Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1542902
36 Trail Rider www.TrailRider.com Let's be clear, this wasn't a restora on. Basically, what we did here was strip down an old bike, inspect all components, and replace anything and everything that looked red or should be replaced if one actually intends to use the bike. The motor appeared to be sound (shi ed fine, clutch worked, and compression was stout), so we elected to leave it in the frame. The carcass was hauled out to the backyard, where it was degreased and thoroughly pressure-washed. The real me consisted of cleaning and sanding all parts for pain ng. Yeah, it's a ra le-can job, but decent results can be obtained in your backyard with good prep and quality paints. Reassembly day is the most rewarding of a vintage project, best handled on a day off with no one around but the dog and your Led Zeppelin collec on. This is when it all comes together. As one who likes bling, I'd replaced as much of the rusty hardware as possible. These old DT Yamahas are pre y bikes when done right, thanks to all the chrome nuts and bolts. I've been buying hardware kits from Motodad24 on eBay for quite some me now. The quality of Motodad's parts is awesome and rela vely inexpensive. His kits make projects such as this, really pop. As for the controls, even though the stock bars weren't bent, I'd been hoarding a pair of NOS chrome Yamaha DT bars that got the nod for this project. And for grips, our buddy Paul Stannard hooked us up with a new pair of Preston Pe y Products Works GP grips. Period-correct, yet so much easier on the hands than those horrid stock waffle grips. With the triple trees painted sa n black, all the new chrome hardware glistens in the sunlight. As for the electrical system, like many vintage rides, we soon learned why this bike had been parked with so few miles on the odometer: there was no spark to the plug. Electronic igni on systems were in their infancy during the early to mid-70s, with 1975 being the first year for CDI igni on on a Yamaha Enduro. Mitsubishi was the manufacturer, and they were prone to failure. Having enjoyed fantas c results with Vape igni on systems on several vintage rides, we chose to replace the en re OEM igni on system with a new Vape system from the Czech Republic. Electri- cal systems can be in mida ng, but there's no need to sweat over this one. The Vape system is truly plug 'n play. We began by pulling the stock flywheel and stator, removing the old CDI box and igni on coil, and trash-canning the en re mess.