IMAI 1/12 Suzuki FY50

Dave Ward

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…yes, but the Triumphs looked cool……
Seriously, engine power increase outstripped frame and brake technology up until the late seventies. I had a Yamaha 500 single from 1976 that had front disc brakes. They were great in the dry, but the first time I took it out in real wet weather I ended up putting my feet down to help it slow up……you couldn’t just use the back drum brake as that locked the wheel….thinking ahead became second nature after a short time, but the first few times out it was a sharp learning curve….
Tim,
there was a big bias against Japanese bikes in the early 70's, by the 'true' bike brigade, Ariels, Triumphs, BSAs Nortons & best of all - a Velocette were the only bikes to be seen riding, never mind that they all leaked oil, had dodgy electrics, had been thrashed since day one, and were labour intensive! and as for electric start...........................!
Dave
 

Dave Ward

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The ABS plastic is just confined to the plated sprue, the others are normal polystyrene. Frame under way.....................
DSCF2103.JPG
There can't be a worse colour to paint over with white than red! I've given the front mudguard two coats of primer & it looks ready for the white basecoat. I'll get the compressor cranked up & do the engine/chaincase/wheels aluminium...........
Dave
 

Jim R

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Hi Dave
Difficulties to overcome but I'm sure you're up to it. Glad the main plastic is ok to glue. Red!!! - you could end up with a pink bike :rolling:
Jim
 
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Tim Marlow

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Good start Dave.
I remember the Britbike bias, it was still around until the early eighties at least…..I always liked singles so wanted a Velocette myself, but they were out of my price range, hence the Yam 500 single. That was a leg start as well….get the position of the piston in the cylinder wrong when you kicked it over and the blowback would just about lift you over the handlebars….it had a decompressor, but I never worked out how to use it, so just used it to put the piston at TDC before kicking over.
 

Dave Ward

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You had to have the right knack to kick over a Velocette!
Remember Ogri?
Ogri1.jpg
Bringing back memories, some good, some bad................
Dave
 

simontie

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The Honda was very reliable, but I was persuaded, after I'd passed my test to get a 'proper' motorbike. - A Triumph Tiger Cub. Bad move, it leaked oil, the electrics were shoddy - started OK from cold, but when it was warm it took ages ( usually bump start ). The brakes were about the same as the Honda, but the Triumph was a lot faster, and they weren't really up to it. All in all it was unreliable & cost quite a bit in spares to keep going. ( The Honda had a new spark plug & leads & that's it ) - I didn't learn from that, and replaced the Cub with a Tiger T100, which was even worse, same faults as the Cub, but much faster. I eventually wrote it off ( no real injury ), and I haven't ridden a motorbike since
Dave
Yes the joys after i passed my test i had a bought an xt 500 in boxes for some small change but a lot in the early 80’s finished building it and mot’ed it, rode it for about a year after the all the knee injuries from the engine kick backs i just lost confidence in it sold on to a mate sadly a few weeks later he wrote it off broke his pelvis, wish id kept it there worth a small fortune now !,! Hindsight still ride on warm sunny day only.
 

Tim Marlow

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Yep, remember him from Bike magazine. I seem to remember the illustrator moving on to a national paper so Ogri bit the dust…..
 

Tim Marlow

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Yes the joys after i passed my test i had a bought an xt 500 in boxes for some small change but a lot in the early 80’s finished building it and mot’ed it, rode it for about a year after the all the knee injuries from the engine kick backs i just lost confidence in it sold on to a mate sadly a few weeks later he wrote it off broke his pelvis, wish id kept it there worth a small fortune now !,! Hindsight still ride on warm sunny day only.
That’s the same engine as my old SR500 in an off road frame Simon….the secret was get the piston to TDC, then throw yourself up to full height with a straight leg and let your weight push it straight down so pushing the piston over and starting the bike….never do this without heeled boots though, if you foot slipped off and it kicked back it could seriously damage your shins…..did you ever try switching to reserve tank if the engine stopped while you were moving Simon? Great way to slide the back wheel for hundreds of yards….
 

