Your Collection: 1983 Yamaha IT 490

December 18, 2011, 12:40pm

This weeks collection comes to us from Jason Behunin.

Hi, my name is Jason and I like to buy old bikes and fix them up. After I finish, I usually sell the bikes, and start all over. Here is a before and after pictures of a bike I recently completed. This bike was a nightmare to rebuild. The motor parts were easy to acquire, but trying to find brand new plastic was hard! This project took me nearly 3 months to complete.

1983 Yamaha IT 490
I bought this bike for $100. My Dad had one when I was growing up, and I thought it would be a fun project. I stripped the entire bike to the frame and completely rebuilt everything from the ground up.

The motor worked, but there was a hole in the case about the size of a dime. The motor was torn down and completely rebuilt. All the bearings and seals were replaced. The clutch basket was cracked and the plates were trashed. I have a friend that owns a cycle repair shop that happened to have a 1984 YZ 490. I was able to acquire the cases and clutch components from that YZ 490. The cylinder wasn't too bad, but a fresh piston and a new bore made it look like new. The hubs and rims were good, but the spokes were all seized. The spokes were cut off and all replaced with new ones. Luckily the frame was straight. I sand blasted the frame and powder coated it to the OEM black. During the building process, all new fasteners were used. All new cables, levers and throttle were put on as well. All new plastics and seat cover were put on to finish the look. The bike looks great and runs like brand new.