YouTube channel Restoration of Everything has a knack for finding particularly sad bikes in need of TLC. Perhaps that’s to be expected, given the name of the channel—but still, that doesn’t make either the process or the end results any less satisfying.
Today’s specimen that’s clearly seen better days is an absolutely filthy Yamaha TownMate T90. It’s not clear how long it’s been sitting outside. However, given the amount of detritus (both natural and human-piled) that sits directly on and around it, it’s clearly been a decent amount of time.
All that is about to change, though, because the RoE crew has gotten their hands on it. When new, the TownMate T90 was a pretty lightweight machine, weighing around 222 pounds with a full tank of fuel. Considering that this one is missing its seat and also probably doesn’t have a full tank, it’s likely even lighter. Still, the crew isn’t taking any chances—and doesn’t just leave one guy to try to pick it up on their own.
Once it’s been driven back home and is in the garage, it’s time to start taking it apart and seeing what they’re working with. The underbone frame is nice and roomy inside. It’s perfect for both the wiring harness and the colony of ants that starts crawling out to see what’s going on. (I mean, there could be far worse things living inside an abandoned bike in a tropical climate.)
Totally unfazed by the ants, the guys calmly proceed to take everything apart and get to work. Draining the engine oil shows that it’s quite dirty, but at least it doesn’t appear to have any big chunks of metal or metal shavings inside. Some bolts are seized and have to be drilled out, but eventually everything comes apart for a thorough examination and cleaning.
The engine isn’t in awful shape, but the cylinder is worn enough inside to need a rebore. They get the appropriate consumable parts (including some OEM Honda parts, as you’ll see in the video) and put everything back together, complete with appropriate lubrication.
There’s joy in quietly, methodically bringing something back to life, one step at a time. There probably wasn’t much joy in emptying out the absolutely disgusting old fork oil, though—it looked almost as dark as the engine oil and probably smelled horrific in person.
Anyway, after the engine, it’s time for the frame to get some TLC. While it’s not in terrible shape, there are still some rotten metal parts that need attention. After taking everything apart and stripping back the paint, it’s easier to see what kind of work needs to be done.
Cutting out the bad sections and carefully welding in some replacement pieces is the first step. Then it’s time to smooth on some body filler, sand it down, prime it, and go through the painting process. Somewhere along the way, they sourced replacement Yamaha TownMate T90 decals, so those go on after the paint but before the clear coat.
While it was possible to repair the steel frame of the TownMate T90, the busted-up plastic leg shield was another matter. For that and a few other bits that were beyond repair, RoE got replacement parts to do the job right. The bike that they retrieved from wherever it had been languishing didn’t have a seat to speak of, so a completely new saddle was a must.
At the end of the project, the restored and refreshed little TownMate T90 looks and sounds more than ready to pop out to the shops, or just go for a quick buzz in town. It’s simple, charming transportation—but is thankfully no longer consigned to the scrap heap thanks to these guys.