simontie

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That’s the same engine as my old SR500 in an off road frame Simon….the secret was get the piston to TDC, then throw yourself up to full height with a straight leg and let your weight push it straight down so pushing the piston over and starting the bike….never do this without heeled boots though, if you foot slipped off and it kicked back it could seriously damage your shins…..did you ever try switching to reserve tank if the engine stopped while you were moving Simon? Great way to slide the back wheel for hundreds of yards….
Yes had many knee to thumb injuries, as my leg retuned quicker than i could regain control of it, bump starting was a waste of time unless you were morbidly obese and could forse the weight through the back tyre to get grip, heavy as hell to push ..but when she was running just point her anywhere and hold on some torque go up anything if you could hold on loved that bike after i got ride of it, i havean old 250 now just about restored there gaining value every week to. They were verypopular in the highlands as were the sr’s
 

Tim Marlow

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Bump start was an acquired technique….get the bike up to speed then jump up, timing the clutch release to the time maximum “bounce” hit the seat as you came back down….it worked about half of the time :tongue-out3:
Did yours used to eat chains and sprockets very quickly? Mine used to use at least one set a year….about the same rate as rear tyre changes.
Swing arm bearings were absolutely pants though…..far too complex, expensive, and difficult to get the bits….I seem to remember needle rollers, tapered bushes, end thrust bearings…and a Cadbury chocolate pivot pin. My pin broke twice and the bearings went three times. Only had it three years! Never changed them on any other bike I owned. Couple of simple bushes and a decent sized pin would have been much more in keeping with the torque produced by bike. I had the second replacement pin manufactured at a local engineering firm coordinated through the biking engineering manager at my place of work. He used to give them a lot of work, and told them I was a poor apprentice so they made it at cost ;)
 

simontie

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Yes new rear, and sprockes at the same time never had an issue with the swinging arm, managed to save up for a set of marasottie rear shocks (suspect thats no the right spelling) as standard ones were hard as stone, all the yam parts were over the top cost wise but i all ways found them to have good longevity. Front sprocket never seemed to wear or the front tyre but as my wife said she seems to remember the front was never on the road,! Some great memories while im thinking about it. Remember firing it up during the build with just the down pipe on it still got the ringing in my ear‘s lol :tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy::tears-of-joy:
 

Tim Marlow

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I had a straight through bell mouth welded on the Dow pipe of mine and it sounded like that all the time….and slowdown it could scotch the pillions feet LOL….that was in the days before noise limits….
I used to get more life out of the sprockets by turning them round so the teeth bent back the other way. Had to change them when they started breaking off though. The torque would pull the chain over the sprocket….

I remember Marzochi (probably wrong as well) shocks, bright red with an air reservoir. I had some on my 650 Kawasaki.
 

simontie

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I had a straight through bell mouth welded on the Dow pipe of mine and it sounded like that all the time….and slowdown it could scotch the pillions feet LOL….that was in the days before noise limits….
I used to get more life out of the sprockets by turning them round so the teeth bent back the other way. Had to change them when they started breaking off though. The torque would pull the chain over the sprocket….

I remember Marzochi (probably wrong as well) shocks, bright red with an air reservoir. I had some on my 650 Kawasaki.
Yep thats them, anything for a few more miles nothing left after you turn them take a link out and hope those affordable ones would last!,!. No internet rely on part ref the joys-of motoring
 

Dave Ward

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Bit more work done - getting all the parts ready for an overall gloss varnish spray ( not the wheels, engine & silencer )
DSCF2107.JPG
A few more parts to add - which may be problematical - like the indicator lamps to the handlebars.......................
Dave
 

Dave Ward

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This is proving more difficult to assemble, than I thought! It's designed to made without paint - all the parts are tight, and in assembling them, I've messed some of the paint up!!!
DSCF2141.JPG
Ah well - the model isn't something I've spent a lot of time ( or money on! ). It may go back into the box...........
Dave
 

JR

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Be nice to see it through Dave after the gluing probes.

My bike in the late 60's was a James , unfortunately wrote it off after a front puncture on a bend !

1634584387125.png Not a smart as this either.
 

simontie

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well after all that bike talk I bought this on Wednesday night, as a long term project years mot and in reasonable standard condition for her age!!! big 600 single luckly she has an electric start
 

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