Thump-a-lump

[GSF]

Just picked up my new bike on the weekend!

1981 Yamaha SR500 - 500cc big single!
Here it is next to my Bandit.

http://oi49.tinypic.com/bg5kpd.jpg

She's a beauty, engine was rebuilt about 5,000km ago (got 92,000 on the clock right now).
Been fully repainted and rechromed, pretty much totally stock standard.
At the moment she needs a new battery, an oil change and a spark plug, I'm itching to get 'em so I can ride the damn thing.

Later on I'll try whacking on a new filter, a Mikuni flatslide carb and a new muffler and maybe some flat bars and shocks too, make a nice street bike :)

[ducatilover]

Way cool dude. Stylish beast :Punk:

[GSF]

Way cool dude. Stylish beast :Punk:

Cheers dude!

This bike is gonna be fun. Super simple and easy to modify. Pretty light and torquey, plus once I get a nice aftermarket pipe it'll have that sexy single sound.
It currently has the muffler from a 2000s model SR400 on it which is heavy and quiet and shit.

Plus the old chap threw in the Haynes manual with it. There's no English documents for early 250 Bandits out there which is a pain in the arse - having the Haynes means I'm practically having kittens. It tells me how to do everything! WITH PICTURES!

[Subike]

Very nice score fella.
Thats one that will be a keeper for a long time, eh.

[tigertim20]

nice addition to your garage!

[GSF]

Very nice score fella.
Thats one that will be a keeper for a long time, eh.

Definitely! I am not planning on parting with this ole girl anytime soon, they are getting collectible at a pretty swift rate now I think.


nice addition to your garage!
Sure is! Soon I'll be back down to one though, I'm going to sell the Bandit once I've sat my full license test on it.
Be a bit sad to part with it, it's my first bike and I've been a lot of places on that cycle.
My garage will thank me for it though, it's overflowing with bikes, dismantled mowers, pushbikes and cleaning products...

[ducatilover]

There's no English documents for early 250 Bandits out there which is a pain in the arse

I know a chap with a hard copy of one

Cafe that sucker!!!!

[GSF]

I know a chap with a hard copy of one

Cafe that sucker!!!!

A manual for a GJ74 Bandit? Like '90 to '94 ones? Fuck me, where did he dig up that particular piece of rocking horse feces?

Yep, I'm shopping for some clip-ons or flat bars, got some small turn signals that can mount on the lower triple, get a cut-down seat and maybe a late-model Sportster headlight with the hood/visor.
I'm tempted to go batteryless, apparently it's a piece of cake with these.
I like the idea, considering it's kickstart only it would be like riding the biggest wind-up toy ever.

[ducatilover]

A manual for a GJ74 Bandit? Like '90 to '94 ones? Fuck me, where did he dig up that particular piece of rocking horse feces?

Yep, I'm shopping for some clip-ons or flat bars, got some small turn signals that can mount on the lower triple, get a cut-down seat and maybe a late-model Sportster headlight with the hood/visor.
I'm tempted to go batteryless, apparently it's a piece of cake with these.
I like the idea, considering it's kickstart only it would be like riding the biggest wind-up toy ever.

No idea where, but I've seen it and he's used it a fair bit (reliable Jap bikes eh?)

You could run it with an A123 cell pack instead of a normal battery, that'll free up space.
Those factory signals are a bit much eh? I'm shopping for some nice looking bullet ones at the moment for the FrankenGN

[GSF]

No idea where, but I've seen it and he's used it a fair bit (reliable Jap bikes eh?)

You could run it with an A123 cell pack instead of a normal battery, that'll free up space.
Those factory signals are a bit much eh? I'm shopping for some nice looking bullet ones at the moment for the FrankenGN

Ugh reliable Jap bikes with four cylinders, four fucking horrible CV carbs and 20 years to their name!

The thing I had looked at was made by a German company called Kedo. From what I understand it's just a giant fuck-off capacitor that replaces the battery. The downside is that when you're sitting idling at a stop, all your lights will be flickering and barely going.
The factory signals are like small moons orbiting the massive sun that is my headlight.

[ducatilover]

Go with an A123 cell pack :niceone:
Imagine the drag those indicators make, they look like M. Mouse's ears

[bogan]

nice addition to your garage!

Could use a bit of a tidy up though...


Put a scrambler pipe on it!

[Laava]

Nice!.......

[Tigadee]

Uber nice! You have good taste!

[HenryDorsetCase]

Thats a nice tidy SR! score.

When you get bored with it sing out I will take it off your hands .... :devil2:

[Subike]

A manual for a GJ74 Bandit? Like '90 to '94 ones? Fuck me, where did he dig up that particular piece of rocking horse feces?

Yep, I'm shopping for some clip-ons or flat bars, got some small turn signals that can mount on the lower triple, get a cut-down seat and maybe a late-model Sportster headlight with the hood/visor.
I'm tempted to go batteryless, apparently it's a piece of cake with these.
I like the idea, considering it's kickstart only it would be like riding the biggest wind-up toy ever.

