Suzuki 2 Strokes

Ah yes, but do they purr?

The cats don't, the bikes do!

Popped into the post office today and taxed the 550!
Yup, declared MOT exempt , histerical, change of colour to 'Multicoloured' and different engine number and the nice lady sorted the V5 and sent it off to DVLA.
No, I haven't done anything else to the bike, but it's now road legal. last road tax ran out in July 1981.
Just shows what a pisspottical system it is without the MOT, but I'll have one done when it's all finished just for peace of mind.
Oh and she did say that if it wasn't insured, (it is), the DVLA will send me a letter in a couple of weeks with a £100 fine for not having an insured vehicle.
You couldn't make it up.

Long time since I updated this due to several other projects on the go and life in general being very busy, so....

Dieseled the crank several times and it seemed ok with 'nice' big and small ends and no movement on the crank anywhere, so we'll carry on. 

A couple of weeks later.........

All extra bits stripped off the engine and started to clean the (very dirty) cases with all sorts of crap shifting chemicals with limited success as I didn't want to split the cases.
However, it wasn't going to be good enough without proper cleaning, so I stripped the gubbins out and split the cases. Gearbox and selectors seem ok but there's a tiny bit of movement on the crank bearings. (Bugger!!!)
It looks like Chris Applebee will be doing another one then (Double bugger!!!) as he's already got the crank from tbe Earwig!

That's a dirty bottom!

Not updated this for ages, but full details so far here clicky linky
Suffice to say that the engine has been remantled and installed, wiring harnesses fitted, oil pump etc. fitted & bled, carbs on and testing is ongoing due to many mismatches.
Did you know that each model of 550 has a different harness with wiring that doesn't correlate with any other? Me neither, and with both halves of the harness butchered by a po so that Lucas Rita ignition could be fitted, a new 'correct' rear half was sourced - and wasn't correct, of course, a reasonably priced J front harness is NLA, so as I have a good spare L harness, that has been modified to fit, but oh what fun that's been....
Anyway, hopefully this will be running next week - whistle see.......

Progress is steady but onward!
Full story so far here - clicky linky.
Anyway, reworked the two (wrong) half wiring harnesses to make a good one that does what it should and now all the lights work, electric start operates (but not well, so I'll have to have another look at that). Noticed that the original headlamp glass has a crack in, so after almost having a heart attack at the prices of '7" motorcycle headlight units' I decided that an identical '7" car unit' at a fraction of the price would do just fine.
I'm still finding 'wrong' nos parts - like the tacho cable that's about 6" too long so it looks awful - new one ordered and should be here this weekend. Fitted a new/old single pull throttle twistgrip and set the carbs - not fitting the airbox until the engine is running though. Rechromed centre downpipe fitted to match the outers (with spring lugs) so the exhaust is complete at least.
Timing still to do and then we'll go for startup. I'll warn the neighbours as there will be plenty of smoke due to all the build up oil used!! More pics soon.

Click the link if no pic appears......

Alan H wrote: Timing still to do and then we'll go for startup. I'll warn the neighbours as there will be plenty of smoke due to all the build up oil used!! More pics soon.

Ah yes... I still recall the 'biblical' amounts of smoke the A100 managed to produce after sitting idle for decade or so...

A good day yesterday - after a morning farting about in the greenhouse/garden, I got the bikes out and fitted a led bulb to the new headlamp reflector (Land Rover, not motorbike as they are about half price). Hmmm, not too impressed, so fitted a HID unit in and that's really bright, so that's another non standard item staying on then....
The electric start hadn't been right and kept slipping/kicking out when the plugs were fitted (ok just spinning the engine though?) so took the clutch case off & stripped the clutch. Found the Borg Warner one way clutch was 'tired' so swapped it for a brand new CCI one (cheap chinky import) which seems to have sorted the issue. Remantled the clutch & case and all seems well now. Timed the engine and now ready for a start, hopefully - that'll be today's job if it stays fine. I know I had a rechromed brake pedal 'somewhere safe', but Gawd knows where that has ended up, so it might mean another trip to Agbrigg chromers on monday. The second new tacho cable is about 6" too long so a wtf letter will be sent, in the meantime, I fitted an old one and the tacho works anyway.
Progress indeed at last, I just hope the light at the end of the tunnel isn't a train coming this way......

