Yamaha Tri-Z 250 N
This trike was bought for $550 in ok condition, to say the least it needed allot of work done. The right radiator shroud was missing. The rear fenders were badly oxidized, so was the front, not as bad. The headlights were glued in and lenses were all scratched up. The light/kill switch was hanging off and the top was missing. The fork boots were black from mold. The rear rims were steel and rusted. A few things had to be fixed before I could even ride it: The right foot peg was missing, so I used an old motorcycle peg. The clutch would not disengage. I took off the clutch cover only to find out it was simply missing a lock washer on the basket cover adjustment and it had worked loose. The front brake line had a hole in it and because it didn't have back brakes, I went to a junkyard and got one off an old bike. The head of the swing arm bolt was snapped off (later I would find out why), so I put a nut on the end and welded it up. The first rideDuring the first try-out I was surprised by how tipsy it was and the cornering sucked. I decided that I would need 18" or 20' tires. I discovered that the rear shock was blown and I had to stand up on every big bump. I was scared to jump her. The kick-start would not return by itself, you had to do it by hand Started putting money into the ZThe first places I went to look for parts were E-bay and 3-wheeler world.com. I bought the parts that I needed the most. I found a guy, Mike, on 3ww that had allot of extra parts. Parts I got from Mike Foot pegs Rear brake foot pedal Light/kill switch Front sprocket washer and nut Rear 41-tooth sprocket Headlight assembly Headlight guard Gold rims with 18" tires Rear taillight Front fender Fork boots Black radiator shrouds that I later traded for yellow ones. Total was $240 w/ shipping. Parts I got from E-bay  
Parts I got from Dealer
Sign makerI had to get my Tri-Z stickers custom made because they were a discontinued part. I had them made bigger then stock ones. Tri-Z stickers w/ clear overlay $25 After $850 in Parts
Now you might say it looks good and I'm crazy if I put any more money into it, but I still wasn't satisfied. After this stage I was quite pleased with the Z, but the frame was all chipped up and rusted in spots. After I took it to a MX track and rode for 3 days I started to have a slight wobble in the rear end. The next time I went on a riding trip, it got real bad. I decided to tear it completely apart. When taking out the swing arm bearings, bushings, and seals, I noticed two bearings and two seals were missing. That's why the bolt head on the swing arm bolt was snapped off, The guy that owned it before me tried to close the extra space caused from not putting all the necessary parts in. Parts I ordered
More parts from E-bay 
 
 
Powder paintworkSince I had it apart I wanted to paint that ugly frame. I started looking around for a powder coating place that would paint my frame and parts. Most places didn't even want to do it. I talked with an owner of one place that was real cool and had good prices. I got the price down even more by sandblasting the parts myself. He gave me a price of $275. Did these parts in Safety YellowFrame Exhaust cover Axle bearing carrier Sprocket hub Rotor hub Did these parts in Almost ChromeSwing Arm Swing Arm guard Foot pegs Headlight guard Kick Starter Gear Shifter Work I did while waiting for Parts and Paint jobWhat I really wanted to do was the phase I Yamaha Wrench Report. I had done a compression check and it was right at 170p.s.i. So I figured it wasn't that badly worn. I took the head and cylinder off, and there were no deep scratches. The rings were worn pretty well. I ordered a 4th over Wiseco piston w/ 2 day shipping. They didn't have it in stock and said they would have it in one day. They sent it over night shipping just so it would get to me in two days, now that service. I found a dirt bike shop that did machine work and asked to get it honed and checked for specs. The clearance was in specification. I wouldn't suggest doing it this way, you really should get the cylinder checked before buying a piston. I got the exhaust raised 1.5mm and the head milled down .55mm, the wrench report only called for .5mm but I run race gas anyway. I had them put in an extra boost port 24mm high by 12mm wide, and the other one enlarged to the same size. He also cleaned up the ports for me. Total was $120. 
More Parts I bought 
 
 
 
Trike being assembled
=One Nice Tri-Z $3000but I had a fun time restoring it. |
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