Just remember how unbelievably trashed that thing once was and how it looks now, you should be proud of what you did and definetively finish it! does it rev out to full throttle now?
First of all Thank you for your honesty. I recently found a '74 TS185, it's the same model my Dad had when I was kid. The first thing I did was try to find some info about restoring it which led me to your channel. I have been watching each video and you have shown that it's possible to be done myself. I have been watching and wondering how you knew what to do to for each individual piece you restored. Don't be so hard on yourself and remember that some people are watching and really enjoying what you are doing but not commenting. Keep up the good work, and I am looking forward to see how you fix the issues as they arise. Thanks again for your hard work and contributions.
You hit the nail on the head! You are better off starting with a better example, but look at it this way, you saved that bike from rotting away! Every rustoration I have done I have ended up losing money on it. I look at it like a hobby, hobbies aren't free...
Dont beat yourself up so bad man. These are fun projects. Dont hate the bikes, these are a part of history. The fun alone is enough for most people. I have a 71 hodaka wombat that I bought in this same condition and restored it. Mistakes were made for me too, and I know I could have bought a newer bike in better shape but it was a fun project and I enjoyed it. Making something old and crusty look new again is part of the appeal!
Dude, everyone makes mistakes. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. You live and you learn. You should be proud of what you've achieved with this bike. It just needs more work, that's all.
Sort out the ts185 problems, it would be great to see it finished, here in the UK we can't get enough of old 2 stroke motorcycles they smell and sound fantastic.
First off, you don't need to apologise, you saved a motorcycle destined to go to a salvage yard. You're learning and this is the kind of bike to learn on. I have 20 motorcycles that most of them are pre 2000's and I don't mind working on them. I am in the middle of getting a Suzuki TC 100 back into running order. I'm fighting engine spark but the further I get into it the more problems I find. But that's ok because I enjoy working on it. I had a '73 f7 175 Kawasaki Enduro bike and as I remember it would get up to 70 to 75 mph, that being said it should never be run at that speed because it would seize up and it did. I'm glad you have picked up this bike and I hope you continue to work on it. Don't spend a bunch on it but get it to where you can enjoy it. I don't ride all of my junk every day but I keep them where with a little maintenance I can get them to run and ride them. Keep working at it, it'll come.
I know this videos old now but honesty is always the best policy, Nothing to be ashamed of , If you only knew half the crazy things Ive done learning to repair bikes you would laugh your head off , Started messing around with bikes at about 12 year old and now in my mid 60s I still make some cock ups , Great videos , Love your love of old bikes , Keep learning and keep safe.
Dude. #1 rule, take your time and do it right the first time. When it comes to paint, your prep work is of utmost importance. Take the time to sand it down, clean thoroughly and use the appropriate primer (especially on the exhaust), or apply a heat wrap. As for the forks, if they are that pitted, pitch them and look on ebay. When it comes to tanks, you can use jb weld (or others), but it still requires the proper prep work then coating then paint (on the outside). It's all a learning curve and you'll learn as you go. Just make sure it's safe and runs right. The rest is just cosmetic. Restoring to original can become expensive and too costly if the bike is pretty far gone. Better to just fix up and move on. I appreciate your honesty and owning up to your mistakes. Your human, we all make them and it makes you a better person when you can own up to them. Keep up the good work and keep trying and keep learning.
I did exactly the same to an old gas thank and then had to buy and repaint a second hand tank. We all learn from these projects. Thank you for being so honest,
Mark Burchfield read again. There Will not be any built up carbon in the muffler because the bike has not really ran with the new muffler. The rest of the pipe has been ran before goldguy even bought the bike. So it could be full of built up carbon.
The problem is usually the build up of carbon in the expansion chamber reduces the internal volume which reduces the pressure difference on the exhaust cycle. This has an adverse effect on the fresh charge of fuel being pulled into the cylinder during induction and evacuating exhaust gasses. This is where the performance is nerfed. The inside of a badly coked up exhaust system is reminiscent of a coal mine!! In the worst cases I've witnessed the exhaust port clogged with carbon due to a badly coked exhaust system (reduced port opening diameter). Back in the days before low ash 2 stroke oil appeared in the mid 1980's, 2 stroke motorcycle owners used to decoke their exhausts around 3 or 4 times a year, just to keep peak performance. Back then it was regarded as one of the ritualistic hassles of owning a 2 stroke bike and why many people opted for the less powerful, heavier and slower 4 stroke bikes of the same capacity class. You'll only have to do this once as modern low ash 2 stroke oil doesn't coke up exhaust pipes anymore. I haven't had to decoke any of my daily use 2 stroke bikes since the mid 1980's. Burn the exhaust system out (after removing it far away from the bike) using old gear oil mixed with 20% gasoline as this burns at a hotter temperature. Use a soda can's worth to fill the pipe and light it with a burning rag on a stick as it will go "whoosh" with a flame jet at both ends of the pipe. Obviously it's a good idea to stand square onto the pipe, rather than at one end, when igniting it. It will then settle down for an hour to burn out the pipe. Never use caustic soda, as some will BS you into using, as I've tried it once, and it simply shifted all the carbon to one end of a pipe, solidified and blocked it solid. I still had to burn it out in the end.
Andy Reid ok, i know plenty of shitty 2 stroke oils That Will leave 1mm thick layer of carbon after about 500km. At least here in sweden. It happened on my 60cc suzuki k50 1980 with an hpi ignition.
This is part of growing up and learning about bikes cars and whatever , I made so many mistakes when I was your age and now in my 60 still make some from time to time , The important thing is to admit things could have been done better then next time make it better , Good luck with your videos I very much enjoy them .
I understand you perfectly. Recently, I bought a Yamaha XV250 who has been standing for a long time. I believed that I could restore it, sell it and make a profit. Unfortunately, the sum of my expenses was the same as buying a new one. But just like you I learned a lot more about motorcycles, parts and etc. I think it is a valid experience. If I had bought a new one, I would probably leave it in the hands of expensive professionals. Fearing to damage a new byke.
