Leaderboard

An eye-watering $1500 (and I'll also have the aforementioned tax...) but the 'bike is worth every penny. IF I come to sell it (I shan't - it'll be passed to my son) I could even make a couple of grand. But that's not what this is about - I'm livin' the dream !!

I've just been trawling through a few piston ring manufactures websites AE , Hastings, Nevlock, MI, and found an answer to the question of the spring ring behind: ..." It is their to apply additional radial pressure to the piston ring. This increases the unit pressure applied at the cylinder wall. " So there you go.!

The purpose of the "wiggly ring" is to keep the lower ring central, taking up the free space (regardless of how much space you perceive there to be!) and keeps the ring central and equi-distant all around. Just because the original rings don't have them is no basis to leave them out. You may find that the original ring is a little wider in its cross section thereby not needing them, whereas the newer ring may be that little bit smaller to enable the 'wiggly ring to sit behind it!! Manufacturers don't include them for fun or as an 'optional extra' after all their R&D. When I did my engine , i put them in as supplied..... If l had left them out and for whatever reason I wasn't happy with the performance ....I wouldn't want to strip it ALL down again just to put them in!!

I had such enthusiasm for biking all year round when I first started on a bike... My L plate days saw me riding my 125 at 5am over the Pennines for 50 non-motorway miles. I remember always passing a Bland European rider most mornings who gave me the most excited wave. For 50 miles in winter it was always just him I saw on two wheels. He always helped to spur me along. Aside from that though the commute in winter was tough - the headlight was pants, cars used to sit up my arse, sheep and ducks could be found around most bends and I was generally clueless on 2 wheels! Fast forward and I found myself leaving home even earlier to trek 200 miles into central London on my Street Triple. That bike had zero weather / wind protection, and being honest I was a little too tall for it on such a long trek (sore knees). That bike was twitchy as feck on the throttle, but I still managed to ride it in snow and ice. I used to arrive in London with a blue face and even popped round to Airheads home once with my jacket covered in ice [emoji23] What has happened to me now I don’t know... I’ll still commute in poor weather if I need, but my car is the preference (I’ve always favoured the car on a short trip anything less than 300 miles, haha). But I’ve gone from doing all the above in nothing more than Kevlar jeans and a £100 jacket to riding about on a bike with hand guards, heated seats and grips, electronically adjustable screen whilst wearing base layers, heated jacket and a Rukka suit haha! Bottom line... I’ve been there, done it. Will do it again if needed, but will happily sit in my warm car during winter [emoji41]

Good point, well made. I just put one of the expanders behind the lower ring [they are sat on the dining table]. It clearly takes up a small amount of play and keeps the ring more concentric. As it is zero hassle to fit them, i put them in. Thanks Neo.

I thought I had bought a scoot for the daughter, needing nothing more than some spit and polish and maybe a mild de restrict went to collect. Nope sold to somebody else, sob story of forgot/my partner sold it….. Anyway, calmed down after that and now have an Aprilia sr50(ish), does have an 'oversize' piston. Bike is ok in the main. The engine.....hmmm spanners are getting dirty, really dirty. I should not be surprised at the state of learner bikes but I don't recall any of 'us' in my day doing some of the stupid shit you see on these scooters. Drive belt on backwards, the arrows are clear enough to see. No starter gear, just gone, removed, these things only start on the kick as a get you home (cos its hassle). Air line used as fuel pipe, coolant pipe and vac line, It was a dead duck (cheap) and has a bad crank seal so the motor has come apart, still trying to split the cases. Bit of a pain, think heat will help, but it has got some good proper sports parts in there and will be a rocketship with the daughter on it. Things like the coolant came out clean as a whistle and aside from being dirty all the fluids are good (little gearbox at the rear) and nothing seized up. Only stumble is the cases hanging. Stupid sidebar to splitting the cases, the cost of the proper tool to split the cases cost very little more than buying replacement cases from ebay. Actually fun to work on and when you get into them there is some very clever thinking to the design. Looks like were keeping it too as the wife fancies using it for work once daughter number 2 has passed through it.

Goes on behind the lower piston ring, honestly I don't know what it does, seen it a few times on 2 strokes I have blown u...… er serviced! over the years. Bit of extra spring maybe, thermal gap, dunno. The opposite extreme on the daughters scoot, that only has one piston ring.

Hi all. Newbie to the site. Only Yamahas I own (and have ever owned) are a couple YBRs. Had 4 over the past 12 years. Thought I'd join up and see what's going on in the YBR community (if there is one). Also own a 2007 Aprilia RSV1000R and a 1968 BSA Bantam D14. Hopefully a Husqvarna Vitpilen will be joining the garage soon. Photos below (if this works). Ade

Don't know about anybody else but I have clocked up a few miles this winter. I have done my time being a full time motorcyclist and much as people may say otherwise, for me, fuck that!. My car is cheaper, quicker (yes if you include putting all your gear on, unlocking the garage, then the bike etc) and warm and dry. But I have been out using the bike. Bloody good it feels too. Its cold granted but the roads on the whole of late have been salt free and relatively clear of the usual winter slime. Even some sunshine. I know it cant last and Feb will blast us, or March for a late frosting who knows. But for now, yay.

That's the thing drewps, this already HAS the expensive bits. Need to change the crank seals and that defacto means the bearings too. Would you believe the mag side seal had literally come out of its seat.when I pulled the rotor the seal fell onto the bench. I can only assume it was blown out by high compression of the sports piston kit, (one ring high comp). It already has the piston and head, the pipe etc. A bloody good clean and removing all the teenage balls ups. Like airline for coolant pipes, ???. Amazing how few bodywork fixings you actually need. Couple of hours and it was a big pile of bits, all came apart easy too, surprisingly no seized bolts etc. Granted one or two had me reaching for the plussgas but even the engine mounting bolt (as notorious as the dt one) slid straight out. Cannot argue can I. Whats good for the goose etc. Daughter number 2 did say she got serious cool points being dropped off on the max the other day, that would be the shy retiring type with matt black lid with electric blue pinstriping and ghost skulls..