1968 Yamaha DT1 Treasure/Trash?

47 degrees here ( Grants Pass ) , but still cold in the shop on the slab. The kitchen table should provide a nice work area for the engine work though.

Period flat tracker would be sweet.
This thread inspired me to setup my '79 KLX 250 for some amateur flat track. Costa Mesa Speedway is running a run what ya brung amateur afternoon deal a few times a year. its a hell of a lot of fun. A year or so ago I ran my old Husky 250 and beat a TT500 and a SC500. They must have been really poor riders
After a broken shoulder racing Speedway my wifey said no more racing but i have her convinced this bike is safe cause it atleast has a brake

I recall way back when the first Yamaha dealership opened up in Wilmington, NC where I grew up. The owner of the dealership would sometimes show up in the woods where we rode (now UNC-W campus) with a DT-1. He would let us kids riding our Honda 70s, 90s, and 100s take a ride on the two-stroke 250. It sure stirred up some bike-lust.

The movie "Little Fauss and Big Halsy" can be watched on Google Video -

<embed id=VideoPlayback src=http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=992240034315232861&hl=en&fs=true style=width:400px;height:326px allowFullScreen=true allowScriptAccess=always type=application/x-shockwave-flash> </embed>

Here is info on "Little Fauss and Big Halsy".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Fauss_and_Big_Halsy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065989/

Here is a smaller video clip if you don't want to watch the whole movie.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6-ASN2xPw_o&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6-ASN2xPw_o&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

I still use this line from the movie:

"Cycles is a mean toy, lady!"

But back to the topic, keep going with that Yamaha. I've said it before and I'll say it again: No motorcycle left behind!

Kent
www.backtrackvideo.com

The cylinder, piston and head are GYT kit items. Very valuable stuff. They are cool bikes that you can have a lot of fun on. And they look sweet as a short tracker. Here's mine.

Zilla!

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/donzzilla/4364668319/" title="1Sonic by donzzilla, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4364668319_660e96aa52_o.jpg" width="1154" height="778" alt="1Sonic" /></a>

Project on hold for a few days... 35 degrees in the garage this morning at 10:00 am. I guess I'll put this time to good use and hunt down seals and gaskets for the motor assembliagiement

I've seen pics of you racing this Don! Better shot of it here. Love the Sonicweld frame!!

Here's a pic of me racing it last week at the new Daytona track!

They are a fun little bike. I hope the guy restoring his on this thread has as much fun as I have on mine.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/donzzilla/4423128256/" title="me&amp;metzler by donzzilla, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4423128256_c4bcb7fe8d_o.jpg" width="500" height="350" alt="me&amp;metzler" /></a>
Josh Calvi Photo
Zilla

Great shot Don! Just strayed over to the Flattrack page for a while and this was here when I got back. What ignition are you running?

Still the stock ignition. I would like to retro fit it with either a PVL or something a little better than the old points set up. I don't really want to go the route of the DT2 electronic ignition, due to the parts price and availability.

It will sometimes miss and back fire a little at hi rpm's.

Don

Found a donor bike that might appear to be in better shape, but...
don't judge this bike by the exterior!!

Now to start harvesting...

http://98.130.49.17/photo_player_flash.html

i learned to ride on bike that looked about that good
it was a differant time:huh

great bikes and thread i am

edward

Interesting swingarm. Homemade?

No, the early DT1's came with the square tube swing arm. In '70 they switched to the round tube ones.

Very clean restoration!!

Mine, on the other hand, will be barebones and a track bike.
After doing a partial resto on a 1974 TX650A, I lost interest in that kind of detailed work. My 1978 SR500E is only halfway done and has sat in storage for close to 2 years now. Someday, the desire to finish it will return...

As Zilla said, early models had a square swingarm.
Guy that had this for sale said it was a '70, but the frame number indicates it is a 1968. It came with a later year piston port DT1 motor and a complete RT1 motor.
This one has a later model rear wheel. Looks like a MX400 hub. The torque arm is homemade for sure!!

I hear that

I just picked up another one from Craigslist and am going to make it into a lightweight woods bike beater. No lights or anything, premix,plastic fenders,anything to save some weight. These are just cool little bikes!!!

I'm a lazy butt... Just too many other things goin on!
Finally got to cleaning and rehabbing some parts today.
Rattlecan job on the steering stem and triple clamp, drove the rusted up bushings out of the swingarm and did a salvage job on them. Drill the swingarm and tapped it for a zerk fitting so the rust hopefully will not return for another 40 years!!
Still trying to hunt down some S&W shocks. Everytime I see some on ebay, they go for a small fortune!

My first bike! $425, DETROIT, November, 1971. Had about 600 miles on it. Had it for 18 months and sold it to a cop for $350. Bought a new '73 Bighorn 350 for $900.

Check the carb, Genuine Yamaha Tuning kits had a 30mm instead of the stock 26mm.

The autolube pump took a dump on me and wiped out the piston and crank bearings. Ran pre-mix the rest of the time I had it. Didn't have the tools or skills to pull it down and do the work myself. I think the dealer got $150 to fix it.

There are two gears that mesh in the pump, and the bigger one stripped out. You could actually buy the gears back then and fix it. Take it apart and eyeball them, bummer to do all that work and kill the motor.

I saw another one at the '02 Vintage MX race at Hollister. They wanted $1800 for it, no lights or instruments.