Don´t be too hard to yourself. If you make a restauration just for the videos, it is simply your decision if you deliberately try to find out everything yourself and risk some faults or if you read all the manuals and attend to all the "how to" videos first. At least for me, this build series was much more exciting than just seeing another guy throwing new parts to a bike. I really appreciate your fighting with difficulties and your honesty, showing us everything including what went wrong.
You have learned something and that's priceless..... I have and am still in the process of building many bike's, if you got other stuff to do on the 185 then carry on with those bit's while you hunt down the part's you need, there is no real rush to source the parts and pay over the odds and to find down the line you could have found better cheaper later on..... There's a saying over in the UK that springs to mind, "it ain't eating nothing" and that means that you don't have to any spend money to just keep the bike as is until you have the resources to get it fixed up... Good luck and I gotta say your content gets better with every video...
Great video dude - shit happens and you learn. It's probably been said below but I'll add my bit here. Tank sealer seals the inside of the tank from corrosion, not fills holes. Re-chroming the stanchions has also been mentioned. Some people have said it's expensive but it's not that bad vs band new or second hand ones. Filling the holes with JB weld is a shit idea, even if people say it works. High temp paint is just shit. Only ceramic coatings that have been plasma sprayed on are any good. Any do it at home job will last 5 minutes. I perosnally believe that 'starting with a better bike' is only a good idea if you need to ride it and it's your only ride. Restorations are hard, and you get out of it what you put into it. If you do 'ghetto fixes' then they'll last 5 minutes, as you've found out. For the future I'd say if you come across something that's fucked, ask your audience. Ask what they would do, you can even attach a poll to the video.
@@fredbailey843 why? The chrome coating on stanchions can be up to 0.5mm thick. The coating is not just to make it shiny, and you can get the missing material built up with hard chrome first.
correct how ever after grinding on a centerless grinder to remove the angle grinder marks is actually worth doing or just bung a decent set of forks on
@@fredbailey843 Well it all depends on how deep the marks are. We can't tell watching a video, so Mason is best off having the forks looked at and then a decision can be made. Personally I think that they should be restored rather than replaced, as this is a restoration series, but I get where you're coming from.
Dont get dragged down by things like this. I am also struggling with some problems on my dt 250 and I dont even know how to fix them anymore because I tried everything I thought it would be... But therefore I am extremely motivated once I fix one of the problems that have always been there.
This may be the best of all your videos so far. Your openness about the mistakes you've made will help your viewers far more than glossing over them in the interest of creating good content. "Good" content should fulfill its intended purpose, and that is exactly what yours did.
Dude, stop beating yourself up! You’ve made good interesting content, you’ve shown it’s not all roses, but now you can fix it! Incidentally I would probably buy new fork Stanchions or have yours rechromed...don’t try and fill them with any type of adhesive or fillers..it’ll just mess up again. Get a new tank...dude you did a valiant effort of trying to fix that one...but that one was way to far gone only good for hanging on your shop wall as an offering to the gods of motorcycle restorations. Your doing a great job..keep it up
I know this is an older video but showing people the bad parts of the bike ie not running well, will never teach people what to listen or look for when a bike is not running correctly. I have owned some bikes for 37 years and because I know them so well, I can tell almost immediately when something isn't right. A new bike on the other hand is difficult to tell when riding if something isn't right (except when it is obvious such as not starting, bogging etc). It's good to show people troubleshooting steps and the things you have tried to fix it. It's also good to explain what did in fact fix the bike.
Trial and error is how some things work. I've looked at pieces of my bikes and thought , let's see how this turns out. Sometimes good sometimes not so good but we try. Good or bad your style of building and vlogging is different and that's what draws me back. 👍🏼 For doing what you can and trying new things
Just get the forks re-chromed. The tank shouldn’t be an issue. Try to find one with a dent or something cheap without rust. Or maybe find a parts bike with a good tank?
Mine is rusty as hell on the inside, rinsed it our with gas and got alot out but still a little bit in the gas filter, I wish i could get a plastic one that would fit
Every bike you do you learn on you are young and with training you will do fine with more experience this is why schools need to have shop classes for kids do not give up enjoy your videos....
Maybe you can either get new forks, or get them recoated. Also, I made a huge stupid mistake on my first bike. It was a Roketa 250cc bike I could never get started, so I scrapped the engine. The engine was hard to find parts for, and I just got tired of messing woth it. I realized soon after something was wrong with the kill switch, and now I have to buy a new engine because if it. Everyone makes mistakes, but that's all part of it. I'm currently restoring a 1986 Honda TLR200. Great running bike, and I may post a video or two of it as well. Keep up the amazing work
Really need to look into a expansion chamber for that ts180 the reason being I cant remember right off hand but will help different size and lengths will change the power band not sure if anyone makes expansion chambers for these specific engines but it will change the power band. Another thing to look at is the reeds behind the carb/manifold they could be stiff so changing them most likely will help out also
I really think honesty goes best. We know you’re not perfect but we like to watch you learn, or dare do a half measure we would never try/ try again. Keep doing you.
Good effort and brave to show us your “fails”, I’m really looking forward to see you hookup lights and indicators as I’m nearly up to that on my resto, please make it as detailed as possible 👍
Don't beat yourself up man, like you said that's how you learn. We've all been there/doing that. This bike was junkyard fodder, you did a fantastic job getting it going and learned a lot by doing it and provided hours of entertainment for your followers. That's a win in my book. Figure out your goal for the project before you buy it. If it's for content and how to material, spend the money and do what you do well. If you are buying to resell, don't marry the thing. Make it run, make it look good for the cheapest amount possible and move on to the next one. I'd look for a replacement tank and forks, look at parts from other makers, there was a lot of parts sharing in the 70's as well as the same parts being used over multiple years. I think 77-79 TS185 is interchangeable. I checked ebay just now and there are some forks and a tank on there. Yours may be better. The seller might send you better pics though.
Don’t be too hard on yourself Goldguy! You have done a really good job on this build! The bike was complete junk before! Of course their is things you can learn from but overall you done a good job!
Use steel wool next time. No gouging or severe scratches. New gas tank ? Get a bigger one. 😁😁... ummm. If that’s a two stroke the more back compression you can create the more power that’ll give you. I’m thinking maybe get a more restrictive muffler on it and see what ya get. Great job goldguy. Don’t worry about that front fender. It looks better than it was.
