September 2024 37
The Kenda Klassic looks just right on an older bike
with the tread pa ern so similar to the highly
respected Metzeler Mul Cross from back in the
day. As with any old drum brake bike, replacing the
shoes is always best. Even if they might s ll appear
to have life le , the shoe material has a habit of
separa ng from the shoe itself, resul ng in "stack-
ing." That's when one shoe gets on top of the other,
promptly locking the brakes. We've been there, and
it typically results in a bloody mess. The hunt for
new brake shoes was also interes ng. A ermarket
shoes typically can be found for just under 40 bucks
a set. Who would have guessed Yamaha s ll offers
a brake shoe kit, springs included, priced at well un-
der 30 bucks? 50+ years old, and Yamaha s ll offers
many OEM parts. That tells a story of its own.
In the end, this was a pre y fun build that was
rela vely cheap to complete without taking too
much me. Being a DT1MX made it unique enough
to deserve the effort. Having well under 1500 bucks
in the project made it painless, and listening to that
factory GYT pipe crackle is a trip back to simpler
mes.
