YG1-TK

June 12, 2020

I purchased my 1965 Yamaha YG1-TK during the summer of 2018. It was my first experience with a motorcycle and has been one of my most beloved projects to date. I found it on Craiglist, listed as a barn find and rather worse for the wear. But when I saw it in person, it had compression and that was enough for me. Clocking in at 80 cc, this bike is essentially a moped. Regardless of its flaws, it holds a special place in my heart.

In hindsight, I was a little too focused on the aesthetic side of things. My friends would make jokes that I had a cool looking motorcycle that I couldn't do anything with. My personal theory is that this motorcycle was taken out into the dirt and muck and returned to the barn where it would sit for decades because the kick starter was busted. Needless to say, I had my work cut out for me with all the rust and grime. I spent hours with wire wheels and paint stripper, slowly revealing the gleaming motorcycle underneath it all.

March 02, 2020

The rubber pieces on my YG1-TK have held up especially well considering that it's from 1965. However, I decided that it was time to let the pieces go. Several blemishes make it clear that the previous owner may not have been as delicate with the motorcycle as I would've liked.

I had previously experimented with SainSmart's black TPU to 3D print a replacement part for one of the crankcase covers of the YG1-TK. It's held up incredibly well and provides me with the ability to easily reproduce the part should it get broken.