advice wanted

**BEER MONSTER** · #1 6 Feb 2003

Hi Guys,Looking fot a wee bit of advice here.Im at present planning a RTW and Im looking for a bike.I will be buying new and was looking at the xt600 or tt600.Whats your opinions of both for a major overlanding trip.
Had a 1978 xt500 as my first bike and since always had a soft spot for the xt.

**RichLees** · #2 6 Feb 2003

I, too, have a soft spot for Teneres because I made it home despite epic UNreliability. if you're going to take in some serious off-roading then consider the XR650L. with a big tank, its awesome: XR suspension and dominator motor.
that said, a properly prepped XT or TT would be just as good, but don't go thinking its much cop straight from the crate or, worse, after several years use and bearing road-oriented after-market bits.

**GRIFF** · #3 7 Feb 2003

Instead of spending all that money on a new standard bike,try contacting Dave Lambeth here.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/cgi...=david+lambeth

He might be able to help you with a bike thats fully preped for an RTW trip for the same price or maybe less.

Good luck.

Griff

**davidlomax** · #4 10 Feb 2003

XT's are only unreliable if they arn't prepped properly, or are new from the crate. I have done 10's of thousands of Km on them in pretty awful conditions and properly set up they give few if any problems. If you are buying new the XT is probably not your best bet unless you are willing to spend more money on the bike than makes sense compared to other models.

Dave

**davidlomax** · #5 11 Feb 2003

Check out this web address for a 3AJ that did 200 000 km with hardly a problem! And looking at the photo's I can't say it looks as if its had an easy life ;-)!

Dave

www.tenere.ch

**RichLees** · #6 12 Feb 2003

the recent epic was, as you say, down to inadequate preparation.

my own Tenere-borne epic was down to a castings problem with 1982 engine blocks: the studs that hold the head on ripped out as I was chuffing along. replacing the threads with helicoils was little better: they failed again soon after. when I contacted the UK importers they said that they knew of a small batch of rough ones. I got no comfort from knowing I'd hit the jack-pot ;-)

IMHO one of the best features of the tenere is the magneto ignition which means that you can keep going despite generator failure.

**davidlomax** · #7 13 Feb 2003

Well they lied to you! All 1VJ's have problems with their barrels and head bolts. Up until a few years ago Yamaha sold a modified head to fix the problem but have now stopped. I think you'll find quite a few owners of bikes upto '87 with extended head bolts/double helicoiled heads/or severe compression problems!!

BUT if you know how to fix it.......

My bike's sorted, 1986 1VJ. Sweet as a nut!
New modified 3AJ head with larger colling fins with longer head bolts means no more top end problems and improved cooling!

Excellent!

Dave

**RichLees** · #8 13 Feb 2003

hmm. as you say, they lied to me. they said they estimated 20 bikes in the UK were affected. I got a machinist to mill out some more metal and put in some steel, internally and externally threaded inserts that were well-enough seated to withstand the compression. not bery elegant, but it worked.

**giorgioXT** · #9 13 Feb 2003

...Fact is that with 2KF series of engines (immediately after 1VJ) Yamaha fitted a larger Cylinder-head assembly with one more stud for fixing to the basement (thats remained practically unchanged) with a cooling surface at least 30% larger....

bad is that with the 3AJ gone was the kick-starter :-(

*START RANT* Why these damn greedy Japs ALWAYS downgrade and change from good to cheap parts in due course !!?? the 34L (the first Tenerés) had Alu swingarm, front disk with steel braid tube (the first in series production!), Alu bashplate and a REAL protection switch instead of the fuse ! (imagine the usefulness of a switch when you ran out of the second spare fuse ...)
*END RANT*

**davidlomax** · #10 17 Feb 2003

Answer is to get a 1vj and modify the head, and gearbox, then you have the kick and electric start, the braided hoses, alu swing arm, etc etc etc

Perfect!

Dave