the right word. It is a very different bike to ride when you are used to the refinement of a modern road bike.

[Paul the 6th]

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

• If it is idling at 2k revs or more, adjust the idle (on the side of the carbs) when you have finished your test ride and the choke is off, ensure the engine will run at 1000-1500 revs without stalling.

If it does stall out at proper tickover rpm, what would that suggest?

• Check for rust on the swingarm near to the rear shock, and on the rear subframe below the seat. Lift the seat off, and have a look, it's two bolts above the rear wheel which you have to undo. Also check the exhaust.

Guessing a little bit of rust here and there is normal for an trailie like these?

• On your test ride, run at a steady speed around 20-30 mph, 3 thousand revs and check for any rough running or hesitation

If it does hesitate is it gonna be a case of stripping/cleaning the carbs? What's the carb like on these? Is it possible to get bigger jets to give it a little more kick like the 3x3 mod on DR-Z's?

• On your test ride, let the bike coast with the clutch in, and bring the bike gently to a stop from about 20mph on the brakes. You are looking for any uneven braking (kangarooing) that may indicate a warped disc from an off road impact with a stone.

Guessing the discs are reasonably cheap for these? still a bargaining point for the stealer to knock some off

This forum is a great source of info on the XT http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/yamaha-tech/

above points

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

I can use my rear rack to tow, but where is your front towing point?

I've got a webbing strap around the forks at the front.
I'll post some pics up when I get a chance.

If it does stall out at proper tickover rpm, what would that suggest?

It's just indicative that it isn't running as well as it could be. Could be anything really, fuelling (carbs, fuel supply, air supply), ignition or timing (spark plug, wiring, or the CDI unit is known to cause problems on these)

Guessing a little bit of rust here and there is normal for an trailie like these?

There are no plastics around the inside of the seat so the rear subframe (it's not actually a subframe, it's all one tubular frame) is exposed to water and dirt spraying off the back wheel. My swingarm has rusted more near to the rear shock than anywhere else, but the paint is flaking off the whole thing, probably because a previous owner didn't make the effort to get in there with a brush when cleaning. In my case it's all paint flaking and the resulting surface rust, so not a problem, but I am going to have to rub back, re-prime and respray the subframe and swingarm at some point this winter.

If it does hesitate is it gonna be a case of stripping/cleaning the carbs? What's the carb like on these? Is it possible to get bigger jets to give it a little more kick like the 3x3 mod on DR-Z's?

Again just indicative of poor running. Could be carbs or it could be the CDI unit, or even just a dodgy spark plug. I have heard about people re-jetting on Horizons Unlimited, but the general consensus is that you won't get that much more power out of an XT and it's not really worth the effort. Getting more power on these is about improving air flow (exhaust, air filter, airbox) and reducing weight.

"The XT600 uses a dual-carburetor setup, dubbed YDIS for Yamaha Duo Intake System. Most dual-purpose and off-road four-stroke singles now use some kind of dual-carb system, the theory being that at low rpm, where one large carburetor doesn't mix fuel and air very efficiently, a smaller carburetor will give better throttle response. At increased rpm the secondary carb kicks in to give the engine the fuel it needs for higher speeds. The XT's carbs—a 27mm slide-type primary linked to a 27mm CV-type secondary—are manufactured by Teikei. Most of the time they worked just as the theory dictates, although, there were instances when the engine would stumble, almost as if the secondary carburetor was taking a gulp before getting on with its job. The condition was especially annoying in passing situations on crowded freeways. Before reaching any firm conclusion about the performance of the carburetors, we cleaned and re-oiled the dual-stage foam air filter. This helped—it seems the new XT has inherited the TT600's trait of easily clogged air filters—but a slight hesitation was still there, between 4000 and 5000 rpm."

Guessing the discs are reasonably cheap for these? still a bargaining point for the stealer to knock some off

A front disc is about £70 quid

Originally Posted by sunshine

since you guys have all the answers, recommend me a light small engined laner, its been a few years since i have been on these sorts of roads, so i want something that can be dropped about 1000 times and still work. And tbh i prefer a kick start not electric, oh and cheap as possible low insurance would also be nice

Originally Posted by sunshine

i said small engined like a 250-450 not 50, and its a honda...

kdx 220.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/2004-KAWASAKI-...2#ht_500wt_920

Definately a 10mm socket or spanner to get the seat off. Look under there and it's obvious which two bolts to remove.

