XT225 Serow Riders Technical Website V1.16.00 Last update 01/26/06

A resource for riders of the Yamaha XT225/250 Serow. This site is for information only and we do not sell anything.

News Flash: IT'S IN !!!!!, Ms Chika Ando, has translated the Builders Talk section of the Yamaha Japan Serow website. Follow our link and find out what the designers of our Serow have to say over a glass of fine wine.

It appears the XT225 has been replaced in Japan for 2006 with the new Serow250. There is even a 20th Anniversary version. What does this spell for the XT which is exported to the US ? Will Yamaha USA pull the XT from the lineup ? Will the US get the Serow250 ? Please see the Japanese links below to get a look at the new Serow

If this is useful why not subscribe to our email list at xt225serow on Yahoo. Once you've subscribed you can search the archives of the discussions and access the pictures in the Files area. Thanks to Adrian, the original author and builder of this site and to everyone who has sent the information contained here and granted permission to reproduce their messages & expertise. You're far too numerous to credit individually. Please feel free to send in updates or suggestions and we will try and keep the site current. Please email us here.

The natural serow is a family of small stocky mountain deer found in Asia and Japan. The Yamaha model has similar aptitudes and habitat, although it can be found in the US and many have migrated to the UK. Note that US and Japanese specification bikes are subtly different from each other.

The Serow is one of the lowest dual purpose bikes around, which is why it is popular with newcomers to dirt. It is listed as suitable for a small beginner which can be seen by when you see the scale of the machine next to a Japanese rider. Of course good riders can ride any size of bike.

The 2006 US model can be seen here and the Japanese Yamaha site is here with links to a 360 degree viewer.

Japanese riders' pages:

• 20th Anniversary Jamboree on 9/3/05 in Japan (mostly in Japanese)
• Serow Owners' Club which carries loads of links to Japanese owners and a Q&A section
• Want to see what Accessories Yamaha Japan now offers for the Serow250 (NOT available in the US) Incredible !!

• A really impresive trip through the Americas by Lois
• John's excellent trip to Iceland
• Rent an XT225 for a tour in New Zealand
• ITU, a South American importer and another importer in Argentina(in spanish).

Key UK/USA links

• Another great XT225/Serow site is hosted/authored by Scott Bridgman at XT225 on the net.
• The Trail Riders' Fellowship is the green-laning club that around 3000 riders in UK belong to. They are campaigners for access rights and will help members with legal defence in the event of a rights of way prosecution.
• Dualsport Riders' Club UK has a good introduction for new riders.
• The 3 day weather forecast for the UK from the Met. Office with links to regional forecasts and satellite views.
• DVLA - you might need this to find out about registering grey imports or replacing your lost tax disc

Places to ride or compete

• Norwest Trails use Serows for their superb B&B trail riding weekends in the North West of Scotland. Contact Stuart White
• The North of England Enduro Championship organise Enduros and less competitive rallies. Links to other clubs too.
• The rides email group at onelist is a good place to meet for rides and races in UK.
• Classic trials clubs, of which most applicable to us is the MCC who organise the Edinburgh, Land's End and Exeter 'Triple'. A brief report of my first Edinburgh trial.
• AMVER is the Spanish equivalent of the TRF.
• A WWW site for MX and other practice tracks around England

• Suffolk CC RoW
• Horse-biased bridleway group
• The Institute of Public RoW Officers
• Scottish RoW Society
• Countryside Agency
• Statement on RoW by OSGB
• The Grimsell Lane case
• The Northern Lanes site has useful information on RoW and a few GPS routes and waypoints

• The Green Lanes of England, Valerie Belsey, Green Books Ltd. (1998), ISBN 1-870098-69-2, £12-95 or $21-95. Ms Belsey is a highway historian working for Devon CC, who also have a RoW WWW page. The book outlines the history of English green lanes and argues why they should be both protected and used. A few lanes are listed, but this is not an atlas
• Old Roads and Pannierways in North East Yorkshire, Raymond H. Hayes, North York National Park (1988), ISBN 0 907480 20 9. This thin guide details many Roman and Medieval tracks across the North York Moors and one day I intend to compare it with the OS map. Maybe the National Park will disown their research then?
• The Adventure Motorbiking Handbook, Edited by Chris Scott, Compass Star Publications Ltd. (1997), ISBN 0-9520900-8-2, £13-99 or $24-95. A collection of information and travellers' tales (but none on a Serow). It has its own WWW site. Reviewed by AKJ.

Importers and Retailers in the UK (and prices)

Prices are clearly very variable and specific to your region and time of year. In mid-1990s Serows were rare in UK and prices high to reflect this. Now there are lots of used examples and so they have dropped in value, new prices following behind. Here are some guides (January 2002):

• New 'book' price in UK is £3200 for a grey import
• Shop around and new can be as low as £2600 if dealer has more to sell than they'd like (seems rare at present)
• Specialist importers £1200 to £2200, but they don't have any below £1600 when you arrive. They offer some guarantee but machines are often poorly prepared for sale.
• Nearly new small-ad sale of a perfect example is £1900, barter down to £1800 if you're lucky
• Lots in the £1300 to £1600 range with handguards and other odds and ends included in price
• £950 is minimum for a sound runner, kick start only, in a bike magazine

Reviews

• Big bloke on a girl's bike. John has contributed some material to this page too
• MC online review Note that this shows a recent US model
• A UK commuter's tale

Technical information sources and magazines

• Service manual for US model (i.e. in English but not identical to Japanese models) is Yamaha part LIT-11616-XT-25 available for £39-95 from Merlin Books or Yamaha of Cucamonga for $42 plus P&P.
• US parts fiches can be bought for $11-95 for two from Motocom Inc.
• XT225 US model fiches are online at Parts & Acccessories section of: ePowersports.com, HLSM and Ronnie's US parts fiche & shop
• Japanese parts fiche site (with pictures of the many different models and colour schemes) but scan quality mediocre, although it does list part numbers separately. There is also an online store but I can't make it work.
• Doc Wong's dirt bike riding clinics - including a short 'how to'
• A Trials coaching manual with exercises for learning how to ride slowly
• MC online Dirt pages
• All-Offroad E-zine. Reviews, trip reports etc.
• US Trail rider magazine has WWW excerpts
• The MotoNet trail riding E-zine site
• An A to Z of bike links, a useful list.
• A parts interchangeability list. For Ducatis but some good ideas for Serow too.
• The Serow CDI unit seems to be reliable, unlike that of XT600. This site describes how to build a CDI from scratch if you're so inclined.
• An electrical fault finding guide.

