XT500

Mongoose

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Many moons ago, I used to tool around on an XL125. Great little commuter, however one sunny afternoon a colleague rode in on the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen or heard - a Yam XT500. He even let me have a go across the works yard. I promptly took off on one wheel, simultaneously shat myself and fell in love.

I've always wanted one since but I'm not about to pay the lunatic prices now being asked. Sadly, my mechanical knowledge is pish poor. I'm a lover, not a fighter Michael and I can just about work out one end of a spanner from another so perhaps building one from a frame up would be a stupid thing to attempt??

For those who can use a reversible flange balancing whatchamacallit, how easy do you reckon it would be for a mechanical retard such as myself to build one up using a Haynes manual and a collection of assembled parts?? Just a stupid dream or something that might be possible?? I would of course, be happy to post the pics of scabbed knuckles, scarred arms and shattered big end bearings on here.

Possible or downright expensive stupidity? I, my wallet and possibly my sanity are at your mercy.
 
Hi

Having rebuilt a 1975 Triumph Trident T160 from a box of bits, it's undoubtedly more cost effective to buy the restored one. They're not going to depreciate like a new bike.

If however you want the ultimate pleasure in knowing and having seen every part of your dream machine then have a go.
 
Impressive. What was your level of spannermanship before starting?
 
Impressive. What was your level of spannermanship before starting?

I'm a toolmaker by trade before I joined the police. I did have help. The engine work was dome by an expert, Arthur Jakeman, who worked at triumph and was the race engineer on slippery Sam.
 
From a haynes manual.........no chance...
 
dont bother really dont bother your rose tinted glasses will ultimately dissapoint you and your wallet,if you really must scratch that itch but the best one you can ride it a couple of times just to confirm that actually the reality is they aint that good and then pass it on(maybe loosing nowt) to the next victim
 
dont bother really dont bother your rose tinted glasses will ultimately dissapoint you and your wallet,if you really must scratch that itch but the best one you can ride it a couple of times just to confirm that actually the reality is they aint that good and then pass it on(maybe loosing nowt) to the next victim

:clap:clap:clap :rolllaugh:rolllaugh:rolllaugh:rolllaugh A dose of reality! I probably needed that!
 
What are you planing to do, start with a frame and buy everything you need bit at a time? I did that with a BSA A65. As it was a customised bobber it didn't have to be authentic but all the wheels, brakes forks etc were all of the period (frame was a 66) it was great fun but be in no doubt what so ever it was a expensive way of doing things. If you go into it eyes wide open and 100% understand it's going to cost far more than the finished article is worth then go for it.

Wether restoring a complete bike or starting from scratch for a ground up build I always like to get a rolling chassis finished first, firstly becouse for me space is tight and that way you can at least move it into a corner if you need the room and/or are waiting on parts. Secondly, at some point in the build, when the enormity of the task has sunk in you may well get disillusioned. If it vaguely looks like a motorcycle it's a little milestone reached and can give you a boost, especially if you need to collect some parts for the next stage.
If your building from random parts I would recommend a dry build to make sure everything fits before paint. If it's a straight resto of a complete bike you can paint as you go along if you prefer.
Finally, at this stage, for the first time you can sit on the bike and make brum brum noises.....trust me, you will :D

I would strongly recommend you buy a complete motor, even if it's in need of a rebuild. You may well look at the prices of all the big bits like cases and barrels and think it will work out cheaper....it won't, because you will then have to buy all the little bits like tab washers, lock washers, fine thread nuts, left hand nuts, brackets, shims, spacers, clips, oil lines, etc.etc.

Do your homework. Buy a Haynes manual, a Clymer manual and most importantly a factory manual, it's guaranteed the bit you stuck on will be missing from the manual you have if you only buy one. Parts manual as well, if they do one it will be your best friend.
If you've got a 78 frame, will a 77 rear mudguard fit? Are the side panels from a 79 the same as a 78? Check they fit before you send them away for that expensive paint job! Don't rely on the eBay seller saying it will fit.

The satisfaction you can gain from doing the work all yourself is usually worth it but there's a saying in the chopper building community.....if it was easy everybody would be doing it!
 
If you're serious then the first thing is to do some in depth research into the availability of parts. If there ain't no bits then there ain't no rebuild, it really is as simple as that.

Bearings and seals will be easy but if you want to do a decent job (not a grass roots rebuild to 100% original) you're still going to be looking at things like instruments, lights and brackets, valve guides, decompressor assembly, kickstart return springs and a cardboard box full of other parts not there in the guaranteed complete bike you've just bought in boxes.

The other thing is that you'll get one cheaper in the US but you'll need to go over and find it then ship it yourself because any dealer offering that service will want to make up to a grand profit on that part alone and a grand buys a lot of bits. Finally don't buy an XT, buy a TT because they're nearly the same but they just look better :D
 
Thank you for the advice, it's much appreciated. I'm not quite having second thoughts yet but you've given me considerable food for thought.
 
It will cost you five times as much as you costed, three times as long to do as you planned and give you double the pleasure.

Just expect the rivit counters to find fault with everything wrong with it.
 


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