Stepping out of my norm, Vintage TM Suzuki

newmann
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newmann
Edited Date/Time 7/20/2020 9:58am
Figured that since the Corona has ground everything to a near halt I would dig out a project to pass a little time at work. A customer who moved several years back stopped by the shop and gave me this bike. Gave, as in free but all I could think was how this is gonna end up costing me a few grand! I had the frame and assorted parts powder coated right before the Hurricane Harvey floods and they have even sitting on a shelf ever since.

Stripped a tank, repaired a dent and got it primed up. Was thinking if I got the tank painted up and pretty that maybe it would motivate me to make some progress. Not my usual flavor here though.


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tydog
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tydog 4/9/2020 1:25pm
4/9/2020 1:25pm
TM Suzuki? Has the shape and threaded filler neck.
newmann
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newmann 4/9/2020 1:28pm
4/9/2020 1:28pm
Anyone else got a bit of a soft spot for the TM lineup from Suzuki? This little bike still has all the original stuff. Grips, levers, bars, bolts with the Suzuki "S" on the heads. Pretty clean and all in excellent condition.




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newmann
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newmann 4/9/2020 1:29pm
4/9/2020 1:29pm
tydog wrote:
TM Suzuki? Has the shape and threaded filler neck.
Someone knows what's up. You still have the RM100 don't you?
tydog
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tydog 4/9/2020 2:41pm
4/9/2020 2:41pm
I do, with the wrong forks on it though. And a TM400 in work

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The Shop

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dadofagun
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dadofagun 4/9/2020 3:42pm
4/9/2020 3:42pm
tydog wrote:
I do, with the wrong forks on it though. And a TM400 in work [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/04/09/418586/s1200_7B71FEE3_5216_4BBB_929B_2AB3575CCD69.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/04/09/418587/s1200_9C2D1C4C_E501_45A3_B7A1_D89053CF23A5.jpg[/img]
I do, with the wrong forks on it though. And a TM400 in work

Ty, that RM 100 is badass. I would love to have that sitting in my shop...... Newman, you'll do an excellent job. I know it's not your usual flavor, but your work needs no intro. Make her slick again.....
newmann
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newmann 4/9/2020 3:54pm
4/9/2020 3:54pm
I like the 400. Everyone always shits on the 400 thinking it’s evil because of the 71 or 72 model before it. Back around 1995(?) Dirt Bike did a shootout with 4 or five vintage open class bikes and compared them to a current year KTM. The mint 75 TM400 they had dynod at 33hp and they said it had a fairly mellow power delivery. Total opposite from the earlier models. Their biggest disappointment was the mighty Maico 501 that only dynod at 31. Laughing
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tydog
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tydog 4/9/2020 4:02pm
4/9/2020 4:02pm Edited Date/Time 4/9/2020 4:03pm
dadofagun wrote:
Ty, that RM 100 is badass. I would love to have that sitting in my shop...... Newman, you'll do an excellent job. I know it's not...
Ty, that RM 100 is badass. I would love to have that sitting in my shop...... Newman, you'll do an excellent job. I know it's not your usual flavor, but your work needs no intro. Make her slick again.....
Thanks Sir, very kind of you. The last bike my parents bought me. Has the forks off my 370, would love to have the originals still.
tydog
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tydog 4/9/2020 4:04pm
4/9/2020 4:04pm Edited Date/Time 4/9/2020 4:08pm
newmann wrote:
I like the 400. Everyone always shits on the 400 thinking it’s evil because of the 71 or 72 model before it. Back around 1995(?) Dirt...
I like the 400. Everyone always shits on the 400 thinking it’s evil because of the 71 or 72 model before it. Back around 1995(?) Dirt Bike did a shootout with 4 or five vintage open class bikes and compared them to a current year KTM. The mint 75 TM400 they had dynod at 33hp and they said it had a fairly mellow power delivery. Total opposite from the earlier models. Their biggest disappointment was the mighty Maico 501 that only dynod at 31. Laughing
Thank you JN! That is why I bought it, just to see if it could be rebuilt and tamed. I’m halfway there I’d say. Still need a late model ignition and a few more pieces. But sometimes old machinists make shitty mechanics.
jerry atrick moto 4/10/2020 1:54pm
4/10/2020 1:54pm
Picked this up off craigs list add . Guy bought piece of property and this was in the creek. Add read, $60 come get it.
Wish I had kept the picture from the add. Even covered in mud I knew what it was I had one before TM400. Called him up drove about an hour away to get it. Stopped at car wash on way home and this is what I ended up with. My wife doesn't mind me bringing home so called project bikes but she had to laugh at this one. when she first seen it laying on the ground WTF was the first words out of her pretty mouth. Blink






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KDXGarage
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KDXGarage 4/10/2020 2:14pm
4/10/2020 2:14pm
Raptor pegs
toilet wax ring on the cylinder

Good to go!
1
newmann
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newmann 4/10/2020 3:04pm
4/10/2020 3:04pm
jerry atrick moto wrote:
Picked this up off craigs list add . Guy bought piece of property and this was in the creek. Add read, $60 come get it. Wish...
Picked this up off craigs list add . Guy bought piece of property and this was in the creek. Add read, $60 come get it.
Wish I had kept the picture from the add. Even covered in mud I knew what it was I had one before TM400. Called him up drove about an hour away to get it. Stopped at car wash on way home and this is what I ended up with. My wife doesn't mind me bringing home so called project bikes but she had to laugh at this one. when she first seen it laying on the ground WTF was the first words out of her pretty mouth. Blink






Nice!

