Time to see what all the Tecate hype is about?

[Red Rider]

As of yesterday, there's a new addition to the garage. This Tecate is fairly complete, but needs a ton of work. Unfortunately, I can't leave the R & Tecate alone for very long, as they just don't get along.

[barnett468]

.
So you decided to get a high performance bike to go along with your 250r, that's xlnt, it should be fun!

Looks like someones put a pipe on it so they might have gotten into the cylinder also ad if so, that could be good or it could be bad . Also check to see if the KIPS valve is operational or not.



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif

[christph]

Congratulations, the 2nd generation Tecate is a great machine and increasingly hard to find. Greg at Off Road Innovations can meet a lot of your Tecate needs. He makes some OEM replica parts that are no longer available from Kawasaki. Here's my 86.

239184239185

[Red Rider]

Looks like someones put a pipe on it so they might have gotten into the cylinder also ad if so, that could be good or it could be bad . Also check to see if the KIPS valve is operational or not.I thought it was a DG pipe with the badge removed, and after seeing christph's pics, I'm fairly certain that is what it is. Yes, supposedly it has been ported, and I do not believe the KIPS is working properly or possibly at all, as there is no punch to it. Once I dig into it, I will know for sure. Reading over the Tecate service manual, there doesn't appear to be any way to easily test the system for functionality.

Thanks for the pics christph, nice Tecate!

[bkm]

I do not believe the KIPS is working properly or possibly at all, as there is no punch to it.

Common problem when going from a 250r to a Tecate.

[barnett468]

Common problem when going from a 250r to a Tecate.

hmmm....I wonder if that might be because the Honda doesn't have a valve at all. :wondering



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif

[bkm]

hmmm....I wonder if that might be because the Honda doesn't have a valve at all. :wondering



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gifNo kidding Barn?
I was talking about the lack of punch. It's a common problem when you go from a 250r to a Tecate.

[El Camexican]

hmmm....I wonder if that might be because the Honda doesn't have a valve at all. :wondering



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif

Remind us again how many Baja races that mighty Tecate won?

[arlaunch]

I feel a disturbance in the force.

What are you going to do about your 3WW handle? Red rider?

Let the money and time pour into the new machine.

[Red Rider]

hmmm....I wonder if that might be because the Honda doesn't have a valve at all. :wonderingMine does. 3 valves to be exact. :naughty:

1 Reed valve & 2 exhaust valves.

6 if you want to count the valve stems too. ;)

[barnett468]

I thought it was a DG pipe with the badge removed, and after seeing christph's pics, I'm fairly certain that is what it is. Yes, supposedly it has been ported, and I do not believe the KIPS is working properly or possibly at all, as there is no punch to it. Once I dig into it, I will know for sure.


Yes, that is a DG pipe.

One reason I mentioned to check the valve system is because some people disable the actuator system then fix the valves so they are wide open all the time and this will kill the bottom end . If the drive gears are stripped send jeswinehart a pm, I think he may have them.



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[Red Rider]

I feel a disturbance in the force.

What are you going to do about your 3WW handle? Red rider?Going to the dark side have I?

[barnett468]

Ok, so what does that sporty looking white fender belong to in the left side of the photo?


PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
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[barnett468]

Going to the dark side have I?

No, you have simply finally seen the light and the path to your salvation . Can I get Hallelujah brother!


.................................................. ...............https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTjTLU-brtRtwdzWS5A07NRhCDRR5ibCY0PW2_EzaMa_chooiP5



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
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[arlaunch]

[QUOTE=barnett468;1441228].
So you decided to get a high performance bike to go along with your 250r

That is the funniest post i have almost ever seen!

Thank you for staying on here barnett468.


Unlike 2 or 3 others i appreciate your posts. Especially when they are super duper funny!!

[christph]

I thought it was a DG pipe with the badge removed, and after seeing christph's pics, I'm fairly certain that is what it is. Yes, supposedly it has been ported, and I do not believe the KIPS is working properly or possibly at all, as there is no punch to it. Once I dig into it, I will know for sure. Reading over the Tecate service manual, there doesn't appear to be any way to easily test the system for functionality.

Thanks for the pics christph, nice Tecate!

When I first got my 87 the power valve was stuck--I don't know if it had ever been serviced. Over the years oil built up around the gears and valves into a sludge-like consistency. It's not something you will have to do on a regular basis. I clean mine every piston change because it's already apart and easy to do.

[fieldy]

The earth must of flipped it's axis. Remember hopeful ones, "If the Tecate has no punch, you still better bring your lunch"
Baja?, aint nobody got time for that.

[86T3]

Congrats on your find. I'll give you the same speech I give every new 2nd Gen owner, the threads on the power valve governor shafts are reverse. This part is rare of hens teeth from people snapping them off, I know because I did it once. The nut is visible when you take the cover off on the right side of the engine that's above the water pump

[Red Rider]

Ok, so what does that sporty looking white fender belong to in the left side of the photo?Could it be the other 1/3 of the big 3?


No, you have simply finally seen the light and the path to your salvation.That's funny. Alright, I have to come clean. I cannot lie anymore to my fellow 3ww brethren. The Tecate belongs to a friend of mine, and it's visiting to get some much needed TLC. If you want to stay ahead, you've got to go RED!



So you decided to get a high performance bike to go along with your 250rYeah, I saw barnett slip that little jab in there too.


When I first got my 87 the power valve was stuck--I don't know if it had ever been serviced. Over the years oil built up around the gears and valves into a sludge-like consistency. It's not something you will have to do on a regular basis. I clean mine every piston change because it's already apart and easy to do.That's what I'm planning on doing. On my 250R's CR cylinder, I can remove the actuator cover and see if the centrifugal governor is moving the actuator rod. I can also remove the L rack plug, and see if the rack is being moved. On top of that, I can also remove the PV covers and see if the PVs are moving. With the KXT, I figure I can remove the actuator cover and see if the centrifugal governor is moving the actuator lever, and I can remove the L rack plug and see if the rack is moving, but there is no way to check the movement of the PVs without pulling the cylinder off. Any secrets I may be missing?

[barnett468]

Yeah, I saw barnett slip that little jab in there too.


Hey, that wasn't a jab, it was a compliment! http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif

[Red Rider]

I'll give you the same speech I give every new 2nd Gen owner, the threads on the power valve governor shafts are reverse. This part is rare of hens teeth from people snapping them off, I know because I did it once. The nut is visible when you take the cover off on the right side of the engine that's above the water pumpYeah, I picked up on that while reviewing the Tecate service manual, plus I remember a few others on here making that very mistake and then needing a replacement for said part, but thanks for the heads up 86T3. Without the manual, or your guidance, I'm sure I would have made the same mistake.

[yaegerb]

That's funny. Alright, I have to come clean. I cannot lie anymore to my fellow 3ww brethren. The Tecate belongs to a friend of mine, and it's visiting to get some much needed TLC. If you want to stay ahead, you've got to go RED!


Whew....that was a close one.

[barnett468]

If you want to stay ahead, you've got to go RED!


Ok, we got ya covered . We made this one for those whom wanted "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe!" but preferred it in a "slower" color. http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif


..........................................http://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s480x480/e15/11018454_1019866954709171_1551982626_n.jpg?ig_cach e_key=OTI0MTYzMjIwNzcyMTUwMjY2.2



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT :Bounce

[Red Rider]

Ok, we got ya covered . We made this one for those whom wanted "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe!" but preferred it in a "slower" color.Did you really just do that? You're gonna hang your patented, "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe!" moniker on an '84 Tecate? Now that's perty funny stuff right there. I rike this guy! You vely vely funny. We kirr you rast!

[barnett468]

Did you really just do that? You're gonna hang your patented, "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe!" moniker on an '84 Tecate? Now that's perty funny stuff right there. I rike this guy! You vely vely funny. We kirr you rast!


ummm...ok, is this any better?


..........................................https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRo9gJ0Qvl0j1AxpQzh7_uz_10Knyl-per7x_0tmNd4qLecSDxYQA



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
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[El Camexican]

FACT: When a Honda racer crossed the finish line in Baja there was already a Tecate there waiting for him… a nice cold RED one :beer

239212

How ironic that Kawasaki named their race trike after a town synonymous with a race it never won. Maybe it was because Honda cheated by using a 6th gear on the ATC? :lol:

[Red Rider]

True story: When the Tecate first came out, I was unknowingly mispronouncing it. I was pronouncing it as the Kawasaki "Tech 8" 250, until someone finally corrected me. All that time I thought Kawasaki had named their world-beater after a pair of motorcycle boots.

239214

[bkm]

I always thought Tecate was Spanish for broken?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[bkm]

FACT: When a Honda racer crossed the finish line in Baja there was already a Tecate there waiting for him… a nice cold RED one :beer

239212

How ironic that Kawasaki named their race trike after a town synonymous with a race it never won. Maybe it was because Honda cheated by using a 6th gear on the ATC? [emoji38]
Nah, Honda was destroying everything with their 5 speed air cooled bikes before their 6 speed came along. I'd say they cheated with reliability and engineering over an extra gear.

[El Camexican]

I always thought Tecate was Spanish for broken?

Funny! You got me wondering what the origin of that word was, so I did a little research and found this article, enjoy.

The word “Tecate” comes from a Yuman language, a branch of the Hokan linguistic family that was spoken in Baja when the first Spaniards arrived to the area. It refers to a slow moving green desert turtle notorious for stopping in its tracks without explanation.

The indigenous people of Baja believed that the turtles would stop in order to cooldown, as they would resume crawling only after an extended period of rest. However, modern herpetologists have discovered that the erratic behavior is related to a naturally occurring bioelectric flaw in the design of the turtles which renders them immobile as temperatures rise. In extreme cases the turtles have been known to stop and never regain mobility.

Many of the turtles examined by researchers appear to have lost one or both eyes. This is likely attributable to their odd location well above the top of the head rather than tucked safely inside the skull as found on similar desert retiles. They are likely damaged, or torn off when a turtle tumbles or rolls in the sand. The problem is so wide spread that the ability of these creatures to breed has diminished simply because they are unable to find each other in the dark when temperatures are low enough for them to move freely.

In 1988 the Mexican Department of Anomalies placed the turtles on an endangered species list. Research into the problems plaguing the turtles is ongoing, but is often hampered by a small eccentric group of Armchair enthusiasts who insist that the turtles are perfect and require no intervention in order to survive.

The latest study done in Baja to determine the current population shows their numbers to be decreasing at an alarming rate. Researchers speculate that the much more evolved American Tortoise Cooter (aka the ATC), of Southern California have begun migrating South and are over-consuming the high octane Castor plants the indigenous turtles need to survive. Once the plants have been consumed the Tecates are left with nothing to eat but dust.

Related Articles: Will Trump’s wall prevent ATC’s from crossing into Mexico?

[JacobMonster]

Funny! You got me wondering what the origin of that word was, so I did a little research and found this article, enjoy.
[I]
The word “Tecate” comes from a Yuman language, a branch of the Hokan linguistic family that was spoken in Baja when the first Spaniards arrived to the area. It refers to a slow moving green desert turtle notorious for stopping in its tracks without explanation.

The indigenous people of Baja believed that the turtles would stop in order to cooldown, as they would resume crawling only after an extended period of rest. However, modern herpetologists have discovered that the erratic behavior is related to a naturally occurring bioelectric flaw in the design of the turtles which renders them immobile as temperatures rise. In extreme cases the turtles have been known to stop and never regain mobility.


I think Im gonna die from laughter.
I thought it was legit till half way through. Still believable though.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ using Tapatalk

[Queef Chief]

Funny! You got me wondering what the origin of that word was, so I did a little research and found this article, enjoy.

The word “Tecate” comes from a Yuman language, a branch of the Hokan linguistic family that was spoken in Baja when the first Spaniards arrived to the area. It refers to a slow moving green desert turtle notorious for stopping in its tracks without explanation.

The indigenous people of Baja believed that the turtles would stop in order to cooldown, as they would resume crawling only after an extended period of rest. However, modern herpetologists have discovered that the erratic behavior is related to a naturally occurring bioelectric flaw in the design of the turtles which renders them immobile as temperatures rise. In extreme cases the turtles have been known to stop and never regain mobility.

Many of the turtles examined by researchers appear to have lost one or both eyes. This is likely attributable to their odd location well above the top of the head rather than tucked safely inside the skull as found on similar desert retiles. They are likely damaged, or torn off when a turtle tumbles or rolls in the sand. The problem is so wide spread that the ability of these creatures to breed has diminished simply because they are unable to find each other in the dark when temperatures are low enough for them to move freely.

In 1988 the Mexican Department of Anomalies placed the turtles on an endangered species list. Research into the problems plaguing the turtles is ongoing, but is often hampered by a small eccentric group of Armchair enthusiasts who insist that the turtles are perfect and require no intervention in order to survive.

The latest study done in Baja to determine the current population shows their numbers to be decreasing at an alarming rate. Researchers speculate that the much more evolved American Tortoise Cooter (aka the ATC), of Southern California have begun migrating South and are over-consuming the high octane Castor plants the indigenous turtles need to survive. Once the plants have been consumed the Tecates are left with nothing to eat but dust.

Related Articles: Will Trump’s wall prevent ATC’s from crossing into Mexico?

Not only informative, but also educational. Thanks for the great article. I'd love to see one of these elusive creatures.


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[Ghostv2]

Not only informative, but also educational. Thanks for the great article. I'd love to see one of these elusive creatures.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Which generation would you like to see?
84-85 or 86-87?
Or are you into the tecate-4's?...
They came in Kawasaki passion red or endangered Tortoise Green.

[Hunting Chip]

I also slipped over into the dark side this year....added an 85 Tecate and an 85 Tri-Z to keep my 5 honda's company. 239217

[barnett468]

If you want to stay ahead, you've got to go RED!


.................................................. .......... You mean like this? http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/sick.gif


...................................https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/9e/53/60/9e53602b8ca9ecd954a84e811eeb6b98.jpg

[barnett468]

.

I'd say they cheated with reliability and engineering over an extra gear.

Yes, the van that Team Honda loaded Marty Harts bike into at the National at Loretta Lynns so they could drive him and his bike past everyone on the track and drop him off in front of race winner Donnie Luce because the "superior engineered" honda wouldn't even start, was very reliable. http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif




Nah, Honda was destroying everything with their 5 speed air cooled bikes before their 6 speed came along.

.................................................. ....... Funny how some people seem to forget the FACTS! :rolleyes:
.................................................. ....... Living in denial must be nice. http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/thumbsup.gif


.................................................h ttp://www.atvscene.com/images/white3wheeler.jpg




PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/elefant.gif[/QUOTE]

[bkm]

.


