I love my old T-Dub just like the rest of us but I was out tonight mounting a little clock in my handlebar area and it reminded me of a little annoyance I have had for a while now.
It seems my front brake cable is always in the way. It is just long enough to get into my line of sight for the speedo and just short enough to get in the way when I am trying to get my hand in to work the key. The issue was always there but it was made worse when I put my hand guards on. The mounting bracket for the guards pushes on the cable just enough to change the arc and piss me off. I have tried running the cable inside the mount but that is too tight.
It really isn't that big of a deal but it's something I think about from time to time. I might try to fix it this winter when I am tinkering with some other things on the bike.
~~I am curious, what are some other things related to the form/function/operation/parts/assembly/feel of the T-Dub that annoy you. I'm not talking about big shortcomings or things like not enough power, or missing features, but more like little oddities or things that don't have an aftermarket fix or upgrade so you've figured you just have to live with it.~~
My thought is that some people probably have small annoyances that they have just lived with but other people have found creative fixes for. Hopefully if some other people share some stuff, people can benefit from it.
I have a Velcro cable tie holding my front brake cable to the cross bar and out of my line of sight for the instruments. I hate that the blinker switch does not have a more positive center stop position. Turning it off invariably causes it to jump past and go to the opposite side. The helmet lock is perfectly useless where it is.
I am a bit crossed on the kick stand length. When in my garage on a hard, flat surface I keep a block of 2X4 under the stand. When on an angled surface it can be just right or too long so I am keeping my wood block for the garage.
Lastly, and I know that many here will agree, the pilot screw adjustment is in the absolute worst position. I know that Yamaha does not even want us adjusting it and have it plugged but come on, every one of us removes the plug and enriches the mix.
I say just focus on the good stuff and ride................say ha ha brake cable, I can still see around you and lookee over there, a bear and her cub............
Hmmm interesting to see some other peoples thoughts. Myself, I have never used my helmet lock and probably never will. My blinker switch never gives me any problems so I am good there. I have missed the kickstand with my foot once or twice but mostly when I am rushing or it is wet out.
I was just typing up my small annoyance and I see you just posted it: It would be nice if the seat would be easier to remove and would not require tools.
Every time I have a small annoyance I figure out a way to fix it, or modify it so its something I'm happy with. I think that's what a lot of us do. Hench the never ending list of tw customizations.
I mean that and creating a generally awesome looking functional ride.
If the seat had side mount securing bolts,that would make life a bit easier. I'll catch flak for this one,but,a pleated paper air filter instead of the oil method.....be nice. Lastly,if Yamaha would have extended the mirrors outward a bit,instead of having that last little angled part that ends at the mirror,probably be just enough fir usefulness. I'm done...........I promise.
I have never met a Phillips screw I have not rounded over by camming out of! I am still madly searching all over for the standard 1/4 inch driver bits but with the JIS pattern heads. Any help will be greatly appreciated. I need yet another specialty set of screw drivers like I need another tool box to carry all this stuff. Just a few of the JIS bitts would be a fantastic find.
It's just that it's so far down there, and being a big guy with a bad back, it's too far down there! I almost need bi-focals to see it. But all in all, a great bike!
All I want are the 1/4 inch bits that can go in the many screw drivers I already own and have interchangeable bits that fit right in the handle. Someone makes them if we can find them.
If I don't have a hundred screw drivers I would be very surprised! I do not own a JIS one in the bunch and it has me POed.
All these sets come with a few JIS, Phillips type heads and a few straight slot drivers that probably none of us need. I am assuming we might actually only need the three JIS, Phillips drivers in size P1, 2 & 3 for any of the special screws we encounter on our bikes. I use Klein screw drivers in my daily duties and they take the interchangeable bits. These are good tools but just don't offer the JIS bits-----Yet! I was at Fastenal yesterday and they can't find any JIS bits or drivers at all. I will bet our Japanese members can find JIS drivers and bits in just about any corner hardware store. I refuse to spend $40-80 on a new set of screw drivers just to have 3, two dollar bits.
The bits in your stock tool kit may be cheesy, but at least they're JIS, and preferable to using a regular phillips. I have decent professional ones for my "good" tool roll, but I still carry the stockers on the bike. You wont find a lighter or more compact spark plug socket than the stocker, either. Throw the rest of it as far as it will fly. lol.
The stock tool kits from other bikes have slightly less cheesy bits. I scrounge the ones from Kawasaki tool kits which are a bit longer.
i didn't get a tool kit with my bike so I don't even have any cheesy JIS drivers. I have contacted a few tool makers and am awaiting their replies now.
Another possible solution would be to replace the JIS head screws with allen head screws, preferably the same size as other allen head fasteners on the bike. Then you don't have to worry about stripping out the heads as much, and less tools to carry around.
+1. I've been eliminating wrenches one by one. Still a ways to go.
I'll add a peeve, since I just oiled my filter. The airbox door is one of the most secure in the business. Yet the sidecover attachment tabs rip out upon eye contact.
To get back on topic, my biggest annoyance with the TW is that I don't get to ride it enough. Second is the seat, and I'll be doing something about that shortly. Third, I wish I had just enough more power to maintain 60 mph up grades and in a headwind. Also, I am one of those guys that keeps looking for another gear.
With that said, I really like Trailscout's outlook - forget the negatives and just enjoy all the positives our TW's have going for them, one of which is all the great folks we get to associate with on this forum.
One of the few annoyances that I haven't been able to solve permanently. You're pretty much stuck with buying the same crappy replacement chain slider from Yamaha. A long time ago someone from this forum carved one out of Delrin er sumpin'. I'd kill for one. Slider #3 in less than 20k miles:
I have a suggestion for you! Just went out to look at my chain slider and it is still OK. Look up a product called UHMW. It stands for Ultra High Molecular Weight plastic. They use this stuff to line beds of heavy dump bodies and also as slider material in many applications. You can probably find small pieces in over the one inch thickness our sliders are made of. A shop with a CNC router could easily cut one out in a few minutes as this stuff works great with regular wood router bits at slow speeds. I might know the guy for the job!
Another thing. The front or outward side of the thin part that broke does not need to be so thin or even slanted as it is, there is plenty of clearance to add at least a 1/4 inch on the front side as far as I can see. That thinness is the weak link. If this entire piece was made from 1 1/4" stock and the broken slanted part was twice as thick I bet you could never break it if cut from UHMW. UHMW comes in White or Black and I think black would look better any way because the white we have is always the dirtiest part on our bikes from chain grease.
Two questions? How much does a brand new one cost and how much would a real good, heavy one be worth? Wait, a third question, how does this slider come off our bikes?
Go look at a thread I just posted about my bike being done. I made a skid plate from UHMW and I will put it up against any aluminum one you can buy. I took a piece of the scrap UHMW and hit it as hard as I could with a very sharp 5 pound splitting maul. The maul bounced off and left a tiny scar but if I hit a piece of solid oak across the grain with the same force it would have sunk in a half inch or deeper.
GaryL
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