Suzuki TM400, 4 Pound Flywheels Make them rideable?

[melx]

I have a 74 Suzuki TM400 under restoration and would think about giving it a few race days once its done if I could tame the motor, I have read that in its day you could buy 4 pound flywheels that bolted straight on and made it a much better ride but have never seen one or even if you can still buy them anywhere, has anyone came across these or know where to get one?

[TM BILL]

A 74 TM 400 is perfectly rideable in stock trim  Have you ridden it yet  or are you acting on the folklore that surrounds them.
The TM 400R and J were apparantly a bit of a handfull with an unpredictible power band and dubious handling (iv'e not ridden one so i cant comment though )
I have ridden a 1974 TM 400L in stock condition and it was an ok ride , way better than a TM 250 ( witch was verging on boring )and i ride mostly 125s 
Ride it in stock trim before messing with it , you might enjoy it 

[melx]

Thanks, I am 90% complete on the resto, only cosmetic stuff to go so have not ridden it yet - the urban myth of these things throwing riders off in uncontrolled surges was a concern for me but sounds like it worth a go first.

I also have TM250 about 90% complete and will be riding that one for sure.

[frostype400]

Hey let me know if you will part with the tm400 i am 16 and i have been after a tm250 i ride a pe400 no worries but everyone has told me tm400's are crap but i dont know why they are a 400 two stroke so you would have to expect wheelies thanks Michael.

[melx]

No problem, I may be ready to sell it in 3-4 months as I am getting too many bikes, I have more restos coming about then.

[bazza]

believe TS electrics smooth out power as well,any one tried/

[DR]

all I can say is be frightened, be very very frightened!

seriously I have never ridden one of these 'widowmakers' either but all the stories I've heard of the TM400 in standard trim made my bum pucker I wish I could remember his name but I met a guy at the Maleny swap meet a few weeks back. Big bloke and no flyshite like me. He had a few questions about what ignitions/weights/flywheels and such he could fit to his TM400 he'd recently imported from the US. After talking for a while I got curious and asked why the bad limp. Story goes, on his very first ride he took off, slipped into second then third then gave it just a little rollon and the whole world changed. He said it simply came into the band and accelerated that hard it caught him totally unawares spitting him off and breaking his leg badly. This was in a straight line!! he said it was out of the blue and it was not controlable. I tend to believe these stories now as I have heard so many from so many reliable sources. I'm not so sure it would be a good idea to ride this model without making the TS400/185 flywheel/stator swap not trying to pump up the TM400 but shit, I'd be more than a little wary riding a stock one!

[VMX247]

See if you can grab a copy of VMX mag Winter 1998 No 1 and have a read on the TM400 in there. 
Wishing Andy Caldacott was here today with his opinion.
cheers Alison

[cloggy]

Reading Super Hunky's take [and this is down as the worst dog ever] most of the blame, ie the thing that sets this bike apart from it's contemporaries, is a wandering ignition advance that might go full advance anywhere within a 3000 rev range: which makes the whole plot utterly unrideable.

[mainline]

I've mentioned this before but my uncle had a Cheney-framed version brand new, and in a recent email he described it as "lethally quick and with all the stability of a rabid dog on a greasy lino floor"

[LWC82PE]

i was offrered a few of Andy Caldecotts TM's a bit over a year ago when they were having a clean up at his shop, but i declined as i have enough projects. His TM400 was not up for grabs though, that is staying in the family but even if it was theres no way i would want to put a foot near a TM400.

[VMX247]

i was offrered a few of Andy Caldecotts TM's a bit over a year ago when they were having a clean up at his shop, but i declined as i have enough projects. His TM400 was not up for grabs though, that is staying in the family but even if it was theres no way i would want to put a foot near a TM400.

I suppose why I posted that one on the board,was because I had just read the May ADB magazine with the Tracey Caldecott article which was written by Peter Drakeford,
While on his travels back from the WA 2008 Wandering CZ Convention   
A special little piece of how we can just drop in and say hello to people in the VMX scene.
Cheers Alison