new guy scored a nice ytm200.....and has questions

[kawaboy-zx12r]

Hey guys, i am Dennis i just joined up today. i have wanted a 3 wheeler since i was a kid. i always had dirt bikes when i was a kid but i always envied the guys at the sand dunes i rode at back in the 80's that had 3 wheelers (250r's really stand out). my folks always said 3 wheelers were to dangerous so i never got one, well now no one can tell me what to get and i have my own $ so i been on the look out for a nice 3 wheeler..... well i found it today, its a yamaha ytm200, i bought it from a real old guy (on oxygen), he only used it for ice fishing and its in great shape. it wasnt running but i didnt care, i could tell by looking at it that it was never beaten. so i picked it up today... wouldnt start, i pulled the carb and blew it out with compressed air and put fresh gas in it and it fired right up i need some info, i looked at the air filter and its very old sponge that when you touch it it crumbles, so i need a new air filter.. what brand would you recommend? also need an oil filter and oil... what brand and weight of oil should i use in it? i rode it around in my yard and did some decent wheelies already, i cant believe how hard it is to steer lol! the back wheels just push the front wheel when i turn. my tire air pressure is wrong for sure, the tires say 2-8psi but my tire guage only starts at 20psi... so i just made them all kind of hard, maybe thats why it wont steer at all? the thing is crazy to ride... i gotta say you guys are nuts and i am happy to be one of you now here is a couple pics i just took. please let me know about the air filter and oil. Thanks, Dennis

[kawaboy-zx12r]

also does anyone know what the 2 small rubber tubes that are on the front shocks are for? Thanks, Dennis

[ironchop]

that's a really nice YTM....which is nonexistent where I am.

"what brand of oil?" is a loaded question `round this forum. I know nothing about Yamaha trikes so I`ll leave that to someone else.

download a free Yamaha service manual courtesy of oscarmeyer and (IIRC) here on this forum:

http://www.oscarmayer.net/atc/manuals/

yours should be on that list

Welcome aboard.

[kawaboy-zx12r]

Thank you sir for the link to the manual ! very happy to have it.

[DohcBikes]

Welcome and nice yamaha

If you are referring to the tubes that are dangling from shock boots, those are vents. They are supposed to be tucked under the front fender and ran up inside the steering stem.

Get a low pressure tire guage. The overinflation will dramatically decrease the steering performance. Dont expect it to steer well on pavement with those tires at all.

Personally i use rotella triple protection in all my bikes because its the only oil available at wal-mart that exceeds JASO-MA requirements. The reason i do this is because theres usually a walmart around to get a quart if you need one. Another very popular choice by members here is Valvoline ATV.

Cant go wrong with Yamalube either.

As far as an air filter i woud check to see if its still available from the dealer or partzilla. Seems many OEM parts for the yamahas still are.

[kawaboy-zx12r]

awesome, thanks for the info!

[Jwmajic]

I use a uni 2 stage filter on my ytm's they work great. I run about 2 and a half pounds of pressure in my front tire any more than 4lb it starts wanting to push the front tire. (should feel a little spongy not totally hard) also are you shifting your body weight when you turn because that makes a difference too. Those hard tail yammies power slide real well so its a good bike for learning how to slide a corner.

[kawaboy-zx12r]

I use a uni 2 stage filter on my ytm's they work great. I run about 2 and a half pounds of pressure in my front tire any more than 4lb it starts wanting to push the front tire. (should feel a little spongy not totally hard) also are you shifting your body weight when you turn because that makes a difference too. Those hard tail yammies power slide real well so its a good bike for learning how to slide a corner.

my air filter does not seem like it fits correctly, is there suppose to be some kind of seal where the hard white plastic goes right up against the the airbox? there was a circle of foam glued on there on mine (they did a real crappy job of gluing it too) but i pulled it off because it was coming loose and wasnt really making a seal anyway. i searched the whole internet and cant find a picture of the front of the wire element holder (opposite the wing nut end). its either a real crappy design or mine was jerryrigged by someone. Thanks, Dennis

[kawaboy-zx12r]

hers is what mine looks like, you can see there is a gap between the airbox and the filter when in place.

[El Camexican]

You need that foam ring on the air filter frame or it won't seal. Make one and contact cement it on if need be.

Stock oil filter is metal mesh can be washed out on that engine (right hand side, three socket cap bolts) There is also a spring loaded oil strainer on the left hand side (massive cap by the shifter) Pull that out and clean it too.

If you don't have a low pressure air gauge you can raise the trike up in the air and remove the valve steams and then replace them. That will put about 2psi (atmospheric pressure) in them. Should be fine in the rear, but you may want to add another pound or two to the front tire.

Be sure to only use *********** brand 10W-40 oil!

[barnett468]

.
Hello kawaboy

AIR FILTER - Below are parts “fishes” for the YTM200’s. This site also has the original ones in stock. You need to determine exactly which model you have which is done by checking the numbers on the steering head. If you need orig parts, use the parts fiche, write down the number and put it in the search engine followed by the words “partzilla”, then do a search with the word “ebay”. Both these places might be less. Also call the Yamaha dealer with the part numbers, they may still be available.

http://www.cmsnl.com/yamaha-ytm200_model16631/


OIL - As for the oil, I prefer Wesson, however I think something that says MOTORCYCLE or ATV on the front of the bottle is best. These oils are designed for motorcycle clutches. Regular auto oil “can” be used but is not as good for the clutch as these newer oils however it won’t hurt your bike to run it for a while if nothing else can be found. The Valvoline Motorcycle or ATV oil is at most auto parts stores AND possibly Wally World, therefore, it is one of the easiest to find.

