SUZUKI TS400 APACHE
Steve’s beast is boxed up for its journey!
Having stuck my neck out to buy the Apache I was keen to find out just how far the restoration process had gone.
The bike had been advertised honestly as still needing some work so it was a given that it would need some fettling in The Workshop of Woes. In the previous instalment I’d mentioned how helpful it can be to get the back story to any old bike. Therefore I was chuffed when the vendor, Chris Toma, emailed me with an overview of what had been done and what still needed sorting.
In no particular order the frame, swingarm and kick-stand had been powder-coated; the tank had been lined with Kreem; a new chain fitted to the existing sprockets which were said to be in good condition; and the filler cap, intake manifold, bar grips and air-filter were all new. Add this little lot on to the cost of a respray and you can see the restoration hasn’t been done on the cheap. Also included in the overview was a list of outstanding tasks which included the fork seals that needed changing; the leaking petrol tap; locking tabs on rear sprocket needed to be bent over and double check on bleeding the oil-pump; plus ensuring the oil lines were air free. So essentially, other than the fork seals, the jobs still outstanding were those you’d be carry out anyway after a comprehensive rebuild or restoration.
The only worry was the installation of the Kreem tank liner, which may not automatically be compatible with UK petrol. Ostensibly the tank wasn’t holed or rusty, but the use of tank liners is very common on the American classic scene. I’ve recently fettled the tank from a Kettle and whatever was in there didn’t like UK petrol one little bit! Thinking this through,
I might just take it one step at a time and see how the liner copes with the super green fuel I use in all my two strokes. If it resists the petrol’s advances then happy days, but if not I’ll have to carefully consider my options as I don’t want to be damaging that rather splendid paint job. Looking on line I’ll need to source a tank’s worth of either acetone or methyl ethyl ketone, neither of which are conducive to good paint, but fingers crossed I hope I won’t need either.
Following my, by now, long-suffering mate Simon Neil taking delivery of the Apache, he’s been bringing me up to date with things he has spotted as he prepares to box it up for shipping to the UK. The seller had included a new battery, but upon inspection it was actually already a wet battery filled with acid. Many freight businesses insist on vehicles being ‘dry’ and electrically non-functional, so what is almost certainly a decent battery will have to be junked.
Previously I’d spotted that the bike’s ignition switch was notable by its absence and was also missing the TS400K specific ignition switch bracket that is housed between the clocks. As the bike was seen running it’s a forgone conclusion someone has hot-wired it in past, and this was confirmed when Simon pinged me a shot of the sundry parts handed over in a box complete with a jiggered switch. Apache parts aren’t exactly common and the unit appears to be model specific. Unlike most UK and European Suzuki switches it only has ‘On-and-off’ positions because American vehicles generally don’t have side/parking light. It was possible that another Suzuki switch might fit, but that assumed that the top yoke of the later L, M, A and B model top yokes are the same, which they’re not. Also the later models run a totally different switch mount so that kicked that idea into the long grass.
Searching the ubiquitous ebay.com divvied up numerous similar switches, but they were all well into three digit prices and most came with extra wires and additional switching positions. Although it should be possible to adapt an ignition switch with the same physical proportions, I would much rather not give myself more work that is necessary. In one of those lightbulb moments I rang Crooks Suzuki and ran the original part number past owner Martin. Both it and all the supersessions in my parts book came up with those dreaded words obsolete and NLA (No Longer Available). However, Mr Crooks reckoned he had some random ignition switches somewhere and low and behold he had a two-position switch complete with the correct number of wires and all the correct colours. Checking the part number on line with various American sites, it was indeed a TS400K switch on an up issued number that didn’t appear on the European Suzuki site. £50 later I’m happy and so is Martin having shifted a piece of random NOS he thought he’d never sell… result! I’ve also been collecting other spares that I reckon are going needed as I work my way through the bike.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the pond Simon and his mate Rick Booth have been beavering away on my behalf constructing a box to house the Apache. There’s also a spare engine that initially I didn’t even know was part of the deal and two decent sized cardboard boxes of used parts, some indicators and a few odds and sods. Getting a motorcycle into the smallest container possible involves removing the front wheel, then bolting the bike’s front-end down via its axle. The rear tyre was chocked in place to locate the bike and hold it in place. Taking the bars off also dramatically reduces the container’s width: getting the dimensions down similarly assists with collection and onward shipping. Anything delicate, expensive, easily damaged or marked needs careful consideration so the front guard has been unbolted and, along with the tail pipe of the exhaust, bubble wrapped. The spare engine had the potential to do a lot of damage so was strapped and screwed in place. Finally the bike was covered in old blankets and the remaining panelling screwed to the box’s carcass.
Poor old, put upon, Simon has very kindly agreed to safely store the bike while I sort out the who, what, where, why and when of getting shipped. I’m excited at the prospect of getting to grips with a new project, but apprehensive to say the least about the repatriation process which will be totally out of my hands.