The scariest bit of any rebuild is that moment where you have no further excuses but to try and start the bike up. For that’s always the time when the worst possible scenarios run like a horror movie in your head. “Did I put those gear selectors in correctly? Are the oil lines the right way round? I did remember to fit both gudgeon pin circlips, didn’t I?” The only way to dispel the paranoia is to go for it, so with fresh fuel in the tank and a fully charged battery I switched on, turned on the fuel tap, flipped the choke lever up, and gently turned the XT over on its kick-starter until I felt the resistance of compression…
See also workshop rebuild of Yamaha XT500
