Yamaha YB 1 1999 tidy-up

[911hillclimber]

This is the thread to my new 'project' a Japanese market only Yamaha 50cc YB1 built in 1999.

It will be my 6th 2 wheel restoration/rebuild/tidy I've done since retiring from work, I find these light 2 wheelers really nice to work on, light and easy to handle, don't take up too much space and not a fortune to do, the opposite to a 911!
I was looking for a cosmetic project this time round, non of the rusted out fuel tanks, broken piston rings tired gearboxes and rust rust rust everywhere you looked or touched. bit sick of all that grief (getting older..)

By chance I happened on a Yamaha 50cc 2 stroke quite local to me with a dealer I knew well, £995 on ebay, buy it now at £1500, but it was unregistered, just a NOVA slip and looked a bit scared and too un loved, I was not sure.
Then up popped the same day this one that is now the project bike.

The YB1 model is the bike after the famous 'Fizzy' the FS1E which are now really expensive, around £6000 for a minter, projects tend to be rough and unloved (= expensive).

The YB is a Sports model in Japan, unrestricted engine (don't get excited), rider only seat and strengthen frame, a few are now being imported from Japan's south where no salt is used, so the vehicles tend to be free of serious or any rust. Nice.
This one is UK registered, fresh battery, tyres, few scars and actually runs, starts first kick every time. I've never had a bike that did that!
The model has 12V electrics and CDI ignition that helps.

With around 5300 miles it is really in good condition, but..

The wheels are a bit pitted, esp the rear and the spokes (galvanised) rusty too.
Some of the silver grey paint on the forks is bruised by stone chips and the seat cover is torn where the pvc cover has yielded in the sun.

Away from staring at it (I find it a very pleasing design) the tank is now empty and off (no scars, no dents, and the petcock fully works, (another first for me) and the seat is off.
This exposes the main pressed steel frame and with a dust of WD40 the original black paint simply shines through. Everywhere. No shot blasting required.

Ok, what is my objective here?

To simply make it look new again, don't spend a fortune (!) and make it something I feel proud of like all the others I've done.
Oh, and to get my hands dirty, take up the spare time and keep by brain cell active.

I'm sure I will have issues along the way, but I'm off to a good (great) start.

[neilbardsley]

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[Nine One One]

FS1-E stands for 'Five Speed One Eliminated' as Yes, the original machines were five speed without pedals, which is why the pedal version (designed to fit in with the 16 year old moped laws in the U.K. at that time) was called the FS1-E.
So UK market lost a gear, and inherited pedals that never really worked that well to pedal it if you had to.

[911hillclimber]

Interesting!
Did the Fs1E give Jasper Carrot the Funky Moped song? Maybe that was the earlier UK/French mopeds.

Had a quote of £45 for exact colour match rattle can paint, fresh wheels should I fail to recover the originals will be about £350 the pair (ouch) so that's an incentive!
Wheels make a car, they make a bike too.

Apart from painting the engine and box are to be left alone.
The carb has had fresh Yamaha jets previously and all control cable are good and smooth.

Drained the gearbox oil and it came out clear and clean of anything metallic; it could have gone back in perfectly, but will have fresh. (once I know what to put in).

Have a contact to repair the seat, about £75 for new cover fitted relatively close to me so a good excuse for a day out to Gloucester.

The silencer can be stipped out and the internal baffle tube cleaned of oil and coke, just one screw to remove. The whole pipe is in great condition, even the down tube.

[911hillclimber]

Very important hillclimb this weekend at Shelsley Walsh, pivotal to my Championship chances, so just a few hours on the Yamaha.

Keep on taking parts off and clearing the way for the engine removal next week.
You have to disconnect so much to remove bike engines!

Had my first unmovable fastener in the right hand side wing mirror.
What an odd thing to be fused solid into the handle grip casting (M8). Left hand one came out a treat. Decided to carry on with easy stuff in this heat.

Headlamp and indicators off, all electrics free of any corrosion, nothing cut or messed with, bliss.
Removed the charger cover to free the clutch drive, all those special JIS screws came undone, not a burr in sight.

So far, all very good and all so easy.

Most of the bolts are M6/12mm A/F hex heads finished in a grey black. Some have deep surface rusting, so need to find some.

Anyway, time to FOCUS on the event this weekend. formidable competition but if i can bag third in class...

[911hillclimber]

Did an hour on the Yamaha today, life and a hillclimb clutch renewal got in the way...

This bike continues to simply come apart with no effort.
I've treated it and me to proper JIS screw bits, what a difference they make to unscrewing things.

Screws come out with zero effort, no rounding off of the X and all the screw plating is perfect except the exposed heads.

Chrome on the handle bars is near perfect, silencer and down tube much the same.

No air filter in the can oddly, maybe that is a 'go-faster' Japanese tweak? lol.

With the cables now all off the grips it is all but engine out time, and time to dig out my bike assembly table from the Big Shed (small really).