I just sold a pristine 1977 TS185, I was the second owner. Only 2800 miles and I had all original documentation. Got 900$ out of it. Was a very fun bike while I had it and yes, 60~ mph was the top speed on mine too.
I would like to thank you for the videos, you did an awesome job fixing up a 45-year-old bike. That takes a lot of Gump! I have 1979 Suzuki DS125 that I have put back together. The best performance upgrade I install was powerdynamo electronic ignition from Vape.eu when form 6v to 12v dc system, did see a few more rpm and couple extra mph. Going to a 12v system opens up some more upgrades like LED lights, GPS speedo, etc... I did not put a battery in it, I install a 2MC Capacitor 54170009 Sparx. I would like to say, don't feel bad what you did, you did a awesome job and don't let anyone tell you different! You gave it best and that's what counts and something just didn't work out. They were not bad decisions. For the forks go those you can pick up a motorcycle salvage yard on the cheap, you are interested I have a back finder, Muffler, and Light and turn signal switch for a TS185.
You should not feel guilty bro , that's an awesome bike , specially for it's age . It's normal to have all these problems . You should go ahead and buy a new gas tank but it might be difficult and you could also try and find a used front fender in good condition ( a black one ) you can get it to shine by using some plastic enhancers . And for the headlight , you could get a round yellow tinted , grilled headlight , that'd be awesome !
Wow you're almost at 50k I remembered the build video of your cb750 "Vintage Americana" when you had under 8k subs. This is motivating me into making content about "my" 72 Maverick. Thank you for your content.
I think that this shows what really people could do, fix it with what you have right now and slowly patch the problem you solved temporarily because you couldn't fix them completely
Hey man dont beat your self up... You learned alot on that build and the money you spent is worth every penny in experience! That tank was indeed too far gone but now you know way more about soldering and brasing... If the next project has just one pin hole it will be so much easier to fix because you tried on that one... I seriously doubt you made a significant change to the fork diameter... Most likely there are pits in the chrome where the seals ride and they are allowing oil past as the seal goes past.. Fill with epoxy or better yet CA glue and lightly sand. Seals will hold. However once the chrome is pitted that bad the upper tubs will never look great so replacement tubes on ebay or if its not too expensive where you live have them rechromed over tje winter. No big deal. On my 1976 XT500 the fenders were just too bad so I replaced them with a couple universal fenders from UFO for $40. No they dont look peroid but I dont care they are functional and my XT is not a perfect restoration...I actually ride it! This channel has grown because of your willingness to just put your self out there and make mistakes.... Keep making em... Its the ONLY way to learn!
Ha Ha told ya so! But seriously, learning from your mistakes is a good way to learn! Next time you come across something you done before you'll know what to and not to do. I am proud of how well you have gotten the bike working so far.
I just sold my 1980 185 for 900 bucks after we completely restored it, it was street legal and everything and it was such a fun bike but I had to let it go, I learned to drive on that bike and it kicked ass and it hit about 75 if I was lucky, great bike and great first bike
Keep your head up! You’re still providing great/interesting content. I learned a lot! I’m also experiencing the same gas tank woes with an old sl100. Rusted out! No amount of cleaning, braising, and sealant will keep. No worries! Love the channel. 👍🏻
To make the chrome look nice. I clean it with a fine steel wool and liquid car wax, pour the wax right on the steel wool and rub away. It will clean up the pits but of course it won’t take them out but the chrome will look great! Safety sake I’d get new shocks for sure!
Hey bro no shame in your mistakes, it makes sense. Lots of us would want to keep and save the original stuff. I guess it’s just the bike telling you it wants new goodies haha.
Restoring an entire bike for the first time will always leave some problems. You’ll learn from them and I think its great that you atleast tried to use as much of the existing parts you could. Using only new parts is rebuilding not restoring 🙏🏼. Get a new tank, maybe the same model or some aftermarket one (i really like the benelli mojave tanks). And i would suggest to find new inner fork legs or atleast some without pitting, pitted ones will always collect oil from the outer leg and scoop it out past the oil seals since these only seal perfectly round surfaces. Dont beat up yourself!
I recently saw a set of forks on ebay for like $63..man you've done an awesome job on the bike so you might as well tie the bow up nice and tight by topping it off with new set of forks and tank! Back to the wiring topic tho..I'm trying to bring a 71ts185 back to street legal status and it's coming along smooth but I'm having some t. Signal issues. It would be AWESOME if u would create that content. I've yet to come across any ts 185 full wiring type stuff so that would be very much appreciated Thanks for your videos dude, good stuff.
Leave the Sealers and soldering. The tank was fucked from the beginning like many said. Get a aftermarket tank or find a used. The sealer is good for a year or two and then it starts to fall of in bits. And clog the fuel system. For the forks... Check ebay and measure the length and width of the tubes there is many companies that sells fork tubes
Dude, one biker to another.... who gives a literal shit that you made mistakes. I have been doing my ER5 and I have made mistakes. Many mistakes too. But you learn from mistakes. There might be people saying ‘told you so’, but they probably made those exact mistakes before. I love the content you produce and really enjoy watching a bike come from rust to ride. Chin up and don’t change your content or how you present your Channel!
Should've done this, should've done that, well... then you wouldn't have learned all that ;) Sometimes you just have to go through the process and that's how you learn, you can learn from others but somethings you have to do on your own. A shorter exhaust pipe could help you find a little more revs and top end power to increase the top speed, and rise the exhaust port a few millimeters but just the pipe could actually do a noticeable change. Read up on how two stroke exhaust pipes work, the total length from the cylinder to the last descending cone are related to the revs where you hit the powerband as does the height of the ports in the cylinder. Shorter pipe and higher ports = higher revs and vice versa.
The sealer is failing, seen this before with POR15 , you can get the fork re-chrome or buy after market tubes, best get new seals, and check the fork bushes, as for the exhaust, you need to treat the rust otherwise the paint won't stick.