Maintenance

After every dirty trip

• lubricate chain and check tension, 35-45mm of deflection in middle of run is required with unloaded bike on prop-stand
• oil cables, levers (it's very important that nipple can rotate in its socket at both ends), brake linkages, carburettor screws (pilot jet and throttle stop in particular)
• grease suspension linkages at 5 nipples (2 above swing arm, 2 below to right and 1 in centre on linkage) with lithium-base grease. Approach all but the left swingarm pivot from the right of the bike. The right hand pivot can be accessed in a straight line if rear brake hose is moved away carefully. I use a CGG120 4-Piece Grease Gun from Machine Mart fitted with the flexible hose and a connector, bought from local auto store, with manually adjustable tension & release.
• inspect brake fluid level, 'feel', hoses and pads (front can be seen after removing the rubber bung on rear of caliper), ensure that there is free play in both brakes
• check tyres for pressure, cuts and tears and absence of creep (by viewing angle of valve stem)
• check air box drain pipe for accumulated dirt or water, if it is contaminated the air filter must be reoiled. Ensure drain pipe is replaced and clipped in place.
• check front and rear suspension for absence of leaks, quiet & smooth operation
• check oil level with bike cool and vertical

Routine maintenance chart

Cleaning and oiling an air filter (tips)

The filter needs to be moist but not wet otherwise the oil gets sucked into the carb. Engine oil can be used but filter oil is better as it has a volatile solvent which aids penetration and it is 'sticky' when dry. Some are coloured so you can check for uniform oiling. Put the dry filter in a zip-seal poly bag and pour around 30ml oil onto it. Massage the oil into the filter, add a bit more oil if it is soaked up. Excess oil should be removed by repeatedly squeezing the filter between sheets of clean newspaper; this stage is critcial as excess oil strangles the engine. Remove the filter from the bag and leave 10 minutes to dry. The instructions on some product say to repeat the process but once is often enough. Slide the filter back onto its frame.

Clean inside the airbox with an oiled cloth. Lightly grease the periphery of the filter and airbox lid and replace them. The bike may be difficult to start as the pores of the foam may be blocked. Once it's running take it on a trip and it'll be OK then.

New OEM Yamaha filters are delivered in a few drops of light oil. I don't know if this is supposed to be adequate but I wouldn't chance it.

If you're doing a lot of riding I suggest you get a spare filter and keep it oiled in a bag so you can slot it in while the other one is being prepared. Some people recommend re-oiling a filter after every use - I suppose it depends on where and how you ride. After 1000km of Derbyshire trail riding, the drain was clear and the filter was still slightly moist and not dirty to the touch. After 2000km it had a few bits of foliage on it but the bike ran quite roughly in midrange. Cleaning and re-oiling the filter cured it so they need to be really clean.

Spokes and rim

Spare parts list

Many parts of the Serow are standard to other Yamaha Trail bike models, in particular DT125R, XT125/250/350 and even the SR125. This is one reason that Fowlers can supply many parts from stock. If you take the part to a local dealer it's quite likely you'll find a suitable fitment.

In addition, the engine was first fitted to the "Forrester" Quad from the 1990s and many parts are much cheaper from the agricultural agents.

Tyre choices

Please send me your experience with these or other fitments.What terrain do you use them on, how long do they last. how easy are they to fit, number of punctures, best air pressure to use etc?

The Serow has limited clearance at swing arm and some widths need to be checked before assuming any of these fit. One reader has fitted a 140/80 rear tyre by using a lengthened arm (I'm hoping to get details of this), longer chain and brake rod to move wheel back in swing arm. This might be beneficial for mud clearance and lengthened wheelbase even if standard tyre retained.

Tyres marked TESTED are known to fit as I've a reliable report.