Yes, the van that Team Honda loaded Marty Harts bike into at the National at Loretta Lynns so they could drive him and his bike past everyone on the track and drop him off in front of race winner Donnie Luce because the "superior engineered" honda wouldn't even start, was very reliable. http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif





.................................................. ....... Funny how some people seem to forget the FACTS! :rolleyes:
.................................................. ....... Living in denial must be nice. http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/thumbsup.gif


.................................................h ttp://www.atvscene.com/images/white3wheeler.jpg




PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/elefant.gif[/QUOTE]
Revisionist History

[barnett468]

Revisionist History

It's xlnt that you finally recognize one of your issues . That is he first step in the healing process. http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/therethere.gif



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
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[bkm]

It's xlnt that you finally recognize one of your issues . That is he first step in the healing process. http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/therethere.gif



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/elefant.gif
I'm sorry barn, I was just reading about all the 250r Baja 1000 wins, did you say something?

[fieldy]

The Tortoise always wins the race.

[barnett468]

I'm sorry barn, I was just reading about all the 250r Baja 1000 wins, did you say something?

Oh, you mean the races where PRO riders on hondas beat a bunch of novices because there wasn't even one PRO rider on a TECATE?

Or do you mean the races hondas won before there even was "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe!"?

If either of these is the case, then yes, for once you are correct, PRO honda riders did beat a bunch of novices, and I for one think that is definitely something honda and every honda owner should be very proud of. http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/thumbsup.gif



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/elefant.gif

[knappyfeet]

.................................................. .......... You mean like this? http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/sick.gif


...................................https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/9e/53/60/9e53602b8ca9ecd954a84e811eeb6b98.jpg

When I saw that I thought of this

https://youtu.be/yfP7qK0khuQ

239219

[bkm]

Whatever you have to tell yourself to help you sleep at night barn. So no pro rider would touch a Tecate for baja? Tells you pretty much everything you need to know.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[barnett468]

.

The Tortoise always wins the race.

You mean the Tri Z? http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/elefant.gif

[NeverLift]

Nico,
That was the best trailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro I've read in a long time. Well done Sir. Genius!!!!!

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[barnett468]

.

So no pro rider would touch a Tecate for baja? Tells you pretty much everything you need to know.

ummm....OR maybe the reason no PRO riders rode "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe" in the Baja 1000 was because they all heard about Team Honda cheating there too when their frame broke on their race bike during the race so they switched it for their practice bike and got caught by accident and the PRO Kawi riders figured that unlike the Loretta Lynn race, it was too easy for Honda to cheat in the Baja race and simply didn't want to bother. :)



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[bkm]

Whatever you have to tell yourself to help you sleep at night barn.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[El Camexican]

.


ummm....OR maybe the reason no PRO riders rode "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe" in the Baja 1000 was because they all heard about Team Honda cheating there too when their frame broke on their race bike during the race so they switched it for their practice bike and got caught by accident and the PRO Kawi riders figured that unlike the Loretta Lynn race, it was too easy for Honda to cheat in the Baja race and simply didn't want to bother. :)



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/elefant.gif

If anyone is looking to paint their Tecate, the DuPont code is "Envy Green 468"

[bkm]

.


ummm....OR maybe the reason no PRO riders rode "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe" in the Baja 1000 was because they all heard about Team Honda cheating there too when their frame broke on their race bike during the race so they switched it for their practice bike and got caught by accident and the PRO Kawi riders figured that unlike the Loretta Lynn race, it was too easy for Honda to cheat in the Baja race and simply didn't want to bother. :)



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/elefant.gif
But yet they bothered with tt/mx/short track races, just not an endurance race that would expose every flaw that passed through the R&D department? I guess when a corporation trys to save money by hiring the cheapest R&D they can find, it's best not to push your luck on a grueling race like Baja and leave that to the real machines like "The 250r......the toughest 3 wheeler on the planet!"

[El Camexican]

.Yes, the van that Team Honda loaded Marty Harts bike into at the National at Loretta Lynns so they could drive him and his bike past everyone on the track and drop him off in front of race winner Donnie Luce

Too bad Kawasaki lent the company van to you that weekend. They may have had a chance if it was available that day.

[barnett468]

But yet they bothered with tt/mx/short track races, just not an endurance race that would expose every flaw that passed through the R&D department? I guess when a corporation trys to save money by hiring the cheapest R&D they can find, it's best not to push your luck on a grueling race like Baja and leave that to the real machines like "The 250r......the toughest 3 wheeler on the planet!"


Perhaps someone could explain to him what my comments in quotations below mean.



ummm....OR maybe the reason no PRO riders rode "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe" in the Baja 1000 was because they all heard about Team Honda cheating there too when their frame broke on their race bike during the race so they switched it for their practice bike and got caught by accident and the PRO Kawi riders figured that unlike the Loretta Lynn race, it was too easy for Honda to cheat in the Baja race and simply didn't want to bother. :)



As far as the suggestion that Kawi only participated in much shorter races where it was much harder for Honda to cheat and because it might expose every flaw that passed through Kawi's R & D department, as far as I remember, there were ZERO DNF's from mechanical failures on "The TECATE...The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe!" factory sponsored bikes and there was definitely ZERO on mine . In FACT, the bike that I raced the entire time was one of the pre production bikes we used for endurance testing which had over 250 hours of mostly wide open throttle testing on it when I started racing it and I used the same unmodified frame and trans and engine bearings and axle bearings and steering head bearings and rear axle and hubs and swing arm etc, etc, when I beat over 40 other riders including Jimmy White and the factory Honda riders and their bazillion dollar works Hondas to win the last PRO short track race ever held at Saddleback park after racing short track around only 5 times before that . Since he considers that unreliable, I will take an "unreliable" TECATE over a "reliable" Honda any day of the week...and twice on Sunday's. http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif




"The 250r......the toughest 3 wheeler on the planet!"

...and his creativity is so limited that he has to use a slightly modified version of a TECATE slogan I made up because he can't think of one on his own that is unique. :wondering




PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/elefant.gif

[bkm]

You're drunk, go home.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[barnett468]

.

Too bad Kawasaki lent the company van to you that weekend. They may have had a chance if it was available that day.

ummm...obviously el camexican doesn't understand that it was a 3 wheeler race and not a van race so the Honda van with Marty Harts bike in the back was disqualified which is why Donnie Luce won it on "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Unvierse!". http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/elefant.gif

[El Camexican]

.


ummm...obviously el camexican doesn't understand that it was a 3 wheeler race and not a van race so the Honda van with Marty Harts bike in the back was disqualified which is why Donnie Luce won it on "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Unvierse!". http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/elefant.gif

Easy there Barns, put your head between your knees and take a few deep breath's, it'll be OK.

I was just having a little fun referring to the post that Mickey Dunlop put up about you a few years ago when you told him to contact one of your old buddies at Kawasaki to verify your claims about being a pro racer and all.

Remember that one? Where the guy told Mickey that he remembered you and that sometimes they would let you take company van out weekends, but that you weren't sponsored by them and we all had a good laugh?

Lighten up, it's just van talk, it's not like anyone has contracted a vanaerial disease from reading it.

[tripledog]

You're drunk, go home.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

If only I had a nickel for every time I've heard that...

[fabiodriven]

Nico that was most likely the best post I've ever seen on this forum.

[nstyle73]

Another Tecate thread down the drain.

[El Camexican]

Nico that was most likely the best post I've ever seen on this forum.

Thank you John, that means a lot coming from you. However some months ago the post below was brought to my attention. I'd forgotten all about it, but I think it's a pretty good one as well, but let's face it, our buddy Barns makes it easy.

So, speaking of "down the drain":lol:

http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/163391-whirlpool-washer-won-t-wash

If anyone cares, I like Tecates, the 86 & 87 in particular. Just couldn't find anything that wasn't trashed and overpriced when I went trike shopping.:(

[fabiodriven]

Another Tecate thread down the drain.

You have got to be kidding! This is great!

[fieldy]

.


You mean the Tri Z? http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR
AND OWNER OF A TRI Z THAT ACTUALLY HAS A REAR SHOCK ON IT http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/elefant.gif

No, the tri-z, pronounced "tries" is a perfect name that the genious marketing department chose, implying "tries and tries again". Just like the cute little 250r that couldnt. "I know i can't win, i know i can't win".
ATC" ( at track can't ).

[Red Rider]

I finally felt like messing with the Tecate today, so I threw on some old clothes (this thing is filthy), and went out to play in the garage. I removed the gas tank and decided to flush it out, as it had a lot of sediment inside. When I added fuel to the tank to flush it out, I immediately found out that the petcock-to-gas tank seal was bad, as fuel leaked all over the place. I removed all the hardware from the tank (shrouds, mounts, & petcock) to clean it up, and luckily I had no issues with any of the molded-in nuts on the tank. The petcock itself didn't seem to leak, but I did find a split o-ring seal inside, once I opened it up. Petcock rebuild time!

It's very frustrating working on this thing because of the amount of neglect that it's been shown. My 250R is a 1-owner bike, and has been maintained properly it's entire life. If something breaks on it, it gets fixed properly ASAP. Unfortunately with this Tecate, that has not been the case. I've gained a new found respect for you guys that buy a basket case trike, and proceed to restore it to like-new condition.

The steel swingarm is an aftermarket unit that's been extended about 3". Anybody recognize what brand it is?

[christph]

It looks like a 1st generation swingarm that has been cut and re-welded.

[3 Wheel Drive]

That is a modified 1st gen T3 swing arm. The chain slider and bad welds give it away. I have a few stock aluminum ones if your interested, also have a nice DG rear fender & rear tail lense cover.

239399

[yaegerb]

Is it just me or is that swingarm bent?

[Red Rider]

It looks like a 1st generation swingarm that has been cut and re-welded.I forgot about that possibility.


That is a modified 1st gen T3 swing arm. The chain slider and bad welds give it away. I have a few stock aluminum ones if your interested, also have a nice DG rear fender & rear tail lense cover.Thanks for the identification guys. Yeah, my buddy wants to go back to the original aluminum swingarm, but he does like the slight extension. I remember reading that the 2nd gen swingarm was longer than the 1st gen, but do you guys remember how much longer? I'm just trying to gauge how much longer than stock this one is. Let me know if I need to bust out the measuring tape.

About that taillight: It was there prior to our last ride, but vibrated away somewhere during the ride. :wondering The first order of business is to get this running right, then he'll decide if he wants to sink some much needed money into it and clean it up. If so I will be in touch about parts. Thanks for the help & offer though.


Is it just me or is that swingarm bent?I think it might be an optical illusion. The bike seems to track straight.

[Queef Chief]

If I remember correctly, the aluminum 86 swingarm is 2" longer than the steel 1st gen swingarm


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[jeswinehart]

If I remember correctly, the aluminum 86 swingarm is 2" longer than the steel 1st gen swingarm


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, I agree. 86/87 Tecate alu swing arm is 2 inch longer then steel 84/85 swing arm.

[JacobMonster]

I wouldn't mind having one just for giggles as the only "performance" trikes Ive owned are a first gen R and an 84 200X. Plus, I'm a bit partial to Kawis considering the first bike I remember is my Dad's 91 KX250. My first ATV was a Bayou, second bike was a KLX 140L then a 98 KDX 200.
But Honda's are starting to steal my loyalty.

Burn me at the stake, for I am a heretic of the supremen trike- ligion of Kawasaki and the Almighty Tecate...The Most Powerful Trike In The Universe.

Now only If I could find one for a decent price, thats not 12 hours away from me to buy.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ using Tapatalk

[Queef Chief]

I wouldn't mind having one just for giggles as the only "performance" trikes Ive owned are a first gen R and an 84 200X. Plus, I'm a bit partial to Kawis considering the first bike I remember is my Dad's 91 KX250. My first ATV was a Bayou, second bike was a KLX 140L then a 98 KDX 200.
But Honda's are starting to steal my loyalty.

Burn me at the stake, for I am a heretic of the supremen trike- ligion of Kawasaki and the Almighty Tecate...The Most Powerful Trike In The Universe.

Now only If I could find one for a decent price, thats not 12 hours away from me to buy.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ using Tapatalk

Jacob, come pay me a visit. I have 5 T3s and and may let one of my 85s go soon.


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[JacobMonster]

Jacob, come pay me a visit. I have 5 T3s and and may let one of my 85s go soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Fuh...fuh-fuh-FIVE?!

I'll be over faster than a Marty Hart 250R in the back of a Team Honda van going to the finish line at Loretta Lynn's



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ using Tapatalk

[6spdls1z28]

Jacob, come pay me a visit. I have 5 T3s and and may let one of my 85s go soon.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I want my tecate back....

[6spdls1z28]

This one doesn't really look that bad besides having the wrong swinger.

[Red Rider]

This one doesn't really look that bad besides having the wrong swinger.No it's not. Most of the usually missing parts are there. It just needs a bunch of love. If my friend decides to spend, these are the basics it's going to need (that I've determined so far): Headlight switch, headlight shroud, OEM swingarm (possibly +2), front & rear fenders, tail light lens, fork boots (or inverted forks), tank skin (or new tank), KIPS emblem, & new seat cover. I told him a few years ago to get the fenders while they were still around, but he didn't listen. The current fenders are the old dull-style Maier. I see Maier still makes Tecate-4 fenders in the new glossy plastic, but they don't make the 86-87 Tecate fenders anymore.

[ironchop]

I wouldn't mind having one just for giggles as the only "performance" trikes Ive owned are a first gen R and an 84 200X. Plus, I'm a bit partial to Kawis considering the first bike I remember is my Dad's 91 KX250. My first ATV was a Bayou, second bike was a KLX 140L then a 98 KDX 200.
But Honda's are starting to steal my loyalty.

Burn me at the stake, for I am a heretic of the supremen trike- ligion of Kawasaki and the Almighty Tecate...The Most Powerful Trike In The Universe.

Now only If I could find one for a decent price, thats not 12 hours away from me to buy.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ using Tapatalk
Come down and talk Tristan out of the one I gave him. It's just sitting there in the garage in large pcs waiting to get rebuilt but I doubt he gets to it anytime soon. The flywheel and rear wheels/hubs and headlight are missing. The rest is there.

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

[bkm]

Come down and talk Tristan out of the one I gave him. It's just sitting there in the garage in large pcs waiting to get rebuilt but I doubt he gets to it anytime soon. The flywheel and rear wheels/hubs and headlight are missing. The rest is there.

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk
You just described 90 percent of the Tecates left in existence.

[brandonlowe2]

These are a buddy's of mine here in town....

