long before me, and the nail, made of low-grade steel, had bent
and allowed the rotary valve to spin out of time. Fortunately, the
correct pin is ubiquitous; it’s been used on many models over
the decades and the Yamaha dealer had one for $1.05. The clutch
plates were worn out, so I replaced them with a used set from an
early YZ125, after boring out their centers on a homemade jig.
Adding a new clutch cover gasket and a crank seal, the parts total
soared to nearly $20. So far, so good.
After the Yamaha became ridable more problems emerged.
The front tire wouldn’t hold air, the chain broke on the first out-
ing, and of course the front brake cable needed replacement.
Dave at Sport Cycle Pacific ordered new tubes and rim bands,
and eBay produced a new cable and air filter, which was missing
entirely. Oh, and this was no 761-mile
motorcycle, as proven by the missing
speedometer drive gear, discovered while
the front wheel was off. Judging by the
shape of the drive sprockets, a fair guess
would be more like 10,000 miles.
However, regular local rides eventually
showed this dilapidated pile was actu-
ally willing and able. It started first time,
every time on the electric starter, made
good power, and all systems except for
one headlight beam and the oil-injection
pump worked (hello, premix). And so, after
a few more months of work on the finicky
carb and ignition timing, and lowering
the gearing for trail use (by substituting
a 12-tooth countershaft sprocket for the
stock 15-tooth one), it appeared that this
old dear might stand a chance of making
what would be, for any reasonable person,
a pretty daunting trip. And why couldn’t I
have chosen a sensible route instead, for
instance through the local wine country?
Search me. That’s why I need help.
From sea to summit
On a pleasant spring morning, photographer Bill Masho and
friend John Fosmire met me on Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara,
Masho toting his camera gear on a small dual-sport bike and
Fosmire in a pickup. With the YA6 setting the pace, we purred
up State Street, past the historic Mission, onto Mountain Drive
and then up Gibraltar Road, the narrow, punishing climb previ-
ously used in the Amgen Tour of California bicycle race. Here
the road gains over 3,000 feet in about 11 miles, so I throttled
the Yamaha carefully to ensure its survival for what was to
come. Namely, the Divide Peak trailhead, nearly 20 miles dis-
tant and where the true challenge would begin.
To call the climb a crapshoot might be too kind, as besideshttp://www.MotorcycleClassics.com 45
More wall than trail, the climb to the top of Divide Peak: Amazingly, the little Yamaha came through, albeit with a little help.
John L. Stein enjoys some easy gravel on the YA6 after conquering Divide Peak trail.