Front Wheel size is 21x1.60	Rear Wheel Size is 18x2.15	Comments and opinions from diverse sources
Michelin Moose 90/90-21	Michelin Moose 120/80-18	TESTED Steve writes: Mooses fitted front and back are excellent once fitted, they last quite a few years but are very difficult to fit, it usually takes two people, sometimes three if its a tough make of tyre. Michelins are one of the more pliable/easier makes to fit, but still difficult. I have a friend who fits his own mooses but I wouldn't, I think they are far too difficult. But I do help fit them, mainly out of guilt. There is a lot of bad press flying around about mooses but a number of us have used them for quite a few years without any problems. They obviously wear out, but can last about 3-5 years in the UK. The mooses are made to an equivalent of about 14 psi.
Michelin Baja 90/90-21	140/80-18 (Will it fit?)	Michelin say: Street-legal, desert-proven Baja tyres cost more than any other off-road,or semi-offroad tyre, but they last SO LONG, it is well worth it. I rate them very highly. I have used a number of sets on DR 350, DT200, WR,XTZ 660, and I will put a set on my Serow just as soon as I can get out and wear out the motocross tyres it came on.They are fully road legal, therefore OK for Cambrian Rally etc, but they look just as knobbly as any enduro tyre. They are radials, and because the side wall is so flexible, they can run a much harder compound than would be possible on a cross-ply. Hence the high mileage,even on the road.
TW-301 2.75x21 45P	Bridgestone TW-302 4.10x18	TESTED Quite tarmac orientated. The prototype non-trials tyre tyre for MCC long distance trials since 6/2000. At 20psi they roll quite nicely on the road. For trials use I dropped to around 8psi. Initially they felt very loose and insecure but over a few hours I got used to them both on and off tarmac. At low pressures they seemed equal to MT21s until I encountered muddy grass and may have the edge on the road. The closer black pattern appears to give a longer road life. Sidewalls are soft and the tyres are easy to fit but front doesn't seat centrally on bead very easily.
Bridgestone ED661	Bridgestone ED660 (aka Gritty)	I think these are the ones used by Norwest Trails in Skye where ground is very wet and soft. Very knobbly, squirmy on the road, and they will wear rapidly on tarmac. Possibly not legal in US?
Bridgestone ED04
Cheng Shin C858 'Cats Paw' 275x21 or 300x21	Cheng Shin C858 'Cats Paw' 4.10x18	Made in Taiwan, the price is good. Don't look knobbly enough for use in the winter! Is the 300 too big?
Cheng Shin C6006		The OEM tyre on the 2000 U.S. model Serow.
Continental TKC80 275S21	Continental TKC80 400R18 gives plenty of swingarm clearance	TESTED Fairly open block design with history of good use on bigger bikes such as BMW R1100GS. They are in a separate category inbetween the knobblies and the OE "trail" tyre. Reasonably good off-road, and amazingly good on-road for such a knobbly tyre. They give a good mileage on-road as well.You can ride to Spain, trail ride and get home,on a set of TKC80's, which you certainly can't on MT21's. In that respect I think they are in a class of one!
Michelin Enduro Comp II 90/90-21	Enduro Comp IV 120/90-18	TESTED A pair of these tyres fitted front and back are really pleasing due to the off road grip, so that the Serow now goes where it's pointed and climbs up all sorts of hills. They are excellent for trail riding on a mixture of terrain, including, mud, chalk and sand, but do tend to wear out rather quickly on the roads. You also have to treat them with caution on the road, due to the agressive tread pattern. The recommended/standard tyre size fits perfectly on the rim. The chain adjuster is set at about number 6, this clears the swinging arm ok, with still a lot of adjustment to go.
Pirelli MT-21 80/90 P21 or 90/90 R21	Pirelli MT-21 Enduro 110/80P 18 or 120/80P 18 TESTED The 120/80 rear is a much bigger and knobblier tyre than the 110/80 - far more than the slight size difference would suggest (check them out side by side). The smaller one is better on the road. Fitting a 120 section MT21 gives great grip, but it effectively raises the gearing quite a lot (much larger diameter than a 110). Most noticable effect is that it makes sixth gear on the road a bit breathless, necessitating a change down for hills and headwinds, where the smaller tyre would not have needed one. However the 120 is much better in serious mud, so it's my choice for the Welsh winter, even though it's also a tight fit in swing arm.	Considered by many to be the ultimate dual-purpose tyre. Knobs can be broken off by big bikes at high speeds - so no problem here then.... A review. 20psi is a suggested pressure to compromise between grip and puncture resistance although they feel more secure on rocks at 12psi. MT21s are excellent on the dirt (except in deep mud, loose stones, slippery tree roots), fair on the road. On tarmac they howl a bit and wear fairly quickly, but they handle OK. As to life, the 110/80 rear I fitted for my Picos trip lasted about 2000 miles (still plenty road legal but losing its bite on mud). Compared with full knobblies I have used in the past, wear rate is very good. Rear Pirelli MT21 120 section shown here has lasted very well: about 2000 miles so far, including Iceland crossing and a mix of road and dirt. Initial wear is quite rapid, then slows down. The tyre is no longer much good in deep mud, however, but OK for hacking around.
Pirelli MT43 2.75 21	4.00 18	TESTED The standard road-legal trials tyre. Used by almost everyone on long-distance trials. Square blocked, soft compound with offset blocks at edge. Use at around 8psi off road and 20psi on tarmac. The rear tyre needs the wheel to be near the back of the swing arm, so try a combination of a longer chain or smaller front sprocket - the tyre has a large rolling circumference anyway.
Maxxis M6001 3.00-21	M6001 4.10-18	Rarely seen in UK. An inconclusive review.
Maxxis M6006 2.75-21 or 90/90-21	M6006 120/80-18	A street-biased tyre, available mail order in UK. Intended for big bikes, but small sizes available.
Maxxis M7000 80/100-21	M7000 120/100-18	DualSport tyre, with not a lot of mud clearance.
Dunlop D604 90/90-21	D604 120/90-18 Trailmax is too wide for the rim.	These are basically road tyres.
Dunlop D905 (are these road legal?) or K139 3.0-21	Dunlop D606 120/80-18	This looks to be Dunlop's clone of the well known MT21 on the rear with choice of front fitment.
Dunlop D903 3.00-21	D903 120/80-18	A widely spaced, street legal (in US) enduro tyre. I can't imagine a long life if used on road although the Dunlop chart suggests more road-worthy than D606.
Avon AM24 80/90S21	Avon AM24 80/120S18	Street orientated. The tyre of choice for BMW GS machines that do miles of unpaved roads. Will these last forever on a Serow?
Metzeler Enduro 3 90/90-21S	Metzeler Enduro 3 110/80-18 or 120/80-18	Fitted OEM to BMW G/S and big KTMs, this is a soft-compound street-worthy tyre which offers fair traction on unpaved tracks. TESTED For the summer you might fit a 90/90 front and 80/120 set of Enduro 3 Saharas. They are superb on the road - grippy, stable, quiet, amazing lean angles. They make the bike quite a little scratcher. Very little wear in a couple of thousand miles. They belie their name too, as they put up a surprisingly good show in mud. A very good choice for someone who only occasionally ventures into boggy ground.
Metzeler Enduro 1		TESTED Enduro 1 is similar in properties to the Sahara but is specifically intended for lighter motorcycles and has somewhat softer compound, to allow for proper warmup. My impression so far is that it is an excellent choice for both street and (dry Greek terrain) dirt usage.
Metzeler MCE 2 Front 90/90-21	Metzeler Six Day Enduro 120/90-18R and Six Days 2	TESTED Very highly recommended. Rear only just clears the shock (higher profile) but it does fit. V.cheap too - just over £100 for the pair. They give enough grip for tarmac (they're road legal), and they really give good traction in the mud. We went through some nasty bogs last year, and they've never clogged up. Ten times better than the usual MT21 style option. Life may be only 1000 miles.

Known weakpoints

Fuel system

• The carburettor joint (inlet manifold) perishes within 5 years. The carburettor can be removed without removing the airbox by undoing the joints either side, removing throttle and choke cables and extracting it carefully.
• Another weakness seems to be where the choke cable goes into the Carb. It is secured with a plastic nut that shears easily. You can't just buy that nut, you have to buy a new starter assembly for $20.00US from Yamaha. With care the nut can be repaired with Chemical Metal; file the outer surface and run a drill in your fingers up the inside to restore the shape. If the nut is left broken dirt gets into the choke jet.....
• The choke runs off a little jet which clogs VERY easily with the tiniest speck of dirt. This a real problem with bikes that have rusty tanks (i.e. just about all the Japanese imports to the UK that have been standing around for years). A new XT225 tank is $400.00US so patch it. Even if you coat the inside of your tank (use several coats) with Petseal, Kreem or similar, fit an in-line fuel filter.

• If you pull the carb apart, make sure you refit BOTH washers the right way round on the needle. There's a plain washer that goes underneath the circlip and a stepped collar that goes above it. I have never seen a similar set-up on any other carb, so it is easy to get it wrong. If the top collar is missed out, the spring does not seat over the needle to keep it in place and the bike will never run right. NEVER assume that the way the carb is assembled when you first take it apart is the right one. The diaphragm cover can be removed by rotating carb between loosened manifolds with all cables connected (seat and tank off).