239446

[Red Rider]

I went ahead and ordered up a petcock rebuild kit on Tuesday, and it arrived today. I was tempted to just get a complete aftermarket petcock, but I was hoping to keep the original one if possible. While rebuilding it, I realized the petcock was missing the long tube and filter that leaves some fuel available for reserve. As it was, it only had the filter for reserve. Had I realized this sooner, I would have sprung for the aftermarket petcock. Anyway, I used the rebuild kit to rebuild the original petcock and it works like a charm. After about 30 minutes of searching in the garage, I found a suitable tube to add to the "ON" side of the petcock, thus allowing some reserve fuel to be left over. The new "ON" tube won't have a filter on it like the "RES" side does, but I will be running an inline filter between the petcock and carburetor anyway, so it really doesn't matter. The main leak was coming from the petcock-to-tank gasket, but after the rebuild no more leaky there either. :w00t:

Now that the first hurdle has been cleared, tomorrow I can reinstall the tank, add some fuel to her, and fire her up so I can start trouble-shooting the KIPS.

[Red Rider]

Contrary to my expectations, I didn't get done what I planned to accomplish today/tonight. My plans were fairly simple: Reinstall the tank, add some fuel to her, and fire her up so I could start trouble-shooting the KIPS. Before I could install the tank, I noticed the L top radiator mount was attached to the frame via bailing wire & a zip-tie. Off on a tangent we go! No big deal, I'll just find the appropriate sized bolt/washer, and I'm good to go. Well, as luck would have it, the vibrating bailing wire has boogered up the nut's threads. Not wanting to remove the L radiator to quickly re-tap the threads, it was a slow, half turn at a time process to re-tap the threads with the radiator still installed, but problem solved.

Back to the tank installation. While preparing to install new fuel line, I notice that the carburetor-to-airbox boot is pulling away from the boot mounting ring, and just doesn't look right. Oh no, sidetracked again! I remove the FAIS airbox from the bike and proceed to remove the boot from the airbox. Oh well, the airbox is filthy, and needs a good cleaning anyway (rationalizing). After removing the boot from the airbox, I can see what's wrong. When the boot's flange was sandwiched in between the airbox and the airfilter cage, it wasn't flat (had a wrinkle in the flange). Contaminants were able to enter the airbox via the wrinkle, but weren't able to bypass the airfilter, so it wasn't critical, but it wasn't correct either. There goes about 2 hours to clean the entire airbox, fix the boot wrinkle, and reinstall. Now, back to the new fuel line. Tank installation goes smoothly, as does the new fuel line & inline fuel filter install. Pour some fresh fuel in, open the petcock, and fuel flows through the inline filter, and into the carburetor as it should.

The Tecate fires up fairly easily (for a forward kicking Honda guy), but I can't get it to idle, and I'm tired, dirty, & hungry. Time to clean up & call it quits for the night.

[Red Rider]

I got a little more work done on the Tecate today. While waiting for my friend (the owner) to arrive, I came up with a plan for the airbox lid. In the pics, you may have noticed that someone (previous owner) had gone crazy with a 1/4" & 1/2" drill bit on the lid. I'm all for more airflow, but the randomly drilled holes looked like crap. My plan is to rivet on a tastefully designed aluminum sheet metal ring to the lid's perimeter, which covers the holes on the perimeter of the lid. The center of the ring will then have a screen insert.

After my friend arrived, I removed the actuator cover, and the L rack plug. He fired it up, and kept it running, while I checked for actuator lever movement. No matter how high he revved it, the actuator lever never moved. My next step is to remove the clutch cover & cylinder, and check all of the power-valve components.

[yaegerb]

I got a little more work done on the Tecate today. While waiting for my friend (the owner) to arrive, I came up with a plan for the airbox lid. In the pics, you may have noticed that someone (previous owner) had gone crazy with a 1/4" & 1/2" drill bit on the lid. I'm all for more airflow, but the randomly drilled holes looked like crap. My plan is to rivet on a tastefully designed aluminum sheet metal ring to the lid's perimeter, which covers the holes on the perimeter of the lid. The center of the ring will then have a screen insert.

After my friend arrived, I removed the actuator cover, and the L rack plug. He fired it up, and kept it running, while I checked for actuator lever movement. No matter how high he revved it, the actuator lever never moved. My next step is to remove the clutch cover & cylinder, and check all of the power-valve components.

Here's a tip for the powervalve. If you find that it is severely corroded you can use easy off oven cleaner to remove the carbon from the part. Just spray the blade and components liberally, let sit for a few minutes and dunk in hot water. Repeat if necessary and do this in a well ventilated area. I did this once in my shop and about got gassed out.

P.S....I can't believe people use that product in their ovens.

[Red Rider]

Today's progress: I spent about 3 hours tearing down the Tecate today. After getting it to this point, I cleaned up the garage and quit for the night. I didn't thoroughly inspect everything yet, but a quick toying with the power-valve mechanism leads me to believe the centrifugal governor/actuator lever/rod is functioning correctly & freely. I can't seem to get the power-valves to open & close because the rack will not slide side-to-side freely, which it should. My guess is the power-valves are carboned up pretty good and will not rotate freely. The next time I work on it, I will focus my attention on disassembling the power-valves, and decarbonizing them. Since I am in need of a clutch cover & top-end gasket set, what do you Kawi guys recommend? I'm guessing I can go aftermarket (vesrah or cometic) on most of the engine's gaskets, but stay OEM for the cylinder head/base gasket? :wondering

[barnett468]

Since I am in need of a clutch cover & top-end gasket set, what do you Kawi guys recommend? I'm guessing I can go aftermarket (vesrah or cometic) on most of the engine's gaskets, but stay OEM for the cylinder head/base gasket? :wondering

My first choice for the head and base gaskets would be the factory gaskets since they are not known to have failures on "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe!", plus I don't know how the thickness of the other mfg's gaskets compare to them.

My second choice would be the Cometics . I have used many of their gaskets on the high perf automotive engines I have built and know many other people using them in extremely high compression apps with turbos and superchargers etc with xlnt results.



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR

[Red Rider]

That's pretty much what I expected. Thank you.

Well, I went back out into the garage after dinner, and decided to disassemble the cylinder. The power-valves were stuck pretty good, but I got everything removed. All of the gear splines on the rack and power-valves are okay. So far we've lucked out, and none of the hard to find power-valve parts have been damaged. :cool:

[RamsesRibb]

Can anyone explain why a T-4 handles like a banshee with one of the front wheels broken off

[barnett468]

Can anyone explain why a T-4 handles like a banshee with one of the front wheels broken off

Yes.


PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR

[Red Rider]

Can anyone explain why a T-4 handles like a banshee with one of the front wheels broken offMainly because Barnett wasn't the "KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR" during it's development. :p

[barnett468]

Mainly because Barnett wasn't the "KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR" during it's development. :p

Actually I was, and I had personally modified the dangerous pos prototype that R and D in Japan had sent us so that it was actually better than the stock Suzuki in several ways . I did this in the face of vehement protests from the project manger from Japan whom came to the US for our testing of it whom also called Japan from out offices whining to them that I was going to cut his pos IN HALF in hopes of getting them to stop me . He did this to try and save face, and his job, because he was so confident that they had designed a masterpiece that he thought we would only make very small changes to it, therefore he had them make finished molds for many of the parts for it BEFORE he sent it to us to be tested . This meant that if they built it the way I wanted which is what ALL the people in the US R and D department preferred as well as what one of the top PRO 4 wheel racers in the country I eventually hired to do comparative testing preferred, it would have cost them a huge amount of money and delayed the project several more months and he likely would have have been transferred to their noodle making division.



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR

[OZQUAD44]

[QUOTE=barnett468;1441228].
So you decided to get a high performance bike to go along with your 250r

That is the funniest post i have almost ever seen!

Thank you for staying on here barnett468.

Unlike 2 or 3 others i appreciate your posts. Especially when they are super duper funny!!

Agreed, we can always trust Barnett to espouse the virtues of green in the face of adversity. Regardless of what may. Sometimes it fails, sometimes it comes up gold. Don't change Barnett [emoji12]

I ride; red, green, blue (technically black and yellow), and yellow (as in four wheels, but let's not dwell on that) Each has its strengths, and each has its weaknesses.

Having owned a stock 87 T3, and having ridden a stock 86 250R, and currently owning a modified 85 250R. Make no mistake, pound for pound, a standard Tecate will eat a standard 250r for breakfast! The Tecate is lighter, it has more power, and lighting fast handling. Any one who doubts this hasn't ridden, good running, stock machines back to back. You only have to watch some of the old videos of the staduim races from back in the day, with a sea of privateers racing on green machines to confirm this.

But... The tecate has far more vibration, the backwards kick starter tries to remove the front of your shin/foot each time you kick it over, and there is not enough people around riding/modifying Tecates.

The solid design, and popularity of the Honda is it's real strength. Don't forget the 86 250R was in its third generation by the time 60 minutes killed our great sport. Years of racing ATC and trx250r's has given the honda a body of R&D, and a market full of parts tecate riders can only dream of.

Like I said, each machine has its strengths, and weaknesses. And you know what, I love this fact. Each machine is unique. And I also love that there are people on this site that are firmly in the red, green or blue camps.

Three tribes riding on three wheels, ROCK ON!



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[christph]

Actually I was, and I had personally modified the dangerous pos prototype that R and D in Japan had sent us so that it was actually better than the stock Suzuki in several ways . I did this in the face of vehement protests from the project manger from Japan whom came to the US for our testing of it whom also called Japan from out offices whining to them that I was going to cut his pos IN HALF in hopes of getting them to stop me . He did this to try and save face, and his job, because he was so confident that they had designed a masterpiece that he thought we would only make very small changes to it, therefore he had them make finished molds for many of the parts for it BEFORE he sent it to us to be tested . This meant that if they built it the way I wanted which is what ALL the people in the US R and D department preferred as well as what one of the top PRO 4 wheel racers in the country I eventually hired to do comparative testing preferred, it would have cost them a huge amount of money and delayed the project several more months and he likely would have have been transferred to their noodle making division.



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR

So, I'm unclear on the conclusion to this story, did they keep the original design or agree to some of your changes? Is it only the handling of the T-4 that is the problem or does it have other issues?

I wouldn't mind getting one someday, even though I'm not a big fan of how it looks. You guys knocked it out of the park with the looks of the 2nd generation Tecate 3 but the T-4 looks a bit odd to me.

For those of you looking to improve the handling of the T-4 there is a guy on Youtube--calls himself Dr. Q.--that discusses how to do it. He specializes in Quadracers but apparently has dabbled in the T-4.

[barnett468]

So, I'm unclear on the conclusion to this story, did they keep the original design or agree to some of your changes? Is it only the handling of the T-4 that is the problem or does it have other issues?

I wouldn't mind getting one someday, even though I'm not a big fan of how it looks.

Hi christph;

The story regarding the T4 is actually a VERY long one and I don't want to side track Red Riders thread regarding "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The World!" with it so I will make this short for now . The handling was the only major issue . The single biggest problems are that it is too narrow and too short and the weight is biased too much to the front, so after some calculating I cured both of these problems by literally cutting the frame in half with a saw forward of the engine and lengthening it by around 1 1/2" . This may not sound like much of a change but it made a huge difference and huge improvement, and along with increasing the suspension stiffness, it finally allowed us to test it much more safely at much higher speeds.

We also had FIVE different people testing it at the same time from US R and D at one point just to prove to the project mgr and engineers from Japan that my modified version was far superior to theirs . In fact, with the exception of the 4 foot tall 90 pound rider that was the test rider for the bike in Japan, EVERYONE from the US went much faster on it (like around 10 seconds a lap) and 3 of the US testers had never even ridden a high perf 4 wheeler like the Suzuki before, however, their slow ass bozo "expert" rider from Japan whom could barely beat our novice riders went SLOWER on the modified bike . Well, I'm not saying that he intentionally went slower on my modified version to save himself from being transferred to the noodle factory also but it sure seemed more than a little odd to all of us in the US.

I was also planned to widen the track by around 1 - 1 1/2" but needed to test the longer chassis first to see exactly what affect that would have but after that was tested the clown in charge packed the bike up and went home and finished the "testing" there.

There were also a few ergonomic and ground clearance issues but these were insignificant by comparison to the massive handling issues . At the request of the head of all R and D in the US, I made a very lengthy report containing the test results and conclusions and exact detailed measurements/specs to improve all the areas of the bike we felt needed changing to make it acceptable to us.

The engine and gearing in the prototype was superb and I only planned minor changes to test.

Anyway, against EVERYONE'S wishes at US R and D, the clown from Japan made absolutely zero significant changes and the production bike is basically identical to the pos prototype.

This being said, if you are 4 feet tall and want a miniature 4 wheeler that is capable of turning on a dime and hurling the knobs off of the tires at will with a mere twist of the throttle, it is a great bike....as log as you don't plan on riding it faster than around 20 mph over moderately rough terrain, in which case you should make sure your insurance policy includes an accidental death clause.

They also asked me to build a T4 from a stock 85 Tecate using as many of the Tecate parts as possible which I did and it too handled far better than the T4 prototype and weighed around 20 lbs less but they killed the project partially because they eventually decided they didn't want to build two similar 4 wheelers that would be competing against each other for sales.




You guys knocked it out of the park with the looks of the 2nd generation Tecate 3 but the T-4 looks a bit odd to me.

I too love the styling of the 86/87 T3 compared to the "agricultural" look of the previous years but that styling was all done in Japan and we made only very minor changes to it in the US so we can't take any credit for that nor did any of us in the US care who got credit for anything since we believed that bike development was a TEAM effort, but unfortunately R and D in Japan seemed to share this concept less and less as time went by and I would be surprised if Kawasaki even still has a "real" R and D department in the US any longer.



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR

[barnett468]

.
In "FACT", the T4's handling is so incredibly bad that Honda could have designed a better on with their eyes CLOSED.



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR BUT NOT THE DESIGNER OF THE T4

http://www.mustang.org.au/forum/Smileys/smilies/hysterical.gif

[El Camexican]

Hi christph;

The story regarding the T4 is actually a VERY long one and I don't want to side track Red Riders thread regarding "The TECATE....The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The World!" with it so I will make this short for now . The handling was the only major issue . The single biggest problems are that it is too narrow and too short and the weight is biased too much to the front, so after some calculating I cured both of these problems by literally cutting the frame in half with a saw forward of the engine and lengthening it by around 1 1/2" . This may not sound like much of a change but it made a huge difference and huge improvement, and along with increasing the suspension stiffness, it finally allowed us to test it much more safely at much higher speeds.

