Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1162341
September2019 33 I'd stopped to chat with the hiker, and he'd men oned he had an old Yamaha 400cc Enduro buried in his barn. He'd lost interest long ago and was looking to unload. Interest- ed I was, and he'd scratched his number on a napkin that I'd lost only a few miles down the trail. A couple years lat- er, I'd visited my buddy Caleb Humphrey of Humphrey's Small Engine & Motorsport for some snowblower parts. Lurking in the corner sat a yellow 1975 Yamaha DT400. Immediately remembering the one that got away, I'd asked Caleb if he bought it from a guy in Casco. The an- swer was yes. My next ques on was if he'd be interested in selling it to me. Caleb sadly said no; he had plans for it. Truth be told, I'd long forgo en about that DT400 un l a month ago when Caleb reached out and asked me if I s ll might be interested in the Yamaha. Oh yes was the answer, and Augie, my trusty sidekick, and I hopped into the Sprinter headed for Humphrey's. Expec ng some sort of nego a on process, I asked Caleb what he needed to get for it. His answer was "It's yours; enjoy the project." Love it. Within minutes, the old DT400 was loaded up and the games began a few hours later. As I've said before, what I enjoy the most about these vintage projects is the story that unfolds. Like most, this one was filthy, covered in years of barn dust, but it was apparent the bike had spent li le me out in the weath- er. The fact that it was pre y much unmolested right down to the original bars, grips and levers showed it hadn't seen any real hard use. With only 2300 miles on the odometer, I'd inspected tell-tale signs such as foot peg wear and brake pivots and all seemed ght. Once I spun the front re to find the odometer actually worked, I believed the mileage to be true. Rare for a Maine bike as most are ridden into the ground with li le le to work with. Mainers are a resourceful lot and spend li le me or energy on fluff — this old DT being no different. When the seat cover turned bri le and split, a leg of a pair of Levis was slipped over. Mainers love fishing, and it's not uncommon for racks to be fi ed to trail bikes. With a li le Yankee ingenuity, along with a few pieces of scrap steel and an old luggage rack from a street bike, had been fi ed. An olive drab green U.S. Army pack fastened securely with nuts and bolts would have held tackle, along with the fresh catch. With a decent length of nylon rope wrapped around the crossbar, those in need could have been pulled out of precarious situa ons. Along with these add-ons, the bike had been fi ed with decent res of the day, Goodyear Eagle MX's front and rear.