I don 't remember.......did you bore the cylinder to the next sized piston or just replace the rings and/or piston? I know that two strokes wear the top end much more rapidly than four strokes. A new over sized piston and cylinder will give you optimum power. Also your engine is at the top of it's engine rpm range when topped out in speed. One or two teeth smaller in the rear sprocket will probably give you more speed. I'm not sure if the top speed would increase with a one tooth larger counter shaft sprocket because the engine may not have the power. I think it would be a good video to see you do top speed tests with one tooth smaller rear then two tooth smaller then back to stock on the rear with one larger front! If the speed continues to increase you could experiment with each of the smaller rear sprockets with the larger front installed. You may not see an actual increase in top speed with every change but you may see an increase in usability. A higher gear ratio may actually help fuel economy, engine wear, engine noise etc with the sprocket changes. Years ago I bought two 1982 MB 5's. new off the show room. I replaced the front sprockets with one tooth larger and it was much better. They still had the same top speed (62mph indicated) but the engine rpm's dropped about 700 at cruising speed! Hope this long comment helps. I'm 60 years old and have worked on these things since a child. Just ask me anything and i may be able to help. I appreciate your humility.....that's why I'm reaching out to you. Good luck!
A 1977 TS185 was my first bike.. remember getting 140 km/h (87 mph ) on a regular basis so you shouldn't have a problem getting that.. going by the sound of your engine I would say you need to work on the carby...
We’ve all been there, man... Part of restoring bikes and learning. The solutions aren’t that daunting, but before you purchase a new tank and new fork tubes/or rechrome the tubes, think about how much money you want to put into this bike. Are you going to keep and ride it, or sell it to fund a new project? I’d say, you’re in this far, you seem to enjoy the bike, go ahead and finish it right. But you’ll have to weight the cost/benefit.
The front forks look like they might share parts with some sort of street bike (note the lower fender mounts) Maybe gn125/250 or gs125/250? You might also be able to swap em out for something from another japanese bike of the era ? Hope you figure something out!
Dude I appreciate you making this video and every video you make. You make some great content. Ride safe man and have fun. That bike of yours is awesome
I use to have a bunch of old honda 3 wheelers with leaky tanks i just mixed up jb weld never had an issue just for a future thought but maybe get you a replacement plastic universal tank ...
You can tell from how the sealer is bubbling up in the tank that it didn't adhere properly (likely due to insufficient prep). If the sealer doesn't adhere perfectly to.the entire inside of the tank it's not going to work no matter how much you dump in there... At this point you're better off finding a new tank as trying to remove all that sealer isn't going to be fun and that's the only way you will be able to salvage that tank.
First set timing by specs and oil pump in correct setting and will see it's running rich but that will be a start. Want to go after drop a tooth on back sprocket.
Hi ! I use to own a 1975 suzuki ts 185 i change the front sproket for a new one but as 2 theet more then the original one ,then one day going to work i got cut by the police radar at 92 mile per hour ! and thats no bullshit !
Dude.. The front shock still can be fixed on my opinion.. 1. if the forks inside are still good you could add a bushing to the inner shock to add the travel. You need to replace the bolt with a longer one and add some oil shock. 2. You can use double seal shock on the forks, forget about the dust seal just put a double one and done it wont leak anymore I did it on my suzuki en 125 it almost 2 years in tropical condition ( im in Bali and the sun is as hot as the oven for sure and my bike are often to park outside without any shade. 3. It will be better if you could put the dust seal on the top secondary seal that i mention before.
Tried looking on eBay for a new header pipe but what’s listed is broken or mangled. Wondering what other cc size can fit the 185. Let me know. Try decoking. ??? Like ta help ya. Let me know
Replace tank and forks and problems solved, don't worry bout the guard. As for the top speed, 65mph is good for it age, basics of this bike are fine, just cosmetics and a few bits n bobs to sort
Hey Man!! I just found the same bike on the jaoanese ebay, for 300 $, considering getting it and try to emulate what you did, I am not as skilled as you though, but sounds so awsome
Get the forks re-chromed, find a replacement tank, not the end of the world, don't beat yourself up.
Rechroming is pretty expensive
@@antich2656 where i'm from 100 euro's for both.
@@antich2656 Not compared to new stanchions
Better to find aftermarket same size fork tubes
@@oddis188 LOL do you know how hard that is?
Just remember how unbelievably trashed that thing once was and how it looks now, you should be proud of what you did and definetively finish it!
does it rev out to full throttle now?
First of all Thank you for your honesty. I recently found a '74 TS185, it's the same model my Dad had when I was kid. The first thing I did was try to find some info about restoring it which led me to your channel. I have been watching each video and you have shown that it's possible to be done myself. I have been watching and wondering how you knew what to do to for each individual piece you restored. Don't be so hard on yourself and remember that some people are watching and really enjoying what you are doing but not commenting. Keep up the good work, and I am looking forward to see how you fix the issues as they arise. Thanks again for your hard work and contributions.
You hit the nail on the head! You are better off starting with a better example, but look at it this way, you saved that bike from rotting away! Every rustoration I have done I have ended up losing money on it. I look at it like a hobby, hobbies aren't free...
One other thing, ask around for a welder. Some old boy might wanna do the job just because of the challenge. It's quite a bit of work, but doable.
The Workshop sent me here.
You can’t weld rust unfortunately, you could fabricate a new tank cheap enough though.
@@smilie120 weld no but braze it
@@smilie120 Oh, he knows that.
@@smilie120 Really? LOL yeah I know that. Buit you can cut it out and do a patch job. Like I said, a lot of work but doable
You gave this bike a new life, don’t sweat a few mistakes! Good work!
Trial & Error Bro 👍 You took on a big challenge with that bike, yeah it's not perfect but just enjoy it. You saved that bikes life.
Dont beat yourself up so bad man. These are fun projects. Dont hate the bikes, these are a part of history. The fun alone is enough for most people. I have a 71 hodaka wombat that I bought in this same condition and restored it. Mistakes were made for me too, and I know I could have bought a newer bike in better shape but it was a fun project and I enjoyed it. Making something old and crusty look new again is part of the appeal!
Dude, everyone makes mistakes. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. You live and you learn. You should be proud of what you've achieved with this bike. It just needs more work, that's all.