• The choke knob falls off too so used bikes will have a key ring through the actuator rod.
• The fuel tap (petcock) 3-hole washer and O-ring perish. Failure of the former puts undue load on the float valve which seeps over weeks of disuse. The engine floods, is hard to start and smokes badly when you get it going. A failed O-ring often causes an external leak. Both are replaced readily (cost around £5) by stripping the tap from the knob inwards (don't forget to drain the tank first!).
• Fuel range before reserve depends on use. Gentle riding can give you 240 km but thrashing may result in a mere 160km/100 miles.

Hard starting

• Poor starting can often be remedied by ensuring that fresh petrol is in the float bowl as the easy-to-ignite volatile elements evaporate through the vent hose. Close the fuel cock just before you get home or drain float bowl.
• US-models may have very lean idle mixture and improve with opening pilot screw. Here's a set of instructions for US 1999 model:

  Tools required	A drill and sharp, full drill bit set 1/8th and up. A sharp x-acto knife (standard, sharp, one-sided blade #11). A Dremel or small grinder/sander and some 100 grit or lighter sandpaper for turning down the nylon part to size for the needle jet. Metric open, socket and Allen wrench sets, Phillips screwdriver, needle nose & regular pliers for removing seat, tank and carb.
  Parts	Parts needed for the mod can be found at a local hobby shop in the model airplane area. Look for a product called "DU-BRO Large Nylon "T-Style" Control Horns" (DU-BRO Cat. No. 237) cost $1.00 US. The thickness of the product is spot-on. All you need to do is sand it to the same size/diameter as the one on the needle jet. More about this later.
  1.	Take the carb off the bike. To make this easier, first remove the seat and gas tank. It's easier to take the choke off (just unscrew the black nylon fastener) after the carb is out. Take the carb to the bench with clean shop rags and lots of lighting.
  2.	On a clean towel, lay the carb down with the front side up (the side the fits into the engine not the air box) and the top (black) away from you. Just above the float bowl you will see three tap/post looking items. The center one will has a brass plug in it (this brass plug is in the center one, Item #14 on the list). Now find a drill from your drill set that's smaller (about half the size of the brass plug hole - 11/64 works) and drill out. Use a low speed setting on the drill if you can. Be careful not to drill out the Pilot screw on the other side of the plug. The plug is about 3/16" thick and there is about 1/8" of space between it and the screw. Also make sure that you put some rags in/around the carb so metal will not fall into the carb. With the plug out you will see a flat head screw down in the hole that you can turn for low-end idle fuel mixing (this will help big-time for starting up the bike cold or hot - see more later).
  3.	After loosening the 4 diaphragm cover screws, hold the carburetor upright and remove the diaphragm cover (Item #1 on the list). Rest the carburetor in an upright position. Inside the cover, where the flat top meets the angled side you will see a small hole that leads into/out of the diaphragm. This hole is for vacuum that raises and lowers the diaphragm assembly, Item #4. You will see that the hole leading into the diaphragm cover is larger than the one on the inside of the diaphragm cover. You will now make this the same size (open it up with a small drill bit (a light touch with the 11/64 works fine) or you can use the sharp x-acto knife. I use the x-acto knife; it took a little longer but the plastic was easy to cut away to enlarge the hole inside the diaphragm cover.
  4.	Carefully lift out the diaphragm and attached spring and you will see the needle topped by a loose white nylon washer. This washer seats the spring on top of the needle. Now lift out the needle jet (Item #3 on the list); the spring is the only thing holding it down. You will see that there is a small white/grey plastic spacer secured near the top. You will now fit the DU-BRO piece (it's the flat sided, nylon square backing plate that holds the horn in place with just two holes. Its 75 thousands thick .0075"). Now take a drill and make a hole in the middle that's just a little smaller (3/32 or 7/64) than the needle jet (use the top of the needle jet as guide for picking out the right drill bit that's 2-4 thousands smaller. You are going to press-fit the part till it touches the white spacer. Make sure that you put the new spacer on the tapered side of the existing grey/white spacer, not on the top/spring side! Use a Dremel to shape the DU-BRO part to the same size/diameter as the white stock spacer. Take your time and check your work. Start by rounding off the corners with a Dremel and sanding cylinder. At some point the workpiece gets too small to hold in your hand. Slip it onto the needle jet and with thumb and forefinger hold it tightly against the existing spacer. With the Dremel set at low speed, very carefully continue to shape the new spacer (without touching the existing spacer) until its dimensions match the existing spacer. A little smaller is okay, but larger won't work. Lightly sand the new part to remove any debris or rough edges.
  5.	Now reassemble the carb starting with the needle jet (now you should have two plastic spacers each the same size with the new spacer at the bottom and the OEM white spacer on top/spring side.). Make sure the needle jet moves up and down freely and that the new spacer seats properly in the recessed area. Make sure that the diaphragm is correctly oriented, the cover is seating flat and that you have a carb that looks the same as when you started.
  6.	Put carb on bike and gas tank/bike seat. It's easier to attach the choke to the carb before reinstalling the carb.
  7.	Now order a new air filter "UNI-Filter" from your dealer. (MSRP is $12.95 for the NU-3237ST). Follow the Notoil directions and install the new air filter, leaving the metal screen behind/under it off. Notoil filter oil and cleaner can be found at http://www.powerstart-systems.com/notoil.html
  8.	You are now ready for starting it up!!! You will need to fine tune the carb for low end for best set up. Turn the Pilot Screw to the left to loosen (Item #14 on the list) that you exposed in the mod to richen it up! You will see that the bike starts so easy now and when you pull back on the throttle the bike snaps off. Now take it for a ride and you will feel it pull harder and smoother.
  9.	To make the XT225 more sprightly still, change the sprockets. Stock sprockets in the US are geared up to meet EPA's MPG requirements. For offroad and around town you can try 14 teeth front and 47 to 50 teeth back. You'll need a new chain as well. Sprockets and chain ought to run around $130. One online California source is: http://www.sprocketspecialists.com/html/yamaha3.html SUN-Line sprockets look just like the OEM model, but there are a number of manufacturers. The XT225 comes alive with this set-up and a top speed it 65 MPH. Look it's not a street bike for long highway runs so make it work for you. Going 65 MPH on the dirt is scary fast and around town it's a little rocket with the gear change!! If you want to be cautious, start by changing the front sprocket from 15 to 14; it'll only cost $12-15 and you don't need a new chain.
  Authors	Ken ((kenfi@microsoft.com)) and amended & edited 08/22/01 by Mike (mhgrand@pacbell.net)

• A flat battery?

