TS185 Toms new pre75 vmxer

[jimson]

I bought this bike a while ago with another parts bike. So Tom and I will build it into a pre 75 VMXER I thought if I put it up here it might make it happen quicker as its been on the cards for over a year now. jimson

[vandy010]

certainly looks like you guys have got a bit of work ahead of you's,
nice little bike though!
yamaha front guard too!

[gorby]

looks like it has a 250 or a 400 down pipe on it?

[gorby]

I had a very hot motor for one of those

[cyclegod]

No, its a 185 "Hop-up" kit pipe I have one too.

[Nathan S]

I reckon Tom ought to pull his finger out, and come race against my DT175A.
 
Either that, or it can come and join my small-but-growing collection of TS185s... In fact, I seem to recall Tom's mum offering it to me at a very good price...

[mx250]

If I squint I can see a half way decent little MX'er there .

I'm not being entire facetious, the TS185 is a decent handling bike. probably one of the best trail bikes of the period for handling. By that I mean they don't actively conspire/work against the rider trying to kill them. Unlike some I could name, e.g. DT/RT1's.

Hmmm, wish list, in order;
1/Lose weight (off bike )
2/ tidy up, new plastics, see 090,
3/ some decent forks, TM or MX 3a/with YSS kit added.
4/Some shox, hmmm, YSS again.
5/ keep the wheels/brakes
6/new air box, home made or adapt one.
7/Maybe, ports and chamber some time in the distant future, see Lozza.

On a tight bumpy track it will go well, even running with the 250's.  

[jimson]

I think the pipe is a early CR250 pipe but its rooted now.MX250 the bike will be very low budget    I hope most of the bits needed will come from my own stash I think the seat will be a problem    Nathan if my wife had her way you would have my whole collection of shit at your place  :'( jimson

[Doc]

okay my tuppence worth..here's a quick insight to how I would go about this mighty bugdet TS185 rebuild..modify the rear frame loop (shorten or totally remove and brace further back then fit a plastic rear guard). Headlight goes into parts bin as does anything else that's not 100% nesseccary. Later TS185er plastic inner rear guards will fit with a bit of drilling and a few zip ties if the whole rear guard is of heavy metal type. Moving right along I'd probably retain the chrome rims but I'd chase up a later TS100/125/185ER rear wheel with the solid hub mounted sprocket instead of the spastic cush drive  setup suzuki seemed to fit to near everything in the early days The rear shocks..well..what can I say! probably best saying nothing at all although probably not leaking at all under those chrome shrouds either but, if they have rusted and shat themselves, then again the later ER model $25 shocks do work to some degree making the bike at least rideable. The seats are very heavy when compared to RM125A/B/C or PE seats so keep you eyes open for a plastic base type unit. Don't go too big on the rear tyre, you need to be able to spin it up with the new 58-60T TM125 rear sprocket that's also now fitted. It drops the chain back to 428 for which you would be advised to run a heavy duty chain. Still cheaper than a 520 and the weight saving is kinda substancial/benificial and it also allows a lot more sprocket options without forsaking reliability. TM/TS/earlyRM from 80cc-125's 428 fronts will fit the 185 shafts. I can honetly say I have never snapped a chain outright no matter how much abuse I threw at it. RM125C's and such run 428 pitch and I doubt the TS would give a chain more of a hard time either open the airbox up or toss it and fit a pod. A 250 pipe would probably work worse than a TM125 pipe but there are used original pipes kicking around for $40-50 if all else fails. Until you decide what you are doing with the motor it's probably a good idea to simplify things and go stock. I'd hunt up some later model alloy lower forks for the front. The early steel lower jobs like whats fitted really don't have much dampning and even at best they'll top out and clunk around all over the show. Might pay to fit a 21" front wheel if it's only got a 19". Tank is okay,bars are fine, the original throttle housing and controls are way too big and bulky and suck bigtime. Just bought some pitbike replacement assy's on ebay for .99 cents each for just such cheapy occassions or emergancies..these actually look normal and not the stubby half pitbike half pushbike crap. Throttles are a personal choice but again they can be sourced for about 20 clams if you hunt around. keep the oil res tank and oil pump but do the line swap and lock in position trick then a single throttle cable and premix in the tank. The motor is another personal choice. Big carb, porting,pipe,inner rotor/lightened mag ignition are all variables to what ever's on offer or affordable at the time. If all else fails stock is ultra-reliable. Not a bad bike at all jimson. I remember the pic from ages ago but thought it was long gone..maybe speak to Jens and get the good oil

[Tom]

gotta say doc that is alot of tuppence worth haha but it all helps dads already had a hack at the back end shortening that frame bit over the rear guard and hes centrilised the oil tank and electronics for better balance i believe    dad use to own a ts185 i think was a couple years newer then this but he managed to get it on a good diet and got it light so hopefully that happens here aswell im looking forward to throwin a leg over it  Tom 

[Doc]

  yeah Tom, I'm still living in the 70's and 2 cents still goes a long way!  Good to see jimsons not scared to cut and shut frames..the first cut is always the hardest I've found
I can also near guarantee that as the frame sits in the picture it would be lighter than a TM125 chassis so the weight factor will not be a factor. Good stuff, I'd like a 185 but the ones I have are the ER models and only good as a trailie I plan to build one good original example from 2 and stack of bits I have for them. Is the motor in your TS a goer?? There's a service manual for early TS185 in my online storage site below 

[Tom]

yer mate the engines a go'er the first time dad pulled it out to show me it(the condition was as it is in the 1st photo) i had to see if it would run and it did and 5 or 6 laps of the block of land next door later i was quite satisfied with myself  . I think it will be a good bike cause it being alot lighter and not so much scary power(even knowing it does have that powerpipe on it  ) it will be a fun bike to ride hopefully .Tom

[pokey]

Nice project Tom, will be a fine ride and as you said no scary stuff from the sierra.
While you dad is playing with the frame do check out the area between the rear brake webbing and the right footpeg mount for any sign of cracking. Ive had two  crack in the same spot  but i suspect that may have been from grabbing a lot of air and squaring off the rims .

Early RM80 fork tubes slot into the lowers just a little longer.
74 and 75 models had a larger front hub and weigh the same as yours.
Good luck with it, am sure you will thoroughly enjoy ringing its neck and it will love it.

[jimson]

G'day viewers just a update scored a set of foot pegs out of the local bike wreckers skip there off a kl 250 and look the part I'm using TC foot peg brackets as there wider so it will make for better feet postion if I use a seat from a later model bike will that make problems for pre 75 racing? I'm thinking of a DS80 seat as there smaller and lighter and will meat up with the very small TM80 or 90 tank I'm using.

[jimson]

Well its been a while I scored a seat from goulburn swap meet it kinda looks okay I've welded some brackets on put the seat on and then realised it fouls the oil tank lid  I wish  I could get it right the bloody first time.jimson