'87 tecate 3 parts

[Overponder]

Hi guys,new to the site,just acquired a tecate 3 to go with my '86atc 250r and '86tri-z 250,I'm looking to Restore it back to its former glory days with a few well needed accessories,I would like a repro coolant tank,a wider axle,info on original tyre makes,and basically any good stuff for this machine without going to far away from original,many thanks and great site by the way,regards.

[TheBlueWale]

Hey, you will want to get in contact with john swinehart about the repro parts, broncobeast still has some new extended axles fro the 86/7 in the 3ww store, and also please post some pictures of your collection and the Tecate.

[Overponder]

Thanks for that my friend,I appreciate any help trying to keep the tecate dream alive,bits over here quite rare,thanks again,regards.

[jeswinehart]

Thanks for the referral Erik, Over pounder just contacted me.

john

[barnett468]

Hello overponder

Sounds like you're doing a resto to stock. I actually did the test development and lot's of engineering on this model when I worked at Kawi Rand D so I'm quite fond of them and love to see them stock so I will tell you where you can get a lot of nos parts if you want including a new nos rear fender which may be gone by the time you read this because someone else will see it and buy it. The orig tire mfg was Dunlop but you won't likely find the original pattern in new or good used.


http://www.xtremeusa.com/


Original rear fender

http://www.xtremeusa.com/pages/OemPa...1986/090203D-8



Hope this helps. I'll try to answer any questions about it for you if others can't.

[barnett468]

try here for tires

http://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/c/43/81/165/ATV-Tires

[Overponder]

Hi barnett468, thanks for the reply-the tecate I have is on its original rubber,it's just there a bit worn,I would like to bling the old girl up a bit,I'm gonna get the frame powder coated amongst other bits,I understand the swingarm is aluminium on these,any knowledge of these been polished up by anyone? Also wheel rims-can they've polished or is it new Douglas rims I see on the mint tecate pictures on here? Ive read some of your replies on here-you had one cool job-my regards to you,thanks.

[barnett468]

Hello

Good to hear back from you, here's the info I know regarding your question. All major aluminum parts on all bikes, trikes, cars, etc have a clear protective coating on them from the factory. It is best to remove this coating before polishing. Some polishing shops will send it out for you before they polish it. Once removed of this protective coating all aluminum parts will quickly oxidized whether polished or not and need to be maintained on a regular basis to protect the "bare" surface.

Some people have the parts recoated ie either anodizing or cad plating don't remember which. Do not clear coat them with clear paint, clear paint is porous.

There is another process that I personally would have done instead of polishing because it looks exactly like polished aluminum but is more durable and or just simpler to do. I would have all original clear coat removed then have all surfaces smoothed, then have them dipped in a material that is called "brite dip". Every piece of aluminum on your car that looks highly polished, almost looks like chrome, is actually dipped. It is not quite as bright as chrome so it wouldn't look "cheesy"

After seeing your honda I would do all the aluminum on the bike this way ie fork tubes, tripple clamps, motor mount bkts, brake calipers, carb, maybe side cases etc.

Let me know what you think and please send photos!

RE kAWI JOB - Yeah coolest best job I could ever imagine having. Fortunately they overlooked my slightly long hair during the long interview process and just focused on engineering, mechanical and riding experience.

[Overponder]

Hi again, I imagine all that hairs gone now! Not bald but cut -I've recently just got a NOS rear mudguard from the states,I also have a new coolant bottle,KIPS emblem for the cylinder,and top and bottom chain slider with thanks to jeswinehart,a new durablue axle,lots of NOS parts-grips,foot peg springs,rear brake pedal spring,nuts and bolts etc,a new plug,k + n filter,front and rear pads,a v-force3 reed valve system,new decal kit and various other bits and bobs,oh also a chrome engine bolt kit and Sprock racing cool head from Off Road Innovation (great tecate site).i also just ordered two rear tyres from Motosport,I'm a bit worried about these,they have the original Kawasaki part no,but I don't know if they have been superceeded from the original Dunlops with the tetris style knobs on,I will e-mail them today.
Back to Kawasaki,did they not test the bikes long enough to see what happens to the coolant bottle,flywheel magnets?
Regards.