Engine

• Allen cap screws securing exhaust header to cylinder head have a habit of seizing. Should these need removing use an impact driver. If the screw breaks it will need an engineer to remove remains from the loose head and fit a Helicoil insert (cost £25 upwards). On rebuilding use Copperslip in all cases.
• Heads do wear, despite the XT's reputation of reliability. The bearing surfaces for the cam are not good. Known failures fall into 2 camps. First is the catastrophic, no oil and it seizes case. If you hear a little squeal; from the top end - don't think, switch it off!. This is usually due to either dirt in oilway or incorrect filter. Second is more gradual: As the bearing distant to the oilway wears, oil leaks out too quickly thereby reducing the flow to cam lobes and the first bearing. This seems to result in increased play and noise rather than instant failure. Heads are rare in breakers, reworking will be a £300 job by the time you've spares and all gaskets etc. If you are adept you may be able to replace the bearing adjacent to the chain with a ballrace and hope for the best.
• All screws into alloy have the nasty habit of seizing. If in doubt soak in Plus-Gas before starting to remove and then use impact driver with care (if that's not an oxymoron) as heads damage easily - a handful of firm strokes can often loosen a screw where normal drivers would have destroyed the head. When you've got it out, if the head is damaged fit a good quality replacement with a smear of Copperslip. Make sure things don't vibrate loose though! If you suspect the fastener might be held (eg disc bolts) with Loctite melt this with a hot air gun or careful application of a blow torch.
• The 3 Allen bolts securing the starter clutch to the crankshaft can shear. The cause of this failure is unknown and on inspection the starter motor and engine of affected machines appear OK. The clutch has 3 rollers which fall in and engage at low revs and disengage when the engine is running. It has been suggested that if the engine is about to stall (eg due to poor carburation) the clutch may engage due to the low crank speed and then a sharp throttle twist causes the accelerating engine to apply excessive torque to the clutch retaining bolts.

Electrical

• No spare fuse in the carrier. Make sure you have one of the correct physical size (glass cartridge 6.3mm/0.25" by 25mm/1") and rating (15A). Note that a 32mm/1.25" length fuse will not fill in the holder.
• The insulation on the wire to the Neutral Lamp melts where it is trapped between sprocket cover and engine case so that light is on all the time, thus enabling the starter to be run when machine is really in gear. Find the melted spot and cover with a length of heat shrink tubing. Coversely, damage to this wire will prevent the starter motor running when the engine is in gear but clutch pulled in.
• The indicators (Japanese version) can work erratically. I had put this down to dirt in the lamp. It turns out that the design is stupid (or maybe I have missed something in its complexity). The ground lead terminates in an eye which is clamped by the mounting bolt onto an alloy tube, which is pressed onto head of bolt which connects to ground in lamp housing. The bolt was a spot loose and all the bits dirty. After cleaning the bits and retightening it's fine. Somehow I had expected the ground lead to be connected a little more directly.
• The indicators need a good voltage to run correctly. If you check them with the engine off and a tired battery they may not work. Don't look for a fault until you've started the engine.
• The horn must sound continuously for an MOT although it can be very quiet and still pass. They do burn out, but if it makes a clicking sound there is hope. Remove it and undo nut on the front and small grub screw at the back after applying some penetrating oil. Give it squirts of WD40 and shake it around. Replace nut finger tight and screw very loosely. Press button and see what happens - it should click as you press and release. Turn in the screw until it buzzs - too far and it will just click again. Tighten nut a little and adjust screw again. When it works reliably put a blob of paint on the nut and screw. 6 months later repeat the exercise or get new generic DC horn from local shop for £5.
• The battery appears not to charge very well from the generator so days with frequent restarts and additional drains (such as heated waistcoat) will flatten it. Subsequent slow days will not recharge the battery sufficiently as once the MF battery is discharged it benefits from a short period of controlled charging at 22V. An Optimate charger seems to do what it claims! A.R.E. Limited offer good price in the UK.

Brakes

• Rear (Genuine Yamaha) brake shoes may only last 1000 miles - although first set last 4000 miles!
• Like all dirt bikes, brake pads wear rapidly when dirt gets on them. Better than the disk I suppose. Since rear pad change isn't detailed in US manual....remove the plastic protector to expose calliper. Put a spot of penetrating oil on the 2 Allen heads visible at right, upper side of calliper and also on their inboard end adjacent to wheel.. Unscrew these, thread is around 7mm long and withdraw the rest of pin. Pads can be manipulated out. Clean the calliper with proper cleaner then gently ease the piston back with slats of wood, ensuring that brake fluid doesn't overflow at reservoir.. Keep screwdriver blades off all the brake parts! Clean the two pins and lightly Copperslip the threaded part and put the very lightest thinnest smear on the pin end. Place fresh pads, making sure that they are fully seated. This is slightly fiddly - now insert pins - put a few turns of one to hold pad and then fiddle the other in through pads. Check things are properly fitted and screw in both pins. Firm use of a T-bar is plenty tight. Reseat pads by activating pedal and check brakes work.

Other

• The stock XT225 wheel bearings are not fully sealed and can begin degradation after one mudbath. Replace all 5 wheel bearings (2 front, 3 rear) with Koyo 6202-RD bearing or NKD DDU equivalent. This bearing is sealed on both sides at the factory and fits in all 5 wheel bearing locations on the XT225. Old bearings and intervening spacer can be tricky to remove. Buy an M8 Rawlbolt and expand it firmly inside the old bearing. Turn wheel over onto an old stool with a 20mm hole drilled in the top and knock the Rawlbolt out through the hole with the aid of a long drift. Use the old bearing to knock new one in, ensuring force is applied to the shell, not rotating part. Some suggest placing the new bearing in a bag in a domestic deep freeze overnight to make it a spot smaller and easier to fit.
• Steering stem bearings attract water. Strip and regrease frequently.
• Stickers and paint seem to come off very easily with the pressure washer.