I never make mistakes. I never lie either. LOL
@@LRSS2455 yeah rite, haha
Sort out the ts185 problems, it would be great to see it finished, here in the UK we can't get enough of old 2 stroke motorcycles they smell and sound fantastic.
First off, you don't need to apologise, you saved a motorcycle destined to go to a salvage yard. You're learning and this is the kind of bike to learn on. I have 20 motorcycles that most of them are pre 2000's and I don't mind working on them. I am in the middle of getting a Suzuki TC 100 back into running order. I'm fighting engine spark but the further I get into it the more problems I find. But that's ok because I enjoy working on it. I had a '73 f7 175 Kawasaki Enduro bike and as I remember it would get up to 70 to 75 mph, that being said it should never be run at that speed because it would seize up and it did. I'm glad you have picked up this bike and I hope you continue to work on it. Don't spend a bunch on it but get it to where you can enjoy it. I don't ride all of my junk every day but I keep them where with a little maintenance I can get them to run and ride them. Keep working at it, it'll come.
I know this videos old now but honesty is always the best policy, Nothing to be ashamed of , If you only knew half the crazy things Ive done learning to repair bikes you would laugh your head off , Started messing around with bikes at about 12 year old and now in my mid 60s I still make some cock ups , Great videos , Love your love of old bikes , Keep learning and keep safe.
Dude. #1 rule, take your time and do it right the first time. When it comes to paint, your prep work is of utmost importance. Take the time to sand it down, clean thoroughly and use the appropriate primer (especially on the exhaust), or apply a heat wrap. As for the forks, if they are that pitted, pitch them and look on ebay. When it comes to tanks, you can use jb weld (or others), but it still requires the proper prep work then coating then paint (on the outside). It's all a learning curve and you'll learn as you go. Just make sure it's safe and runs right. The rest is just cosmetic. Restoring to original can become expensive and too costly if the bike is pretty far gone. Better to just fix up and move on. I appreciate your honesty and owning up to your mistakes. Your human, we all make them and it makes you a better person when you can own up to them. Keep up the good work and keep trying and keep learning.
I did exactly the same to an old gas thank and then had to buy and repaint a second hand tank. We all learn from these projects. Thank you for being so honest,
The exhaust might be carboned up in the expansions chamber. The Muffler is new so there is not any built up carbon
Um... he took the muffler off...
Mark Burchfield read again. There Will not be any built up carbon in the muffler because the bike has not really ran with the new muffler.
The rest of the pipe has been ran before goldguy even bought the bike. So it could be full of built up carbon.
The problem is usually the build up of carbon in the expansion chamber reduces the internal volume which reduces the pressure difference on the exhaust cycle. This has an adverse effect on the fresh charge of fuel being pulled into the cylinder during induction and evacuating exhaust gasses. This is where the performance is nerfed.
The inside of a badly coked up exhaust system is reminiscent of a coal mine!! In the worst cases I've witnessed the exhaust port clogged with carbon due to a badly coked exhaust system (reduced port opening diameter).
Back in the days before low ash 2 stroke oil appeared in the mid 1980's, 2 stroke motorcycle owners used to decoke their exhausts around 3 or 4 times a year, just to keep peak performance. Back then it was regarded as one of the ritualistic hassles of owning a 2 stroke bike and why many people opted for the less powerful, heavier and slower 4 stroke bikes of the same capacity class.
You'll only have to do this once as modern low ash 2 stroke oil doesn't coke up exhaust pipes anymore.
I haven't had to decoke any of my daily use 2 stroke bikes since the mid 1980's.
Burn the exhaust system out (after removing it far away from the bike) using old gear oil mixed with 20% gasoline as this burns at a hotter temperature. Use a soda can's worth to fill the pipe and light it with a burning rag on a stick as it will go "whoosh" with a flame jet at both ends of the pipe. Obviously it's a good idea to stand square onto the pipe, rather than at one end, when igniting it. It will then settle down for an hour to burn out the pipe.
Never use caustic soda, as some will BS you into using, as I've tried it once, and it simply shifted all the carbon to one end of a pipe, solidified and blocked it solid. I still had to burn it out in the end.
Andy Reid ok, i know plenty of shitty 2 stroke oils That Will leave 1mm thick layer of carbon after about 500km. At least here in sweden. It happened on my 60cc suzuki k50 1980 with an hpi ignition.
This is part of growing up and learning about bikes cars and whatever , I made so many mistakes when I was your age and now in my 60 still make some from time to time , The important thing is to admit things could have been done better then next time make it better , Good luck with your videos I very much enjoy them .
I understand you perfectly. Recently, I bought a Yamaha XV250 who has been standing for a long time. I believed that I could restore it, sell it and make a profit. Unfortunately, the sum of my expenses was the same as buying a new one. But just like you I learned a lot more about motorcycles, parts and etc. I think it is a valid experience.
If I had bought a new one, I would probably leave it in the hands of expensive professionals. Fearing to damage a new byke.
Don´t be too hard to yourself. If you make a restauration just for the videos, it is simply your decision if you deliberately try to find out everything yourself and risk some faults or if you read all the manuals and attend to all the "how to" videos first. At least for me, this build series was much more exciting than just seeing another guy throwing new parts to a bike. I really appreciate your fighting with difficulties and your honesty, showing us everything including what went wrong.
You have learned something and that's priceless.....
I have and am still in the process of building many bike's, if you got other stuff to do on the 185 then carry on with those bit's while you hunt down the part's you need, there is no real rush to source the parts and pay over the odds and to find down the line you could have found better cheaper later on.....
There's a saying over in the UK that springs to mind, "it ain't eating nothing" and that means that you don't have to any spend money to just keep the bike as is until you have the resources to get it fixed up...
Good luck and I gotta say your content gets better with every video...
"You have learned something and that's priceless....."
- Best comment so far.
@@dirtygarageguy Cheer's Matt xx, Quiet over at your place.... All good ??