[barnett468]

Hello

Did my polishing info help you.

Yes regarding my hair I now cosmetically conform, lol.

RE FLYWHEEL, WATER BOTTLE - This is a question that annoys me a little when people ask it because they do not use simple logic to understand it.

This type of question is the equivalent of asking Ford why the radiator leaks on their 85 wagon. None of these bikes were designed to last 30 years. The tecate was tested under far more severe conditions during development than any other comparable mfg model. Yes I do know this for a fact. I do not know how long others tested for but probably not as long for various reasons.

With the exception of around 20 total hours of low speed type trail riding all the testing was done under race type conditions ie ride around the track as fast as I could for a total of around 150 hours in the US. I also went to Japan for the initial test of the 86 prototype where including my 50 hours of testing it had around 150 on it. This is the same vehicle they sent to me in the US with the same flywheel, motor, water bottle etc.

The bike was designed as a race bike with little regard to the casual trail rider ergo the extreme test conditions. Unlike the other mfgs this bikje was tested on extremely rough hard packed ungraded motocross courses ie saddleback and Carlsbad as well as the nasty track kawi had in japan. We had to drive right by Hondas posh, vacation resort type test facility every single day. They had a grader and water I’m sure, lol. Anyway mx style riding consisted of around 25% of the testing. This is why a stock kawi leaves a stock Honda in the dust on an extremely rough course. Unfortunately all the 3 wheeler races are were held on much smoother type tracks. During all this testing there was not one single nut, bolt, flywheel or water tank failure etc.

I then had to do a 100 hour test on the pre-production model [same as production].

Every single team kawi bike from day 1 ran the stock ign and water bottle as you say with no failures. If there had been a significant number of warranties on the production models Kawi would have told me and sent me new parts to test.These are all the facts I know regarding these issues.

The kawi test bike used in 86 3 wheeler shoot out had a suspension bottoming problem for some reason. I was never notified about it.

[barnett468]

hello

forgot to mention, if you are concerned about your magnets coming off i would replace it with a new one if you can find one. there are lots of kawi guys that have never had a problem. perhaps the glue simple decays from 25 years of heat and vibration or the flywheel mfg changed the spec on the glue to a cheaper kind and didn't tell kawi if they were subbed out.

What is the internet address for sprock racing google does not list them?

They look cool, why did you want one of those?

Do they claim any cooling benefits from it?

I read they have interchangeable chamber inserts.

Are you running a stock pipe if not do you know whose it is? If it's an old miller, klemm or bassani i may be able to tell you by looking at it.

They apparently may interfere with some pipes

"Anyway, got it together without a single problem. My DG headpipe does contact the cool head. If you run one of these with a stock head you know it's close and the pipe has two head bolt indentions made into it. Well the cool head is about twice as tall as a stock head and it squarely contacts the headpipe along most of the left-top side of the head. I had to use 1/2 inch spacers on the headpipe front rubber mount and the silencer mount location. I thought I'd get an exhaust leak at the cylinder because the alignment seems off a little. Honestly I gooped it up pretty good with silicone and got a new crush gasket and new o-rings, 2 on the DG pipe, and it doesn't leak one little bit. I'm happy about that to say the least, I hate exhaust leaks."

thanks

[Overponder]

hi barnett468,sorry i didn't mean anything by the coolant bottle/flywheel question,as you say you were testing brand new machinery and here we are 25 years down the line with bikes that are still here looking/riding/racing great,a testament really to yourself and honda and yamaha counterparts for the work put in,thanks for the info on polishing,i understand polished to a natural aluminium finish then requires polishing every now and again to stop oxidisation,but i don't really mind i have a touch of OCD where cleaning bikes is concerned,i think i would struggle to find the 'dipping' method you describe over here but i will look into it,i want my tecate to have a clean look like my honda,it already has a dg pipe on it but i don't like the finish of the expansion chamber-im going to see if i can get it chromed,i wanted the sprock head to add a bit of bling as well as practicality,i got it from off road innovation,i don't know the sprock racing web address.
regards

[Overponder]

Hi there, I just looked up and they do bright dipping over here,which is a surprise to me,but I will look further into it,thanks for the info again,
Regards.

