Dirt Rider . Net Text Version Home
Pages: 1
anyone ever own a 86-88 Yamaha tt350 ?
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)
Posted by: borsy---------------------
Just picked a 1988 Yamaha tt350 in nice condition, anyone ever have one and willing to shed some light on the beast. I have owned a DRZ400
and a XR350, seems like the TT350 is real similar to the XR350. Thanks for any input. Borsy
Posted by: placelast---------------------
I had one for two years. They did not make an '88. I had foot pegs put on to give my kids rides. It was a fine running bike, weak in the suspension department, and turned like a tank (yyoical old-school Yamaha), but oh, what an engine! I never found top end, but then again I rarely rode solo.
Posted by: YZThumper---------------------
Yup, I owned an 86 TT350 for several years. I used it as a back up bike and it was great. I called it the Tank, because it took a major beating and just kept running. That bike refused to die, no matter what I did to it. It weighed about as much as a tank too !!
Like placelast said, it didn't turn for beans, but it would go anywhere and it was a decent climber. Loved that bike, but I had 3 bikes in the garage at one point and the wife said one had to go !!!
Posted by: Blue Beast---------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I had an 89 TT350, heres my recomendations,
Tyre Pressure - 10 front - 8 rear, must have heavy duty tubes.
Get a bigger engine pipe made, (any exhaust joint, with a mandral bender can make it) about $170.00 AU
Raise the compression to 10.5-1
Pull the valves out and start grinding them holes out.
slightly softer spring on the secondry diphram.
standard jetting will be slightly rich but nothing to worry about.
and your gearing will need to be 14 front - and 51 rear.
Now you have an XR 400 eater !!!
One problem you will never fix is the bog when you land a jump, its the weight of the secondary vac slider cutting off the second carb.
Steve.
Posted by: borsy---------------------
Thanks for the recomendations, I am really surprised on the low end and mid-range pull of this older motor, I had a 85 xr350 and it had some low end
then I bought my 2000 DRZ400 and put a pipe on it and different air filter
wow!!! it pulled like a freight train. Was sorry to let the DRZ400 go but economy in the automotive trade is not the greatest, It was hard being without my bike, a quick 20-30 minute ride can be a real stress reliever.
I recently found this deal on the TT350 and I must say for an older bike
the motor is pretty spunky, I needed something to run some father and son
enduros, and my 7 yr old daughter loves to ride her Honda XR70. I need something to chase her around the yard with and this is about perfect.
I have heard the larger dia. headpipes make a big difference, but for now
I'll take the dependable ol'e beast just as she is. I loved reading the posts on the XR500 something about those older 4 strokes not sure what it is but they are a blast. Thanks Borsy
Posted by: placelast---------------------
Oh: I forgot and the overseas posts reminded me - like many bike models, they were a long-running imports in asia; they (Aussies & Kiwis) even had a 250, while we had the other three. Nonetheless, the 350 was only imported to the US two years 
What I ment by the motor was that is a good, meaty do-all-er, and I never found the upper rev limit! If you want the rag test articles, shoot me an e-mail with your addy. millenniumdsj@hotmail.com
Posted by: borsy---------------------
Placelast, The article on this bike would be very helpful, I appreciate it alot!
I sent you a personal E-mail. Thank You.! Borsy
Posted by: vmxr---------------------
Borsy,
I had an 87 with which I ran enduros for about 4 years. The biggest performance improvement was bigger valves from White Brothers and the already mentioned larger headpipe. The valves in the 350 were the same diameter as the 250 so top-end was really choked up. Install the bigger valves and headpipe and they will wail pretty good for a mid-80s 4-stroke. The US models must have had different carbs than the Aussie ones as the secondary carb on mine never cut out on jumps, even big ones. Maybe it was stuck open! ;o)
I always thought I was the only one running one of these bikes back in the day. Good to hear I wasn't alone!
Posted by: tigerowner---------------------
I still own an 86 TT 350. I am the original owner and it has never let me down in 17 years. THe bike is basically stock except a K&N filter and Cobra ISDE Exhaust. Several bikes have pased through my garage but I never part with the TT. The biggest downside to the TT is the suspension. I would suggest taking the bike somewhere and have them do what they can to it. Whoops eat the bike quickly. On trails I can keep close to my B rider freinds on their KTMs and I can whip a novice rider with the TT no matter what he rides in the woods or desert. I have pased some of my friends on technical, rocky hills with the TT. THe latest MX bikes have nothing on you there but they pass me again when I high center on large objects.
I wouldn't do too much to the engine because the bike is a trail bike not a racer. A filter and exhaust along with the right jets will get it moving. Watch the intake manifolds they are known to crack when they get old so I would replace them ($100 for the pair).
Keep the bike though, you can't find a better backup/DS/Pit/Trail bike.
Posted by: tigerowner---------------------
Don't get me wrong I will be riding a modern bike again shortly. THere is no substitute for technology but the TT is a great spare as are the XRs and DR/Zs.
Posted by: borsy---------------------
Tigerowner, where did you find jetting for the tekyei carbs? Did the cobra
exhaust boost power quite abit, some say larger headpipes are the best hop up, did you also get them or just the muffler? Thanks for the reply, Borsy
Posted by: tigerowner---------------------
I just bought the Muffler. I did not see many other options when I bought it. Aftermarket is VERY limited for the TT these days. A headpipe would be nice but with the small valves not sure how much more power you would get and the money starts adding up. I had it jetted when I was at a lower altitude by a local dealer and moved to a place around 2000 feet higher. The bike ran a bit rich so I added the filter and exhaust and it cleaned up nicely. Can't get any more specific than that...sorry. What I really want now is some tall seat foam so I can move around better. Anyone know if any other model bike foam works?? Can't find TT foam.
Posted by: PaulEvan---------------------
I just picked mine up for $300 and I am doing a teardown. Any thoughts on a downloadable manual? So far I've been hearing nothing but good about these bikes. Thanks.
Text Version Home
vBulletin Copyright ©2000 - 2009,
Jelsoft Enterprises Limited.
vB Easy Archive Final ©2000 - 2009
- Created by Stefan "Xenon" Kaeser
