The Puddle Jumper
The late summer of 2022 I purchased a cute little 1981 Yamaha dt175 enduro. It was love at first sight, don't worry the honeymoon phase isn't over. It was in rough shape when I bought it, but I was determined to resurrect it and return it to its former street terrorizing glory! So that's what happened! Just to clarify, this bike is terrorizing no one or anything. Its top speed is 55mph, it sings sweet melodies in comparison to my 86 Yamaha Yz125s. I also want to express a deep gratitude to my father for having assisted me. I could have not done it without him. The bike needed a bit more than what I had anticipated. The main issue was that first gear had a dangerous amount of slippage. This meant the bike would have to be completely disassembled to reach the transmission. While we were down there we did all the seals and gaskets as well. The bike also needed:
Wheel bearings, rear spokes, chain, sprockets, blinkers, brakes, clutch, spark plug
I'm sure there are items missing from this list, there always is. I am just so grateful that no major or really obscure things needed replacing. Finding parts for this bike is really difficult and expensive. It's to be expected, she's old.
The transmission issue was a mix between lots of rust/dirt buildup on the shifter drum and a bent shifter fork.
It wasn't all rainbows and sunshine though. There were two deep scratches in the cylinder wall (the bike was already bored 1mm up to 67mm). The wristpin clip on the side of the piston near the scratches was MIA. I suspected the culprit had fled the scene, there were no sign of him in the engine so we can only hope he's not hiding in there waiting for his time to strike again. This became kind of an issue. The real problem came when selecting a piston. It seemed almost impossible to find a piston bigger than 67mm. This probably boils down to user inability to search for parts. Eventually, I discovered a company called Vintco.. They sell pistons for my model up to 68mm. This is the absolute biggest I could find. They do sell a 67.5mm piston as well, but I was unsure if that would take care of the scratches. Now there is no room for expansion. If it needs to be bored again it will need a sleeve, that is a separate nightmare I hope I never have to deal with. Based on the way I like to drive this skipper it is likely to happen.
The two other problems were easily remedied. One was a broken clutch spring bolt inside the clutch boss. All my fault. The other was a broken spring on the shift drum roller. The bike is surprisingly simple to work on. I think this just lends itself to my affection. I love simple things. I like to tinker on stuff like this, but sometimes I just want it to work so it can be used.
The bike now runs, drives, and shifts as it should. I am so joyed to have it running and was able to drive it before I moved away. My father will carry on its legacy as the terrorizer of streets in my stead until I return.
P.S sorry that I don't have more pictures. I kind of live in the now and like to take it in. I always forget to take out the camera and capture the moment. I will work on this for the future.
