chappers

Many, many years ago I owned a 650 Ural. It was gaudy turquoisy green, a bit like a late sixties bathroom suite. I nicknamed it the BRUSH - Big Russian Shit-Heap or URINAL because it took the piss, ie nut heads either snapped off or ground off the flats. Mind you, my complete tool set then was a pair of mole grips. Great for a top-end strip down. So I picked up the girlfriend (new date whom I'd impressed by telling her 'I've got a bike - it's a 650'. 'Oh, my dad rides a bike, I like motorbikes' so I clearly thought I was in. 'Pick you up at seven ish, we'll go for a burn'... So I turned up at her house. Classic seventies style, out she came in tight jeans, suede knee boots, fur coat.... just the thing for a night in the pub...and maybe, just maybe...Then she saw the bike. 'Is that it?' 'yes' I said. 'great, isn't it?' 'err, yes..' was the hesitant reply. I should explain here the kick start was side on, so you had to get off it to restart it, which happened regularly... so too did the pillion, who sat on a saddle type seat behind me about six feet off the floor. Off we went - clattering and spluttering along. Urals made a great row, backfiring every gear change, firing (one pot sometimes) every lamp post. Until we got to the traffic lights, on a hill, busy junction - and stalled. 'You'll have to get off' I yelled, which she did, all embarrassed, as I pushed the thing over to the kerb and tried to start the heap up. I should also explain the return spring had gone on the kickstart, and it was replaced by a bungee cord, which snapped. So I had to lift the kickstart back up, before swinging the boot downwards. And once running, the kickstart a habit of dropping down and re-engaging - sounding just like one of those old football rattles... Embarrassment hugely figured, cars honked their horns, white van man wound down his window and yelled 'come in 'ere with me, luv' - it was Life on Mars days. Daftest thing I ever did on a bike. But the best thing I ever did was marry her eventually...and get rid of the Ural. But that's another tale.

Unless it looks really scabby and crappy I'd leave it, or tidy it up a bit. My BM R90s is still in the original daytona orange metallic livery and polish marks around the tank edges give it a distinctive patina - that's antiques roadshow speak for a 'genuinely distressed' condition ie authentic bumps and dints which add character. Plus you remember every bump and bodge, and all the fun that went with it. Trouble with full on resto's is once you start, where do you stop? And spring's on the way, so the more time it's in dock the less time for riding. Whatever you do, good luck!

Hi, my advice to you is to get a Clymer manual. I've just stripped and rebuilt an XT 350 engine & box and the instruction was excellent. You might not need to take the box apart, maybe the gearshift can be removed from the clutch side, but the book shd tell you. And it will explain the starter removal procedure in idiot proof manner. Got my Clymer book twenty quid from Trail & Trials UK, Manchester. They're on the web. Good luck!

Well, all is explained then! Except I was at some disadvantage as I couldn"t open Yamagod's manual! However, the blue doesn't go live when the key is in ON. But as the bike is not up and running I'll have to wait until it is, then see what happens. But it does mean I may now get some sleep instead of spending hours tossing and turning (no jokes about tosser, eh??) with only a wiring diagram in my mind's eye expanding at the rate of the universe...Thanks for your thoughts. cheers Chappers.

Two scousers watching the Liverpool marathon. One points in the direction the runners are going and says "There must be a job that way" His mate points in the other direction and says "No mate, the job's that way!"

Help please! Any XT350 electro-genius out there?? In the final throes of a rebuild, when coming to the wiring hook up, everything now works (thanks Madison for the diagrams) bar the headlight on-off dip & beam. Can't seem to find the live power supply to the lighting switch on left handlebar (OFF, PO, ON). From the main switch there's power to the pilot and tail light via blue/red lead for park position. I'm believing the plain blue is the supply to the lighting circuit when key is in on position. From the lighting coil there's a red/yellow, to a connector with pink (for horn) and blue (to lights switch) On the connector red/yellow becomes brown up to light switch. From the main switch there's a blue which links in to this connector. Main questions: 1. Should this blue from the main switch show live when key is in on position? 2. Does the red/yellow supply power from the lighting coil to the lights independent of the battery? 3. On an XT350 do the main lights (apart from signals, brakes and horn) only work when the engine is running? 4. What does the PO position on the lights switch mean? And if, on a Friday night after several pints/bottle of shiraz or whatever your poison, you can give me any hope of an answer you will have my eternal gratitude. Thanks for looking!

Thanks, I think you're right. Worth a go.

Hi, I'm rebuilding the top end of my XT350 as the Clymer manual states and I'm at the stage where I've put back the camshafts, lined up the marks (T mark on rotor, camshaft end marks and caps) but when I try to turn over the engine to see all works fine the chain jumps off the sprockets thus losing the timing. It says this should be done before the chain tensioners are fitted but time and again the chain jumps the sprockets as the cam lobes come under valve spring tension. Should I just line up all the marks, then fit and adjust the tensioners and see if it's still all lining up after turning the engine over by hand - or what? Any comments and help greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Hi, I'm rebuilding the top end of my XT350 as the Clymer manual states and I'm at the stage where I've put back the camshafts, lined up the marks (T mark on rotor, camshaft end marks and caps) but when I try to turn over the engine to see all works fine the chain jumps off the sprockets thus losing the timing. It says this should be done before the chain tensioners are fitted but time and again the chain jumps the sprockets as the cam lobes come under valve spring tension. Should I just line up all the marks, then fit and adjust the tensioners and see if it's still all lining up after turning the engine over by hand - or what? Any comments and help greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Has anyone seen his bondage chair on other items??!! I presume he ties up his victims - then empties their wallets...

Hi, I think endurospares on ebay has got one, but might be new and more than you might want to pay - but hassle free. Cheers;)

sound advice.thanks

Yes, I'm learning! Thanks for the note. Have you done one? Any tips? Cheers

Hi! Thanks for the note. I could well be interested, what's the end of the shaft like? How much are you looking for - and where abouts in Cumbria are you? Happy New Year!

Yes, I know...fling enough crap at the wall, some of it might stick...