Today we figured out how to decode the flashing engine warning light. It's a bit like morse code, where a dash represents 10 and dot represents 1 - we saw two errors - - - = 10+10+10 = 30  - . . = 10 + 1 + 1 = 12 Code 30 appears to be the tilt sensor - this was fixed by re-fitting it the correct way up. Code 12 appears to be crank position sensor - same as it ever was. Despite reaching out to forums and Yamaha, we've not had much luck figureing this out.  We measured about 1.2V ac at the ECU on the sensor wires when the engine is cranked on the starter.  Still no spark though.  We also buzzed out the wires from the ECU to the coil. Originally, only the old ECU was giving the code 12, but now the new one does too. We haven't managed to find a diagnostic port to plug in to yet. We're thinking of putting the pieces together for now, to keep all the bits safe, while we try to get more information.

  Workshop update from Saturday November 4th… Here are details of some of the things that were achieved by our members during the session. Ural 650… Annabelle, Don and Dave teamed up to help complete the bike’s aesthetics.  Once the bike was looking suitably resplendent, Annabelle took the bike for a test ride.  After some tickling and choking of the carburettors the engine fired up at the first kick.  Annabelle returned a short while later and was very happy with the way that the bike ran and handled.  There was just one more hurdle to overcome in the form of the speedometer drive that had done a runner from the gearbox.   Some more work will be needed at the next workshop session in order to install a replacement speedo drive.  Let’s hope it can be slid into the gearbox from outside without the need to strip the gearbox. Yamaha TY80 Various trials and tribulations in all corners of the workshop today with regard to the Yamaha TY 80.  The forks n...

Saturday's workshop session was well attended as always and some good progress was made.  Here's what happened that didn't already get posted.

Various freshly powder coated compontents for it arrived in the workshop today ready for the rebuild to begin.  If you need items powder coated have a word with Phil our mechanic he knows a gent in Bury Port that does a fine job for a reasonable price.

I (Graham) finally pulled my finger out and set about putting together the order for new sprockets and tyres for it.  In the meantime Steve and Alan fought to get the hardened and perished rear tyre off the rim.  After a considerable struggle their persistance paid off.  The front brake disc was found to be quite badly ridged so we looked into buying a replacement.  Early searches for a new disc proved fruitless.  There were plenty of discs claiming to be for the front of the Z250A, but not one of them had what I would call the disc centre where the bolts go through to attach it to the wheel.  The original disc is rivetted to the centre and I never seen discs sold that need the rivetts drilled out and replaced to fit new discs.  So it maywell be a case of taking it to a local engineering company to get the disc surface skimmed.  Putting the old disc back onto the bike with new pads would mean that the brakes would not be particularly effective unt...

Since finally getting the bike running  and roadworthy Annabelle had been suffering from severe clutch drag.  There was no choice but to remove the gearbox to get at the clutch and replace parts.  Along with her team of enthusiastic mechanics Annabelle soon had the gearbox off the box and the clutch in pieces.  They managed to do it with the engine in situ which was no mean feat. We had previously spotted a warped steel place, so that was replaced and the main component in the clutch was turned around to face the correct way.  By the end of the session of the bike was back together and running with a clutch that no longer dragged.  Now all that remains is a bit of final tuning and to re-attach the sidecar.  Hopefully it will now give long service.  I have to say I have never seen a bike with so many faults built into it by its previous owner.  It's relatively simple engineering and an enthusiastic owners group on Facebook, meant that in the m...

Photo 7 Oct 2023 This is our mechanic's baby and having spent a very long time in boxes is now very pretty canary yellow trail bike.  It looks very much as Yamaha intended it to look and there are just one or two last things to do to complete it. One of which it to work out a way to install a chain guard from a different model as the original item is no longer available.