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This weeks collection comes to us from Joshua McCollum in PA.

My name is Joshua McCollum, and this is my baby, and where it began for me. I am thirty two, and got this as my first bike when I was six. I have had this little bike for a long time, and when I got it, I was hooked, and have loved moto ever since. I wish this thing had an odometer on it, because it could possible be the first pw 50 to ever hit the "million mile mark"! It went thru years of me abusing it way beyond me being "of proper size" for it, then went thru a couple siblings, cousins, etc. Needless to say, when I decided to dig it out of the back corner of my dads garage, it was hammered. It means so much to me, I tore it down, and it took me a few years to fully restore it because it was very difficult to find all the right parts to meet my strict criteria. I own an autobody shop, so I had a slight advantage on re-finishing everything. I hunted for over a year to find brand new yellow plastic, and never had any luck, so I decided to prep the original stuff, and paint it with some good automotive basecoat/clearcoat paint by dupont. I sent everything metal out to the sandblaster, and either powder coated it or painted it upon return. I wanted to restore it to exact factory specs, so I hunted down some old sales brochures, and made sure everything was exactly the way it was in the sales brochure. I literally re-furbished every part and piece, and was able to use most of the original parts. I took all the nuts/bolts, and other hardwear, and ran it thru a vibratory tumbler for a cycle of resin pyramid refinishing, then ran it thru a cycle of dry cob shine to put the finishing touches on all of the hardware.

My son is five years old now, and has already ran his cycle on his pw 50 that my wife and I purchased for him when he was two and a half, so I have cleaned his little bike up, and plan on putting a shelf up where we can set up both of them as a reminder of a place we both came from in getting involved in the awesome sport of motocross. I love my wife and son more than words can describe, and in second place, is motocross! I read everything on every major site, and never miss a moto whether it be motocross, or supercross. I have got to be one of motos biggest fans, and this is where it all began...

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The Conversation

kx408 wrote: 1:01pm December 11, 2011

Awesome clean up. I plan on keeping my son's xr50 forever as well. I couldn't track down my XL75, but found one like it to restore. I didn't know the pw's came with an invisible spark plug cap, that is pretty trick:)

bucky394 wrote: 1:17pm December 11, 2011

PW 50? I wasn't even gonna look! But I'm glad I did cuz that is one sweet resto. I too own a body shop and know what goes into this type of job. Too bad for me, my first ride was a 3 1/2 hp Sears mini bike! 22 mph top end-down hill. No one-even me wants to see that restored!lol

Aron213 wrote: 8:34pm December 11, 2011

I thought they were still called YZingers back in 1984

joshuamccollum802 wrote: 10:58pm December 11, 2011

I believe they were called "yzingers" in the very early 80's but wouldn't bet everything on it cause I am not that savvy at knowing that deep of history on em... The little bike just has a special place for me, what can I say. I do not have a few things on it, cause I just haven't been able to bring myself to putting an old cruddy wiring harness on it. I need to just bite the bullet and order one directly from yamaha. That and a few vac carb lines. In the end, I know it's a little 'dubber, and they are a dime a mil, it's priceless to me, because it's what made me the biggest fan of moto...

humfrey wrote: 11:05pm December 11, 2011

Yzinger and Z50. Probably the most influential motorcycles in the history of motorcycling.

joshuamccollum802 wrote: 11:05pm December 11, 2011

Anyone out there ever want any kind of restore done on any kind of mx-er, and are located in the southwestern area of pennsylvania? Feel free to call to see if we would be interested in helping you out? We love to work on mx-ers.
724 377 AUTO

joshuamccollum802 wrote: 11:07pm December 11, 2011

You got that right humfrey! My older brother had the z-50. Very very fun days at that age. Ha! the mud we use to fling at each other.....

McMoto wrote: 10:36am December 12, 2011

I remember the little "Tri moto's" being called YZingers, great job on the re store by the way !

Welker wrote: 11:08am December 12, 2011

After all of that work which is very good I say it might also be the most expensive Zinger on the planet if all of the work was farmed out? Looks great!

Mad_Mark wrote: 11:20am December 12, 2011

Let's make it clear on the missing spark plug cap. I know exactly what is going on here. What we are looking at friends, is a "grounded" YZinger. I know this because occasionally, my JT1 would get "grounded". I could get it "ungrounded" by making proper amends to my parents for whatever I did to get my bike "grounded", and get my spark plug cap back.

BigUglyManiac wrote: 11:50am December 12, 2011

I am pretty sure that stock wasn't this sano. A labor of love was a long way back... This thing looks like a labor of fanatical obsession salted by a fanatic having serious tools and the ability to bend reality to his will. Jewlers will be calling you soon!