Old Rigid Yamaha Rat Bike!

by Gary Mattis
(Falling Waters,WV.USA)

Yamaha Rat Bike

1973 Yamaha TX 750 Parallel Twin Rat Bike: The Night Rider! I got this Yamaha TX 750 bike taken apart in boxes and in milk crates and I had never even seen one or heard of one before , I was told that it was a Yamaha 650 by the seller!. (it was not ! ) It was a over-revved TX 750 and it had dropped an intake valve , so I got it cheap ! It has only about 7,000 miles on it . I have already built myself two Rat Bikes at home both for a reasonable investment , One is a XS 650 Rat Bike and the other is a Suzuki 1000 GLX Rat Chopper. I have posted the pictures of both of my other builds on this site. This and all of the Yamaha TX 750's have a totally lousy reputation overall. But I have decided to give it a go anyway!. I removed the starter clutch chain and gears (one of the many problems that the TX 750's have). I can just kick start it !. I replaced the bent and dropped intake valve ( the retainer had broken into 4 pieces ) also I am hoping that the balance chain is ok and not stretched out ? ! ( another TX 750 Problem ) I found that if You keep them at 6000 RPM or under with synthetic oil in the crankcase it will not foam up and ruin the crankshaft ( that's another one of the TX 750's many problems ) The TX 750 motor is a big roll of the dice that I am taking with this old rat bike ! They only made TX 750's for 2 years 1973 and 74. Even Yamaha gave up on them because all of the dealers refused to even work on them!. I've got the motor or (baby) back together and into the (frame) or back in the cradle now! I need to fix some of the build problems from the previous owner's work? He put the battery box blocking the oil tank lines? I guess He wasn't thinking about them with the engine off of the frame? It needs all kinds of repairs and re-designs but I have decided I want to see that the engine runs good first before I deal with the other problems that the bike has! I'm clearly up for the challenge anyway! The carbs are already cleaned up and ready to be installed and to run. I hope to see this bike running again this week?! The TX 750 is a fine looking old bike isn't it? So don't give up on Your project bike! - if I can do a TX 750 Rat Bike You all have no really good excuse to give up on Your bike builds! Some good sound advice from; The Night Rider!

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Jun 01, 2010
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Got The Old Dude On The Road !
by: The Night Rider

Greetings Eartlings ! I got the TX 750 Rat Bike on the road ! It's a solid feeling bike overall. I made a new seat with a tractor spring bar on it and used the same seat pad. I decided to remove the two balance shafts all togather , I kept worrying about if the balancer chain was streaching and if it would destroy the engine. Now that I have I can't even tell the differance without it ? It's as smooth as my XS 650 is !. Makes You wonder why they even put them in there to begin with ?. The chain was a little bit loose at 7,000 miles but of a lousy design , the rear balance shaft was driven by the outside of the chain ? made to be loose and to jump a tooth ! the chain design does not even go around the rear balance shaft sprocket ? , stupid as hell whoever designed it that way ?. Nor did it have any chain tensioner !. all I could see in the balance shaft assemblies was something that would rob alot of horsepower and eventually ruin the engine. The bike may have even run 11's instead of 12.3 in the Standing Quarter mile if the balance shafts were not in it ? ! . The oil tank leaks a little and I may have the hoses on backwards causing the leak ? It just broke down on me yesterday after I removed the stator to remove one of the balance shafts ? It ran fine until the battery died , I think it stopped charging before I started it up even ? maybe I broke a wire or something ? it was charging fine before I removed the stator to do the work on it. ( I'll fix it !) and this old rat bike should last a very long time !. It's got a few bugs in it but overall is a nice ride, it has lots of power even with the timing being set too low. That's another thing I need to do to it. People seem to like it when they see it ! . Rat On ! Who in the hell needs shiney leathers like all the geeks on there expensive American cruisers, and why does the US block good imports from We the people like the British Made Indian Motorcycles that come with inline 4 cylinder volvo fuel injected and water cooled engines and by the way they also have a driveshaft ? Is it because Harly Davidson cannot compeate with them on any level ? Isen't congress just supporting a old 1936 American design that should have been replaced or shit canned a very long time ago ?! There just selling us the same old shit (like HD)that is the reason ? It's just like when the polititions talk - it's Just The same old shit ! How many families in Congress own stock in Harly Davidson ? I'm sure The Rockefellor's and Bush's are not gonna tell You if they do or do not ! . I'm sure of this though , some of them do !. Now You too can own a 10,000 dollar sportster ! But I don't want one at any price congress and Harly Davidson ! Put that in Your pipe and smoke it !

May 19, 2010
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RIGHT ON DUDE!!!
by: Dennis

Hey man yours is the testament to real BIKER TOUGHNESS...no matter what...you build and RIDE!!! AND THE REALLY GREAT THING IS YOU TAKE ON THE TOUGHEST BIKES!!! I BEEN RIDING FOR 35 years AND HAVE SEEN ALOT OF REALLY TOUGH BIKE BUILDS AND YOURS IS RIGHT UP THERE ON TOP!!! KEEP IT UP!!!

May 16, 2010
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Fired The Old Dude Up Today !
by: The Night Rider !

I got it running today ! Motor runs sweet ! no-smoke or leaks , purrs like a kitten with strait pipes ! No-bad vibrations - runs good !. I had the ignition timing too low and spent an hour kicking the old dude ! or should I say ; it was kicking me !. Finally I took off the side cover and advanced the point plate and it fired right up first kick !. I Still have alot to do but I'm fired up now that I have heard it run ! The oil filter is very close to the chain (a bad design)but I'm gonna move it away from the chain and change the filter type also. I'm gonna go over everything till this bad boy is road worthy ! I don't just look at them or park them at the bar while I become stupidly drunk, no I'm not a loser ! I'm the Night Rider ! and day or night I am sober , that's when and how I ride ! So take this advise from The Night Rider ; It's not cool to be a drunken dead fool ! I died in a motorcycle wreak in 1990, I went into outer darkness , I saw my dead body laying there in the hospital and I was not in it ! , I saw a woman being taken down a passage or tunnel to the flames of Hell ! I have come back to warn You ! Not everyone gets a second chance at life ! Ride Sober or don't ride at all ! . I went into the darkness just like The Night Rider did in the movie! The only differance is ; I came back - He did not ! Like they said; Remember The Night Rider !

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