We also had FIVE different people testing it at the same time from US R and D at one point just to prove to the project mgr and engineers from Japan that my modified version was far superior to theirs . In fact, with the exception of the 4 foot tall 90 pound rider that was the test rider for the bike in Japan, EVERYONE from the US went much faster on it (like around 10 seconds a lap) and 3 of the US testers had never even ridden a high perf 4 wheeler like the Suzuki before, however, their slow ass bozo "expert" rider from Japan whom could barely beat our novice riders went SLOWER on the modified bike . Well, I'm not saying that he intentionally went slower on my modified version to save himself from being transferred to the noodle factory also but it sure seemed more than a little odd to all of us in the US.

I was also planned to widen the track by around 1 - 1 1/2" but needed to test the longer chassis first to see exactly what affect that would have but after that was tested the clown in charge packed the bike up and went home and finished the "testing" there.

There were also a few ergonomic and ground clearance issues but these were insignificant by comparison to the massive handling issues . At the request of the head of all R and D in the US, I made a very lengthy report containing the test results and conclusions and exact detailed measurements/specs to improve all the areas of the bike we felt needed changing to make it acceptable to us.

The engine and gearing in the prototype was superb and I only planned minor changes to test.

Anyway, against EVERYONE'S wishes at US R and D, the clown from Japan made absolutely zero significant changes and the production bike is basically identical to the pos prototype.

This being said, if you are 4 feet tall and want a miniature 4 wheeler that is capable of turning on a dime and hurling the knobs off of the tires at will with a mere twist of the throttle, it is a great bike....as log as you don't plan on riding it faster than around 20 mph over moderately rough terrain, in which case you should make sure your insurance policy includes an accidental death clause.

They also asked me to build a T4 from a stock 85 Tecate using as many of the Tecate parts as possible which I did and it too handled far better than the T4 prototype and weighed around 20 lbs less but they killed the project partially because they eventually decided they didn't want to build two similar 4 wheelers that would be competing against each other for sales.





I too love the styling of the 86/87 T3 compared to the "agricultural" look of the previous years but that styling was all done in Japan and we made only very minor changes to it in the US so we can't take any credit for that nor did any of us in the US care who got credit for anything since we believed that bike development was a TEAM effort, but unfortunately R and D in Japan seemed to share this concept less and less as time went by and I would be surprised if Kawasaki even still has a "real" R and D department in the US any longer.



PREVIOUS KAWASAKI INTERNATIONAL R & D PROJECT ENGINEER AND ATV DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR

Geewhiz Barnes, couldn't you have just called up that head honcho Japanese drinking buddy of yours and gotten this sorted out?

[Red Rider]

My friend says he wants to go ahead and clean this Tecate up "the right way", regardless of how it runs. He's confident though, that the power-valve issues I've uncovered will make this thing untouchable, once corrected. As for what the end result will be, he wants a green version of my ATCR 250R, so try picturing that. This will be a slow clean up, that will progress as his money rolls in.

[Red Rider]

Not a whole lot of visible progress lately, but I did get the engine pulled out of the frame yesterday. I'm not sure if Tecates suffer from frozen swingarm pivot bolts, like a lot of Hondas do, but this one came out easily, probably because it was well lubed by the leaky transmission oil. After pulling the engine, I took it to the owner's shop, so he could do a lot of de-greasing, as I didn't want to hog all the fun to myself. When the grease & crud came off, so did most of the paint. Oh well, it was gonna get fresh paint anyway.

[nstyle73]

I am not sure about the Tecate swinger bolt; it may actually be one area that green is better than red. I have taken probably close to a dozen apart and never had one that was seized, but the two 250R's I have swapped swingers on both required cutting them out. For what its worth, the single biggest improvement I saw in my Tecate rebuilds were replacing all of the bearings in the bottom end. The two engines I rebuilt shift like butter, but the two that I currently have that have not had the bottom end apart, are not as smooth. I believe they are all still available OEM, probably cheaper if cross referenced to the actual manufacturer. Maybe the improvement is not all in the bearings, but I am no transmission guru, so its not something I did.

[Red Rider]

For what its worth, the single biggest improvement I saw in my Tecate rebuilds were replacing all of the bearings in the bottom end. The two engines I rebuilt shift like butter, but the two that I currently have that have not had the bottom end apart, are not as smooth.Thanks nstyle. This one doesn't shift bad at all. I wouldn't necessarily say it shifts like buttah, but it doesn't feel notchy, or difficult to shift at all. After taking a closer look at the piston & cylinder, I'm not liking what I'm seeing. When I first took it apart, I noticed some scuffing on piston/cylinder skirts, but I didn't think it was too bad. The more I look at it though, there are some scuffed areas & some gouged areas all on the rear skirts, so I'm definitely leaning towards sending the cylinder out for stripping/bore repair/replate. I know my friend wants to keep the costs down, but all I need to tell him is, "If it was my 250R, it would not go back together like this", and he agrees to spend the money.

[OZQUAD44]

Similar experience with my Tecates, swing arm bolts came out easily.

Both transmissions shifted ok, so I never touched the transmission bearings.

Both needed new plastics, work on the ignition and replacement fuel tanks due to staining.


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[El Camexican]

Maybe the improvement is not all in the bearings, but I am no transmission guru, so its not something I did.

Loose bearings can affect shifting, but bent shift fork shafts, or damaged forks are a common cause. As many of those trikes were raced I'm guessing a lot of them have seen some pretty "forced" gear changes.

[Red Rider]

A little more progress today.

[OZQUAD44]

Good call on the cylinder red rider.

Is that seat black? Or is is just dirty? Same question on the swingarm


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[Red Rider]

Good call on the cylinder red rider.

Is that seat black? Or is is just dirty? Same question on the swingarmThanks OZQUAD. No, the seat is not black, it's just a grungy OEM seat. The swingarm is grungy as well, but it is black, and was identified as a first gen Tecate swingarm.

After getting the trike torn apart, the last few days have been spent cleaning up parts, bagging up & labeling parts, and referencing the parts fiches to compile a parts order from Kawasaki.

Besides Race Tech & onformula1, any suggestions on who to send the rear shock to for a rebuild. I need to get the shock cleaned up better, but so far it looks to be in rebuildable condition. I remember a few board members used to rebuild these, possibly sblt500r?

[OZQUAD44]

Yes and no, I know a guy in Wangara here in Perth Western Australia who used to race tecates back in the day who could rebuild that shock in a jiffy.

Of course that's about one million miles from you, so sorry, no I don't know of anyone in the states.[emoji847]


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[christph]

Schmidty Racing specializes in rebuilding atc shocks. Here is his website.

http://www.schmidtyracing.com/

[jb2wheels]

Good thread. Very entertaining. Thanks, guys!
Love my 85 T3. And my 85 R. And my 85 X.

[Red Rider]

The last few days have been spent cleaning up parts, but only a few hours a day, as that is about all I can stand. I just want to get to the point where I can handle them without getting grease all over me, and luckily, the end of the filthy parts is finally in sight. :w00t: Last night, I decided to take a break from the super-greasy parts, so I worked on cleaning up the electrical components. All of the rubber boots & grommets were thoroughly cleaned, and then rejuvenated, including the rubber taillight mount, which looks brand new once again.

The taillight was missing the ground wire, so I soldered a new one to the light socket. While fixing the ground wire, I found a break in the positive wire's insulation, about 1" from the light socket, so that got a new wire as well. The previous owner(s) attacked the wiring harnesses with black electrical tape. I removed some near the broken taillight wiring, and found bare wires twisted together, and then taped up. All of the electrical tape near the taillight was removed. The corroded portions of the wires were then cut off, and the wires were soldered back together, and protected with heat-shrink tubing. An additional length of black heat-shrink tubing was then put over the repaired area, so it would blend in better with the original harness tubing. Before the Tecate was torn apart, the headlight was always on, as there was no ON/OFF switch, and the headlight was wired hot. Thus, the headlight socket end of this harness still has some electrical tape & issues to sort out, but I need to wait for the new headlight switch from Kawasaki to arrive before I can do so.

The wiring coming from the stator had tons of electrical tape all over it as well, so once again, I removed all of it, and found the same bare wires twisted together and taped back up. These wires were so corroded, I'm really surprised this thing ran at all. After the clean up, this wiring got the same treatment as the taillight wiring. With the wiring alone, I think I'll probably see about a 1/4 hp increase in performance. :rolleyes: ;)

[Red Rider]

Most of this afternoon was spent straightening out the headlight mounting brackets. At some point previously, this Tecate bit back hard, and got away from somebody. Based on the damage to the twist-throttle, headlight shroud, and headlight brackets, I'm guessing it was probably looped (due to whiskey throttle presumably), which may also explain the missing headlight ON/OFF switch. Most of the welds on this Tecate would hardly be considered "top-notch", but not bad either, so I'm assuming the headlight bracket's lower mount was re-welded at some point, as it is exceptionally horrendous.

When I finished, I went to the mailbox to retrieve a package John (jeswinehart) had sent me. John & Liway were very accommodating on color choice when I placed the order. I highly recommend their products! Going clock-wise from the top left we have a set of KIPS emblems, swingarm chain sliders, Uni-Trak linkage plugs, the original flywheel after encapsulation, and a delicious after dinner mint?

Other parts have started rolling in as well. A gasket & oil seal kit, CEET tank skin, and a bolt kit.

Also, here is the original flywheel before John worked his magic on it.

[nstyle73]

The factory headlight frame welds are a joke. Cleaning is the worst part, soldier on.

[Red Rider]

Another package arrived today. This time a reproduction front fender from ORI. It's a beautiful reproduction, and a little pricey, but it looks way better than the dull Maier unit that was on the bike to begin with. It doesn't look quite exact though, unless the louvers are cut out, so out to the garage we go.

[Red Rider]

Another 1.5 hours worth of work with the Dremel, hacksaw, files, & utility knife, and we now have a completed fender. A bit of a pain in the ass to do, but the end result makes it totally worth the effort.

[Red Rider]

When I first brought the Tecate home, I noticed that the nipple for the gas cap's vent hose was snapped off. Tecate gas caps are no longer available from Kawasaki, so I could have searched the used market, or I probably could have found one that fits from a modern bike, but I decided to repair this one instead. It was an easy fix, and only took about an hour to do, and now it's as good as new. Actually it's better than new, as I used the remnant, of an old 8mm bolt from my 250R, to make the new nipple. The new nipple is about 5/8" long, and still has 1/4" of the original 8X1.25mm threads on one end. The rest of the nipple was smooth, until I added 1/4" of 7X1.00mm threads for the vent hose to grip onto. A hole was drilled down through the center of the new nipple, and the gas cap was drilled and tapped with 8X1.25mm threads to accept it. A small batch of epoxy was mixed up, spread onto the nipple's 8X1.25mm threads, then screwed into the gas cap. The remaining epoxy was then spread around the outside of the nipple, and on the inside of gas cap vent hose recess.

[86T3]

Your attention to detail is incredible, great job. Watch out tightening that stock fuel cap, I've busted 2 of them from tightening them too much. You are right, there is a cap from a different machine that fits but it has slipped my mind. If it comes to me ill post it up. Keep up the great work

[Red Rider]

I finally got around to finishing up the degreasing, sanding, paint prep, & paint on the engine the last few days. I also made a basic engine stand to hold the engine, when it's not in the frame. The new engine stand is already paying dividends, as it securely held the engine in place, thus protecting the new paint, while I installed all new seals.

[Red Rider]

I just received a set of Hornetpowersports' reproduction shrouds, and they're beautiful! We now have all of the necessary plastic bodywork.

[ironchop]

Those are sweet! ^^^

Really nice build, Red Rider.

The second gen T3 is my favorite of all production trikes and I hope to be able to score one to restore someday.

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[Mr. Sandman]

So its been a while since I've posted here, (wow...9 1/2 years based on my post history), but I started following your thread to see what all the green fuss is about. Looking good, but I think its time for another progress update.

[Red Rider]

No progress lately. Been busy with other responsibilities.

[Red Rider]

Wow, it's been a while. Once my other responsibilities were handled, Summer had set in here in Las Vegas, and I wasn't too motivated to go out in the garage and work on this in 100+ degree temps. It was a little cooler here today, but muggy, so I put in a few hours of work. I got the template, for the aluminum airbox lid trim, finalized, and the trim cut out. The previous owner drilled the lid full of randomly placed holes, thus the aluminum trim to cover that mess up. Eventually this trim will be ventilated in a more aesthetically pleasing manner, then riveted to the airbox lid.

[RubberSalt]

I approve of this message.

As for ventilation. You've given me some ideas. The link below is an idea.

https://mnpctech.com/case-mods-gaming-pc-liquid-modding-custom-computer-mnpctech-overclock-cooling-fan-grills/skull-laser-pc-fan-grill-black.html

[Red Rider]

Rubbersalt, not my style, plus skeletons give me the heebie jeebies, so do clowns. :crazy:

[RubberSalt]

They're are many other options. I enjoy a good �� every now and again, but not that 1. It's dumb lol.

Great work btw, I really like where this is going. You may see something similar showing up on my ride lol.

[Mr. Sandman]

How about lightning bolts? This would look sweet on an all original Tecate! :naughty: 245348

[Red Rider]

How about lightning bolts?Bob Hannah style lightning bolts, or Gatorade?

[Red Rider]

Final design of the ventilated airbox lid.

[oldskool83]

That's decent. If ya had a spare of day send it I to my guy to reproduce.

[Red Rider]

Not much progress on this for quite a while, as I've been waiting on my friend's funds to improve. A few weeks ago, he finally said he's ready to get the frame & parts powder-coated. We finally managed to find some time to get together, to decide on what gets powdered, polished, & chromed. Since nothing can be easy, both disc rotors had to have frozen bolts in them, 2 in the rear rotor, & 1 in the front. The beautiful thing about allen bolts is, it's easy to get the drill bit centered up to drill them out. Sure, it was a minor hurdle, but still, it was something I didn't need that night. The parts were dropped off at the powder-coaters on Tuesday, and this pic was sent to me today. Finally some progress again!

[Red Rider]

More pics rolling in from my friend, who is as giddy as a little school-girl.

[Red Rider]

Wow, hard to believe this project has been idle for almost 4 years now! My friend switched jobs, then all the COVID bs, etc., but things are starting to look up again, and he's actively spending money on parts. We've been talking extended swingarms lately, and we're looking for a certain stance. We need side view pictures of 1986-87 Tecates with extended swingarms please, and info on the swingarm extension length.

[El Camexican]

Wow! I thought my projects took too long. You’re making me feel much better.

More photos please.

[Red Rider]

Wow! I thought my projects took too long. You’re making me feel much better.

