CLICK ON THIS ICON TO LOG IN:

TO INQUIRE ABOUT BECOMING A MEMBER, PLEASE EMAIL: MEMBERSHIP@CVMG.CA

FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES CONTACT: SECRETARY@CVMG.CA

"ONE MEMBER STORY"

Members are encouraged to submit their bikes and stories to be featured in this space.

Our members are always on the hunt for old bikes – machines that have been sitting neglected for years. It’s fun and sometimes a challenge to get ‘em running again. Every member has a story to tell. Here’s one…

Past and Present. The connection.

In 1967 I purchased my first 2 stroke motorcycle...a 1966 Yamaha 250 Catalina model.

The 250 Yamaha was one of the first Japanese 'sport models' to be introduced along with the Suzuki X6 Hustler. The engine developed 28 horsepower and was one of the first 2 stroke engines to utilize an oil reservoir and oil injection pump therefore eliminating the need and hassle of pre-mixing 2 stroke oil with the gasoline. This practice had dire consequences for the engine if not done accurately.

The Yamaha 250 was available in two models...the Catalina (low mounted exhaust pipes) and the rarer Big Bear Scrambler (high mounted exhaust pipes). I promised myself that one day I would own a Big Bear.

Fast forward to 2016. I saw an ad for a basket case 1966 Big Bear for sale in St. Catharines, Ontario. It was very rough and was missing about 50% of the parts. The engine was scattered about in 7 boxes with miscellaneous other stuff. Knowing how rare this bike was I decided to purchase it and try to bring it back from the dead.

With the help of Ebay and purchases from literally around the world I began the restoration process. For example, I needed an ignition switch. One was found in London, England. A front fender was also required. One was found in Malaysia. I sourced a rear brake cable (very unique design and rare) in Japan, new seat cover and foam in Nebraska, a suitable carburetor air box in Texas, new oversize pistons/rings in New York, new side cover in California, etc. In total I made at least 30 separate Ebay purchases over the 2 years it took to gather up the needed parts.

I then proceeded with the restoration. First the frame and some other small parts were powder coated. Next, by far the single most expensive outlay in the restoration was chrome plating. In hindsight if I had known how expensive chrome plating was going to be, I would not have purchased the bike. Also finding a shop that would re-plate a 2 stroke exhaust system was also a major hurdle. Many shops will not re-plate these due to the oil contamination that will occur to their solution tanks. Fortunately, Cambridge Chrome (Cambridge, Ontario) agreed to do my exhaust.

A valuable lesson for would be restorers...budget yourself lots of $$ for plating.

On a positive note, the bike did come with an NOS fuel tank in perfect condition. The remaining tin work on the bike was expertly matched/re-painted by John Connery (Connery Custom Paint) in Markham/Scarborough, Ontario. After rebuilding the engine (pistons, bearings, seals) I discovered that the clutch would not disengage. After multiple teardowns and re-assemblies of the engine, thorough reviews of the shop and parts manual and ultimately installation of new clutch friction material, I discovered that a major trust washer was missing when I bought the bike. Thanks again to eBay I found the missing part, and the rest as they say is history. I debuted the bike at the 2017 Paris Rally. 

Brian Bly

Golden Horseshoe Section of the CVMG