The bike actually started 1st push after a new Borg Warner starter clutch was fitted, and with a bit of fine tuning ticked over quietly.
I'll do a full 'report' later this week, when hopefully it will be compete - if I can find the bloody tank badges.....
They are in a safe place. A VERY safe place. I think.
I'll also do a few pics showing some of the non-standard bits.
Although if you look carefully, you can see 5 at least.
And I know there's no decals on.

Nice one. Alan

Cheers Geoff

Beautiful work! Enjoy!

Well, fitted a new back brake switch and non standard bracket, so the rivet counters will have summat else to moan about, but at least the brake light works with both brakes now.
I went out on the bike a few days ago, but it had a bad misfire, so came back home and went out on the Earwig instead, so I decided to sort the misfire out yesterday.
It appeared to be the left pot, so I swapped the condenser and.....no difference.
OK then, change the points, even though they were (supposedly) new ones 12 miles ago.
When I took them off the newish points plate and carefully examined the faces, it appeared that they had some slight pitting and (not seen this before) a cross cut in every point face. Not oem then.
Now there are several different types and styles of points but fortunately, I had a set that fit, so installed those and set them to the marks. Checked several times, and hit the button. Fired up ok and after a few seconds, dropped to a steady tickover while I got hat & gloves on. Ran much better and did a couple of miles without issue - at least up to just over 4000rpm, so hopefully that's sorted. Not convinced the HID headlight looks 'right', so I think that might be swapped with the Earwig headlight with a led bulb in.
Hopefully it's a decent forecast for thursday, so might get a few miles on the bike after the full engine rebuild/rebore and it starts to loosen up a bit before the weather gets too cold.
New badges fitted too so the bike is complete - well, as close as all rebuilds are.....

Long time no update and the Yeti has been running, but with a horrible misfire, so after redoing the timing several times, changing condensers, points, plugs caps (non resistor types) and coils, what next?
Well herewego.......

Well, after a busy few days doing 'other stuff', I managed to get some garage time today.
Firstly the GS wouldn't start, but there's hardly any fuel in the tank, so it might need some clear fuel line so I can see if it's getting to the carbs. I'm a bit disappointed that Mr. Canneloni didn't fit a fuel gauge to it.
Hippo started 1st press, so it may have self repaired, so that's a positive too.

Anyway, Yeti - took the points plate off to get to the cam base and with a bit of gentle tapping - ok, twatting the thing with a 'special' removing implement that looked like a specially ground screwdriver - it came off. Measured up, it's about 0.25mm thicker than Barney's 'proper' one and in different places, so it appears that it may be a 380 cam. I don't have a spare Hippo cam (I don't think) and they aren't easily identifiable unless someone knows different.
Tested points voltage and all were 11.6v. Not too bad I reckon as the volts have to go from battery + to ignition switch, kill switch, coils (as well as other places), then to points. Battery 12.46v.
Tried to set the timing, and left and right were easy but centre was miles off. Compared points sets and the centre one was different as was it's own back plate so not enough adjustment, so were relegated to Mr. Bin and checked stock for better. Sorted out points etc. into ND and K boxes for future use. Compared some spare ND and K plates and found that they weren't all the same so it appears that there are a 'few' 380 (or Hippo?) ones.
Looks like I need more boxes....
Finally managed to get a backplate that allowed all points to be set correctly - gap and actual timing - and set all the lot up. Only took about 2 hours, but I did repair a plug spanner and sorted loads of electrical parts as well.
Petrol on prime, choke on, hit the button and fired up straight away and revved cleanly and ticked over perfect. No time for a quick blast as it was teatime.
GS started 1st push as did Hippo. Poor Earwig had no attention today, but will have 'her' clutch adjusted tomorrow hopefully so will be ok for a run out.

sounds like a good day's dibble.

Out on both 550s today. Earwig clutch adjusted, so no slip and really flies. Fortunately with 3 discs, stops too!!
Yeti went out and did 50 miles to Squires bike meet and ran beautiful, but little smoke. When I got home, found that the oil pump cable had become detached, so pump working at minimum. Chucked some 2T oil in the petrol tank 'just in case' and will have to make a better nylon nipple catcher for the pump arm. All going according to plan then......