Flooding

• Don't mess with making holes in the airbox. In most cases you will disturb the functioning of the CV carb and reduce performance instead of the intended 'easier breathing'. Moreover you will make it easier for water to get into the engine.
• If crossing water try to keep the revs up to avoid stalling and to blow water out of the exhaust.
• If the water gets up to seat level the engine may draw water in and cause a damaging 'hydraulic lock'. If you think water will be inhaled then cut engine immediately.
• If you have to submerge the bike then, in an ideal world, you would seal exhaust with a plug, and wrap air filter in a plastic bag before replacing it in air box to stop ingress of water. Close fuel tap.
• Once bike is on dry land
  • remove spark plug and any inlet or exhaust seals and drain air box at hose
  • drain float chamber
  • if possible remove fuel hose and run a little fuel (and water mix) from bottom of tank into a plastic bottle
  • if you feel strong you could lift it onto back wheel to empty exhaust
  • turn engine over with kick start or starter to clear water from cylinder
  • dry and replace spark plug
• With luck the bike will start
• When you get back to base
  • Dry out airbox, possibly removing the airbox or carb to access area behind wire gauze which is BELOW the drain hole
  • Clean and reoil airfilter
  • Clean out carb
  • Empty and dry fuel tank
  • Change oil - get it nice and warm on the journey home and some water may evaporate - if not it will need repeated changes to get rid of the emulsion
  • Regrease speedo, clutch cable, steering etc etc
  • Clean around electrics with WD40 and make sure headlamp housing is dry or the bulb will blow

Suspension Setup

• Front may or may not be air assisted. US and certain Japanese spec. models have the facility to add air pressure via Schraeder valves covered by a screw down dust cap. Most Japanese models merely have a brass bleed screw in an exposed cap. Some Japanese models have damping adjustment on forks.

• Front fork settings and modifications
  Fork oil	Change fork oil for some new 15w or 25w (different riders suggest either but I am told that viscosity ratings are not consistent between brands). Higher viscoity increases damping and should be used if preload is increased. Remember that increasing the oil height tends to increase effective spring rate as there is less air column to compress. Excess oil will lock the forks solid and blow seals.
  Preload	Some riders recommend around 12psi to be added using a balance tube and a bicycle pump, although spec-sheet states 0-5.7psi correct. Here's Craig's set-up that balances pressure between the legs, which is ciritical, and allows rapid pressure modifications. Air assitance helps to overcome initial 'stiction' and provides 'progressive' spring rate behaviour.
  	Some opinion seems to be that 5 to 25mm preload with a bit of pipe or a pile of washers is better than air. Add washers one at once to check that spring doesn't bind or become too tightly pressed together to compress! On valved models enlist the help of a friend to prise the circlips out while you push down on the caps. On others, just remember to press as you unscrew. If you are going the solid preload route, remember to bleed air out of forks. Support the bike with forks fully extended and press valve or remove bleed screw. Pressure builds up due to pump action of forks and air leaking past oil seals.
  After market springs or forks	Pat reports: I let Racetech Suspension work over the forks on my TTR225 (same chassis as XT225). They put in "Progessive" p/n 1136 progressive springs and "Racetech" Gold Valve Emulators" adjusted by them per my riding type (casual trail with ocassional tough rocky sections). They have 15mm preload and 10wt oil. The ride is still plush, yet doesn't dive as much when I hit the brakes. I weigh 175 lbs. without gear.

• The rear shock on early Japanese models has a remote reservoir on down tube with compression adjuster, rebound adjuster beneath preload rings. US models do not have this, the space being used for an EPA cannister on California models.

• Rear shock adjustments For general information see: MICHIGAN TRAIL & MOTOX suspension set-up Propilot Set Up Tips
  Spring rate	The shock comes out with the rear wheel still in situ, just undo the tank bolt and lift it up a bit to get to the top mount. At 11 stone the preload needs to be wound up a few mm. One 13 stone rider found a breaker in South London who swapped the spring for something with a much firmer rate for thirty quid. Although this stopped the shock from bottoming the stock damping couldn't cope.
  Preload, Rebound and Compression settings	This is a minefield for non-experts such as myself and I'd value more input. Adjustment needs trial and error. So alter one setting, note down what you do and go for a ride and see if you can feel a difference. Preload The unloaded bike should sag a small percentage of its travel when unloaded. With a rider onboard, one third travel of sag is an oft-quoted rule of thumb. By increasing the preload the spring is made exert a larger constant upwards force to achieve this position. The problem of this is twofold. First it reduces the possible compression of the spring as it is already part compressed and second it tends to shorten the life of the spring as it gradually adopts its 'new' length. These problems can be overcome by fitting a 'stronger' higher rate spring so it has negligible preload to achieve correct sag and it will have enough movment left to absorb a big landing. Excessive preload or spring rate eliminates sag and removes the ability of the wheel to enter hollows and you will feel the loss of traction. Rebound and compression As the spring compresses and relaxes its movement is damped hydraulically so that the bike doesn't pogo across the ground. Ideally the wheel should folow the terrain exactly. On many shocks (eg as fitted to US models) a single adjuster alters both at the same time. Slightly more upmarket shocks allow adjustment of both independently. These settings are also dependent on preload or spring rate as more force needs more damping for a given rate of movement.
  After market shocks	Hagon have recently set up a shock with optimised spring rate, damping and a 5mm longer stroke for a list member. Early reports suggest that the ride is improved dramatically. They will retail them at £230, call for details.

It won't start...

1. Make sure there's some petrol in the tank, enough to get to the outlet.
2. Don't let anyone pull the carb apart until you've exhausted all other simpler options. Note however that US bikes do benefit from attention to the carb, but this is a one off job.
3. Ensure the fuel valve is open - horizontal is OFF on a Serow.
4. Don't forget to switch on the ignition and have the kill switch in the run position. The electric starter will only run when the bike is in neutral or in gear with the clutch pulled in. US models have a similar cutout on the sidestand.
5. A flat battery will not stop an electric start Serow from being kick or pushstarted but they do start more easily with a good battery (don't know why).
6. Don't jump start from a car or truck. Charge the battery with a proper charger for sealed cells.
7. A properly set-up Serow needs choke and no throttle for cold starts and no choke but a quick throttle for hot starts.
8. Rather than blaming the bike or its manufacturer think "What have I done to this bike?" You may have disconnected a wire to fit an accessory or service another part, or even not refitted the spark plug after a valve job.
9. Old (more than 6 months) or wet fuel do not work too well. Drain the float chamber, tank and refil and try again. If nothing drains from the float chamber then either the fuel is still off (see point 3) or the float valve is stuck. Some of these seems to stick until jolted, in bad cases it may just need a strip down. If the drained fuel is full of bits then the carb jets are likely to be blocked (see point 14).
10. Maybe there really is a problem? By now the spark plug and cylinder could be fouled by petrol. Remove the spark plug, reconnect the HT lead and place the plug on the engine. Turn it over and check for a blue spark. If there's no spark try a new plug.
11. Ignition problems on Serows are rarely due to failed CDI units, so don't panic, try to find the cheap, but not always easy-to-find problem.
12. Check resistance of HT lead and plug cap with engine off. It should be around 15kOhms. A higher resistance shows that something, probably the cap, is open circuit. Work back through orange lead to coil under the tank. Check connectors behind right side panel and under seat. Check the circuits of the kill switch. Listen carefully for the clutch relay activating as the lever is moved with the engine in gear.
13. The Serow ignition timing is fixed and unlikely to be disturbed unless you've been heavy handed in the crankcase cover.
14. If you've fuel and a spark maybe it is a carb problem after all, especially if the machine has not run for 6 months or more. The choke circuit can be cleaned with the carb in the bike. Remove the nylon choke 'nut' carefully, making sure you retain the spring loaded needle valve. Look for dirt and blast a jet of carb cleaner in. You could try strating again or carry on and remove the carb for cleaning.
15. Most bikes should be running by now so the remaining causes are more serious. Rarely there may be a compression failure, but as the most common cause for a lack of compression in a four stroke is insufficient valve clearance it's time to check them.
16. It's also possible that the cylinder, rings, valve stems or valve seats are worn but this doesn't occur overnight. If it ran a while back it's unlikely to be due to one of these. Such wear and tear problems are often shown by oil buring, in particular in cold or highly revved engines. Have you noticed this? Diagnosis begins by measuring compression with a meter of dry and oiled cylinders...