[3Razors]

Hello

Did my polishing info help you.

Yes regarding my hair I now cosmetically conform, lol.

RE FLYWHEEL, WATER BOTTLE - This is a question that annoys me a little when people ask it because they do not use simple logic to understand it.

This type of question is the equivalent of asking Ford why the radiator leaks on their 85 wagon. None of these bikes were designed to last 30 years. The tecate was tested under far more severe conditions during development than any other comparable mfg model. Yes I do know this for a fact. I do not know how long others tested for but probably not as long for various reasons.

With the exception of around 20 total hours of low speed type trail riding all the testing was done under race type conditions ie ride around the track as fast as I could for a total of around 150 hours in the US. I also went to Japan for the initial test of the 86 prototype where including my 50 hours of testing it had around 150 on it. This is the same vehicle they sent to me in the US with the same flywheel, motor, water bottle etc.

The bike was designed as a race bike with little regard to the casual trail rider ergo the extreme test conditions. Unlike the other mfgs this bikje was tested on extremely rough hard packed ungraded motocross courses ie saddleback and Carlsbad as well as the nasty track kawi had in japan. We had to drive right by Hondas posh, vacation resort type test facility every single day. They had a grader and water I’m sure, lol. Anyway mx style riding consisted of around 25% of the testing. This is why a stock kawi leaves a stock Honda in the dust on an extremely rough course. Unfortunately all the 3 wheeler races are were held on much smoother type tracks. During all this testing there was not one single nut, bolt, flywheel or water tank failure etc.

I then had to do a 100 hour test on the pre-production model [same as production].

Every single team kawi bike from day 1 ran the stock ign and water bottle as you say with no failures. If there had been a significant number of warranties on the production models Kawi would have told me and sent me new parts to test.These are all the facts I know regarding these issues.

The kawi test bike used in 86 3 wheeler shoot out had a suspension bottoming problem for some reason. I was never notified about it.

If thats the case that Kawasaki rigorously tested its components more than any other manufacturer then why have the Tecate flywheels come apart while the 250R/TRIZ flywheels have withstood the test of time. In fact I have never seen a 250R flywheel come apart, but I have seen dozens of Tecate flywheels grenade since the early 90's. I love the Tecate for what it is but the Honda ATC250R was the best engineered/reliable/durable 250 2 trike ever made.

[barnett468]

Hello overponder.


I knew you would find the bright dip easily every country has it. All the high end classic car restorers use it like the jaguar guys in your country. Here's a tip, it's not cheap to do just a couple individual items so check different shoos, prices will vary greatly. one of them can run your parts with another batch if they are not greedy!




Yes fortunately all the old atv’s are still around.

Two of the aspects of my job among many others were 1. Try to break the bike at all costs. 2. Be totally unbiased and honest. The second meaning that if the other mfg’s bikes [namely honda] were better in one significant area than ours than admit it and try to make ours better whenever and wherever possible in the time allowed. This was the case in the development of all our vehicles but even more so in the development of the t3 series. This is why we bought Hondas on occasion to compare our prototypes with.

Although I was not the sole designer/engineer on any of the projects I personally was absolutely the last stop for prototype development prior to production and even though it might not have been feasible to improve the bikes performance for whatever reason I was still solely responsible for at least notifying Japan of the problem and leave it in their hands as to what they wanted to do about it.

Even though the other mfg did not subject their atv to the same level of extreme conditions I did for whatever reason I’m sure they did not want any parts to fail on their bikes either and did their best within the price point window they had to

Nobody wanted to have a high level of warranty returns or get a bad rap for producing a lemon.