Another TT Upgrade?

With all the Aprilia RS250 buying we've been doing lately it has provided us a bunch of extra parts including this MK1 RS250 front end. This front end included a front wheel, but we most likely won't be using that. So why is this front end important you may ask? Well it shares measurements with the similar era RS125 front end that currently resides on my personal RS50 TT. The benefits of this front end over the current RS125 front end installed should be obvious, the adjustability and black color. I've already measured and it will fit in the triple clamps and the axel is also the same measurement so it shouldn't be too difficult to swap over. A few issues will be the front fender mounts being different and the extra caliper mount, but it may be worth the effort long term.

This will be added to the long list of items still on the upgrade list for TT:
-RS250 Forks (Have Parts)
-Speedo, Tach, Temp (RS125, KOSO? Still undecided)
-Domino Throttle and switch gear (Have Parts)
-Ti frame bolts (Have Parts)
-Rear braided line (Have Parts)
-GP top triple clamp
-RFID ignition
-Silencer Mount
-Headlight
-Rear mud guard

Mid 90's MK1 RS250 Forks

Black color and red adjusters

Forkin around

Changed out the leaky fork seal on TT which is a 2004 Aprilia RS50 sporting a fully custom adapted Aprilia RS125 front end. The forks were just overhauled earlier this year for the 2 stroke extravaganza show and go so I was puzzled how the seal gave up the ghost so fast. 

Picked up the replacement seal from my local Aprilia Dealer, Scuderia West, where Bob always helps me find and order bits for my rare Aprilia machines! Next up was some Motul 15 wt fork oil from SF Moto where everyone knows my name. Then Cycle Gear for the seal driver. Sounds like a lot of travel, but they are all within a mile of each other and keeping local shops open is something I try my best to support.

Leaky Fork, New Seal, Seal Driver, and 15wt oil.

After assembling the needed materials and toolsI pulled the fork apart to inspect what was causing the leak. Never seen one this bad in such a short time so I'm thinking our difficulty in seating the seal may have caused some damage the last time resulting in catastrophic failure. 

Faulty Fork Seal

I didn't want to repeat the same mistake with the new seal so I created a simple rig which enabled me to apply equal pressure to each side of the seal while pushing the fork down with my body weight. This prevented the issue we had last time where one side would seat and the other side would pop out.

Home made seal fitter

Job done with minimal mess and fuss so time to get everything fitted back together.

Ready to roll

All put back together and ready for the next ride!

TT is ready for liftoff

GI Jane

Me and Gyver just bought another Aprilia RS250 today from fellow Bats member and two stroke enthusiast Scott. This was apparently the real life G.I. Jane's track bike back in the day! This will become priority #1 in the three bike lineup of Aprilia RS250's in our stable.

Gyver and the Aprilia RS250 workshop

Along with the bike came 3 sets of pipes which will really help out on the builds of the other 2 in the future!

Stock, Jolly Moto, and Handmade

This bike came with a special Suzuki SAPC controller and CDI so the RS250 will make power like the RGV250.

Rare 23060 SAPC

An overview shot of Bats San Jose

Three Aprilia RS250s' there

We have 2 Dry clutch setups!

TT love

TT needs some fork seal love so I took the fork off, ordered the seal, and decided to take off the tank and plastics to clean the rest of the road grime. 

TT on the custom front stand 

As can be seen in the photo below, removing the tank and bodywork revealed the grime I couldn't reach when I washed it. This is more than a vanity project as it will make finding leaks and issues easier in the future.

Road Grime uncovered!

All cleaned up!

Also added some dielectric grease to all of the electrical connections on the bike to prevent corrosion and help maintain a strong connection. This is an easy and often overlooked part of most bikes that can lead to untraceable electrical gremlins down the road.

Nice and clean

After everything was clean and buttoned up I decided to adjust the chain as well so it will be ready to ride once the fork seal is resolved.

Basic Chain Maintenance.