Popular Upgrades, Modifications & Accessories

• Fit rimlocks (essential on rear wheel, ideally both)
• Remove pillion pegs & mirrors
• Fit an inline fuel filter - most must be orientated one way
• Loosen lever mounts on bars - A single, ideally stainless, steel washer (file a flat on the washer so it seats nicely against bars) sandwiched in the clutch and brake perches allows a little slippage and the screws to be tightened. Note that loose mounting screws can result in MOT failure, but movement in controls does not.
  • Fit handguards (aka barkbusters). Note that a handguard deformed by a fall can press on clutch or brake lever. The latter can cause the brakes to bind and fluid to boil, thus locking front wheel.

    Polisport and other 'no-name' versions	Cheap but very limited clearance. You'll need to cut out around front brake hose. Mountings are plastic and tend to twist even when done up tight. Personal experience suggests that the plastic isn't very impact resistant either!
    Acerbis guards	Acerbis do both a market-leader plastic model and an aluminium framed 'pro' version. You may not like the big logo on their front. The standard 'Rally' is around twice the price of a 'no-name' despite looking very similar. But it does have a better finish and has alloy, rather then nylon C-clamps. The C-clamps are quite malleable and can opened and closed once with reasonable force. The general feel is more solid when fitted to the bike. Also needs a cut-out around brake hose. Be sure to loosen brake and clutch perches so nothing terrible happens if guards twist.
    Off Road Only Rally Pro (#75-108)	This company produces 'unbranded' guards very similar to the Acerbis models but at a reduced cost. This means that you can buy the Aluminium-framed model for the price of the plastic Acerbis. Although this model is quite heavy it offers good protection to the levers and the mounting hardware is far more sophisticated in that the bar-end mount is serrated to grip the bar and the mid-bar connector is in two parts so that it does not have to be stretched over the bars (unlike the usual 'C' mount). It does not need to be trimmed around brake master cylinder although the hose angle may need to be adjusted at the bajo bolt (Don't forget to bleed it afterwards - this may be a good time to replace that fluid!).
    others.... Enduro engineering

• Add a gel seat

  Travelcade Gel Seat posted by Roger

  The new seat cost me $130.00US + 15.00 shipping. That was for a one-color vinyl cover (you choose the color) and saddlegel insert. They have a model that's $170.00 that has a 2-color seat, the other color being black spandura for breathability...I didn't get this one. You can call the company to order what you want. Their literature and sales staff will tell you that the XT225 seat they sell is for 1992-1994 year models but it fit on my 1995 OK. Does anyone know what differences between '94 and '95 there were? The catch with their product is you have to re-cover your existing seat's backplate. You do not simply buy and bolt-on like you would think. I took mine to an upholstery shop to have it done right. That cost me $45.00US, but it looks better than I could have done it. No more Yamaha insignia, though :( Also, the purple is not an exact match to the Yamaha purple of my bike. The new seat does feel nice. It adds about 1/2 inch to the seat height and is a little more firm than the original one (mine had crushed foam so really hurt my butt). If you ever double-head on the Serow, your passenger will be a little better off too. I'm not sure it's $190.00 better, but it is better. My 30 mile dual-sport ride yesterday still left me with a small case of monkey-butt, to be expected with any seat, I guess. I will need to ride for a few more weeks to get used to it. I would like to be able to ride 120 mile dual-sport days without so much butt-pain.

  Welsh Seat posted by John

  The original foam squashes and breaks up early. The covering material is flimsy and the 'pillion' strap is literally a pain in the arse. I had my seat recovered in tough black vinyl by Menai Upholstery in Bangor, North Wales (01248 370067). They used denser foam than the original and made it wider. It initially feels hard, but it's much better than the OE over distance. Cost was £70 incl. VAT. They do different colours.

• Scratch it all over and wash the graphics off
• Add a clock

  Cheap (about £20) underwater watch strapped to handlebar is better than most dedicated bike kit. Some are rated to 25-50m water depth and seem pressure-wash proof. Put closed cell foam (sleeping mat or pipe insulation material) under it to isolate vibration. Secure against casual theft with non-corroding wire (chandler or soft copper plant ties from garden centres).

• The yellow original fork gaiters are IMPOSSIBLE to get clean. I replaced mine with some no-name black ones from a motorcross shop.
• Frame paint is very feeble. Some frames are metallic darkish grey. To get a colour match for touch ups, just mix some silver Hammerite with a dab of black Hammerite. Apply with brush. Works a treat, even on rusty patches (scrape the loose bits off first).
• Front disk cover is secured by 2 stupid bolts which are neither X-head nor slot. They WILL seize. Maybe replace with stainless bolts cut off to 11mm.
• W-model has headlight and rear light on all the time. It is possible to add a switch to the white/red wire of the headlight connector and place a new wire to the rear light from the switched side. Abandon the blue wire to that arising near the battery. A simpler route is to switch the green ground lead near the lamp connector. (Personally I'd always ride with the light on anyway and hate cutting into sound wiring looms......).
• A chain oiler can be made out of a baby feed bottle mounted under the tank on the right hand side and a home brew wine tap mounted through a hole drilled in the top of the front sprocket cover with a remote filling tube exiting by the bars! Works very well, use gear oil or something lightweight to wash away the crap.
• Puncture prevention treatments (eg Slime) appear to work. At least I haven't had a flat in over two years, despite running very low pressures in all sorts of terrain. By contrast, I have always found instant puncture cures, like Finilec or Tyre Weld, to be useless for all but the tiniest pin-pricks. Ideally fit Michelin Motocross grade tubes (the extra rubber in these makes the job less than easy) at around £9 each and carry 'normal' ones which are smaller and lighter as emergency spares.
• US riders have suggested adding a 25thou nylon spacer below clip on carb. needle to slightly enrich mixture as valve opens up.
• Fit higher bars

  Even with the highest rise Renthals I could find, the bars were too low, so down to the scrap yard for a pair of top handlebar clamps with the same bolt centres as the Serow and a nice flat upper surface (these were from a Kawasaki KLX). Add some longer Allen bolts (Note that these should be of high tensile steel) and voila - a cheap set of risers.