@@eddiecash9417 Yeah dude, all is good. Just winding up for the next burst of videos
@@dirtygarageguy Hope to see Issac's nails painted at least... lookin forward to um x
Great video dude - shit happens and you learn. It's probably been said below but I'll add my bit here. Tank sealer seals the inside of the tank from corrosion, not fills holes. Re-chroming the stanchions has also been mentioned. Some people have said it's expensive but it's not that bad vs band new or second hand ones. Filling the holes with JB weld is a shit idea, even if people say it works.
High temp paint is just shit. Only ceramic coatings that have been plasma sprayed on are any good. Any do it at home job will last 5 minutes.
I perosnally believe that 'starting with a better bike' is only a good idea if you need to ride it and it's your only ride. Restorations are hard, and you get out of it what you put into it. If you do 'ghetto fixes' then they'll last 5 minutes, as you've found out. For the future I'd say if you come across something that's fucked, ask your audience. Ask what they would do, you can even attach a poll to the video.
matt he took a angle grinder to the forks that makes them essentially economically scrap
Exactely!
@@fredbailey843 why? The chrome coating on stanchions can be up to 0.5mm thick. The coating is not just to make it shiny, and you can get the missing material built up with hard chrome first.
correct how ever after grinding on a centerless grinder to remove the angle grinder marks is actually worth doing or just bung a decent set of forks on
@@fredbailey843 Well it all depends on how deep the marks are. We can't tell watching a video, so Mason is best off having the forks looked at and then a decision can be made. Personally I think that they should be restored rather than replaced, as this is a restoration series, but I get where you're coming from.
Hay dont beat yourself up! You did amazing work with it! It's not the destination it's the Journey!
Dont get dragged down by things like this.
I am also struggling with some problems on my dt 250 and I dont even know how to fix them anymore because I tried everything I thought it would be...
But therefore I am extremely motivated once I fix one of the problems that have always been there.
This may be the best of all your videos so far. Your openness about the mistakes you've made will help your viewers far more than glossing over them in the interest of creating good content. "Good" content should fulfill its intended purpose, and that is exactly what yours did.
Dude, stop beating yourself up!
You’ve made good interesting content, you’ve shown it’s not all roses, but now you can fix it!
Incidentally I would probably buy new fork Stanchions or have yours rechromed...don’t try and fill them with any type of adhesive or fillers..it’ll just mess up again.
Get a new tank...dude you did a valiant effort of trying to fix that one...but that one was way to far gone only good for hanging on your shop wall as an offering to the gods of motorcycle restorations.
Your doing a great job..keep it up
don't beat yourself up man you've done a great job!
I know this is an older video but showing people the bad parts of the bike ie not running well, will never teach people what to listen or look for when a bike is not running correctly. I have owned some bikes for 37 years and because I know them so well, I can tell almost immediately when something isn't right. A new bike on the other hand is difficult to tell when riding if something isn't right (except when it is obvious such as not starting, bogging etc). It's good to show people troubleshooting steps and the things you have tried to fix it. It's also good to explain what did in fact fix the bike.
Trial and error is how some things work. I've looked at pieces of my bikes and thought , let's see how this turns out. Sometimes good sometimes not so good but we try. Good or bad your style of building and vlogging is different and that's what draws me back. 👍🏼 For doing what you can and trying new things
Just get the forks re-chromed. The tank shouldn’t be an issue. Try to find one with a dent or something cheap without rust. Or maybe find a parts bike with a good tank?
Replace tank and replace forks, much simpler and cheaper in the long run
So hard to find a replacement tank for these. If anyone knows of one let me know
Mine is rusty as hell on the inside, rinsed it our with gas and got alot out but still a little bit in the gas filter, I wish i could get a plastic one that would fit
Every bike you do you learn on you are young and with training you will do fine with more experience this is why schools need to have shop classes for kids do not give up enjoy your videos....
Maybe you can either get new forks, or get them recoated. Also, I made a huge stupid mistake on my first bike. It was a Roketa 250cc bike I could never get started, so I scrapped the engine. The engine was hard to find parts for, and I just got tired of messing woth it. I realized soon after something was wrong with the kill switch, and now I have to buy a new engine because if it. Everyone makes mistakes, but that's all part of it. I'm currently restoring a 1986 Honda TLR200. Great running bike, and I may post a video or two of it as well. Keep up the amazing work
How do you learn if you don’t make mistakes? You generally don’t. You have to acknowledge them however, which you’ve done.
I think it was cool that you tried to fix the tank . Live and learn, don't beat yourself up !
Really need to look into a expansion chamber for that ts180 the reason being I cant remember right off hand but will help different size and lengths will change the power band not sure if anyone makes expansion chambers for these specific engines but it will change the power band. Another thing to look at is the reeds behind the carb/manifold they could be stiff so changing them most likely will help out also
I really think honesty goes best. We know you’re not perfect but we like to watch you learn, or dare do a half measure we would never try/ try again. Keep doing you.
Good effort and brave to show us your “fails”, I’m really looking forward to see you hookup lights and indicators as I’m nearly up to that on my resto, please make it as detailed as possible 👍
Don't beat yourself up man, like you said that's how you learn. We've all been there/doing that. This bike was junkyard fodder, you did a fantastic job getting it going and learned a lot by doing it and provided hours of entertainment for your followers. That's a win in my book.
Figure out your goal for the project before you buy it. If it's for content and how to material, spend the money and do what you do well. If you are buying to resell, don't marry the thing. Make it run, make it look good for the cheapest amount possible and move on to the next one.
I'd look for a replacement tank and forks, look at parts from other makers, there was a lot of parts sharing in the 70's as well as the same parts being used over multiple years. I think 77-79 TS185 is interchangeable.
I checked ebay just now and there are some forks and a tank on there. Yours may be better. The seller might send you better pics though.
Don’t be too hard on yourself Goldguy! You have done a really good job on this build! The bike was complete junk before! Of course their is things you can learn from but overall you done a good job!
New tank most definitely! Forks not a big deal as long as it isn't leaking very bad. Just ride and have fun, that is what the bike was built for!
Use steel wool next time. No gouging or severe scratches. New gas tank ? Get a bigger one. 😁😁... ummm. If that’s a two stroke the more back compression you can create the more power that’ll give you. I’m thinking maybe get a more restrictive muffler on it and see what ya get.
Great job goldguy. Don’t worry about that front fender. It looks better than it was.
