THE SSDT REPLICA YAMAHA







 The "Real Thing" 1974 Edinburgh Cattle Market

 With the Glitzmobile and the two 77 versions all performing well it was time to build a replica of
my 1974 Scottish Six Days machine. Of course this is not quite as easy as it sounds as most bikes
of that year have had the proverbial kicked out of them, ripped seats, cracked fiberglass,
mudguards beyond repair and tanks dented by what would appear to have been wanton
vandalism!



This was Glitz on arrival

 Needless to say the fork legs, engine cases and wheels will have fared no better so to find
 something worthwhile at the right price seemed a daunting task.

 Day after day E-bay is checked in the hope that just maybe something will turn up. E-bay never
ceases to amaze me as gorgeous bikes come and go at ridiculous prices. Some pieces of tat go
for an absurd fortune yet others that are seemingly near perfect never make their low reserve.


 A 1974 comes along and is being e-bayed by a dealership, so I hit it in the "watch list" and wait
....... their opening price is $1000 and I thought this would at least make $2000 or more, ........
no bids..... the clock ticks on.......
.....2 minutes to go and still no bids... so in I go with $1200 as my opener..... the clock ticks on
and nothing .. I take it at the opening bid! Being a dealership they will crate and deliver for $200
so a pretty good deal.



Not what I was expecting, this is GOOD!

 The bike arrives and apart from the fenders it is perfect. 

 Purely because..... the cables are changed, new throttle, chain and sprockets, whole load of
polishing and chroming, new fork seals, even keep the original carb, motor is perfect with very
little wear, replace the lever blades, tires of course and that was that! 



Nice motor with a Black Barrel




Lounge Assembly

 Make a front number plate with "53" on it and that will do, the rear ones were pigs to fit in 74 so
I'll forget that! Now try and find some of the old decals that graced the original 30 years ago
"Duckhams", "Renold", "Champion", "Griffon", "Dunlop" etc, etc. The first year in Scotland I
remember thinking these stickers were all a bit over the top but then I discovered they were not
there so much for the advertising, more to protect the paintwork!




Better than original



Dam near perfect!





Yes, the same Goofy Scottish Hat

 The finished beauty makes her debut at Alto Pit and scores her one and only class win. She is
now retired as a "Wall Hanger" in the museum and actually looks better and rides better than
the original. The Goofy hat that I wore in the Edinburgh Cattle Market was still in my trials
"Memorabilia" and although a little shrunk, it was good enough for the rebirth photograph. 




In action Alto Pit



A museum piece



TONY DOWN  53   1974 SSDT