Hi Guys n Gals,

so as you may have seen over in the open discussion threads, I've purchased another Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) XT250 Serow and she's a real beauty. Very unusually for bikes over here, she's only covered 3,360kms (or 2,087 miles to our US cousins). All the JDM bikes come with km clocks, which is OK for the rest of Europe but mean us Brits have to do some mental calculations when reading the digital speedo! I've heard some markets have a speedo which can switch from kms into miles but I've yet to find one.

She's in very tidy condition and my plan today was to give her a good clean up, remove the existing rear rack, replace it with my re-powder coated Happy Trails rear rack and pannier rails, then to do a service and to take some photo's but the weather had other plans. It's just not stopped raining all bloody day, so I've been doing some basic cleaning and checking in the garage (which is too tight a squeeze for taking images).

Thinking of my previous Serows, the first thing I did was to remove the exhaust retaining nuts to the cylinder head and give them a good coating of anti-slip compound, so I thought I'd better give it a go. If you've had a Serow before you'll know just how bad a job this can be! So out came the penetrating fluid, and a long spanner. I started moving the nuts by 1/2 a turn, then back by a 1/4, then forward by a 1/2, until they came free. I was very, very happy, as to release this easy from a ten year old bike is a true feat in itself.

I get the feeling she want's to co-operate.

So seat, rear side panels and front side panels were all quickly removed and put aside for cleaning and polishing later The tool kit cover had already had knurled knobs fitted, to replace the standard bolts, so access can be made by hand and I found the original tools have never been used. I started to give the frame and wiring a gentle clean, using my normal cleaning product of Vulcanet wipes. I then removed the air-filter to find it's had better days, so I've placed a order for an OEM replacement, along with oil and filter. The brake fluid had already been replaced, so that was left alone.


If the rain stays away tomorrow, I'll grab some shots and post them here. If not then I'll tinker in the garage, carry on with the deep clean and detailing work.


The next things to do then would be;

1, fit the Happy Trails rack and pannier frames.
2, decide if I'm going to wire in the LED indicators/brake lights into the panniers that I did with my last 250, they were awesome but I don't fancy breaking into the existing harnesses - I may get splitter connecting units.
3, fit an electrical distribution point (once it arrives in the post) to allow a power accessory point to be added, plus a sat nav, a phone charging point and a camera battery charging point.
4, upgrade the headlamp bulb with a Philips X-Treme bulb (which I do on all of my bikes that have H4 type bulbs).

Anyway that's the initial plan, so we'll see how things go.

The last thing is to name her! The first was called Team Serow but she's no longer with us after being written off in a hit n run accident a few years back, the JDM XT225 Serow is called Team Ukulele (as she was my dad's and that's what he plays), the Brazilian XT225 is called Team Cabra (the nearest thing we could find from South America that's goat/antelope related), so I wonder where we'll go with this one? Ideas gladly accepted.

Hugs to all

Team Samurai? Team Sushi? Team Fuji?

Hi Peejman,

I hate Sushi, so there's no chance of that!

Let's see how things go eh.

Regards

My 2009 250 does.



BTW my Honda Civic does too.
I was driving home from the dealer the day I bought it, a 40 mile highway ride.
I wanted to see what it could do, so I had it up to 90!
- WOWIE -
A few hours later I realized the dealer had set it to KPH, so I was only doing 60.

Arrive Alive R-man.

Perhaps a minor attitude adjustment would suffice.

Sushi is almost as good as any other bait.
And you don't have to go digging in the yard for it.
Barge into the restaurant cradling your XT helmet in your arm.
Find the gal taking "to go" orders, pinch that fat tart on the arse, and then catch a school of fish.

I hope you have a reel good time.

Hi Sear,

hmmm, I wonder how much a US speedo would cost then and if it could be programmed with the previous mileage reading?

Regards

As if a Gentleman like me would do anything like that!

Reggie I apologize for implying that I thought you would.
Instead I was suggesting that I might, or might wish to.

The context of that of course includes such cultural standards as Marlon Brando's The Wild One. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047677/?ref_=nv_sr_1

It depicts motorcyclists as capricious, perhaps even shocking.

I'm not trying to recruit you as a gang-banger.

I merely meant to remind that these suspicions from the previous millennium can persist.
It happened to me a few motorcycles ago. I saw a young couple standing next to an apparently broken down car by the side of the highway. Due to a curve in the road I didn't know they were there until I was nearly upon them.
This was decades before the proliferation of mobile phones. But I turned my Kawasaki around, and went back to see if I could help. They literally ran behind the broken down car, and took cover.
I was prepared to offer to send a tow truck, or ...

Bottom line, sometimes it can set others at ease merely by reinforcing their own prejudice, even when it involves a little exaggeration.

If you're a Brando fan, you might enjoy the movie.

I like old movies.
I think they should make more of them.

Hi Sears,

classic film.

I'm more of The Battle of Britain/The Italian Job/The Dam Dusters man myself.

Lucky you kept the kit of the last 250 eh mate. Look forward to seeing some pics. You got plans for a tour before the bad weather comes in?