Machine

At the time I took the decision for this journey, my YAMAHA XT600E already had nearly 50000km on the counter. I had to ask myself if this journey is to be made with this motorcycle as monocylinder engines with this mileage first need a very thoroughly inspection. But I decided to revise the engine completely because on the one hand I'm still very fond of this motorcycle and on the other hand I could bring up to date my knowhow about engine mechanics which could prove to be quite useful during my journey. The following parts were replaced:

Piston
Connecting rod with bearing
Both crankshaft bearings
Both wheels of the 5th gear
Bearing of gear unit output
Oil pump
Camshaft chain
Both outlet valves
All valve adjustment screws

To make the bike suitable for long-distance traveling I did the following:

Fitting of a kickstarter
Fitting of harder progressive front fork springs
Fitting of a harder rear spring
Added a big 20l Acerbis-fueltank
Added an oil thermometer for supervision
Added heatable grips
Added a 12V power plug
Added aluminium boxes for the luggage

I spent quite some time and money on this but I'm very satisfied with the result and I hope that everything will last for many thousands of kilometers. For some the revision of an engine may is their daily business but I was quite little proud when I could start the engine again. That's why there are some pictures of the revision here and for everyone who wants to try it as well: it's not magic!

I'm still suffering from this view

Just put it together and the engine is ready...

Crankshaft with new connecting rod and bearing

Inserted gear with new wheels for 5th gear

Assembled crankshaft case

How far is the new one going to bring me?

Monuted piston with 0.5mm oversize

Freshly drilled and grinded cylinder

Cylinder head with two new outlet valves

Inserted camshaft with new chain

Cylinder head cover with lever for decompression

That's it! The ready to mount engine

Mounting of clutch and kickstarter

The bike gets driveable again

Hard-working helpers are always welcome

And it's all about the crate of beer...