DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Is a wire earthing out somewhere hence the red light always on?

Is the bike in Neutral? Some are wired to light up to show the bulb is working whilst in neutral, once a gear is selected it should go out.............Japanese thought process!

If you start it up, you may find it goes out, especially in gear and you ride it around the cut de sac?

Now, there's a thought or 2!
Never gave that any thought at all, just in my mind you switch on before you start the engine and if the oil is low the red light glows and you top-up before going out.
With the red light out you are ready to start if in green neutral.

I'll give that a go tomorrow. If right it will explain why the simple circuit breaker in the level float does not work in the bike, but does on the bench using a continuity meter (bell) when inverted to simulate 'full'

Thanks for all this!

11/10 for 9-1-1.
Red light goes out when engine running, saved me a special order for a new float sensor (that would not have fixed this), £60.
That will go towards the surprise of a £150 cost to re-cover the seat top...

Bit pricey, and would have been cheaper to have a new one made, but no 'Yamaha' logo on the back of the seat. Trying to keep it as original as possible.
Will come with chrome rivets to finish the job off.
Adjusted the angle of the hand controls on the bars to 'horizontal' on level ground, and now I can see well to the rear via the two mirrors.

Apart from fitting the seat all done. Clutch works, slightly clunks into gear (normal?), full choke, first kick this morning.

Added a few cc of fresh fork oil to the Japanese oil and the front now is dampened without slurping noises, so no air where not wanted.
Not convinced about the battery. Seller said it was new, but has dropped from 12.4V to 11.97 in 5 days, and my charger shows no charge when connected, all my other 12V batteries always show the current being delivered.
New one is £35, so not a big deal.

Become quite attached to this bike, so neat, even the new key fob just nestles in the handlebar clamps!

Absolutely fantastic little bike there, it looks like a classic, but hopefully without any of the inevitably attendant aggro.

In other news, I have been looking into events for next year on my F. B Mondial, and the Motogiro D'Italia coincides nicely with a lull in work in the second half of May next year. My Mondial's engine is presently disassembled down to the cases to chase out the last few gremlins. The crankshaft is away for dynamic balancing as well as the restoration of the balance factor, after I discovered the new piston to be some 20g heavier than the old one, and hopefully I'll get to the bottom of the gear selection and crank case breather issues.

Thanks, it is a little cracker. 50cc of dynamite, well, sort of!

Might risk by old head and use one of my old hillclimb helmets to get out on it over the next few weeks or rather when the seat is done "about 3 weeks but we are busy"
Their shop did not look busy..
Knew I should have got the seat out some time ago, but trying to avoid the cost.

I recon I will have about £2500 all done in the bike.

That is the cheapest 2 wheeler I have EVER done.

Mrs Hillclimber caught me on ebay looking at project Lambretta.

Seeing that Motorsport helmets are meant to be a higher spec than motorbike helmets you should be ok.

I've just ask my scooter buddy if he knows of any good projects for sale. I will let you know if he suggests anything good

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My current Bell helmet goes out of spec this Xmas so is scrap for hillclilmb next year, but could be ideal for the bike (it fits me so well).

I always thought bike helmets were more impact resistant and car helmets were fire resistant.
I know you can't use bike helmets for hillclimbs/motorsport.

Project (ie complete) Lambretta start arount £2K on ebay for a lowly Li125 Series 3.

neilbardsley wrote: ↑Fri Sep 29, 2023 6:41 pm Seeing that Motorsport helmets are meant to be a higher spec than motorbike helmets you should be ok.

I've just ask my scooter buddy if he knows of any good projects for sale. I will let you know if he suggests anything good

Sent from my 22011119UY using Tapatalk

You can not use a motorbike helmet for car motorsport - the impact resistant reinforcements areas are different, especially at the rear, and sides, as it has to contend with being knocked and bounced along tarmac. M/C helmets are also more aerodynamic, a different shape, tend to have vents, bigger vision outlets, and noise suppression.
There are different testing regimes for the two - one is more fire retardant.
There is no HANS device on a motorcycle helmet.

So whilst they are a helmet, they both have different characteristics for the purpose they were designed and intended for.

TBH, this is just to test the bike.
Have done all these restorations but ridden non except in the cul de sac.
Feel a bit different about this Yamaha oddly.
We shall see.
Hagerty have quoted £117 fully comp for 1000 miles, seems expensive to me.

This has all been too easy, and I never thought the seat would become an issue.
Message from the upholster today says the seat is un repairable, all materials are too brittle to use.

Option 1
Remake the seat cover and have Yamaha printed onto rear seat end.
Cost would be £450.
£450 is simply rediculous for this job.
Option 2
For me to source a replacement seat cover from Japan and they will fit is, no Yamaha script.

Can be bought all made with all new chrome rivets for £42 off Amazon.
My Amazon account won't work due to my email address being wrong. That needs sorting out.

Amazon the only place to source a cover!

Option 3 could be new cover byhe upholstery man with no script and I'll sign write the logo!

Still can't get over £450 for the seat.

Collecting the seat all stripped back from the trimmers.
He wants 450 to make an all new cover and fit, a full days work...
He has an hour in it, so I have to pay £60.
Bad experience, and reminds me why I don't like using specialists.

Hope to buy a Japanese cover with new chrome studs delivered for £42 this weekend and self fit.

New cover arrived from Japan in 4 days, and a day earlier than scheduled. Result, esp as it is raining hard, so can only work inside the garage...

Took the cover out yesterday to 'relax' it though it was neatly folded, looked great for £52 including the pack of special seat pins all chromed. The UK £450 quote still rings in my ears.

so, set to getting it all buttoned up.
Added cling film over the foam seat to stop water getting through the top cover seams and soaking into the foam.
Warmed the cover up several times to ease the creases and make it a bit more flexible and centered the cover and stretched and stretched and stretc etc to get most of the wrinkles out. Bit tricky and the many barbs in the steel seat pan don't half hurt.

Took about 30 mins to even things out, pierce the barbs and fold them over with a small hammer. The front edge was very hard due to space and my weak hands. Glad I don't do this as a job!

To finish it off are the rivets to give the seat/bike the classic vibe, they are just decoration.

Now on the bike, and just need a 'YAMAHA' ot symbol for the rear panel, and hope to find something at the motorcycle show this Sunday.

That aside, IT IS DONE!

The simplest cheapest and yet satisfying 'restoration' I've ever ever done.
Just shows you need to start with a good bike in the first place!

Better pictures later when it stops raining and can take the bike outside.
Now debating whether to sell and buy another more involved project, a New Hudson autocycle is appealing.

Looks like there are a number of options - vinyl sticker if you know anyone with a CriCut machine?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp_VDhFeoyc

Or

Use the negative image from the vinyl cut out and spray vinyl paint on?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUHPBr6yr3M

Interesting.
I could only find 'iron-on' decals so dismissed the idea.
Wonder if the logo characters are flexible enough for a bike seat?
Lots of flexing of the vinyn surface could break up the decal material?

Spray method to me looks awful, paint bleed on the textured surface would drive me mad.

... or you could just leave it alone ??? Looks grand to me as is !