catch a tiger by the toe

[kaymo]

i had a better solution to that problem. new thread. NO BS PLEASE THANKS!!

I found this tiger 500 languishing in a motorcycle scrap yard. took all of my being to keep a poker face, i knew what it was.

i got out of there with it for a great deal. the wheels arent original they were labeled trimoto yamaha but they will fit

the forks are gone. wayy too rusty. going to try and fit 250r forks i have. i have read 36 and 40mm on size, im guessing 40 is correct but i talked to someone who said their 250r forks were 39mm. close enough for me ill make that work.

ive fixed worse machines to showroom quality, but nothing as hard to get parts for. Im talking to a few members with parts they are willing to sell me and i appreciate their help. also have a few folks looking for an engine for me. their help is appreciated as well.


my last thread got really trashed up so I ask that only people post that have parts they wish to offer to sell me (or better donate to the cause!) or information on anything that could help this machine live again. those that would post nasty comments can keep them to themselves (find something better to do with your time) or i will lock it fast and ask anyone wanting to talk to private message me. I would rather avoid that but I dont have time for any other BS thanks!!!

[Dirtweed]

That is a great find, good luck getting it back together!!!

[just ben]

I would send the fork tubes to forks by frank to have new ones made rather than try to fit something else to it.

[kaymo]

do any idea what something like that would cost? i understand the parts to rebuild them are hard to find as well

[blue27]

Great find, shoot me a PM I can help find some parts and I can make reproduction decals when you are ready.

[SteveCZ28]

yay, i was actually half pissed when i saw your other thread get trashed. i hate when something cool like this gets ripped apart.
sadly i dont have parts or any info to help you out. but im anxious to see what you can do to this machine. like i said in the other thread, i absolutley love reading stories like this, with such a great piece of history. kudos to you for finding this diamond in the rough.

[ps2fixer]

Subbed (again) lol. Looking forward to seeing photos as you fix it up.

I wonder what kind of production numbers there were for the tigers, I know they are rare.

[ebaccm26]

Seriously an awesome find, good luck bringing it back to life.

[Mickey Dunlap]

Well I'm kind of happy for, but mostly sorry it's not going to be mine

There is a guy sell a Super 4 and a nice looking 250 half way done that you might get a hold of in CT.

chaplin-kawasaki-polaris is the sellers name on e-bay.

Good luck fixing it up.

[El Camexican]

i had a better solution to that problem. new thread. NO BS PLEASE THANKS!!

Much better! Super find, thank you for sharing!

[robertc]

I would send the fork tubes to forks by frank to have new ones made rather than try to fit something else to it.

Although this would normally be an excellent suggestion, the forks he has are the only set they haven't been able to reproduce. I know because I sent mine to them, and they sent them back. The older woman (franks wife?) told me it was the first time they could not reproduce the tubes. I was crushed, thought for a few weeks my fork worries were over. Restoring one of these is much more than I ever anticipated when first starting. I sent mine to the following company after a referral from the referral that I was given by Franks.

http://www.ecgrinding.com/

I may have some 500 motor parts for you, as well as some leads for the bits and pieces(PM sent). Good luck with your rare beauty!

[TatTooL23]

So jealous.... Very cool man. Months ago a motor for a 500 came up near me. I actually went back and further a few times with the guy. Was going to buy it just cuz I knew it was rare but never did. I can try to find any info on it but I don't think I have any.

[Toaster556]

If the forks are 40 or 38 mm Marzocchi units, various vintage KTMS, Can Ams and Montessas all sported them. Perhaps you could use fork tubes from one of them with the original sliders. Can Am also had the same Rotax 486 motor in their 500ASE and 500MX bikes, as well as some Puchs. Classic Can Am may be able to help you with parts, they list a few suppliers that specialize in the old Rotax stuff.
Awesome find nonetheless, and for sure a cool project!

[kaymo]

Well I'm kind of happy for, but mostly sorry it's not going to be mine

There is a guy sell a Super 4 and a nice looking 250 half way done that you might get a hold of in CT.

chaplin-kawasaki-polaris is the sellers name on e-bay.

Good luck fixing it up.

i never said i WOULDNT sell it to ya! haha just havent decided yet. I have been meaning to call you its just been crazy around here. I think i may have lost your other number in the deleted thread, so you can PM me if you didnt PM it to me already (you may have i might have forgotten)



I would like to thank everyone in my new thread. this is more like it!

I know i upset a few folks talking about modifying this machine to put a different engine in it, but I spoke to someone who had ridden a machine with the mighty 500 on it and described it as a hard to start vibrating monster that was just itching to throw you off if you touched the throttle the wrong way. I am not a 2 smoker fan to begin with, i enjoy electric start as well as 4 stroke torque on demand and the ability to putt around

that being said, i may end up putting an engine in it because i want to ride this beast but dont feel the need to restore it original or have 500ccs on tap. now if i find one for a good deal i know it will increase its value and wouldnt pass it up but im not going to stress myself about it either way.

right now im just going to clean it up, park it in my shop and finish other things to get them out of the way for more important projects such as this.


again thank you all for the nice clean new thread. lets keep it up!

[fabiodriven]

You would be surprised what a 500cc two stroke is like. It's not going to do anything your right thumb (or wrist) doesn't tell it to do. They do have tons of power on tap, yes, but the low end torque and mid range power make it far different than 125 or 250cc two strokes. It's much more manageable and a pleasure to ride in my opinion, although I'm not familiar at all with Rotax's version. People are always scared of 500 two strokes and maybe some people should be, but it's not going to do anything you don't tell it to. It's your bike, do what you want, but if you want a four stroke there's plenty of 350X's out there.