More photos please.So I assume the KTM isn’t finished yet? Will do, once there is something new to show. We need more build threads to spice this forum back up again.

[El Camexican]

So I assume the KTM isn’t finished yet? Will do, once there is something new to show. We need more build threads to spice this forum back up again.

KTM is done, but hasn’t been ridden. Long story. What’s draging on now is the Tri-Z power valve engine. Waiting on gaskets. Might redo the entire trike as well.

[Red Rider]

KTM is done, but hasn’t been ridden. Long story. What’s draging on now is the Tri-Z power valve engine. Waiting on gaskets. Might redo the entire trike as well.Yeah I’ve been following your Tri-Z YPVS thread, and look forward to a ride report on that, and the Katoom.

[Red Rider]

First new parts in years are starting to arrive. We have some new front suspension and a Braking wave rotor.

[Red Rider]

The cylinder was dropped off at Kustom Kraft Performance, here in Las Vegas, for repairs. It was stripped, re-welded, bored to standard, and re-plated. They returned it with a new Wossner piston kit included. We have also received an entire BVC inverted forks conversion kit for the 1986-87 Tecate. We still need the swingarm back (long story), before we start reassembling the Tecate. I want it to be a roller, before anything else gets assembled.

[Antreas Sp]

The cylinder was dropped off at Kustom Kraft Performance, here in Las Vegas, for repairs. It was stripped, re-welded, bored to standard, and re-plated. They returned it with a new Wossner piston kit included. We have also received an entire BVC inverted forks conversion kit for the 1986-87 Tecate. We still need the swingarm back (long story), before we start reassembling the Tecate. I want it to be a roller, before anything else gets assembled.I would like to see more photos of that perfect cylinder you have there. It was deep scored and needed welding? Or maybe one of the two bridges on the intake was cracked? (I have one cylinder with a cracked-broken one)
Did the make any clean up at the intake?

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[Red Rider]

I would like to see more photos of that perfect cylinder you have there. It was deep scored and needed welding? Or maybe one of the two bridges on the intake was cracked? (I have one cylinder with a cracked-broken one)
Did the make any clean up at the intake?I thought I took pics of the cylinder before it was repaired, but I only took one of the damaged piston. The cylinder had excessive scoring (gouging) on the skirts, similar to the piston, so they welded up the gouges, then replated it. The previous owner, had it ported many years ago, and it ran strong, so we decided to keep it the way it was, and repair the damage.

Here's some additional pics of the repaired cylinder, and the damaged piston.

[Antreas Sp]

Okay that piston damage looks identical to mine as are 2 more i have from the tecates so sure this is Kawasaki's flaw to the design of the intake side of the cylinder so i was wondering what we can do to make it better. I have been working some years now on rebuilding various types of engines and i have seen some lubricating designs so i thought that if we drill two tiny holes on the piston at the two bridges in the intake it would sure help lubricate these much better and we wouldn't have this type of scoring,at least not at a fast rate. Kinda like the holes they do for cooling the exhaust bridge on other engines,like the 84-85 Tecate has.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220501/2cef07e210e9d6e1de6f21392a4f5918.jpg

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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220501/b0a6e24c5eb8db01b279d63944a47cde.jpg

[Antreas Sp]

I would like to see the intake side of that cylinder where the reed valve mounts. From my research the 86 cylinder on the tecate is as good as it gets for porting but that intake is the one that needs attention. I have two cylinders on the photos 1 oem and second the one i have just clean up the edges. I'm not a porting guy. I just did what other guys recommend doing which seemed logical to me.That oem cylinder is full of sharp edges and steps.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220501/25fd22fd891b82bb8bc6a622526e532f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220501/1bf52af58c234f413e3689cbb88700af.jpg

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[Antreas Sp]

Oh and how the cylinder was before replating.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220501/4dacc5b846d8b8f8c64fa3b5b824ae36.jpg

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[Red Rider]

Antreas, here's the intake pic as requested. I agree, the piston damage looks very similar. This is the only Tecate I've delved this deep into, so I'm not sure if this is a common thing to see when pulling the top end. Maybe some other Tecate guys will chime in with their expertise. Interesting idea on the lubricating holes for the bridges. I do that to my R pistons for the exhaust bridge, if they don't come pre-drilled. Not sure that would do anything for all the scuffing below those giant holes on the piston though. Its like that portion of the intake is weaker, due to all of the intake ports around it, and is prone to expanding inward when it heats up.

[Antreas Sp]

Thanks a lot for the pic. Looks like they have smoothed out all the edges like i did. It's just prettier because its sand blasted.
Another mod i have read is using a 2 parts jb weld to fill in the ports and then sand them to make them a bit smaller (giving them a specified shape) cause they are too big for the 250cc of the tecate.I don't have a pic of that,i have read it somewhere online and i really don't remember where.And there was also Rob Selvy (RIP) who did great job on tecates also,changing the timing of the ports skimming the upper side of the cylinder and using a thick piece of aluminum as a spacer to the lower side.

As for the scuffs on the piston to the intake side there are lots of reasons this can happen. First is piston slap. All these machines where really really used so many years in the past so too much clearance due to piston wear . Second is dirty air filter or no filter at all. And another reason is the big mistake Kawasaki did painting the engine cases inside. Ok transmission side i haven't seen the paint failing but all of the engines i have (3) have the paint gone from the crank area. At this engine which i posted the piston above, the cylinder had a tremendous amount of paint like glued on at the intake side down where the piston has these scuffs. And since this paint looks like powder coat you understand that this paint in the cylinder-piston is like sand...
I have never seen anyone mention this. What's your opinion on that?
Maybe barnett shows up and tell us about it!

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[Red Rider]

Thanks a lot for the pic. Looks like they have smoothed out all the edges like i did. It's just prettier because its sand blasted.

As for the scuffs on the piston to the intake side there are lots of reasons this can happen. First is piston slap. All these machines where really really used so many years in the past so too much clearance due to piston wear . Second is dirty air filter or no filter at all. And another reason is the big mistake Kawasaki did painting the engine cases inside. Ok transmission side i haven't seen the paint failing but all of the engines i have (3) have the paint gone from the crank area. At this engine which i posted the piston above, the cylinder had a tremendous amount of paint like glued on at the intake side down where the piston has these scuffs. And since this paint looks like powder coat you understand that this paint in the cylinder-piston is like sand...
I have never seen anyone mention this. What's your opinion on that?You're welcome. I've seen and heard of the JB Weld method before, but never tried it for porting purposes. I'm taking my friend's word, that this bike ran very strong in the past, before it was parked for 10+ years, so we're just freshening up what was already a good thing. The bottom end seemed tight, and no issues down there, so the cases haven't been split, just the top end pulled for repairs. I didn't notice the internal paint issue, that you speak of, so I will have to look again. But, it is strange that Kawasaki would apply paint to that area. Yes, it could be piston slap I suppose. I've seen that before on a handful of bikes. I just thought it was strange to see identical piston damage on 2 different Tecates, and thought maybe something else was going on.

[Antreas Sp]

I managed to go to the facility i keep my tecates and took some pictures of the crank area paint from one of the engines so here it is. Notice that its thick paint and the rest you see on its ready to peel off also. If you touch it by hand it falls off. All the engines i have are like this, that's why i did wet blasting at the one i'm building.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220511/35fae438f5eba88a2f7962a546604970.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220511/6bcfea8085a0403c2b9142d854799c01.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220511/0f2d1c443aeaa9a8601e4cd2dca8f9a4.jpg

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[Red Rider]

Thanks for the pics. I forgot to take a look at the bottom end of the one, that I’m building, but I don’t recall it looking like that. Yeah, that’s crazy that Kawasaki painted the insides like that.

[El Camexican]

Yamaha painted their stuff internally as well. I suspect everything got painted right after casting and then went for machining. Cheapest way to do it.

Ever seen a Belarus farm tractor from the 80’s? The would build the entire tractor chassis, hoses, gauges (used from military equipment), oil filter, etc., everything but the wheels, hood, fenders and seat, then mask off a few items like the gauges faces (poorly) and dip the entire tractor into a massive vat of red paint, pull it out, let it drip dry, put on the wheels, seat and spray painted fenders and hood on, unmask the gauges and ship it. Looked decent aside from the drips and runs until you stared using it and the paint started peeling off. Electrical problem? Just follow the red wire :p

[rpeters]

From barnett468

Hello Antreas

There is no flaw in the intake side of the cylinder that can cause the damage you are seeing. Drilling additional oiling holes on the intake side will likely not completely cure the problem you are showing but it certainly will not hurt.

[Antreas Sp]

Hello, it's been some time but i would like to thank barnett for replying! I have a big respect for him. I was always enjoying his long comments in the forum!

So i had some free time and make some marks on the piston at the intake side and we have room for the oiling holes!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220716/45a6703c2d13d5f47c0bf7b7b70059d2.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220716/8c462caeb3fff5d909b347a857adef49.jpg

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[Antreas Sp]

Red rider any update on the build? Some photos maybe? [emoji16]

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[Red Rider]

Red rider any update on the build? Some photos maybe? [emoji16]Sorry, no more progress since my last post. It's boating season now, so that's all my friend is focusing on. I'm guessing this project will go idle once again until Summer is over.

[Mr. Sandman]

And I thought my projects took forever, well they do, but how about an update now that summer's over?

[Red Rider]

A bunch of new rear end parts arrived about 2 months ago, and a new swingarm yesterday. I will try and get some pics up soon. I think we have the basics for a roller now, so assembly should start soon.

[Red Rider]

As promised, here are some pics of the latest progress. Unfortunately, it's not assembly progression yet, but it's definitely a step in the right direction. We decided to go with a +4" extended swingarm, w/ TRX450R rear end components, from HRE. This is the first HRE product I've seen in person, and it is a beautiful piece of workmanship! My friend likes the cleaner look of the Honda style, round bearing carrier. As a plus, current, and replacement parts, will be much easier to source, and cheaper too. We also have a Tusk, +4" 450R rear axle, which just so happens to be +4.25" wider than the stock Tecate rear axle. We also have a 450R rear wave rotor, OEM 450R rear brake caliper, and parking brake block off. Not pictured are the BVC rear sprocket guard, and integrated rear disk guard/brake stay (still wrapped in 30 layers of saran wrap).

[mr tecate]

cant wait to get this monster going together buddy thank u for all u do

[mr tecate]

summer is over now dirt time hahhah look out here we come

[Red Rider]

The new front tire arrived today, so my buddy brought it over (plus a 12 pk :beer ), and we wrenched for a few hours in the garage. As always, things can't go as smoothly as we had hoped they would. If you recall, when we got this Tecate, it had an extended OEM 84-85 swingarm installed on it. Before we sold the swingarm, we removed the needle bearings/seals from it, because they were in excellent shape. The old bearings were cleaned up, regreased, and felt fine. We pressed the old needle bearings into the new swingarm easily. Once installed, the bearings were binding on their center sleeves, and they felt gritty. Hmmm, maybe these bearings aren't as clean as I thought they were. Doing some research after the fact, I see that both the 84-85 & 86-87 Tecates use the same bearings/center sleeves, but the 84-85 uses a different seal on one side of each bearing. Since we needed the proper seals anyway, we decided to order a complete All Balls swingarm bearing kit. After that fun, we mounted up the new Ohtsu M/R 101 front tire, and thankfully, that went fairly smoothly.

[oldskool83]

Glad to you see you mikes swinger (hreatv) Now you can see why I only run his stuff, weather its cheaper or more expensive he builds you want you want to his standard which seem to be higher then most companies out there. I wish I still had my 86 T3 stuff but hey stuff happens. I'll soon post up my 200x build...I keep out doing each build before!

[Red Rider]

Got the new needle bearings installed, as well as the rear bearing carrier, and brake stay/disc guard.

[mr tecate]

it feels real good to see my baby finally coming together appreciate all your work and help buddy.wont be long before we are tearing it up again in the dunes hopefully before christmas

[Red Rider]

I need a little help with some measurements, if anyone is able. We have an OEM rear grab bar, but are looking to go with an aluminum unit. Obviously, they are probably not made anymore, at least that we can find, so we are looking to adapt one from a sport quad most likely. Anyone willing to take 3 measurements for us? I know I can make one work from an ATC 250R, but not real happy with the products available so far. I really like what XFR offers, but they only make them for quads, so if you have a TRX 250R, TRX 450R, TRX 400EX, YFZ 450R, YFZ 350 Banshee, Raptor 700, or KFX 450R, can you take a few minutes to grab some specs please?

I think the attached pic is self-explanatory, but if not, here is what we need:
Dimension A: Distance between the front & rear mounting bolts.
Dimension B: Distance from rear of grab bar to the rear mounting bolt.
Dimension C: Width of rear frame between mounting bolts.

Thanks in advance!

[86T3]

There is a guy on Facebook that makes a few different grab bars, I'll attach a screenshot. When PRM called it quits this guy started making grab bars similar, they're pretty nice quality. If you guys want to part with that oem grab bar I'd be interested in it for my 87. Send me a pm if you're willing to sell.
269990


Edit. I'm out of town for a bit or else I could get you those measurements. Sorry

[Red Rider]

There is a guy on Facebook that makes a few different grab bars. When PRM called it quits this guy started making grab bars similar, they're pretty nice quality. If you guys want to part with that oem grab bar I'd be interested in it for my 87. Send me a pm if you're willing to sell.

Edit. I'm out of town for a bit or else I could get you those measurements. Sorry
Thanks for the info. I do remember seeing those on Facebook, but forgot about them. I have a PRM unit on my R, and I'm happy with it, but we wanted to go with an all-tubular aluminum grab bar on the Tecate. Here is what we're looking for: https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/mOYAAOSwVFlT4n1h/s-l225.webp

When you get back in town, we could still use the measurements if you don't mind. What quad would you be measuring? I will keep you in mind if he decides to sell the oem one.

[Aulbaugh]

Got the new needle bearings installed, as well as the rear bearing carrier, and brake stay/disc guard.

Why not run a rear skid plate. I have both of those BVC parts on a build and a skid plate is better imo.

[oldskool83]

atd's stuff is spot on copy's with a twist of vintage prm. I own their bars. Just spend the money because them guys go out of their way with personal messages on facebook, rare these days. Just support the guys who figured it out already...idk what it costs.

[Red Rider]

Why not run a rear skid plate. I have both of those BVC parts on a build and a skid plate is better imo.The swingarm was built without skidplate mounts, because mr tecate wanted to run the BVC disc/sprocket guards. I prefer a traditional skidplate as well, because the 250R's rear shock/linkage hangs down low, which isn't an issue with the Tecate. Plus this bike will probably only see sand.

