Weldangrind's New TW200 Billy Goat

[Weldangrind]

I got an opportunity to work on my little TW today, so I dismantled the very dirty carb and cleaned it. The jets are currently soaking in carb cleaner, so we'll see if they clean up properly.

I also worked on the cracked side cover. I checked on a TW forum, and it seems to be a common by-product when the chain breaks. Those guys had the same idea I had, which is to hog out the broken area and bolt it back on. I figure that I'll be able to use the hole to my advantage, in that I'll be able to blast in there with a pressure washer.

I needed to establish just how far the damage extended, and I needed to retain the webbing that supports the bearing. I thoroughly cleaned the cover and then protected the bearing and oil feed hole with Gorilla tape. I drilled some small holes from the back side of the cover, which helped me understand the perimeter damage. I then roughly drew out the area with a Sharpie, and began to trim with a fake Dremel.

Here's what I started with:





Here's the final product after working the edges with a sanding roll:



It's not as nice as some of the examples on the TW200 forum, but I think that the damage on my side cover was more extensive. Oh well. Another step behind me.

[MICRider]

Looks good to me! I meant to ask you before, where did you find the bike? Was it a Craigslist find or a local classified? You almost never see those bikes for sale here, I think I have to move somewhere with a bigger population!

Once you get the carb back together are you going to give it a go to see if it starts? With those big tires and light weight you have to think that thing is going to be a regular mountain goat on the trails .

[JimW]

The TWs are neat bikes. You'll love it! My nephew has one but hasn't got to ride it much.

[Weldangrind]

Stew: Yeah, I found it on CL, and I was the first one there; I don't normally get that lucky. If the jets clean up well enough, I'm gonna try to kick it over today. It might be light as compared to some other bikes, but it sure is heavy to lift up on a stand.

JImW: I've wanted one of these bikes (or a Zong like Spud's) for a long time. They're priced like gold in my area, so I've never jumped at one, and Zong Sierras (or equivalent) aren't available in Canada. This one came up as a near basket case with no title, so I grabbed it for cheap. I have successfully obtained the title, so now I'm hoping it'll run well without a major rebuild. Time will tell.

[SpudRider]

You did a nice job on the stator cover, Weld. I'm glad to see you are making progress with this restoration! Thanks for the posting the excellent photographs.

Spud

[MICRider]

I'm keeping my eye out for one of these and if I see it I'm gonna scoop it! That and maybe a Ural and maybe an Enfield Bullet... Dang, I gotta get another job! :wink:

P.S. Just remembered I want to get an XR250 as well...

[FastDoc]

I had a TW200 back in California. I bought it to teach the (ex) wife how to ride. It was an excellent little machine. Almost ZOng like, one would say. :wink:

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by FastDoc

I had a TW200 back in California. I bought it to teach the (ex) wife how to ride. It was an excellent little machine. Almost ZOng like, one would say. :wink:

Indeed, the Yamaha TW200 bears a remarkable resemblance to my Zong. I am proud to own a genuine, Chinese copy of the TW200 engine. However, if you can't get a Zong, the TW200 is a very good alternative.

Spud

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by MICRider

I'm keeping my eye out for one of these and if I see it I'm gonna scoop it! That and maybe a Ural and maybe an Enfield Bullet... Dang, I gotta get another job! :wink:

P.S. Just remembered I want to get an XR250 as well...

Wanna buy my XR250R? We don't have titles in BC, so you'd need to find a work-around.

[Weldangrind]

She cleans up nicely.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

She cleans up nicely.

Indeed, she does! Your bike is looking better and better, Weld!

Spud

[Weldangrind]

Thanks Spud.

The next order of business is to get spark. There is no instrument cluster or ignition switch, so I wasn't sure if the previous owner had bypassed the ignition to use it as a dirt bike. It looks like everything was carefully unplugged, perhaps for repairs, but the cluster was not included with the bike. It has changed hands a few times, so I'm on my own.

I found a wiring diagram online, so I'm gonna try to use an ignition switch that I have. They all work on the same principle, which is to ground the CDI when off, and complete the positive lead when on. Shouldn't be much of a challenge (famous last words).

Once I get it running and evaluate the overall condition, I'll proceed with lights.

[Jim]

That's looking really good

[Weldangrind]

Thanks! After soaking in carb cleaner for a couple of days, the jets and float came out clean, so there's hope that it will start. I'm gonna pick up some more stainless socket head cap screws for the float bowl to eliminate those awful phillips screws. The carb was a terrible mess, but it cleaned up like new. I'm going to stick with stock jetting for now, since I intend to use the stock air filter and muffler until I get it dialed in.

Then it's time for surgery.

[MICRider]

What are you planning on doing for instruments, something like a Vapor? Bikes looking really good, I can't wait to see it all done up and running