Me thinks I have a pair of clip-ons in a box in my shed off of an XS1100 I got for parts, will have a look if I still have all the bits .
Have a look at the seat off of the XVS 250, I got one for $50, works well on my XS1100, as the tongue mount at the tank is almost the same, and two small brackets welded unobtrusively to the frame make it a bolt on that fits nicely over the side covers.
The little bullet lights you can get on trade me are (E) compliant, and you can get red lenses for them, a plus is you can twin filament them and retain the side marker lamps those Yammys had.

[GSF]

Me thinks I have a pair of clip-ons in a box in my shed off of an XS1100 I got for parts, will have a look if I still have all the bits .
Have a look at the seat off of the XVS 250, I got one for $50, works well on my XS1100, as the tongue mount at the tank is almost the same, and two small brackets welded unobtrusively to the frame make it a bolt on that fits nicely over the side covers.
The little bullet lights you can get on trade me are (E) compliant, and you can get red lenses for them, a plus is you can twin filament them and retain the side marker lamps those Yammys had.

Cheers mate, the SR has 35mm forks for clip-ons. I had a look at an XVS250 on Google, they have a cruiser style solo seat?
I'm looking more at a sort of '60s or '70s style racing seat, I might have a go at making one from glass and padding it myself 'cause aftermarket cafe style seats are pretty silly expensive. Flat tracker style seats look pretty awesome on the SRs as well :)

[ktm84mxc]

Great bikes those SR500's and make ideal cafe racers, yep those indicators are like out riggers on a canoe blame the Aussi ADR for the look as they had to be a certain distance apart, my brother had a worse look on his TL125S .

[ducatilover]

Cheers mate, the SR has 35mm forks for clip-ons. I had a look at an XVS250 on Google, they have a cruiser style solo seat?
I'm looking more at a sort of '60s or '70s style racing seat, I might have a go at making one from glass and padding it myself 'cause aftermarket cafe style seats are pretty silly expensive. Flat tracker style seats look pretty awesome on the SRs as well :)

:2thumbsup make yer own seat mate, I re-shaped my GN one and (in my warped mind) it looks nice.
You may be able to use the original base and chop the rear padding off, slap some foam on it and glass away ;)

[GSF]

Yeah I reckon making one is the go, the mounts are stupid simple too.
I might style it after this RD

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A4kh4mb8fKw/ToF0IDNISxI/AAAAAAAAGqU/V_ReHY81604/s1600/DSC_0036%2Bcopy.jpg

[PeloNZ]

Nice SR!
Off topic, but where did you get that sweet retro fairing for your bandit? I want one! :D

[GSF]

Nice SR!
Off topic, but where did you get that sweet retro fairing for your bandit? I want one! :D

http://www.nichecycle.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=70-52501&type=0&eq=&desc=Cafe-Viper-Sport-Universal-Fairing&key=it

It's that one there, the Viper fairing made by Emgo!
Look on eBay as well, lots of people sell them, I've seen them going for only $50 USD.

If you have a Bandit like mine with clip-on bars, you'll need to trim the fairing and the screen a bit with a coping saw. I had to remove about an inch off the ends, otherwise it's too long, and you need to cut out some space for the gauges. Just cut slowly and clean it up with wet and dry sandpaper.
You'll need to make a few little brackets too, it's real easy though.

I'm going to be giving the Bandit a good clean on the weekend, give me a couple days and I'll take some pictures to show you the mounts and brackets, I'll PM you the pics.
A wee bit of work but totally worth it, they look great on the Bandit! Lots of people have said it looks factory :2thumbsup

[Banditbandit]

Just picked up my new bike on the weekend!

1981 Yamaha SR500 - 500cc big single!
She's a beauty, engine was rebuilt about 5,000km ago (got 92,000 on the clock right now).
Been fully repainted and rechromed, pretty much totally stock standard.
At the moment she needs a new battery, an oil change and a spark plug, I'm itching to get 'em so I can ride the damn thing.

Later on I'll try whacking on a new filter, a Mikuni flatslide carb and a new muffler and maybe some flat bars and shocks too, make a nice street bike :)

Very nice ... Always liked them ... nearly bought one ... easy to cafe racer .. the flats bars should be great

Cool bike .. nice score

[PeloNZ]

http://www.nichecycle.com/ProductDesc.aspx?code=70-52501&type=0&eq=&desc=Cafe-Viper-Sport-Universal-Fairing&key=it

It's that one there, the Viper fairing made by Emgo!
Look on eBay as well, lots of people sell them, I've seen them going for only $50 USD.

If you have a Bandit like mine with clip-on bars, you'll need to trim the fairing and the screen a bit with a coping saw. I had to remove about an inch off the ends, otherwise it's too long, and you need to cut out some space for the gauges. Just cut slowly and clean it up with wet and dry sandpaper.
You'll need to make a few little brackets too, it's real easy though.

I'm going to be giving the Bandit a good clean on the weekend, give me a couple days and I'll take some pictures to show you the mounts and brackets, I'll PM you the pics.
A wee bit of work but totally worth it, they look great on the Bandit! Lots of people have said it looks factory :2thumbsup

Awesome, thank you! :) Spending money on an old 250 is far more tempting than it should be...