[Red Rider]

atd's stuff is spot on copy's with a twist of vintage prm. I own their bars. Just spend the money because them guys go out of their way with personal messages on facebook, rare these days. Just support the guys who figured it out already...idk what it costs.I plan on checking them out, but what I've seen from them so far is not what we're looking for.

[Red Rider]

...idk what it costs.I talked to ATD today via Messenger. They were very quick to reply with requested info. Yes, they do offer a standard, superlight grab bar, or desert style grab bar for the Tecate. Prices are $85/$125 shipped for superlight/desert.

[Red Rider]

I wish we had more progress to report, but everything is at a standstill due to this BVC inverted forks, tripleclamp kit. The goal is to get a rolling chassis, then start assembling everything else. Well, in order to get a rolling chassis, the tripleclamps have to fit correctly.

On our first attempt to assemble the front end, we had decided to leave the original bearing races in the neck of the frame (even though the BVC kit came with a new All Balls bearings/races set), as they were in good condition, and would be a pain to remove, as there is no way to drive them out easily. The BVC tripleclamps installed easily, using the new bearings, and old races, but it was quickly evident that the steering stops were too short to contact the steering stop tab on the frame neck. We disassembled, then reassembled, this time using the old bearings, and old races, but still no change. As it is, the steering stop on the lower tripleclamp just barely rubs the underside of the steering stop tab on the frame neck, and the bars would keep turning until the forks hit the radiators. BVC is already closed for the day, so mr tecate texted them, and sent pictures of the issue. The next day, BVC responded via a phone call, and they asked, "Are you using the entire bearings/races, that were supplied in their kit?" He told them no, we weren't. BVC said, "That's the problem. You have to remove the old races, and install the new ones, and then the steering stem will go in far enough for the steering stops to make contact." Mr tecate told them, "I don't see the new races making that much of a difference, but we will try it."

Several days later, on our second attempt to assemble the front end, we used a dremel to cut through the bottom race, then chiseled it out. The new All Balls race was installed, as well as the tripleclamps, and we have the same exact issue. The steering stops are not tall enough to engage properly. More pics were sent, via text, to BVC that night. The next day, mr tecate has a phone conversation with BVC, and BVC asks him to send the BVC tripleclamps back to them, as well as the OEM tripleclamps, and they will fix the issue. BVC has been very helpful, while dealing with their products, responding to texts, emails, and phone calls in a reasonable amount of time. It is apparent, that BVC has never had a Tecate in their shop before, to take measurements from, and confirm proper fitment of this kit.

About a week goes by, and we finally get the BVC & OEM tripleclamps back. We immediately notice, the redesigned, taller steering stops, as well as a bunch of nicks/chips in the billet aluminum, so we are optimistic, yet a little pissed off. We mount them up, and the steering stops are finally tall enough to work properly. Whether or not they are positioned correctly, to stop before hitting the radiators, while still allowing a good steering radius will have to be determined later, as the tripleclamps were once again removed, boxed up, and sent back to BVC for some nicer ones.

While we did have the BVC tripleclamps in our possession, we did notice that the front fender bolt pattern is incorrect for the Tecate, and there are no holes for the Tecate headlight mounting bracket. Via a phone conversation, BVC told us that their tripleclamp kits are designed to work with a Honda front fender (200X, 350X, or 250R, I can't remember), and most people run an aftermarket, strap-on headlight. Strangely enough, their website conveniently omits this vital information. We asked them about adding the proper front fender bolt pattern, and headlight bracket mounting holes, stating most Tecate owners would prefer the OEM front fender/headlight combo, but they didn't want to bother, as it would require a bit of reprogramming for their CNC machines. However, they did whip up, and send out, free of charge, a nice front fender adapter bracket (pictured), so we will see how that works out, whenever we get some nicer tripleclamps back again. At least BVC has been covering all of the shipping charges back and forth, while we essentially do some much needed R&D for them, so they can hopefully work out the issues with their product, before they sell anymore to Tecate owners.

While all of the BVC drama has been going on, we were also deciding what to do about the radiators. The originals on this Tecate were pretty hammered, and I haven't read any good reports on the aftermarket Tecate radiators (improper fitment, brackets that break off, poor welds, & leaks), other than that they are available. So, we decided on a much nicer set of used radiators from Travis Gisclair @ D&A Restorations. We have nothing but good things to say about Travis. He communicates, is honest, offers fair prices, has been very helpful, and ships quickly. Once we received the used radiators, some aluminum adapter brackets were made up, and riveted on. These will allow us to mount up newer, green, radiator louvers from a 1993 KX-250, whose external dimensions are basically the same, except for the mounting tabs. The OEM black ones are fine, but you can never have enough of that Kawasaki green! Mr tecate also bought some TM Designworks powerlip chain rollers, and a billet, oil fill plug, all in Kawi green of course.

[oldskool83]

I had bought something from BVC and it was pure garbage. I think they need to slow down on all the HYPE and focus on having the correct parts in to use at templates. BVC only used 86-87 200x front fenders on all their triples....while they prob should state it that's one of those little things about slowing down or offering options. I would of made them make you new triples as now the fender will hang down lower and prob have visual issues. A programing change would of take 1 hour max...it look longer to make you a fancy look at us adapter. That's my whole issue with BVC. Everyone Ive talked to with parts from them has had issues...It's not as bad a TPC trikes was.

My experience started with buying a 350x part. It never showed up. I emailed and called no one knew about the order...weeks went by with promises on shipping it and nothing. After that I set up to either make my own parts of have someone make them. It rubbed me the wrong way. Good luck on the build. They never go together like we want them to.

[Red Rider]

I had bought something from BVC and it was pure garbage. I think they need to slow down on all the HYPE and focus on having the correct parts in to use at templates. BVC only used 86-87 200x front fenders on all their triples....while they prob should state it that's one of those little things about slowing down or offering options. Exactly! Why be in a rush to get your parts out there, when you haven't confirmed they fit properly? All it's gonna do is piss off your customers. I know now, that I'll never buy anything from them. Before mr tecate had ordered his swingarm from HRE, he had asked BVC if they made extended swingarms for his Tecate. They said they didn't, but if he had a Tecate swingarm he could send them, as a template, they would make him one. I think they quoted him $700-800. I'm so glad he decided on HRE. Who knows what kind of fitment issues we would have had, had he gone with a rushed BVC fabbed up unit.

[oldskool83]

Mike ate hre buys the correct parts to REPO. Or they are lent to him buy us local hre only guys. Hre is gonna do a set of blaster a arms for me due to just offering a better product. The hre following cult is huge. I commend bvc on ideas, but without social media they would be nothing. I cringed at their mega or super red xr650l chop job. I'd love to apply there and show what 20 years of engineering can do....I've supported other smaller start up guys like atd-atc...a least atd stud for attention to detail...

[Aulbaugh]

I bought a 01 cr250r BVC kit from them a while back and it was a Nightmare. Nothing fit at all. I had to send all my cr250r parts to them to make new conversion parts for my kit. They didn’t know there were differences between years of Honda CRs. I would never recommend anyone using them and glad to have that behind me. If I could do it again I’d go with a TPC trike after having a BVC conversion.

[Red Rider]

I bought a 01 cr250r BVC kit from them a while back and it was a Nightnare. Nothing fit at all. I had to send all my cr250r parts to them to make new conversion parts for my kit. They didn’t know there were differences between years of Honda CRs. I would never recommend anyone using them and glad to have that behind me. If I could do it again I’d go with a TPC trike after having a BVC conversion.Same issue here then. They had no idea there were any differences between the first gen & 2nd gen Tecates. Amateurs! So far, they've been very quick fixing their design issues, and shipping parts back to us. Now that we've sent their nicked/scratched tripleclamps back to them, for some nicer ones, they're suddenly dragging their feet. They claimed the machinist would never send out nicked/chipped items, so the nicks/chips must have happened in the shipping process, and they're blaming that on UPS. There is no way that happened during shipping, as all of the items were wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap. They finally sent the UPS tracking info after several phone calls/emails, but the package still hasn't shipped. It's been almost 2 weeks now, since they received them back. Perhaps I pissed them off, by sending their BVC decals & business card back to them in the same box? :wondering

[Aulbaugh]

Same issue here then. They had no idea there were any differences between the first gen & 2nd gen Tecates. Amateurs! So far, they've been very quick fixing their design issues, and shipping parts back to us. Now that we've sent their nicked/scratched tripleclamps back to them, for some nicer ones, they're suddenly dragging their feet. They claimed the machinist would never send out nicked/chipped items, so the nicks/chips must have happened in the shipping process, and they're blaming that on UPS. There is no way that happened during shipping, as all of the items were wrapped in several layers of bubble wrap. They finally sent the UPS tracking info after several phone calls/emails, but the package still hasn't shipped. It's been almost 2 weeks now, since they received them back. Perhaps I pissed them off, by sending their BVC decals & business card back to them in the same box? :wondering


Yea I got lots of excuses and horrible delayed shipping times, it was bad. I had one part sit at the post there in Arizona that it eventually got sent back to me. I was told Bill was doing this and doing that etc etc etc. They tried to give me free shirts and other swag but I told them no thanks just get me my parts. I don’t think they care really. Last I checked they never updated their kits for the CR conversions. If it’s not too late I would stop and run away from BVC. I hope it gets better for you guys.

[Red Rider]

I don’t think they care really. Last I checked they never updated their kits for the CR conversions. If it’s not too late I would stop and run away from BVC. I hope it gets better for you guys.They finally responded via email to say the parts went out today, and the tracking # is finally showing some progress. Mr tecate has been calling and leaving messages, saying either ship the parts or refund the money.

[Aulbaugh]

They finally responded via email to say the parts went out today, and the tracking # is finally showing some progress. Mr tecate has been calling and leaving messages, saying either ship the parts or refund the money.

Hopefully this time it all works out for you on the triples buddy. Keep up the great work!

[Red Rider]

Hopefully this time it all works out for you on the triples buddy. Keep up the great work!Thanks!

I forgot to mention another thing BVC did, that pissed us off. When we shipped the BVC & OEM tripleclamps back the first time, to have the steering stop issue fixed, for some reason, BVC pressed the steering stem out of the OEM tripleclamps. I assume they did this to take measurements. When we received the BVC & OEM tripleclamps back, this is where the steering stop issue was fixed, but the tripleclamps were all nicked & chipped. What I forgot to mention was, BVC returned the OEM tripleclamps, still dissambled, minus the steering stem bearing. Thanks a lot!

If it helps get this kit figured out, and fitting right, then by all means, disassemble the OEM tripleclamps, and take whatever measurements you need. But put it back together the way you found it, before you send it back to us. When we sent the nicked/chipped tripleclamps back, we also enclosed the OEM tripleclamp/steering stem, and told them to put the stem back in, as well as a bearing. The new tripleclamps have been received as of yesterday. BVC overnighted them to mr tecate. They look great this time, with no blemishes noted. Unfortunately, BVC did not press the OEM stem back into the OEM tripleclamp, but they did send a new All Balls steering stem bearing kit to replace the missing bearing. Mr tecate is on his way over here now, for yet another attempt at assembling this front end again. Hopefully the BVC issues are all over now, and we can make some successful progress tonight.

[Red Rider]

Finally some acceptable progress. The new tripleclamps look much better. We bolted them up, as well as the forks & front hub/wheel, and everything went together smoothly. As expected, the BVC front fender adapter bracket will not work as it came from BVC. It will bolt up to the tripleclamp, and it will bolt up to the Tecate front fender, but not at the same time. The problem is, their spacing is incorrect from the one bolt pattern to the other. The Tecate front fender is such a tight fit in between the fork legs, that there is no movement side to side, nor front to back. Once the fender adapter is oriented correctly, and bolted to the bottom tripleclamp, the holes for the Tecate fender are about 1/4" too far rearward, and we do not want to oblong the holes on the fender. By flipping the adapter bracket over, the holes are only about 1/16" too far rearward. Our plan is to oblong the holes on the adapter bracket, to allow it to slide forward 1/16", which should allow it to line up properly with the fender holes, as well as modify the bracket, as necessary, to be used in the flipped over position.

The first pic shows the original steering stop design, and why it wouldn't work, and the second pic shows the redesigned steering stops. In the third pic, the adapter bracket is attached to the tripleclamp, but the front fender is just wedged in between the fork legs.

[Aulbaugh]

That frame color is sweet! What are the allen head bolts for on top of the steering stops? Dust cap?

[Red Rider]

That frame color is sweet! What are the allen head bolts for on top of the steering stops?That was BVC's fix to make the steering stops tall enough. As for the frame color, I agree. I thought mr tecate should have gone with a standard Lime Green, but this color works very well with the Kawasaki plastics.

[Aulbaugh]

That was BVC's fix to make the steering stops tall enough. As for the frame color, I agree. I thought mr tecate should have gone with a standard Lime Green, but this color works very well with the Kawasaki plastics.

Gotcha, mine were similar but didn’t have the steering stops already machined into the lower triple. I would have rather had the lower triples with the steering stops built in to the billet like the original design they had. The allen bolts that were on mine would gouge the frame on turns and I had to watch them from backing out after rides. I was also told the allen bolts would snap on turns from guys that race these setups. Just my experience/nightmare I’ve been through.

[Red Rider]

I was also told the allen bolts would snap on turns from guys that race these setups. Just my experience/nightmare I’ve been through.The steering stops are 8mm bolts, so I think you'd really have to be slamming it from lock to lock to snap them off.


I bought a 01 cr250r BVC kit from them a while back and it was a Nightmare. Nothing fit at all. I had to send all my cr250r parts to them to make new conversion parts for my kit.Did you ever get this completed? Did you post a build thread? If so, I'd like to read about it.

[86T3]

I have allen bolts in my triples on 2 450s and I haven't had any problems with them backing out or snapping. Both of these machines have a lot of races and wrecks on them, it's not anything you need to worry about. You could file them flat where they make contact if you have the room to spare, that will help with the chipping. But all stops are metal to metal contact, you're going to get chipping no matter what if you slam them.

[Aulbaugh]

The steering stops are 8mm bolts, so I think you'd really have to be slamming it from lock to lock to snap them off.

Ok, I thought the steering stop were like the 85-86 250r that were machined into them already.

[Red Rider]

A little more progress here finally. In late November, or early December (I can't remember as it's been awhile), a bunch of parts were dropped off at the polisher's (mr tecate's friend) to be polished, and we finally got most of those parts back a few weeks ago, except for the rear shock. The rear shock finally showed back up yesterday, so now we can finally start assembling this into a roller.