Other Accessories

• Cobra exhausts - ISDE and 4 stroke models for US market & models sold by Accessory Warehouse. A new factory exhaust from Fowlers of Bristol costs £150, from stock. Pretty good value. But make sure you order the fibre exhaust sealing ring to go with it, because chances are the old one will be chewed up.
• A 240cc big-bore kit is available from Poweroll in the US. Pam Falcioni of their technical department says "Rejetting may be required. If so, it will just be 1 size larger pilot jet, and maybe 2 sizes larger main. These jets should be available from your Yamaha dealer."
• Russell brake lines
• Fram oil filter supplier in US
• DID chain index
• The cyber RealEquip shop linked from Serow Owner's Club has USD forks, wider pegs, engine upgrades and swing arm. Japanese descriptions so I don't really know what is being offered.
• Accessories, such as locking wheel nuts, for the XT225 and other bikes from Dual Star.

Dirt Bike Packing

For days on dirt

• Stock sparkplug socket (to remove flooding with either petrol or water)
• Stock 19mm and 22mm ring key to fit above - it also fits wheel nuts
• Quality 22mm ring spanner with slightly shortened handle for use with above on axle nuts
• 8,10, 12mm ring spanners (check one fits rim locks)
• 1 foot square old rag wrapped around spanners to stop rattles and for hand wiping
• Stock reversible screwdriver
• Small blunt nosed combination pliers with wire cutter
• 3/8 drive items (I'd long suspected this was a compact way to carry quality tools. When I saw Austin Clews of CCM use them I knew I was right.)
  • T bar
  • 8mm socket
  • 10mm socket
  • 5mm and 6mm WAF Allen key
• One each of 12" (unless you are super strong pack the biggest lever you can) and 8" tyre levers and a little thing I got at a dirt bike show that that clips under rim and around spoke to stop bead creeping off when refitting. I hate changing tyres but it's better than walking.
• Spare 21" tube (emergency use in rear) Take care how you pack this as rubbing on sharp things can wear through.
• Aluminium bodied single-action ATB pump
• Water to drink and for tyre changes

Spares to take along

• A few spare cotter pins for wheel nuts
• Cable ties for this and that
• Any point in a spare plug? In a modern 4 stroke this isn't really important. If you do take one, it's best to take a nearly-new one that you know is OK.

Camping

• MC online article
• PVC coated nylon bags by Ortlieb and Cascade (Seal-line) make good bags for lashing onto pillion seat and rack, but watch for exhaust burns. Ortlieb also make a set of practically waterproof panniers. The strap across the seat is not up to the job though and some heat guard is required, such as John's rack below.
• Rack suppliers
  • Tim Bernard makes side and tail racks for XT225, but as they will be for US models they may not fit Japenese models where minor differences exist in the frame design, in particular with pillion mounts.
  • ProMotoBillet do an alloy one at $165
  • Dual Star make one in stainless
  • A cheap home made rack from Ken

    The necessary materials are: 4 elbows, 4 T joints, about 6 feet of 1/2 inch white PVC pipe, and some PVC cement. You will need a saw and maybe, a mitre box, to cut the pipe. The cost for piping and glue was about 8 bucks. The dimensions can vary depending on what you need; I made mine 10"x11". Just cut your pipe accordingly, and put the elbows on the corners and the Ts at the appropriate points along the front and back sides of the square. If you haven't used PVC glue before, be advised that it sets immediately, so it may be good to assemble the whole thing a few times first without glue, just for drill. I mounted the rack to the bike with heavy rubber bungie cords. That way you don't need to drill holes in anything, and you can remove it easily. I picked up a little nylon pouch with pockets for different size stuff and strapped it onto the rack.

  • There are at least 2 types available from Yamaha too, one in alloy and one in steel. Part numbers unknown.
• Piled too high, with a PVC bag across back.
• This luggage system has been posted in by John who has a good Serow & camping site.

  Problem: how to use throwover bags without them burning on the exhaust.
  Answer: a wooden rack that slots over the rear lifting handles and rests on the rear mudguards. It takes about five seconds to fit (or demount) and weighs 4.5 lbs (2 kg). It could be lighter if I made cut-outs in it, but I like it strong. Construction is 8mm marine ply (waterproof, light and very tough), screwed together and glued with marine epoxy resin, plus quadrant reinforcement at the joints. Various stainless loops (again, from any marine supplier) have been added to secure bags to rack, and rack to bike, using cable ties and/or straps. The boat-building technology is simple and very effective. The rack also doubles as a seat, picnic table etc. and a platform to carry a fuel can - which I guess I will need for the 150 miles or so without petrol stations in central Iceland.
  		Use good cam cleat straps. Thule are best (from Halfords). Most other cheapo cams slip. Loop them under the carry handles but make sure they don't crush the indicators. The guides screwed to the bracket here are stainless yachtie items and keep the straps in the right location, away from the lenses.
  		First strap the rack to the bike, then strap the bags to the rack. Use zip ties to get length right to fixing points for bags-to-bike (I use the loops behind the pillion rests, which are nicely positioned to secure the bags forward and downwards: stops them flapping about). Use stainless shackles to secure (more yachtie stuff). Easy to do up and undo, but be careful not to lose the pins!

  
  
• Here's a version of John's rack made out of 9mm High Density PVC sheet. This material is waterproof and fairly easy to work with a hot air gun and hand cutting tools, although it is more flexible than plywood. The bulk of the rack is bent from a single piece, lightened by cutting holes. Internally two rests are fitted as shown on John's design, bolted and glued. The rack also sits on the pillion seat, cushioned by a piece of sitmat foam.

  Note that the pannier bags are supported underneath. This means that straps are for retention rather than weight bearing.

  Straps are fitted through smooth holes in the rack. The straps from the top to bottom of the rack help to stop it falling towards the wheel as no side supports are included.

  At present, zip-ties are used to hold it to the grab rails.

We've tried to make this information accurate but we cannot accept responsibility for errors. Check with a trained mechanic if unsure. Please let me know if you find a mistake or want to add your knowledge to the pages.