All part of growing up learning from mistakes keep your head up mate keep going from gaz all the way in Manchester England 😎😎
46k subscribers.. I was here at 900. Well done Gold Guy 👍
I just sold a pristine 1977 TS185, I was the second owner. Only 2800 miles and I had all original documentation. Got 900$ out of it.
Was a very fun bike while I had it and yes, 60~ mph was the top speed on mine too.
I would like to thank you for the videos, you did an awesome job fixing up a 45-year-old bike. That takes a lot of Gump! I have 1979 Suzuki DS125 that I have put back together. The best performance upgrade I install was powerdynamo electronic ignition from Vape.eu when form 6v to 12v dc system, did see a few more rpm and couple extra mph. Going to a 12v system opens up some more upgrades like LED lights, GPS speedo, etc... I did not put a battery in it, I install a 2MC Capacitor 54170009 Sparx.
I would like to say, don't feel bad what you did, you did a awesome job and don't let anyone tell you different! You gave it best and that's what counts and something just didn't work out. They were not bad decisions. For the forks go those you can pick up a motorcycle salvage yard on the cheap, you are interested I have a back finder, Muffler, and Light and turn signal switch for a TS185.
You should not feel guilty bro , that's an awesome bike , specially for it's age . It's normal to have all these problems . You should go ahead and buy a new gas tank but it might be difficult and you could also try and find a used front fender in good condition ( a black one ) you can get it to shine by using some plastic enhancers . And for the headlight , you could get a round yellow tinted , grilled headlight , that'd be awesome !
Don't give up, buy tank in better condition and continue great work ! Greets from Poland !
ive had a great time watching these videos and learned lots. dont feel dumb, we all make mistakes, trust me
I one that was brand new in 1976 and it would do 75 on a good day back then, downhill, 68 on flat ground with a Basanni expansion chamber.
Wow you're almost at 50k I remembered the build video of your cb750 "Vintage Americana" when you had under 8k subs.
This is motivating me into making content about "my" 72 Maverick. Thank you for your content.
I think that this shows what really people could do, fix it with what you have right now and slowly patch the problem you solved temporarily because you couldn't fix them completely
I’m restoring the same year and type bike and it’s all thanks too you ❤️
Hey man dont beat your self up... You learned alot on that build and the money you spent is worth every penny in experience! That tank was indeed too far gone but now you know way more about soldering and brasing... If the next project has just one pin hole it will be so much easier to fix because you tried on that one... I seriously doubt you made a significant change to the fork diameter... Most likely there are pits in the chrome where the seals ride and they are allowing oil past as the seal goes past.. Fill with epoxy or better yet CA glue and lightly sand. Seals will hold. However once the chrome is pitted that bad the upper tubs will never look great so replacement tubes on ebay or if its not too expensive where you live have them rechromed over tje winter. No big deal. On my 1976 XT500 the fenders were just too bad so I replaced them with a couple universal fenders from UFO for $40. No they dont look peroid but I dont care they are functional and my XT is not a perfect restoration...I actually ride it! This channel has grown because of your willingness to just put your self out there and make mistakes.... Keep making em... Its the ONLY way to learn!
Ha Ha told ya so! But seriously, learning from your mistakes is a good way to learn! Next time you come across something you done before you'll know what to and not to do. I am proud of how well you have gotten the bike working so far.
could also use Diesel to clean your exhaust. did this on my Ts50 many years ago and it worked like a charm. just remember to let it dry
Awesome. Keep up the great content. I’m gonna watch your video now.
I just sold my 1980 185 for 900 bucks after we completely restored it, it was street legal and everything and it was such a fun bike but I had to let it go, I learned to drive on that bike and it kicked ass and it hit about 75 if I was lucky, great bike and great first bike
Could you have the fork tubes stripped and re-chromed?
Keep your head up! You’re still providing great/interesting content. I learned a lot! I’m also experiencing the same gas tank woes with an old sl100. Rusted out! No amount of cleaning, braising, and sealant will keep. No worries! Love the channel. 👍🏻
Buy nhew fork tubes. Cheap on ebay. Same with gas tank
yo, no one's rooting for you to fail. forget that bs. everyone is here because they like your content!
Don’t worry about it we all make mistakes😁
dont be so hard on yourself, youve done great with this bike
To make the chrome look nice. I clean it with a fine steel wool and liquid car wax, pour the wax right on the steel wool and rub away. It will clean up the pits but of course it won’t take them out but the chrome will look great!
Safety sake I’d get new shocks for sure!
The force is strong with this one
honesty is always good man, u learn a lot and did amaizing work all the way, really enjoy your videos!
Hey bro no shame in your mistakes, it makes sense. Lots of us would want to keep and save the original stuff. I guess it’s just the bike telling you it wants new goodies haha.
My TS125X used to top out at 55mph but you should have seen the size of the rear sprocket. It may have only done 55 but it could do it on 1 wheel.
You're learning, bud. Don't get down on yourself.
Enough time in that junk fender Get a new one.
Go to a Motorcycle salvage in a outback town find all kinds of goodies, new fork tubes, A tank. I'm in the same boat with a ts 400 I just got.
Restoring an entire bike for the first time will always leave some problems. You’ll learn from them and I think its great that you atleast tried to use as much of the existing parts you could. Using only new parts is rebuilding not restoring 🙏🏼. Get a new tank, maybe the same model or some aftermarket one (i really like the benelli mojave tanks). And i would suggest to find new inner fork legs or atleast some without pitting, pitted ones will always collect oil from the outer leg and scoop it out past the oil seals since these only seal perfectly round surfaces. Dont beat up yourself!