You can run synthetic also, however, it is best not to use it until an engine is completely broken in, so says Amsoil.

It does not need to say “ATV” but it should at least say “MOTORCYCLE”. Please do not ask what the difference is between the two.

Ok guys, how did I do on the oil, I didn’t even mention ZDDP once? Oh cr_p, I just said it.


Wow Beav…how did he do that?




Pleeease stop, have mercy!

[barnett468]

i cant believe how hard it is to steer lol! the back wheels just push the front wheel when i turn. my tire air pressure is wrong for sure,

Hello kawaboy;


Irregardless of the air pressure, I suggest the following for turning and general riding.

1. Wear a one piece shoulder pad/chest protector. This will minimize the potential for your collar bone to turn into shrapnel when you high side, which you eventually will if you ride aggressively.

2. NEVER, EVER, EVER, remove your foot from the pegs for ANY reason when the vehicle is moving, otherwise your foot WILL positively get under the rear wheel at which point the bike will suck you off of the seat and run you over and tear your ACL in the process.

3. ALWAYS lean into the corner when cornering no matter how stupid you may think it looks. It looks less stupid than a cast, I can assure you.

4. ALWAYS add moving forward on the seat and leaning forward when trying to slide until you have it down. This reduces the weight on the rear wheels which makes them spin and slide easier and increases the weight on the front wheel which makes it “stick’ better and “push” less when it’s turned.

5. It will slide better if you use your inside foot to actually push on the outside of the foot peg. You want to actually push the bike away from you. This helps force it to slide.

6. Go straight in second gear at around 1/3rd throttle, move far forward on the seat, lean slightly forward, hang way off the bike like multi series Championship winner Jimmie White [see photo below] then nail it and turn the wheel slightly at the same time.

7. Practice slides on HARD ground, otherwise you WILL be utilizing your shoulder pads and possibly your Obama care plan.


AIR PRESSURE – To practice sliding, run around 15 in the rear and the recommended amount in the front. Tires with lots of air slide better than tires with lower air pressures.

NEXT LESSON – Brake sliding into a turn.


EXAMPLE A

Multi race and Series Championship Winner Jimmy White doing a power slide on his multi race and Series Championship Winning TECATE, the fastest production ATV in the world.





EXAMPLE B

Although NO other production ATV can throw a monsterous wall of sand like the TECATE can [the fastest production ATV in the world], the photo below is still a helpful example of how to slide most any 3 wheeled ATV.

Notice that the TECATE is not only throwing a wall of sand that exceeds the height and width of the large photo, it is doing it with STOCK tires and wheelieing out of the corner with the rider leaning forward in a useless attempt to keep try and the keep the front end down.




OMG Barn…Please stop, you’re killin me.

[kawaboy-zx12r]

thank you for all the info, i am going to check around locally today for an air filter element, also i well let some air pressure out of the front tire and try it again. i am going to try to get to ALL the scheduled maintenance stuff before too long, like wheel bearings, chain, oil, exc....oh and like MOST americans i didnt sign up for obummer care, if no one signs up it cant work, and its illegal for me to follow any illegally made laws, i believe all this tyranny will be over in 2016 when we get a real president anyway. back to the subject.... i notice my trike want to move a little bit when i am stopped but in gear, i lowered the idle trying to make it stop, do i need to adjust the clutch so it wont move in gear during idle? Thanks, Dennis

[barnett468]

Hello kawaboy;


No prob, you're very welcome, however, if you hurt yourself I am going to erase my riding tip post to eliminate the evidence. Oh wait, I can't do that because I am the only one here that does not have an edit button.

OMG...I think I just got a hernia!




Adjusting your clutch has no affect on this. Your shift lever should move around 3/8” in each direction give or take a hair. If it moves less your adjustment is too tight. If it moves more, it is too loose.

Your idle is likely too high, turn it down as low as it can go, like around 700 rpms for a test which should sound slow to your ear. I think the spec for idle is closer to 1000. If it still creeps, I would use motorcycle or atv oil if you aren’t already. If you are using heavy oil or 10w40 and it’s only around 30 degrees outside I would try 5w 30 oil.

You might try adjusting your fuel mix screw until you achieve the highest idle is achieved, then use the slide screw to adjust the rpm.

If it continues to creep you may have a broken or weak centrifugal clutch spring or bad one way clutch bearing which I think is unlikely. See parts in the “fish” below.

Clutch assy 5, bearing 2.

http://www.cmsnl.com/yamaha-ytm200-l...3.html#results

[kawaboy-zx12r]

well no one had an air filter locally.... so i ordered the moose racing one off ebay, it wont be here for a few days.... so using a bit of afro-engineering i put this together till my real one gets here....lol, i cut a piece of a t-shirt and am gonna spray it with a little k&n oil