The headlight mounting bracket was modified to work with the BVC tripleclamps, and will now need to be re-powdercoated. BVC's own fender mounting, adapter bracket was also modified to work properly with the BVC tripleclamps and ORI's OEM Tecate reproduction fender.

[Antreas Sp]

Very nice, can't wait to see it as a roller. I have to work on mine for 10 months now.... I really have to complete some other stuff and get it going, i NEED to ride the thing.

Στάλθηκε από το RMX2170 μου χρησιμοποιώντας Tapatalk

[Red Rider]

This was our second attempt to make a roller out of all these parts, and we finally made some headway. The first attempt failed when we couldn't get the new, lower shock bushing pressed in all the way, with my vice. A friend's hydraulic press, made quick work of it though, but set us back about a week. Then, there were a few more weeks lost, when we couldn't get our schedules to sync up, to allow playtime in the garage. We made some decent progress tonight though, but it wasn't without it's struggles. I forgot how much of a hassle it is assembling a bunch of freshly powdercoated parts. Nothing fits right! Then there is my unfamiliarity with Tecates, so we were constantly having to stop, and reference the Tecate PDF shop manual & parts fiches, to reassemble the rear suspension.

[Red Rider]

We knew the rear shock needed to be rebuilt, re-valved, and possibly re-sprung, but we assembled it anyway. We wanted to get a feel for how it would look, with the green spring, and whether or not we liked that look. As it turns out, we do. We had the rear shock rebuilt & re-valved by Frontline Suspension, here in Las Vegas. Ryan @ Frontline, calculated the spring rate, and assured us that re-springing it wouldn't be necessary. He said it should work awesome in the dunes, based on mr tecate's weight & the +4" swingarm. The "new" rear shock has been re-installed, and I'm happy to report, it is no longer a pogo-stick! No new pics though, as you can't see the re-valving anyway. :(

[legacy51]

That's looking really nice! Did you shorten the CRF forks at all? What did the rear spring rate come out to?

It would be sweet to see you and your buddy at some WORCS races this fall.

[Red Rider]

That's looking really nice! Did you shorten the CRF forks at all?Thanks. Yes, when the used forks were purchased, they were sent directly to BVC to be rebuilt/shortened.


What did the rear spring rate come out to?I would have to ask mr tecate that, as he dealt with Ryan @ Frontline himself. All I know is, the Tecate's previous owner was a big guy (275-300 lbs.), and had installed a +2" swingarm, then had the rear shock re-valved & re-sprung with a heavier spring. Mr tecate is lighter than that, and now we've gone to a +4" swingarm.


It would be sweet to see you and your buddy at some WORCS races this fall.Hopefully it will be finished by this fall. I wouldn't hold my breath though.

[Red Rider]

We've made a little more progress here over the last few months, but I've been lazy, and haven't posted it. Once again, all of the assembly is very slow with this bike, due to my unfamiliarity with it. It is a constant back and forth, between the project in the garage, and the PC in the house to reference, the PDF manuals, and occasionally, the Kawasaki parts fiches.

All of the rear suspension, and front end have finally been greased, and torqued down to their proper torque specs, as we don't believe they need to be removed anymore. The clutch cover has been installed, the powervalve mechanism is all connected, and oil has been added to the bottom end. The new piston was installed, and the repaired/replated cylinder and head have been installed as well. Now we need a pipe.

[Antreas Sp]

Very nice,if I remember correctly you should have installed the rear brake pedal. With the engine in place you can't install the spring in the correct orientation. The pedal hits the clutch cover trying to do so.Sorry not trying to be smartass, only helping!

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[Red Rider]

Sorry not trying to be smartass, only helping!Thank you. I didn't take your suggestion any other way than you trying to be helpful. I appreciate the input. Unfortunately, we are still undecided on what we want to do with the rear brake lever, and are not ready to install it. Maybe I should make a dry run though? :wondering

[Red Rider]

With the engine in place you can't install the spring in the correct orientation. The pedal hits the clutch cover trying to do so.Yes, I see what you mean. Wow, what a lousy design! Yet another reason why this is all taking so long. It seems it's been 1 step forward, then 2 steps back with everything on this bike. I've got 1 more idea I'm going to try, to get the brake lever on, without pulling the engine out.

[Red Rider]

I've got 1 more idea I'm going to try, to get the brake lever on, without pulling the engine out.Success! I installed the brake lever return spring over the rear brake lever pivot, and put the spring's tab into the hole on the frame. Then, I put the rear brake lever on over the brake lever pivot. Using a hook, I made out of some stiff wire, I came in from below & behind the rear brake lever, and hooked the hook onto the spring's tab, that goes into the rear brake lever. While pulling down on the spring's tab, I slid the rear brake lever onto the pivot point, and guided the tab into the hole in the rear brake lever.

[Antreas Sp]

U R the best! Haha, can't wait to see the rest of the build. I've stopped mine cause ,u know, life!

Στάλθηκε από το RMX2170 μου χρησιμοποιώντας Tapatalk

[Red Rider]

U R the best! Haha, can't wait to see the rest of the build. I've stopped mine cause ,u know, life!Yeah, life will unfortunately get in the way sometimes. That's another reason this project is going so slow.

[oldskool83]

The master cylinder should have enough back sprig pressure to return the brake pedal. I do not run any springs on any of my machines.

[Red Rider]

The master cylinder should have enough back sprig pressure to return the brake pedal. I do not run any springs on any of my machines.Hmmm, interesting. I never really thought about it before this post, but you're right. The front brake system has no lever return spring.

[Antreas Sp]

Yes if you think it that way (front brake)BUT we are talking about a specific machine,the KXT and it's a trike that has a very long and heavy pedal (since its steel and not aluminum like the dirtbike ones) and also the pedal pivots to the direction of gravity and not 90 degree like the front master lever which weighs like 50 grams?
I wouldn't run the rear brake without the spring in any case. You also need that free play you get with the spring when riding...

Στάλθηκε από το RMX2170 μου χρησιμοποιώντας Tapatalk

[Red Rider]

Yes if you think it that way (front brake)BUT we are talking about a specific machine,the KXT and it's a trike that has a very long and heavy pedal (since its steel and not aluminum like the dirtbike ones) and also the pedal pivots to the direction of gravity and not 90 degree like the front master lever which weighs like 50 grams?
I wouldn't run the rear brake without the spring in any case. You also need that free play you get with the spring when riding...All valid points. Believe me, now that I’ve found a way to install the brake lever and spring, with the engine already in place, I will be running the spring, as it was designed to be.

[86T3]

That's a gorgeous frame color, it's going to look incredible when it finished

[Red Rider]

A lot more progress here lately. We had a parts cleaning party at my place last night, and got a lot of stuff cleaned up. It was mostly stuff that I thought had been cleaned up a long time ago, when this project first began. Luckily, I think all of the dirty work is behind us now.

New front/rear sprockets, a longer DID X-ring chain, sexy, billet counter-shaft sprocket guard, and BVC rear sprocket guard have all been installed. The rear end is pretty much all assembled now, with the exception of the brake line. Now that the rear caliper & master cylinder are mounted, we can get it measured for the new brake line. The new CRF450R front brake caliper should arrive next week, and once it is mounted, we can measure for the new front brake line, and then order them both at the same time.

The ignition/stator & flywheel have all been installed, and torqued to spec. A nice, billet kickstart lever was recently acquired and installed as well. The carburetor/airbox have been cleaned & re-installed. What a pain it's going to be to tune this carburetor, as you can't easily get to it with the airbox mounted. Any tips from you Tecate guys in this area?

Mr. Tecate has been ordering a lot of new, or lightly used, and/or upgraded parts lately, as we are finally starting to see the finish line.

[rpeters]

What a pain it's going to be to tune this carburetor, as you can't easily get to it with the airbox mounted. Any tips from you Tecate guys in this area?

Yes it is a pita, but I have found that some ultra high performance racing vehicles like, The TECATE...The Most Powerful 3 Wheeler In The Universe!, can be difficult to work on.

You can remove the pipe and oil fill cap and take it out the right side or remove the airbox, then remove the carb.

If you are running a straight thru, non spark arrestor silencer, and are at 2000 feet or less, and running pump gas, I would guess that starting with a main jet 2 sizes bigger than stock and the needle clip 1 position lower than stock should be a reasonable starting point.

[rpeters]

PS - Don't forget to tighten ALL your nuts and bolts...and rad shroud screws, after every ride. https://forum.mustang.org.au/Smileys/smilies/embarassed.gif

...or try this, you might get lucky.

https://www.holstersmith.com/vcom/images/jbweld1_1_600.jpg

[Red Rider]

You can remove the pipe and oil fill cap and take it out the right side or remove the airbox, then remove the carb.Oh ok, that should be a breeze then. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the tip Barns. It looks like we’ll be swapping out for a new carburetor anyway, as this one has too many issues.

[rpeters]

Oh ok, that should be a breeze then. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the tip Barns. It looks like we’ll be swapping out for a new carburetor anyway, as this one has too many issues.

LOL, well I didnt say it would be easy. It is unpleasant, but it is only around a 2 beer project.

If I remember correctly a Mikumi VM series carb will fit. None of the pricey fancy azz carbs will be any better.

[Red Rider]

PS - Don't forget to tighten ALL your nuts and bolts...and rad shroud screws, after every ride.Oh yeah! This isn't my friend's first Tecate. Everything has been assembled with blue Loctite so far. As a matter of fact, I just asked him to pick up some more, as we are running low on the first bottle. When I installed the carb the first time, the tank and pipe were off, and I attached the carb to the airbox, and then slid the airbox 90% into place. Then I installed the slide into the carb, and slid the airbox completely into place, while guiding the carb into the reed valve boot. This was fairly easy, and we will probably follow the same recipe during the jetting process. Hopefully, with the pipe in place, it won't be much more difficult. We are probably going to go with a Keihin PWK carburetor.

On my high-performance 250R, If I need to access the pilot jet, I remove the tank, pull the slide out of the carb, and loosen both carburetor boots. Then I simply rotate the carb, so I can remove the float bowl, which allows me to access the pilot jet. To make any main jet changes, nothing needs to be removed, except for the float bowl drain plug. I'm hoping the main jet will be just as easy on the Tecate, but we shall see.

[rpeters]

Yeah that is probably the hardest carb to remove on any old dirt bike or 3 wheeler I have ever worked on, and the snorkel obviously makes it harder. If they made an aftermarket air box for those, I would buy one then cut the snorkel off if it had one.

As you know, if the cylinder has been ported as well, you would get more power with a 1 or 2 mm bigger carb as you know, but that is going to make removing and installing it that much more fun, plus the throttle cable may be an issue, but I would hate to leave some hp on the table if the cylinder has already been modified.

Also, in case you didn't know, if you don't have a source where you can easily get original jets, Sudco in Long Beach still has them and will typically ship them the same day. I have bought over 100 jets an carb bowl gaskets from them in he last 2 years. 310-637-8330.

[rpeters]

On my high-performance 250R

You must have modified the engine quite a bit then. :p

I have posted before that I like the 250r, and that friggen engine is as smooth as butter. Our target market was just different than Hondas because we didn't want to build a trike that was geared towards the same people that the Honda was because we knew that our trikes would have just been collecting dust on the Showroom floor if we did that, so we intentionally made one that was a bit more "high performance" than the Honda in box stock form. Honda easily could have done the same thing but their goal was different, and in this particular case, they had a much larger target market,

[Red Rider]

If they made an aftermarket air box for those, I would buy one then cut the snorkel off if it had one.That was a Kawasaki trick done to Jimmy White's Tecate. It made carb removal possible without having to remove the tank. I will post the article for others to read.


As you know, if the cylinder has been ported as well, you would get more power with a 1 or 2 mm bigger carb as you know, but that is going to make removing and installing it that much more fun, plus the throttle cable may be an issue, but I would hate to leave some hp on the table if the cylinder has already been modified.Yes, it currently has a Mikuni TM38 on it, but it has seen better days. Luckily the boots have been pre-stretched by this carb.


Also, in case you didn't know, if you don't have a source where you can easily get original jets, Sudco in Long Beach still has them and will typically ship them the same day. I have bought over 100 jets an carb bowl gaskets from them in he last 2 years. 310-637-8330.Yep, I've used them before.

[Red Rider]

You must have modified the engine quite a bit then. :pJust some minor modifications to bolt on a CR 250R cylinder, and it's still as smooth as butta!


Our target market was just different than Hondas because we didn't want to build a trike that was geared towards the same people that the Honda was because we knew that our trikes would have just been collecting dust on the Showroom floor if we did that, so we intentionally made one that was a bit more "high performance" than the Honda in box stock form. Honda easily could have done the same thing but their goal was different, and in this particular case, they had a much larger target market,I totally understand, and mission accomplished!

[rpeters]

That was a Kawasaki trick done to Jimmy White's Tecate. It made carb removal possible without having to remove the tank. I will post the article for others to read.

Yes, it currently has a Mikuni TM38 on it, but it has seen better days. Luckily the boots have been pre-stretched by this carb.

Yep, I've used them before.

You obviously don't want to cut the snorkel on the original box these days because it is worth way too much and close to unobtainable, but I wonder if an 86 KX 250 air box could be easily modified to work.

I never saw that article, thanks for posting it. I'm glad Jimmy finally warmed up to the 86. I never saw him or spoke with Degaine about it once Jimmy started racing the 86, so I had no idea what they thought about it, but since he was winning on it, I figured it was ok, lol.

I think I posted this before, but here it is again in case you didn't see it. It was pretty funny to me at the time. We rented out Perris Raceway to do some testing on the KX250, and Jimmy was there with James Degaine testing the 86 Tecate getting it dialed in to start racing it, and he had a small basket on the front number plate with around a 20 lb weight in it, so I asked him what that was for, and he said it was because the front end was too light so it would push in the turns, so I told him to just sit up farther on the seat. He was not amused in the least, lol.

I intentionally made the front lighter than the previous years so it would be more balanced jumping, and the suspension would be much better balanced over whoops etc, plus it would have better traction than the previous years partially because of the rear being heavier. The 84/85 front was heavier which was better for flat track etc, but I rode motocross, so I basically made the 86 a motocross trike, lol.

R and D in Japan totally screwed us on that trike, because I only had 2 weeks to redesign literally half the friggen bike, the single biggest issue I didn't have time to fix was steering head shake, which should be reduced with just a little more trail, plus of course, a steering damper would help "irregardless".

.

[Red Rider]

You obviously don't want to cut the snorkel on the original box these days because it is worth way too much and close to unobtainable.Nope, the thought never even crossed my mind. I've seen too many Tecate guys looking for one.


I never saw that article, thanks for posting it.You're welcome.


