1971 TS90 Project!

[whitham_wannabe]

Bring on the tiddlers! Just picked this TS90 up from an inmate, for the princely sum of $150, in need of some work, but oh so cool!!



The bike came non functioning, with a siezed up kick starter and siezed up brakes, but with a spare motor and spare brand new tyres. When I got it home, I couldn't get the motor to turn over at all, even by bumping the back wheel, so figuring the original motor was going to need to come out, got to work.



Curiously, with the motor on the bench, the kickstarter would now turn the motor over, though the shaft is now upside down, so has no return spring action. The motor would now also turn over with the sprocket, so my initial fears of a locked up transmission were allayed somewhat.

What to do next ... the PO said he had tried the spare motor, but that it wasn't very strong. It did, however, look in better shape than the original. A quick compression check showed that it had about half the compression that the original has. Pulled the head and barrel, and found out why ...




Ooops ... so the question now is where did the rest of the skirt go?! Peering down into the crank, I really can't see any shrapnel down there, so I am wondering whether to swap the piston and cylinder from the original onto the spare bottom end, or whether to split both cases and fix the kick starter mechanism in the old motor.

Any opinions?

[Valleyrider]

The engine in the frame in your first photo is a "TC" (dual range transmission).
You're a good man for taking this POS of the PO's hands.
From what you've posted, I would suspect the missing piston skirt was removed by the PO and the top end put back together about the time he put it up for sale.
With what you have found so far, I would be thinking about splitting this cases "IF" you plan on keeping the bike. It appears to be in good shape cosmetically...?? with the exception of the seat cover.

[Brunow - 007]

Now that's a very nice bike! Good luck with it!

[bondbmw]

90cc hack Ropey?

[Tuff Tunica]

I got nearly an identical bike last year. Mine is a 1970 TC90 . A little better shape than yours.

I'll be watching your progress. I have some specific questions about the way the rotor works for the equivalent of reeds for the two stroke. Wondering if this is a common wear/replace item?

Good luck!

[Shocktower]

Originally Posted by Valleyrider

The engine in the frame in your first photo is a "TC" (dual range transmission).
You're a good man for taking this POS of the PO's hands.
From what you've posted, I would suspect the missing piston skirt was removed by the PO and the top end put back together about the time he put it up for sale.
With what you have found so far, I would be thinking about splitting this cases "IF" you plan on keeping the bike. It appears to be in good shape cosmetically...?? with the exception of the seat cover.

Very nice and POS means Pretty Ols Suzuki

[MightyChosen1]

There is a running one here in central Illinois for $175. I called offering to buy it if it had a title but I did not hear back so I guess the answer is no. I thought it would be perfect for my next project, some sort of small displacement cafe bike.


http://peoria.craigslist.org/mcy/2978561049.html

[Gham]

aaahhhh........my first love,a 1971 TC90,I burnt holes in 8 pistons before I learned about jetting and air filters.I could swap out a top end in 30 minutes! Of course at 15 years old I didn't think about metal in the crankcase or scarring the cylinder.Ignorence is bliss sometimes

[Gham]

Not mine/but identical to it

[Red0ktober]

I've also come to have some little Suzuki TCs. I have my dad's old '69 TC120 that I'd like to get running again (I took it apart when I was a kid). I bought another TC120 for the parts to replace the ones I probably lost years and years ago, and with it I got a complete TC90.

I've been running the TC90 around my yard, but it's running weak, especially on the upper range of the throttle. I need to pull the carb and check the jets and settings. [edit: spark arrestor was clogged, running strong now!]

I'll try to start the parts bike when I get the tank cleaned up a bit and a new fuel filter, hopefully Monday. If all is well, I'll swap the good bits over to my dad's bike (parts bike doesn't have a title).

[kurtdaniel]

Originally Posted by whitham_wannabe

Bring on the tiddlers! Just picked this TS90 up from an inmate, for the princely sum of $150, in need of some work, but oh so cool!!

wow,, really nice find for that price.. i love that kind of bike.. I just found this Motorcycle parts bargain that id go to if ever i have a bike like this to modify..

[Red0ktober]

The insurance premium for my '71 TC90R is less than the multi-vehicle discount it gives me, so my insurance went DOWN by $47 over the year!

[Bud Tugly]

A fun little bike for playing in the woods or running around town. They were Suzuki's answer to the Honda Trail 90, but had better suspension (for the day) and more power. That dual range transmission makes it able to climb anything you can get traction on.

[Red0ktober]

They only put a 3-speed D/R in the TC120 though, with an odd shift pattern - neutral at the top and all three gears down.

Still waiting on new petcocks to get the TC120s running. Just rode the TC90 to the hardware store on my lunch break.

I'm going to fix a few more things then put the TC90 up for sale, maybe upgrade to a KLR650. ;)

[YamaGeek]

Honda Trail 90's, and the old Yamaha snorkel cased 80's and 100's had neutral at the top, not that odd at all if you've ridden them for years. I actually prefer it to having it hide between first and second.

The TS 90 was a sweet little bike for it's time, and a good performer. One way to gain a few small ponies without changing the bore or carburetor, at least for the iron cylindered ones, is to polish out the roughness in the transfer ports, and have a machine shop take a few thousanths off the head. You will have to richen it a smidge on the main jet. Mine ran so great a friend's felonous stepson stole it from me.

Rat bastard..