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1986 YETI YAK - Silverfish Third Build
Well I say 3rd build, I still haven't finished the ARC http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=201541, but I have bits all over the place and various uncompleted builds so I figured getting another build thread going would at least encourage me to pull my finger out
The Yak is a very early Malibu California Yeti - it has a very early serial number (421) so 'probably' dates from 1986. It's certainly one of the first Yak's ever built.
The Yak is basically a FRO frame with rack eyelets. I was lucky that this frame came equipped with the original Yeti fork with Campy dropouts and rack eyelets - this is the only one of these I've ever seen, and I guess would have been almost impossible to find on its own.
This one will be a slow burner though. The frame needs some major work, it's been repaired and repainted by Yeti in the past which means it has the welded seat collar sleeve, and at some point has had a chainstay gusset. Which has been partly removed. I'm sending it over the pond for FTW to work his magic on it. A nice touch is that Frank remembers welding this bike himself, so now he gets to restore it to its former glory
Some of you will be familiar with the frame - Ameybrook owned this not too long ago - see http://ridevintagemtb.blogspot.co.uk/20 ... i-yak.html
The bike used to belong to US Motorcycle hall of famer Walt Axthelm, it eventually ended up on Yetifan where Ameybrook bought it. He later sold it on RB, I think regretted selling it, and when it came up on RB I just couldn't believe it and snapped it up.
I have already sorted most of the parts, some NOS, some well used.
One of the delays that has put me off starting this build was the difficulty in sourcing a suitable stem. Salsa doesn't really do it for me so I have been searching for a Cook's or FTW stem in 1" for a long time with no joy. But I just heard today I may have struck lucky...that's probably what's prompted this build thread.
Still not decided on colour - am tempted to go with quite a subtle grey, or maybe white. Will probably avoid another all turquoise bike as it would end up too similar to my FRO http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=177656. But I may throw all caution to the wind, it is a mid 80's build after all so a full fluoro pink paintjob might be interesting
And am planning on being thoroughly anal with this bike (as I was with the FRO) so everything will be period correct. I'll have to dig out some more 2mm cable inners! It'll certainly make it more of a challenge sourcing some of the parts Will try to keep it different to my FRO as much as I can - no point having two nearly identical bikes so the plan with this build is to spec a lot of Deerhead parts.
As I said with both my previous builds, feel free to give me the heads up if I've made some schoolby error. I don't profess to be any kind of expert and 1986 was 26 years ago. But if you are as old as me - 1986 was Falco "Rock Me Amadeus", The Communards "Don't Leave me this way", Europe "The Final Countdown", and the Xmas number one? Caravan of Love by the Housemartins. Man I feel old.
Anyway - I need a portage pad for this Yak. Anybody got a spare black one? And a 1st gen Yeti man head tube badge - or at least an idea where I might be able to source the artwork?
Yaks... Yetis with Racks
Well I say 3rd build, I still haven't finished the ARC http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=201541, but I have bits all over the place and various uncompleted builds so I figured getting another build thread going would at least encourage me to pull my finger out
The Yak is a very early Malibu California Yeti - it has a very early serial number (421) so 'probably' dates from 1986. It's certainly one of the first Yak's ever built.
The Yak is basically a FRO frame with rack eyelets. I was lucky that this frame came equipped with the original Yeti fork with Campy dropouts and rack eyelets - this is the only one of these I've ever seen, and I guess would have been almost impossible to find on its own.
This one will be a slow burner though. The frame needs some major work, it's been repaired and repainted by Yeti in the past which means it has the welded seat collar sleeve, and at some point has had a chainstay gusset. Which has been partly removed. I'm sending it over the pond for FTW to work his magic on it. A nice touch is that Frank remembers welding this bike himself, so now he gets to restore it to its former glory
Some of you will be familiar with the frame - Ameybrook owned this not too long ago - see http://ridevintagemtb.blogspot.co.uk/20 ... i-yak.html
The bike used to belong to US Motorcycle hall of famer Walt Axthelm, it eventually ended up on Yetifan where Ameybrook bought it. He later sold it on RB, I think regretted selling it, and when it came up on RB I just couldn't believe it and snapped it up.
I have already sorted most of the parts, some NOS, some well used.
One of the delays that has put me off starting this build was the difficulty in sourcing a suitable stem. Salsa doesn't really do it for me so I have been searching for a Cook's or FTW stem in 1" for a long time with no joy. But I just heard today I may have struck lucky...that's probably what's prompted this build thread.
Still not decided on colour - am tempted to go with quite a subtle grey, or maybe white. Will probably avoid another all turquoise bike as it would end up too similar to my FRO http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=177656. But I may throw all caution to the wind, it is a mid 80's build after all so a full fluoro pink paintjob might be interesting
And am planning on being thoroughly anal with this bike (as I was with the FRO) so everything will be period correct. I'll have to dig out some more 2mm cable inners! It'll certainly make it more of a challenge sourcing some of the parts
Will try to keep it different to my FRO as much as I can - no point having two nearly identical bikes so the plan with this build is to spec a lot of Deerhead parts.As I said with both my previous builds, feel free to give me the heads up if I've made some schoolby error. I don't profess to be any kind of expert and 1986 was 26 years ago. But if you are as old as me - 1986 was Falco "Rock Me Amadeus", The Communards "Don't Leave me this way", Europe "The Final Countdown", and the Xmas number one? Caravan of Love by the Housemartins. Man I feel old.
Anyway - I need a portage pad for this Yak. Anybody got a spare black one? And a 1st gen Yeti man head tube badge - or at least an idea where I might be able to source the artwork?
Yaks... Yetis with Racks
