hello from greater seattle area

[malodin]

I just got given to me a 1982 ascot ft500 from my grandpa that only has 2000 miles on it, but unfortunately has been sitting for the last 30yrs (1984 was the last tab on the plate) under a tarp.  i am in the process of getting it cleaned up and attempting to get it running.  I have had thumpers xr200-500's all my life so am pretty familiar with the base motor but not this carb setup.  i drained the fuel tank and popped open the petcock(the filter was pluged sollid) got the bike to turn over smoothly, checked for spark etc...finally got it to catch for a brief second before the carb flooded out.  going to pull the carb off in the next few weeks and pull it apart and clean it. 

its in pretty decent shape considering its been sitting for so long...

few questions i have are.

the aluminum on the wheels is spotty(rust if it were steel) is there an easy way to clean up this spotty aluminum without fully refurbishing the rims?


all brake components need to be replaced, are there any parts catalogs that has interchanges?

anyone selling an ignition cylinder with key and or tank lock also(had to drill the tank lock out) was able to pull the ignition cylinder lock mechanism without much damage so i can reuse it if my grandpa finds the key

Alex

[J6G1Z]

Hey there Alex,

Welcome to the forum & congratulations on being the new owner of a great bike.

The petcock is vacuum operated, but can be converted to full manual operation by dissassembling the vacuum diaphragm housing, removing the spring & diaphragm & then re-assembling with the spring on the opposite side of the diaphragm so the spring now holds it open vs. holding it closed. MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALWAYS CLOSE THE PETCOCK WHEN THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING.

Was the bike sitting outside with a tarp over it, or was it inside & out of the moisture? The aluminum rims will corrode & become dull looking with moisture & age. You might try some "foaming oven cleaner" on the rims & the engine. Do not let it get on the paint & have a hose with you so you can rinse it off after a minute or two. Simple Green may work also. If it is on the section of the wheels that are clear coated or bare aluminum looking, you can gently sand out the dull spots with some fine wet & dry sanding paper. Use progressively finer grits until you get to the 1000+ grit range, then use some "Semi-Chrome" polish. Check out what I did in this post: http://ascot500.com/index.php?topic=122.0

Brake parts are still available from either Galfer, EBC or Spiegler. Replace both your front & rear rubber brake lines with braided stainless steel lines if you can afford it. New SS lines & new pads is usually all the FT Ascot needs to be a great stopper. With only 2K+ miles on the bike, you may not even need new pads.

As far as an ignition switch with a matching gas cap key... You're going to have to search eBay. I needed the same thing a couple of years back & found what I needed on eBay at a reasonable price. Most parts for the FT Ascot are not very expensive.

Check out this forum as much as you can. Especially the FT Ascot "Tech Section" http://ascot500.com/index.php?board=11.0
Make sure that you read the "Essentials For The FT500" http://ascot500.com/index.php?topic=10.0

Call Mark at ThumperStuff http://www.thumperstuff.com/FT500.html & introduce yourself as a new Ascot owner. Then place an order for the two jets that you need to change & either a 16 tooth or a 17 tooth countershaft sprocket depending upon how much freeway riding you think you'll be doing. I ride mostly back roads & went with a 16 tooth. If I commuted longer distances more, I would change to a 17 tooth. Mark also has oil filters, brake parts, etc.

You also need to pick up a real Service Manual for your bike. It will be the best money that you spend on your bike.

Good luck & please feel free to ask any questions.
J.