I have started with a whole lot less and a whole lot worse before...😂😂 Have you done anything with it yet?

crf250pilot
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crf250pilot 4/10/2020 3:53pm
4/10/2020 3:53pm
jerry atrick moto wrote:
Picked this up off craigs list add . Guy bought piece of property and this was in the creek. Add read, $60 come get it. Wish...
Picked this up off craigs list add . Guy bought piece of property and this was in the creek. Add read, $60 come get it.
Wish I had kept the picture from the add. Even covered in mud I knew what it was I had one before TM400. Called him up drove about an hour away to get it. Stopped at car wash on way home and this is what I ended up with. My wife doesn't mind me bringing home so called project bikes but she had to laugh at this one. when she first seen it laying on the ground WTF was the first words out of her pretty mouth. Blink






Those bars look like an original Magoo bend.
1
jerry atrick moto 4/10/2020 4:15pm
4/10/2020 4:15pm
newmann wrote:
Nice!

I have started with a whole lot less and a whole lot worse before...😂😂 Have you done anything with it yet?

Ebay shopping cart amount increasing does that count? Not sure what I'm going to do thought id start with the engine go from there.
tydog
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tydog 4/10/2020 4:19pm
4/10/2020 4:19pm
It is all there anyway!!!! Good ambition, good luck to you jerry! I’ll assist if I can.
tydog
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tydog 4/10/2020 4:20pm
4/10/2020 4:20pm
KDXGarage wrote:
Raptor pegs
toilet wax ring on the cylinder

Good to go!
Stock pegs!! Honest. Lmao.
FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 4/10/2020 6:45pm
4/10/2020 6:45pm Edited Date/Time 4/10/2020 6:47pm
newmann wrote:
Anyone else got a bit of a soft spot for the TM lineup from Suzuki? This little bike still has all the original stuff. Grips, levers...
Anyone else got a bit of a soft spot for the TM lineup from Suzuki? This little bike still has all the original stuff. Grips, levers, bars, bolts with the Suzuki "S" on the heads. Pretty clean and all in excellent condition.




I have mixed feelings about that bike: it's the bike my friend's pop bought him, when my folks were like "fat chance" Tongue

Then the Elsinore ad's dropped, lol.


PK97
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PK97 4/10/2020 7:29pm
4/10/2020 7:29pm
Joe,

Stepping out not just on the bike but figured you would have posted that in the old school forum.
ledger
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ledger 4/10/2020 7:48pm
4/10/2020 7:48pm
TM 250 for sale on CL in Nashville for 4000.00. I tried posting a link...again, but won't work.

Pit Row

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newmann
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newmann 4/13/2020 7:49am
4/13/2020 7:49am
PK97 wrote:
Joe,

Stepping out not just on the bike but figured you would have posted that in the old school forum.
One day when I actually make a little progress. Could be years...Laughing
rmgsxr
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rmgsxr 4/13/2020 7:54am
4/13/2020 7:54am
I’ve got one I’ve been working on. My gas tank is probably going to be my last thing done. I don’t have a great source on that.






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mumbles 4/13/2020 8:10am
4/13/2020 8:10am
I have a warm spot in my hart for the old TMs. 1973 TM250 was my first real MX bike. I really miss those times. The best ever.


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newmann
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newmann 4/13/2020 8:24am
4/13/2020 8:24am
Check this guy out on facebook. He's got it....bad! Woohoo

There was a point that my garage full of Honda's was approaching that realm of normalcy. I do see that he has a Junior Elsinore starter kit leaning against the wall there, so the seed has been planted.Laughing




10
bents 4/13/2020 1:06pm
4/13/2020 1:06pm
Pretty freaking impressive Newmann. Out of that lot I owned a 75 TM100, 76 RM100, 77 and 78 RM 125, 1978.5 RM 250-not pictured but also owned: 1979 RM 125, 1980 RM 125, 1988 RM 125, 1993 RM 125, 1997 RM 125, 1998 RM 125.

Wish I still had my 76 RM100, 77 & 78 RM 125, 78.5 RM 250, and my 98 RM 125.
1
TheNewOriginal 4/13/2020 1:19pm
4/13/2020 1:19pm
mumbles wrote:
I have a warm spot in my hart for the old TMs. 1973 TM250 was my first real MX bike. I really miss those times. The...
I have a warm spot in my hart for the old TMs. 1973 TM250 was my first real MX bike. I really miss those times. The best ever.


Same here. The TM100 was my first MX bike.
philG
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philG 4/13/2020 1:39pm
4/13/2020 1:39pm
One thing that pic shows us that in a row of as new bikes, black rims just look wrong.
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newmann
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newmann 4/13/2020 2:50pm
4/13/2020 2:50pm
philG wrote:
One thing that pic shows us that in a row of as new bikes, black rims just look wrong.
You got that right. Best way to ruin the look of any vintage bike is to throw on a set of black rims.
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Mr. Afterbar
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Mr. Afterbar 4/13/2020 3:12pm
4/13/2020 3:12pm
I’m only 34, but when I was younger my dad did quite a bit of AHRMA racing and he had a TM 400. I believe it was a ‘74. I always liked that bike and have heard the horror stories. I hope to rebuild one some day. Looking forward to the build Newmann!!
YZ302
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YZ302 4/13/2020 3:20pm
4/13/2020 3:20pm
How about a Mini-Contender ?


tydog
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tydog 4/13/2020 4:09pm
4/13/2020 4:09pm
Interesting Mr 302, do tell. Please.

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