I recently saw a set of forks on ebay for like $63..man you've done an awesome job on the bike so you might as well tie the bow up nice and tight by topping it off with new set of forks and tank! Back to the wiring topic tho..I'm trying to bring a 71ts185 back to street legal status and it's coming along smooth but I'm having some t. Signal issues. It would be AWESOME if u would create that content. I've yet to come across any ts 185 full wiring type stuff so that would be very much appreciated
Thanks for your videos dude, good stuff.
great video
Leave the Sealers and soldering. The tank was fucked from the beginning like many said. Get a aftermarket tank or find a used. The sealer is good for a year or two and then it starts to fall of in bits. And clog the fuel system. For the forks... Check ebay and measure the length and width of the tubes there is many companies that sells fork tubes
Dude, one biker to another.... who gives a literal shit that you made mistakes. I have been doing my ER5 and I have made mistakes. Many mistakes too. But you learn from mistakes. There might be people saying ‘told you so’, but they probably made those exact mistakes before. I love the content you produce and really enjoy watching a bike come from rust to ride. Chin up and don’t change your content or how you present your Channel!
Should've done this, should've done that, well... then you wouldn't have learned all that ;) Sometimes you just have to go through the process and that's how you learn, you can learn from others but somethings you have to do on your own.
A shorter exhaust pipe could help you find a little more revs and top end power to increase the top speed, and rise the exhaust port a few millimeters but just the pipe could actually do a noticeable change. Read up on how two stroke exhaust pipes work, the total length from the cylinder to the last descending cone are related to the revs where you hit the powerband as does the height of the ports in the cylinder. Shorter pipe and higher ports = higher revs and vice versa.
I can feel you bro☺️ don't worry we learn from mistakes👍
Front fender on backwards !
The sealer is failing, seen this before with POR15 , you can get the fork re-chrome or buy after market tubes, best get new seals, and check the fork bushes, as for the exhaust, you need to treat the rust otherwise the paint won't stick.
I don 't remember.......did you bore the cylinder to the next sized piston or just replace the rings and/or piston? I know that two strokes wear the top end much more rapidly than four strokes. A new over sized piston and cylinder will give you optimum power. Also your engine is at the top of it's engine rpm range when topped out in speed. One or two teeth smaller in the rear sprocket will probably give you more speed. I'm not sure if the top speed would increase with a one tooth larger counter shaft sprocket because the engine may not have the power. I think it would be a good video to see you do top speed tests with one tooth smaller rear then two tooth smaller then back to stock on the rear with one larger front! If the speed continues to increase you could experiment with each of the smaller rear sprockets with the larger front installed. You may not see an actual increase in top speed with every change but you may see an increase in usability. A higher gear ratio may actually help fuel economy, engine wear, engine noise etc with the sprocket changes. Years ago I bought two 1982 MB 5's. new off the show room. I replaced the front sprockets with one tooth larger and it was much better. They still had the same top speed (62mph indicated) but the engine rpm's dropped about 700 at cruising speed! Hope this long comment helps. I'm 60 years old and have worked on these things since a child. Just ask me anything and i may be able to help. I appreciate your humility.....that's why I'm reaching out to you. Good luck!
A 1977 TS185 was my first bike.. remember getting 140 km/h (87 mph ) on a regular basis so you shouldn't have a problem getting that.. going by the sound of your engine I would say you need to work on the carby...
Don't be ashamed of making mistake. I think most people who point out mistakes mean well. Live and learn man.
We’ve all been there, man... Part of restoring bikes and learning. The solutions aren’t that daunting, but before you purchase a new tank and new fork tubes/or rechrome the tubes, think about how much money you want to put into this bike. Are you going to keep and ride it, or sell it to fund a new project? I’d say, you’re in this far, you seem to enjoy the bike, go ahead and finish it right. But you’ll have to weight the cost/benefit.
The front forks look like they might share parts with some sort of street bike (note the lower fender mounts) Maybe gn125/250 or gs125/250?
You might also be able to swap em out for something from another japanese bike of the era ?
Hope you figure something out!
I used caswell epoxy tank sealer. Kinda of expensive but man it's so worth it
You can put a bit of hard hand soap on the tank as a " get me home " quick fix ., 👍🏼
Do you know the millimeter of your forks lv got a good set of gs forks I can donate if they will Interchange..
Dude I appreciate you making this video and every video you make. You make some great content. Ride safe man and have fun. That bike of yours is awesome
Think man that bike is really old nobody expects it to be perfect. Honestly I wouldn't mind having the bike myself. Live and you learn 🤙
You redeemed yourself with the 450. Don't sweat it.
I use to have a bunch of old honda 3 wheelers with leaky tanks i just mixed up jb weld never had an issue just for a future thought but maybe get you a replacement plastic universal tank ...
You can tell from how the sealer is bubbling up in the tank that it didn't adhere properly (likely due to insufficient prep). If the sealer doesn't adhere perfectly to.the entire inside of the tank it's not going to work no matter how much you dump in there...
At this point you're better off finding a new tank as trying to remove all that sealer isn't going to be fun and that's the only way you will be able to salvage that tank.
You could use the outside of the tank and put a plastic tank underneath so it's just the shell of the metal tank
First set timing by specs and oil pump in correct setting and will see it's running rich but that will be a start. Want to go after drop a tooth on back sprocket.
Hi ! I use to own a 1975 suzuki ts 185 i change the front sproket for a new one but as 2 theet more then the original one ,then one day going to work i got cut by the police radar at 92 mile per hour ! and thats no bullshit !
All part of the hassle restoring old bikes, especially ones rusted through like this one was. Sucks regardless though
Very true.
Dude.. The front shock still can be fixed on my opinion..
1. if the forks inside are still good you could add a bushing to the inner shock to add the travel. You need to replace the bolt with a longer one and add some oil shock.
2. You can use double seal shock on the forks, forget about the dust seal just put a double one and done it wont leak anymore I did it on my suzuki en 125 it almost 2 years in tropical condition ( im in Bali and the sun is as hot as the oven for sure and my bike are often to park outside without any shade.
3. It will be better if you could put the dust seal on the top secondary seal that i mention before.
Tried looking on eBay for a new header pipe but what’s listed is broken or mangled. Wondering what other cc size can fit the 185. Let me know. Try decoking. ??? Like ta help ya. Let me know
Replace tank and forks and problems solved, don't worry bout the guard. As for the top speed, 65mph is good for it age, basics of this bike are fine, just cosmetics and a few bits n bobs to sort
Hey Man!! I just found the same bike on the jaoanese ebay, for 300 $, considering getting it and try to emulate what you did, I am not as skilled as you though, but sounds so awsome