I recently replaced my 1VJ ('88) tenere with a 3AJ (89 - 91), and noticed some basic differences between the 2 bikes; i have the clymer manual for the XT600 up until 1989, which is generally very good, but it does not cover the 3AJ's deviations from the 1VJ. any advice would be much appreciated...

*** front sprocket attachment to secondary/countershaft ***
on the 1VJ, this is secured by 2 small bolts (10mm), through a retaining clip. on the 3AJ, there appears to be one much larger (30mm?) bolt. i have tentatively tried to remove this bolt, but it appears to be very tightly bolted on, and when i have tried to turn it in neutral i end up just turning the sprocket and the back wheel; i am not sure if i should engage a gear before i try and turn it - will this damage the gears?

*** fuel tank ***
the 1VJ has a 23L tank, secured at the rear as well as on either side of the front section of the frame. the 3AJ is also secured at the rear, but the front appears to be different - it appears as though there are 2 hand-turnable bolts on the inside front of the tank. i have tried to turn these, but they appear quite tight - is there a technique to turn these?

*** kick starter ***
my 1VJ had a kick and an electrical starter, but the 3AJ only has an electrical start. i notice that there is a fitting where i could attach a kick starter, but before i attempt this, i would like to know the magnitude of this task, and also the effects (if any) on the performance of the bike.

*** exhaust pipe ***
i got my 3AJ with an ARROW exhaust, which i have had to replace with a BSA exhaust for the purposes of MOT/roadworthy. i am considering whether i should put the ARROW exhaust back on the bike, but i am not sure, as in my experience early teneres generally run best with genuine parts and not after market accessories. does anyone have any comments on this?

any advice would be much appreciated.

thanks
cabron

__________________
...ships are safe in harbour, but that\'s not what they were built for...

Hope I have helped my friend. E-mail me and we can meet up at some point. I think there are now 4 3AJ's in London - any more out there? We should go green-laning one time!

Enjoy your bike - in my opinion a good upgrade from a lowly 1VJ

__________________
=-=-= ON THE EDGE! =-=-=
My XR650L Pan-Med Expedition Site!

In reply to POB about the kickstart thing - The reason to fit a kickstart to a 3AJ is in case your cheapo battery conks out in Algeria! After hassling my friends for a push in the (every)morning, I ended up returning with a Land-Cruiser battery on the pillion seat! All my own fault, of course, I had intended to put a new battery on before departure.....And the moral of the story is....be less stupid than me
Neil

Yep, same as Neil wrt kickstarter
I've had to bumpstart my bike once or twice...and that was on a nice flat tarmacced road.
I don't want to have the problem in the desert.

OK OK - the issue with the kickstart is a matter of taste, but I would rather take a spare battery (wich I can use for electricity in camp) than add complexity to the engine

Re: the final drive sprocket, have a look on the following page, with special reference to parts 22-28. Should help you out (although some very very small alterations can be seen between this bike (the 3TB?) and the 3AJ, most notably the fuel tank...

Perfect for what you need now though:

http://216.37.204.202/Yamaha_OEM/Yam...pe=13&A=20&B=9

[This message has been edited by POB/London (edited 22 January 2003).]

__________________
=-=-= ON THE EDGE! =-=-=
My XR650L Pan-Med Expedition Site!

front sprocket attachment:
to unlock the nut, engage the rear brake and use a long tube to extend the wrench. a second person is useful.
to tight the nut, use a torque wrench and apply 110 Nm. don't forget the safty washer.
if you don't apply the right torque there is the potential danger that you may loose the nut while riding. if then in consequence the sprocket leaves the shaft it may end up in a serious accident in the worst case.
before mounting the nut on the shaft, apply a thin layer of copper grease on the thread. this makes unlocking a bit easier.
for long journeys i would advice to have a spare nut and washer in the tool box.

regards
klaus

wow, thanks guys for the replies! i am priviledged to have so much info.

reason i asked about the kick starter is because i recently finished a big trip (london - cape town) on my 1VJ (which now rests on a nice comfy pallette in storage in cape town), and the major problem i had on the trip was starting the bike. when i set off, i used my electrical start exclusively, but after a couple of accidents in ethiopia my electrics were not quite what they were supposed to be, and anyone who has travelled through deepest darkest will know that replacement parts are not an option unless you carry them all yourself. so in the end i used my kick start exclusively, hence i am very happy to have both options available. also, it is one thing push starting a bike on tar unladen, quite another in the middle of sudan fully laden.

i am most happy about my new 3AJ, it seems a good step up on my old 1VJ! only thing i don't like are the non-magnesium (gold) rims, but i will learn to live with it

__________________
...ships are safe in harbour, but that\'s not what they were built for...