I had to wipe away a thick layer of wet muddy cack from Saturday's green laning, before I could get to them, and yesterday I was under there with a pressure washer, so that explains why that bit of the bike suffers, it's a difficult area to keep clean. I shall have to start paying special attention to washing and drying that area.

Originally Posted by Paul the 6th

Yo homies!

Off to testride an xt600e tomorra all being well anything in particular I should look for or check for?it's the one col linked to on the last page or so

So how did you get on?

[Paul the 6th]

Well...............

it was a new experience to say the least! I think the only single I've ever ridden before was a ybr125 on my cbt. Not as vibey as I'd been led to believe it would be, very plush squishy suspension, back brake which locked at the first opportunity but still with loads of feel, great being able to see over the tops of cars without even trying, comfy riding position, lots of grunt off the mark upto 5k revs but then nothing (not like I was expecting a superbike or anything).. Managed to get it upto about 70-80 but it took a bit of effort and a clear run without any traffic.

Bit of a contrast to say the least. I managed to overtake one car instead of all of them, which was a change. I did find some tight twisty backroads with no other traffic, and strayed down one or two farm driveways onto loose gravel & dirt. Tried standing up over a few bumps - I felt a tiny bit like a nob but not compared to when I've done it on my gsx-r getting on the IOM ferry etc..

Bearing in mind that I'm planning on using the bike for a bit of winter commuting, it was an eye opener considering my 35 mile journey to work is 95% motorways and dual carriageways, so the DR-Z would definitely be tedious. Although I've not ridden a DR-Z yet, I can tell a DR-Z would be much better off road than the XT. That's not to say the XT would be useless, far from it, but the 30kg lighter DR-Z and snappier throttle would probably make off-roading more exciting and engaging, whereas the XT would be a bit like pilotting a bigger softer bike over the same terrain.

I've test ridden a few bikes in the past and usually come back to the shop beaming whislt dropping bank notes on the way to the salesman's desk... This time something didn't quite feel right. I explained to Alex (properly sound guy and I will recommend vale motorcycles til the end of the day) that the easy option for me would be to whip out my debit card and put down a deposit. Unfortunately, I was gonna have to take the hard route and 'sleep on it' for the night, having had Alex tell me that he'd had 2 seperate customers ringing up about the bike - one of them offering to pay by card immediately. I told him that if the bike goes tonight then it's not meant to be, but if it's still for sale tomorrow and I decide to go ahead with it then it'll work out just great. The listing has already been ended with the buyer paying full price...

...and I could see why - genuine miles, mint condition asside from a tiny bit of surface rust here & there, sound brakes with loads of life left in pads and discs, silky smooth engine from cold, idle'd around 1400 revs without any hesitation whatsoever, I checked it was cold when I first walked in the shop, which it was.. Tyres had loads of life left, genuine yamaha 'bark busters' (aka handguards), engine crashbars etc... And only 2800 miles for £1795!

But it wasn't for me. For what I want: commuting and dummies guide to greenlaning, potentially dropping it both on road and off - it would end up battered and bruised in no time in my possesion. Add to that, the fact it's about £295 beyond my realistic budget and it stops making sense to be looking at such a pristine machine.

I'd be better off looking at a similar aged model with slightly more miles for a lower asking price with a few more scuffs here and there, but still mechanically sound and decent service history.

I'm still gonna try and find a DR-Z to test ride, just to be on the safe side but considering my size, budget and intended useage (the real issue) I think the XT600 will be the right choice. And if in 5-6 months it turns out to be a mistake, I can simply sell the bike, clear the credit card I bought it on and find something else like a DR-Z or a KTM or something else... - at worst I might lose a hundred quid (minus insurance and tax) over the whole process = hardly the end of the world

Cool, the handguards and the engine bars are standard OEM BTW.

The DRZ is just as capable of a 35 mile commute, if your ar$e can cope with it, but your right, the XT probably matches your physical size a bit better.

If I see any XT's for sale at 1500 quid I'll let you know. I did find when I was looking though, that dealers priced them to sell, but then wouldn't move on that price. Mine was advertised at 1800, but it was a private sale and I knocked him down.

[Paul the 6th]

ideally it needs to be a dealer as I'm gonna put most of it on a credit card which I've had sat in my draw for a rainy day (and the APR is about 7% better than any rate I've found on small loans upto £2k)..

Just looking on eBay/mcn/biketrader and it looks like I may have made a massive mistake based on the prices.. 2003 bikes with 15,000 miles all seem to be listed £200 more than that one was today?