Once the wheels and guards are off etc, painting the forks etc will be the priority while the days are still warm, then the major Elephant in the Room, the wheels, spokes and hubs.
Engine will be the last assembly to get done, just some silver paint on the cases and black VHT on the barrel, and a good brushing of the cylinder head (grit blast i think) and a piston de-coke.

Must not rush it, it's got to last me most of the Autumn....

[911hillclimber]

Managed 4 solid hours on the Yamaha today.
Plan was to strip it of all basic assemblies and get the frame up on the bench that I have used for all the 2 wheelers.

It all went well. The bolts just came off, the nuts too, the JIS screws were trouble free and I actually found some (surface) rust.

Engine came out after 4 bolts were removed, so light. I can carry it with one arm. Now down in the shed so i won't be distracted by it.
Wheels followed, but decided to turn the bike upside down as if it was a push bike. This worked really well, and much was stripped off, given a light clean with carb cleaner and boxed.

Lots more followed, the rear lights disconnected (the wires are threaded inside the frame), and finally the front forks.

The forks cleared well, the instrument 'panel' was carefully stored and the forks removed. All the plungers are perfect, no corrosion just some Japanese dust build up.

The surface rust is in the inside face of both mudguards, but just surface, easy to fix.

Hardest bit is the wheels, esp the rear where there is a fair amount of surface corrosion on the original rear rim. I want to sanve this rim, but also the surface rusted spokes. Front wheel is marginally better.

As I expected, the wheels are going to be tricky. £400 to replace, too much and the wife is watching the potential bills.

Time to order the colour matched paint from RS Paint, specialists in bike paint. Used them on the Honda, and the paint was great.

Hope the pics say a 1000 words:

[Kneeslider]

Looking good. In the pictures it all looks a bit too nice!

Did you manage to have a go with Deox Gel?

My Mondial has steel wheel rims in poor condition, they have bern rechromed not very well. My wheel size is WM1 1.6 in wide x 19in and 36 spokes. I've managed to track down a pair of NOS in original wrapping Sanremo Italian alloy rims for £100 each, so they are on their way now.

[911hillclimber]

Thanks!
Pleased this bike is not too valuable because it could easily be classed as It's only Original Once so leave it alone status.
Tackling the wheels right now.
I'll try to make a decent job of them, but really they need all new rims and spokes, but £400.
This bike is not worth that investment, and the wife will say Why are you spending so much on something you will never use!

[Nine One One]

Why do you not just get them sandblasted and powder coated in a bright silver?

[911hillclimber]

Cost and messing about. Only people i would trust would be Redditch Blasting as they understand classic stuff rather than garden gates.

There are some minor and some larger rust spots on the rear, large being about 5mm sq. Down there you can't really see them from 5 foot away.
This bike was always a 'tidy-up', not a mega restoration like my other projects on 2 wheels.

Have cleaned the spokes and rims with coarse wire wool and such like to enhance what is there and treated the spokes (galvanised steel) with rust converter.

The spokes have dried to a nice light grey 'steel look and all are very even. Pity i can leave then that way.

Once cleaned down the nipples/rims will be masked off and bright silver wheel paint applied (UPOL) over the spokes and brake drums. I hope wheel silver will be more robust than silver paint.

Surface rust under both mudguards and chain cover all wired and rust treated. Will be painted Smoothrite silver, resistant to stone chips.

This bike does not and never had a center stand, just a side prop which I don't like or trust.
The foot was corroded , the only real rust I've found, so some repairs and a new foot added this afternoon.

Oddly, the rear mudguard after paint can go back on the frame.

Ordered the correct paint too, all £73 of it for 3 rattle cans, sure has become expensive, but the fresh silver will distract the eye from the rims!

Some way to go still, but very relaxing so far.

[neilbardsley]

That bike looks pretty good already

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[911hillclimber]

It really is Neil. Doing JDM bike from salt-free roads is a gem!

My hillclimb JDM 1996 Subaru was just the same.

My rims are nowhere near as bad as these, but look what he has managed to achieve.

https://youtu.be/_EcblK-WQKg

[911hillclimber]

Spent a long time trying to remove rust spots on the mudguards yesterday. Found a good sharp razor blade the best and the result was weak.
Tried all the witches brews, Coke with alum foil, nothing. Coke with 000 steel wool, nothing, Autosol and elbow grease, better but weak.

Thus I have decided on this bike to make it as good and smooth as I can and finish the chrome with the special chrome purple polish I have.
No going to re-chrome (£££) and not going to buy pattern new parts (crap fit and very poor detail)

So, bolted my first part back on the bike, the rear mudguard! Progress and decision making, good grief.

Paint here, UPOL paint collection today and wheels almost fully masked off, all 72 nipples...
Wheels to be UPOL wheel silver, good and bright.

[911hillclimber]

Spent a bit of time on the Yamaha today.
Seems the weather could be warmer next week so need to get things prepped for the light grey paint job.

Wheels all done. Not sure I really like them, but to do it 'properly' would mean new rims and new spokes and a bill for £500. I just won't look to hard at them.

Re-assembled the wheel into the hub at the rear, just loosed in until the chain is on.
Started on the rear suspension for paint and a few other brackets too.

Wife says I'm rushing it...