hug

Pretty sure that my old xt had the same filter set up (hidden away in the float valve?) as your TT airhead. A magnetic blackspot for any crud in the tank....

For oil i use 10/40 semi synthetic motorcycle oil, If your 5th gear works why worry about 5th gear problems? Leave your plug standard. As for cleaning the carb you are better off just taking it off and cleaning it. It may be a good idea to look at the mikuni carburetor manual pdf online. It doesn't focus on your particular carb but it should give you an understanding of how a carb works. If you intend to do your own repairs and restauration the best money that you will spend is to buy a haynes manual for your bike. Haynes manuals are sometimes less detailed than the official yamaha workshop manuals but they are designed for the home mechanic, are well illustrated and will have all of the information that you need in regard to your bikes specifications. If you want to buy tank sealer , i would buy it in europe. The postage costs from the states can be quite high and it depends on what you are buying and it's value but there maybe a possibility that you will be stung for VAT and import duty .

You will need to find a secondhand clutch cover, with the hole for the kickstart shaft, a kickstart lever and a kickstart shaft with all of the bits (pinion, spring and shims etc). This is providing that the crankcases are the same as the kickstart models which would mean that there is a hole for the kickstart shaft to slot in next to the large clutch pinion. If it was me i wouldn't bother. Too much messing around when you clearly have other jobs to prioritise. If you have a decent electric start it will start ok unless you drop it on the tracks then flood it and then run the battery flat trying to start a flooded engine or something like that. All of the work is doable by you on this bike as long you read the manual take your time. There's loads of information out there in internet land. You will probably make mistakes but this is how we learn....

Do not lose heart. I have had the thread go on my xt 600 in this particular place . As cynic stated , if it doesnt leak oil, you should be ok. And if there is any thread left ,even better. The two bolts in this picture are not the main ones holding the cylinder head and cylinder in place and if there is no leakage the bike will be ok to run. If you are going to split the engine (and the thread is broken) then buy a helicoil kit. I believe that these bolts are a 6mm thread and a 6mm helicoil kit is a wise investment. 6mm threads on japanese bikes are very common and fragile. Especially if a bolt has been over tightened. With older bikes there is a good chance that you will need to do more helicoils and a kit will pay for itself after a couple of repairs. As for compression i would be happy with anything over 120psi/8 bar and wold probably be ok with over 100psi or 6-7 bar. And yes they can be buggers to start. Your model i think does not come with a kick, Just the blanked of casing where the kick used to be (i think). I have an 1984 model with just the kick and decompression lever. Full choke, no throttle push it just after tdc (the point of highest compression) and she starts. Any whiff of throttle for the first 30 seconds and she will die. With your bike i would spin her over with the decompression lever pulled (again full choke, no throttle) and once the engine is spinning nicely let the decompression lever out and she should come to life. Good luck. Your bike actually looks in quite good condition compared to mine.

Ok . I tried the new plug and lifted the needle....No dice. A real head scratcher. What i have noticed is that, when i have pulled the carb, the slide and venturi are wet . Maybe the fuel isnt atomising correctly?? Also i ran her on a remote resevoir with an inline see through filter and i noticed that the fuel was going down rather rapidly in the filter. Maybe more quickly than i would expect a 125cc bike to drink it. But i am not sure about this. She is not flooding and has a new float needle with the float height set up correctly. I shall persevere and look at the exhaust and another look at reed valve. Its like she's not breathing right unless it's ignition based which must be the cdi as i have replaced pulse coil and ignition coil. I really don't want to fork out for another cdi and then still be in the same boat when that doesnt cure it .

Have tried a plug. New cap, cut the ht lead back a centmetre before fitting the cap. Yesterday had another go. Ran terribly so decided to use a colour tune in order to have a look at the combustion colour and she cleared out and ran good with the colour tune attached. So thanks for the heads up with the plug as it has been a while since i put a new plug in and it is possible that she is running in such a way that the plugs are getting eaten. The colour tune was quite difficult to read but i would say that she is erring on the lean side rather than the rich. Gonna lift the needle ,fit a new plug and see what occurs. Thanks for the advice Airhead.

Hi , i did you manage to sort your bike? This subject piqued my interest as i am trying to get my mates dt125lc3(1hr). Sometimes she goes like stink then suddenly she will not want to pick up at all and just hunts with the occasional backfire. Have changed the piston, new crank seals both sides (they were knackered), put the powervalve back in the right way up ( previous owner had put it back in upside down). New float needle and valve, new pulser coil. If she was just running like a bag of sh*t all the time i would maybe have more of a point of reference but when she goes goes, she goes really well. I will say that sometimes when she is running well on the higher rev range she can be a bit finicky on tickover and not pick up untill i put the choke back on. Also tried another ignition coil. Surely if it was fuel/breathing related it would happen all the time??

hi i am back after an internet blackout and now have a girlfriend a baby and a job, so the doing as little as possible has gone out the window. Got rid of the xt due to financial woes but managed to acquire another in less than good condition but she goes.

hi i am new here, i have an xt600 and i live in the pyrenees and try to do as little as possible