Project TZR!

[MarJay]

Hello,

As you may know, I am the proud owner of a 1986 Yamaha TZR 250.

https://www.marjay.co.uk/photos/TZR1.jpg

I have been having difficulties with the brakes ever since I fitted braided hoses, mainly due to the ancient caliper being encrusted with dirt. I tried cleaning it, I tried regreasing it with copper grease. I tried pumping all of the pistons out and pushing them back in a number of times. I tried emery paper on the pad pins to clean them. I tried everything to get the brakes to feel 'right'.

Alas, I had no success. When you pulled the front brake lever, nothing would happen for a second, and then suddenly the brakes would come on, but without a lot of effect.

I wanted to use the TZR for trackdays etc, and the MOT is due in March, so I was starting to get worried. I thought about aftermarket calipers, but they were too expensive. I thought about replacing the TZR caliper with a TZR caliper from ebay, but these are in short supply and rather expensive due to the demand from YPM (Yamaha Past Masters) racers, due to regulations that restrict the entrants to using an OE caliper. This would be the same for calipers from a breakers yard.

I then thought of G's garage. I remembered that G had nearly two whole Yamaha R6's in parts in his garage and wondered if an R6 caliper would fit. I asked him if he still had a right hand caliper that I could try, but alas he had already sold the only right hand one he had to another member of the forum.

Despite this, I searched the RD forum to see if Yamaha use a stock set of dimensions for their calipers. I found that while many Yamaha bikes use many different sizes of caliper, the TZR250 and the R1/R6/Thundercat/Fazer/Thunderrace calipers were all made by Sumitomo, and use the same dimensions!

I was a little dissapointed that G had not got the right caliper that I wanted, but Davo mentioned that www.r6parts.com had the calipers for £40!

I called the guy up from R6parts.com, and he sent me a VGC right hand R6 caliper for £45 plus postage. He told me that he would send out the caliper, and the I could send him a cheque when it arrived!!

A couple of days later the caliper arrived. It was in good condition and had obviously been carefully cleaned and prepared.

Now my plan was reaching fruition!

I brought my caliper home and then proceeded to fit it to the bike. I had a small amount of difficulty because the braided hose was a little too long for the mounting on the R6 caliper, but with some bending of the hose, and a little frustration it fitted onto the bike. Other than the hose, the fitting went a lot smoother than normal MarJay project work!!

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/brake1.jpg

It was a perfect fit, an exact bolt on upgrade as mentioned previously!

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/brake2.jpg

Bleeding was easy, and it made me glad that I had a bike with a single caliper rather than one with twin discs!

I had gotten hold of some Carbone Lorraine SBK3 pads from G who had them left over from his R6 racing, and fitted them to the bike.

Having ridden the bike, the brakes feel solid and sharp, but the disc is slightly scored from the poor operation of the previous caliper so I will have to get a new disc at some point. The pads will bed in to the disc in time, but it is enough to pass the MOT at the moment. The brakes are still strong though, and I am able to bring the bike to a halt with a lot more confidence than I had before.

https://www.bikechatforums.com/files/brake3.jpg

Overall a top upgrade! (and not too expensive!)
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Gazdaman]

That my friend, is awesome!

Gaz

[anders]

Cool bike, cool brake conversion.

Well done and good thinking marjar, enjoy this bike on the track, that is the most suited place for it and it will compete very well
____________________
Call me Mr. Blobby

[riichy]

very cool
____________________
.......... PLOD ............ zx636 2004

[quacker_boy]

awesome marjay congrats, i'd like to get some R6 calipers on my bike one day, they just look awesome as well being able to make the bike stop much better!
____________________
wizzzard wrote: Imagine God just stopping by, tidying your front room up and then quietly letting himself out again. Statisticly more likely to happen than Korn being on here.

[MarJay]

My plans for the TZR now are:

fit new rear pads and rear braided hose

possible new front brake disc

strip and clean rear end of bike

possible new shock - I have a spare OE one, I might try and get it rebuilt. I am also tempted by a fully adjustable Hagon unit...

Engine tuning
A guy on the Buell forum said that this guy was very good with Yamaha 2t twins: https://www.leagourlayracing.com/

and these people are TZR250 specialists... https://www.roadandtrack.co.uk/

or there is always Stan Stephens: https://www.stanstephens.com/

My plan is for the bike to remain as a road bike. However, making it so it will be better on the track will be useful, as I am planning to use it for track days. I am planning on a road tune first of all, and I have some custom made pipes with expansion chambers to fit too. The bike will AT LEAST need to be rejetted before I ride it with these pipes on.

Tis gonna be fun!
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Deano]

you've also got Dave Goddards on the A4 next to heathrow who is a engine tuner. went in their a couple of weeks ago and he was makine a TZR dragbike it looked sick! as far as I'm aware he does alot of trackbike tuning. dont know how expensive he is but if you've got any questions I will happily walk in their and ask for you as I pass it everyday to go to work.

[Jack_Cheese]

Sweet! I wonder what brembos will fit on my cagiva... I think it has 4-pot callipers at the front, not sure though.

Jack
____________________
www.bikepics.com/members/jackcheese <--- NOW FOR SALE! 51 Plate Cagiva Planet 125
Quacker_boy: "Jack, you really are a dick!"

[rodeobob]

For some reason the pictures are not coming up for me, any hints i would like a look.

Im thinking the 2KR FZR250 could use the same caliper as the early TZR so this could work on the bike im building.



Cheers, Bob.
____________________
DT200R '91
DT175 '91
Various IT/DT175 engines for 'projects'

[Carvel]

That's because this thread is 4 years old ya douchebag.
____________________
2002 Aprilia RSV1000R, Cbr600Fs, Mk1 B12, Vfr400 NC30...

Matt B: I can deal with crushed nuts to beat Ollie.

[rodeobob]

Fair enough.

image hosting is lost.


I will have to keep looking.

I was allready a forum member, Google images got me here, which is a bit strange.


Bob.
____________________
DT200R '91
DT175 '91
Various IT/DT175 engines for 'projects'