I think I posted this before, but here it is again in case you didn't see it. It was pretty funny to me at the time. We rented out Perris Raceway to do some testing on the KX250, and Jimmy was there with James Degaine testing the 86 Tecate getting it dialed in to start racing it, and he had a small basket on the front number plate with around a 20 lb weight in it, so I asked him what that was for, and he said it was because the front end was too light so it would push in the turns, so I told him to just sit up farther on the seat. He was not amused in the least, lol.:lol:

[rpeters]

Hy, I have a stock swingarm for that bike if you know anyone that needs one.

[Red Rider]

After progress slowed down a bit over the holidays, (family obligations, and such) we should be able to spend a little more time on this, now that the new year is here, and life slows down a bit.

Progress to report:
1. Dynoport pipe/silencer fabrication started mid-December
2. Fork protectors/front brake caliper installed.
3. Front/rear brake lines ordered.
4. Key switch mounting tab welded to headlight mounting bracket.
5. Rear brake lever modified with billet toe pad.
6. Aluminum rear grab bar ordered.

After installing the fork protectors, and the front brake caliper, we jacked the Tecate up off of the ground, to get full suspension droop. Then we figured out the front brake line routing, and measured accordingly. We did the same for the rear brake line. The new stainless steel brake lines should be arriving in a week or two. Also, we found a trick, bolt on, folding, brake toe pad, that adds a nice, modern touch to the stock rear brake lever.

[knappyfeet]

Looks beautiful....impressive.

I'm struggling to keep my pile of crap at $2000.....I can't imagine what this is costing.

[Red Rider]

Looks beautiful....impressive.

I'm struggling to keep my pile of crap at $2000.....I can't imagine what this is costing.
Thanks for the kind words. I think mr. tecate quit counting a while ago, and is afraid to actually add it all up. :lol: I know for sure it has exceeded our initial estimates on what it was going to cost, but he did change his mind, halfway through, on what he wanted for the finished product. Once we started seeing it come together, he decided he didn't want to cut any corners anywhere. Like my 250R, he plans on keeping this Tecate forever, and wants to build it accordingly.

[Red Rider]

Since the billet triple clamps from BVC have a totally different profile, when compared to the OEM triple clamps, the clutch & throttle cables are now a bit too short. Since we had a nice used clutch cable, that was too long, which came with a used 2012 KX 250F front clutch perch, I decided to try my hand at shortening the KX clutch cable, and then soldering on a new barrel end. Mr tecate also bought a used, front brake, master cylinder, for a 2012 KX 250F at the same time as the clutch perch. This will allow us to easily upgrade to a set of modern, break away, clutch/brake levers. A few hours work in the garage tonight, and we have a custom length clutch cable! I'm still waiting on a longer throttle cable to arrive, and then it will get the same custom shortening treatment.

[Red Rider]

The new throttle cable & front/rear Stainless Steel, braided, brake lines arrived today. Both of the brake lines are custom length, and were made to order by Venhill. They have a nice, clear, protective coating on them, and I am very pleased with the quality of the lines, and all of the hardware. Everything looks top notch! My original plan was to shorten the new throttle cable, and get that installed today, but I was more interested in seeing the new rear brake line mounted, so I did that instead. The rear brake line came with 2 rubber grommets (for brake line clamps) pre-installed, and the longer front brake line has a total of 3 grommets. The HRE swingarm only has 1 mount, for a brake line clamp, so I cut off, and removed, the other grommet from the line. Later on today, I will get to messing with the throttle cable.

[Red Rider]

I got the new throttle cable cut down to size, and all of the appropriate Tecate twist throttle-to-PWK carburetor hardware installed tonight. We now have a properly routed throttle cable, with an adequate amount of slack in it for full, lock-to-lock, turns. I also temporarily mounted the new front brake line. The new 38mm PWK Airstriker looks right at home on the Tecate.

[Red Rider]

I fabbed up a front, brake line guide/clamp for the fork protector today. I added a clear, stiffening tube over the lower portion, of the front brake line, to prevent it from bending in that location. Some clear, heat shrink was then added, over the stiffening tube, to hold it in place. I strive for that OEM look.

[mr tecate]

red rider you are the man cant thank u enough for all the hard work u have put in this bike its coming together nicely

[6spdls1z28]

Is everyone else seeing the pictures they’re not showing for me


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[oldskool83]

Is everyone else seeing the pictures they’re not showing for me


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


STOP using your phone and use a computer and it will show up. The sites does not like certain phones. I can not even upload photos via my phone but if i do it off a real desk top I can see everything and do anything on here. The phones are the issue. Stupid phones. Good progress on the green thing. Should i kept going on mine. Oh well, easier to watch others spend the money!

[6spdls1z28]

STOP using your phone and use a computer and it will show up. The sites does not like certain phones. I can not even upload photos via my phone but if i do it off a real desk top I can see everything and do anything on here. The phones are the issue. Stupid phones. Good progress on the green thing. Should i kept going on mine. Oh well, easier to watch others spend the money!

If my computer didn’t take a dump I’d be using it. Trust me I would love to go back when nobody had a stupid cell phone.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Red Rider]

Is everyone else seeing the pictures they’re not showing for meI'm sorry to hear that. If you could see them, you'd stand on the threshold, to the magical world of sensual delights, that most men dare not dream of. :)

[6spdls1z28]

I'm sorry to hear that. If you could see them, you'd stand on the threshold, to the magical world of sensual delights, that most men dare not dream of. :)

I switched to the desktop view on my phone and i can see them now. Very nice build you have there. I wish I had my tecate back. Another member on here bought mine so I still see pictures of it


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[Red Rider]

I switched to the desktop view on my phone and i can see them now. Very nice build you have there. I wish I had my tecate back. Another member on here bought mine so I still see pictures of itThank you. I'm not sure if that would torture, or comfort me, seeing someone else own my old ride.

[6spdls1z28]

Thank you. I'm not sure if that would torture, or comfort me, seeing someone else own my old ride.

He restored it. It’s just a garage queen now. Trust me I didn’t want to sell it I had to. I rolled my wife’s bronco. She was still my girlfriend at the time. Sold it to buy her another one.


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[Red Rider]

He restored it. It’s just a garage queen now. Trust me I didn’t want to sell it I had to. I rolled my wife’s bronco. She was still my girlfriend at the time. Sold it to buy her another one.You did what you had to do to keep her happy.

[Red Rider]

It took a little bit longer than expected, but I managed to get the rear brakes bled last night. No fancy vacuum pump necessary here, just the old fashioned, tried & true, brake bleeding procedure:

1. Put 8mm box wrench on bleed valve.
2. Attach clear brake bleed hose to bleed valve.
3. Put other end of brake bleed hose into a jar of brake fluid, and keep the loose end of hose submerged in brake fluid.
4. Fill the reservoir with clean brake fluid.
5. Depress the brake pedal.
6. Crack open the bleed valve.
7. Watch for air bubbles to come out of bleed valve.
8. Close the bleed valve.
9. Repeat steps 5-8, and step 4 as necessary, to ensure reservoir never runs dry and sucks in air, until brake pedal is no longer spongy, but firm.

It is a small reservoir, but I must have refilled it at least 15 times, before I had gotten all of the air out of the line.

[Red Rider]

There's been a whole lot of progress on the Tecate as of late. Now that all of the handlebar controls are finalized, I was able to get the hacked-up, wiring harness, & connections all sorted out, and tidied up. The original, OEM kill switch had seen better days, so we found a nice billet kill switch to use instead. The headlight switch was missing altogether, and the lights were wired to be on continuously. To solve the lighting issue, I found the OEM lighting switch for a Kawasaki KLX 300 to be pretty close to the Tecate's, if not exact, and it was still available from Kawasaki. During the re-wiring process, the Tecate wiring diagram was a very nice asset to have. It guided me correctly throughout, and when it was all complete, we got spark! I also incorporated an '87 key switch, into the wiring harness at the same time.

After tearing into the wiring harness, I still can't believe this thing ran when we got it. So many connections were just stripped wires, twisted together, and wrapped with electrical tape. Although at some point, the previous owner really stepped up their electrical game, and used crimped-together connections, and then proceeded to wrap those with electrical tape. :rolleyes:

We had no luck finding an aftermarket, aluminum grab bar for a 1986-87 Tecate, so we got an AC Racing, grab bar for a 200X/350X, and then modified it to fit. As an added benefit, this grab bar is longer, so I was able to extend it out as far as possible, which will compensate for the +4" longer swingarm, if we ever want, or need, to stand the bike up on it's tail.

[El Camexican]

That trike is gorgeous! Great work!!!

[Red Rider]

When this build first started, one of the first things we purchased was a CEET tank skin, to cover up the typical, stained, original tank. Now that mr tecate has decided to go all in on this Tecate, he purchased a new Clarke gas tank. We had read quite a few complaints about Clarke's plastic gas caps breaking fairly quickly, and since mr tecate likes all things billet, he purchased a billet gas cap from Clarke as well. We knew about the dreaded blemish, from the Tecate tank mold at Clarke, but had also heard, that the blemish isn't too bad on the latest Tecate tanks from them. On this tank, the blemish is there, but honestly, it isn't too bad. I've definitely seen worse ones. It is still a shame that it is there at all though. The color, of the tank, matches the ORI front fender nicely, but is no where near as shiny. After snapping a few pics of the tank, mr tecate took it, so he could drop it off at his buddy's body shop, where it will get the blemish sanded out, and the tank polished up a bit.

[ATC King]

It's looking super nice.


That was a good call on the cap.

I think it was after the vent nipple broke on the second cap, I bought a billet one. Not from Clarke though, because if the cap that came with the tank wouldn't hold up better than that, it felt like a forced upsale. I don't remember ever having a OEM plastic cap break like that. I bought a Tusk brand one.

There was a bit of concern about how it would play with the plastic tank threads, but after years of use, there's no damage. I don't get carried away with tightening it though.

[Red Rider]

Thanks ATC King. We did see the billet caps from Tusk, but they weren't available in green, and the Clarke ones were. Then, mr tecate decided to go bare aluminum instead of the green, because it didn't look like Clarke's green anodizing would match the green anodizing everywhere else on his Tecate.

[Red Rider]

Here's a pic of the dreaded Clarke, Tecate tank mold blemish, after sanding out the blemish, and lightly polishing the entire tank. We're pretty pleased with the outcome.

[86T3]

Beautiful build, you continue to out-do yourself. A group of us East Coasters are meeting up with our West Coast brethren in the dunes next week, you and Mr. Tecate should come out if you can

[Red Rider]

Thanks 86T3. Sounds fun, but this is still a ways from being completed, but we’re definitely getting closer. The new pipe is finally enroute!

[Red Rider]

Mr tecate finally received his new Dynoport pipe this afternoon. He brought it out tonight, so we could check it out, and see how well it fits. It's a little bit tight, against the rear of the cylinder/head area, but nothing a few well-placed spacers, on the exhaust hangers, won't cure. We wish the ceramic coating was a bit shinier, but all in all, we're pretty pleased with it. Some light buffing, with a micro-fiber towel, did seem to improve the sheen of the coating quite a bit, so we'll have to give that a try.

[El Camexican]

It’s tempting to want a chrome pipe on a ride like that, but long term that coating will outlast chrome by decades. This has got to be one of the best looking Tecate builds of all time :beer

[Red Rider]

It’s tempting to want a chrome pipe on a ride like that, but long term that coating will outlast chrome by decades. This has got to be one of the best looking Tecate builds of all time :beerIf Dynoport had offered a chrome finish, I'm sure mr tecate would have gone that route. We considered getting a bare pipe, and sending it out to be chromed, but that was going to be crazy expensive. Thanks for the kind words. This is the first time I've done a build from the ground up. It's been a huge learning experience, for mr tecate and myself, and more importantly, it's been a ton of fun.

[Red Rider]

Last night, I spent some time fine tuning the pipe fitment. I finally got it fitting nicely, where it clears the cylinder/head, and the R radiator-to-water pump hose. The radiators, radiator louvers, hoses, & radiator shrouds are all mounted now. It's almost there!

[knappyfeet]

Last night, I spent some time fine tuning the pipe fitment. I finally got it fitting nicely, where it clears the cylinder/head, and the R radiator-to-water pump hose. The radiators, radiator louvers, hoses, & radiator shrouds are all mounted now. It's almost there!

After looking at this porn I don't want to go back to my 200X.

Looks great!

[Red Rider]

After looking at this porn I don't want to go back to my 200X.

Looks great!Thank you. Yeah, the little porn actress loves to bare it all for the camera.

[Red Rider]

I test fit the rear fenders today, and had to snap a pic. Unfortunately, it is evident that the pipe fitment will need to be massaged yet again, as I don't like how close the stinger portion, of the exhaust, is to the rear fender tunnel.

[HondaRidr]

This machine is turning out :drool::drool::drool:. You do great work!

[Red Rider]

Thank you. Seeing it side by side, with my 250R, it's obvious I need to show my R some love, and polish her up a bit.

[El Camexican]

I test fit the rear fenders today, and had to snap a pic. Unfortunately, it is evident that the pipe fitment will need to be massaged yet again, as I don't like how close the stinger portion, of the exhaust, is to the rear fender tunnel.

One of the things I love about an unfinished pipe is that you can bolt it on and then just warm up the connections to Cherry red with a torch and all the metal relaxes into place. The pipe fits like a glove from then on. It’s too bad you couldn’t have done that before that pipe got coated.

[Red Rider]

One of the things I love about an unfinished pipe is that you can bolt it on and then just warm up the connections to Cherry red with a torch and all the metal relaxes into place. The pipe fits like a glove from then on. It’s too bad you couldn’t have done that before that pipe got coated.Yeah, I prefer the unfinished look myself, but mr tecate, not so much. The pipe came ceramic coated from Dynoport, so we never had the option to test fit it first unfortunately. It is what it is, and we will have to deal with it now.

I'm curious how the welds look after using your method? I would imagine, heating up the entire pipe cherry red, would degrade all of the beautiful heat marks, around all of the pipe joints?

[El Camexican]

Yeah, I prefer the unfinished look myself, but mr tecate, not so much. The pipe came ceramic coated from Dynoport, so we never had the option to test fit it first unfortunately. It is what it is, and we will have to deal with it now.

I'm curious how the welds look after using your method? I would imagine, heating up the entire pipe cherry red, would degrade all of the beautiful heat marks, around all of the pipe joints?

You can sand off the heat marks that you don’t like with say 600 grit paper and some WD-40 and if you want to replace or any you can just take a torch and add them back on. It takes a little bit of playing with, but if you get it wrong you can just sand the marks off and start again.