Lisa's xt225 rebuild
 

What a long cold winter we are having here in Maine- We have been in the negative numbers without windchill all week- and minus 25-35 with windchill.
I previously owned a 1995 xt225 which I ended up selling and then regretting I sold it. It was replaced with a wr250 which I do like, but it is quite a bit heavier and taller (even after lowering it 5 inches with fork/shock rebuild, lowering link, and electric knife seat rebuild). Last month, my wonderful husband located a 2007 xt225 on craigslist in Southern Maine and it ended up following us home:
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...2-30131842.jpg

So we are now taking advantage of the cold weather to spend time in the shop to personalize the bike. Still a work in progress, but figured I would start with some pics of what we have done so far, and will add more as we go.

Ok, so here are the parts that have come in so far- still a few more to decide on an order. Shoein and I work as a good team when it comes to this- I figure out what it is I want, then we surfs the net and finds the best deals.

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...pse28254e4.jpg

And here is the bike on the lift waiting for it's multiple surgeries:

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps328e9246.jpg

First up is the footpegs. A sidenote here- with both of us loving to ride, there is NO filter on bikes or bikestuff. The upside is, we do tend to have some stuff leftover when done with modifications- so my new footpegs are the old ones from shoein's KTM250, here's a comparison pic for size between the xt225 and KTM peg:

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps18d65a1c.jpg

A little modification was required to get the KTM pegs on the xt- I want to do most of the work on the bike myself, but I am just learning to weld and shoein has been doing it for a long time- so I am letting him do all the welding and grinding on the project it will look good when we are done:

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psfeee2310.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psb8c073da.jpg

A little paint to make them look snazzy:
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps3563fcf6.jpg:

And the outcome:
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8bb55c19.jpg

More to come... but oh look, it's a heat wave here today- temps in the mid teens- so I guess I will go do some outside stuff first! http://www.xt225.com/forums/images/g...fault/grin.gif

good stuff Lisa. Please keep updating this thread.

Nicely done Lisa! Love watching winter projects as folks personalize their bikes. Great bike, too. ;)

Thanks Jon & SportsGuy! The bike is getting a complete makeover, so lots more to come!


Next: Carb rejetting

Lets tear 'er down:
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps13334177.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8abc50c3.jpg

Giving it the Harley treatment..... although when I had a Harley, it never saw a toothbrush.... the folks that bought it accused me of Harley abuse http://www.xt225.com/forums/images/g...ault/crazy.gif

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psf61b7696.jpg

Carb out and waiting it's new jets....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psd2253530.jpg

Shoein has heard that the screws strip really easily, he insisted on him taking them out....
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psd05009fe.jpg

Here's the ones we want to go in:
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4f1a560c.jpg

Before:
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psf104e80f.jpg

After:
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6847dd72.jpg

Jerry did the three turn screw trick for me, while the bike waited for its heart to be put back in:
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps28048714.jpg

There, better than new http://www.xt225.com/forums/images/g...fault/grin.gif
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps387dd223.jpg


Fortunately, we have really good supervision on this project:
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps00220e3f.jpg


Jerry fessed up this morning that he snuck out and did the Z1 mod when I wasn't looking..... kind of confirms my suspicion that the upgrades would go much quicker if I just let him do them himself http://www.xt225.com/forums/images/g...ault/laugh.gif

And a kitty too! :-)

hello kitty! :wave

Hey Lisa. I just read through your Wrr build post (I hope to be doing same in a few weeks). Questions about the Happy Trails stuff, are you going to move the same boxes over to your XT? Overall, what do you like/dislike about them? They look so big and unwieldy on the Wrr, but I can't really find a better solution out there for hard cases.

Dave

nice build !

That's Crookshanks- he is a super hard worker! I'll be sure to include more pics of him as he is a big help on the project.

They are big and unwieldy. Great for street riding- they do hold a lot of stuff, including my laptop for work. They are not going to go on the XT. I like the wr a lot, but it is heavy and tall (even after the 5" lowering) for me off road (I am only 5'2") and of course the bags and rack add even more weight. The wr is about 40 pounds heavier than the xt, and I am aiming the modifications on the xt to getting the weight lower on it if possible. The one time I went off road with them, ended up going down in some very slick muddy ruts- the bag that got landed on detached and got bent up- was able to get it straightened out and back on by having a Canadian jump up and down on it.:roflNeedless to say I have gone with soft bags since when I am off road with it- but the rack itself is still scary if you think about catching a leg under it.. I am actually keeping the wr- will use it for commute back and forth to work and dirt road rides. The xt is going to be mainly for off pavement riding and I am going to keep things pretty minimalistic as far as luggage.

Thanks Kubiak!

New Clarke gas tank was installed. Not crazy about the color on the natural, but I do very much like being able to see the fuel level. One of the goals of this bike for me is to keep the bike as light as possible- so If we are not going far, I can put in just enough fuel to get the job done!

Relocating the horn was the toughest part of this- overall this was a very easy mod.

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps62da4288.jpg

Nothing like a complete list of instructions- the bike seems to run ok, so I guess #6 could not have been too important!
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...pse291b679.jpg

TaaDaa!
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5932b40a.jpg

Also installed a new roomier tool tube- Shoein has these on a couple of his bikes and they work great. He fabricated a bracket for me made from a piece of 3/16" thick aluminum plate cold forged over the anvil. Here it is ready to go on:

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psb1e7cad9.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9aa0d044.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1d04c31f.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6fdd3f03.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps08d8cbc2.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psd0c3dab8.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psc11e19cb.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psf78ff585.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psf4af247d.jpg

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...psbfd1e3e7.jpg

The diameter is just a tidge over three inches- a little too small for a rear tube, but can fit a front tube and tire spoons.....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps956730ed.jpg

and all of the stock toolkit as well! I am going to make a list of all the fasteners on the bike and arrange a new toolkit so I will only carry what I need for trailside repairs.
http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...ps109660e9.jpg

I like the tool tube! (welding rod holder?) who makes it and who sells it?

You have a couple of options:

the $17 option

OR

the $4.99 option
(the pesky yellow graphics come off very easily with a bit of carburetor cleaner:D)

Harbor Freight also has them for $5 in orange, nothing a little black plastic paint can't cure.

Thanks Lisa, that's just what I've been looking for and the price is right! :D