Yamaha YTSL Limbs question

[John Ellison]

I have an old Yamaha YTSL II recurve bow (stop laughing). The handle riser
is proving a bit of a problem to find bits for (odd thread sizes and such),
so I was wondering - are the limbs (which are perfectly serviceable) an
internationaal fitment type? Can I use them with any other handle? and if
so, has anyone got any recommendations?

Cheers

John

[SS]

John Ellison <littl...@jellison.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:01c1565d$647f5be0$e7a287d9@default...

Hahaha (sorry, can't help myself) hahaha...

Seriously, no, even the later Yamahas don't fit it. All you can do is try to
find used limbs. A good woodworker would be able to file down another brand
of limbs and replace the fillings, but it would be cheaper to buy something
current, like a Win Toz with FromA limbs, about the same quality level.

The Yammy threadings are all metric - they can be drilled out and retapped
quite easily so you can used "modern" accessories.

Snicker...

:-)

[John Grove]

Border up in Scotland used to produce limbs for this handle.
The limb fittings are not interchangeable with other types due to it
dating back to a time before Hoyt devised the fitting that has become
the standard.

The threads on the Yamaha are all standard metric, ie M8 button etc. I
think that Yamaha still use standard metric threads on their current
production so stabilizers buttons etc. are available. If you make any
bits and pieces yourself standard metric threads are easier to match
than the strange non standard UNF used by most bow manufacturers. Here
in the UK a 5/16"UNF tap is as rare as hen's teeth.

--
John Grove

[shadyshark]

John,
I believe (but I can't swear to it) that the YTSL limbs fit the Yammy
YTD and EX as well (but not, I think, the alpha EX onwards, i.e.
anything produced in recent years). They aren't the standard Hoyt
fitting. Yamaha do now produce standard fitting limbs, but not to fit
any Yamaha bow! The YTSL was a good bow, but is probably reaching the
end of it's useful life now.
You could (maybe) find a handle secondhand which would take the limbs,
but it would still be a Yamaha (hence all the odd thread sizes). It
might be time to take the plunge and start looking at newer kit (but
don't look at the prices of new Yammy bows without smelling salts
handy :-}).

"John Ellison" <littl...@jellison.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message news:<01c1565d$647f5be0$e7a287d9@default>...

[H. Oelschlaeger]

"John Ellison" <littl...@jellison.fsnet.co.uk> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:01c1565d$647f5be0$e7a287d9@default...

They also fit the Yamaha EX handle that is almost as old. They won't fit
anything else, to my knowledge.
It may interest you that I had the inverse problem about a year ago. I have
an EX handle with YTSL II limbs (40 #). One of the limbs got damaged (the
black part that holds the string - ear? - broke away), so I tried
unsuccessfully to find a replacement. In the end I bought another bow.
The thread in question is M 8 x 1 (fine), not M 8 x 1,5 (standard coarse).
It can possibly be overlaid with the 5/16" thread that is now standard and
almost the same size. However, I have never done this (I always used
adapters), so you better get a more informed opinion.
Best regards - H.Oe.

[John Ellison]

Thanks for all your replies - it's as I suspected.

The only reason I asked was that I thought that it might be fun to be able
to shoot another style (rather than compound with pins) but in retrospect,
and with the advice received, I think that the old YTSL will have to be a
"play" bow. I'm not that anxious to spend silly money on a new recurve.

BTW, why ARE recurves so expensive when compared to compounds?

Thanks again guys

John

[Ringare]

>
> BTW, why ARE recurves so expensive when compared to compounds?
>

Question of demand I guess. Here in the Netherlands you can often buy 2
decent recurves for the price of 1 compound.

[shadyshark]

I think there's a few factors at work there:
1. much smaller market place, so US compounds get to be way cheaper
than US recurves (but not always, which brings me on to:)
2. it's what the market will bear - so long as people will buy at that
price, manufacturers are content to fleece err, I mean, supply the
demand.
3. in some ways a recurve is a more complex beast than a compound (yes
you read that right). You need stock of different sizes and weights of
limbs, of a high quality of construction, not just (relatively) simply
machined bits of metal. The limb structure tends to be more high-tech
as well (foam cores and laminated carbon, plus the design of the
shape).
Having said that, the relatively greater expense of compound
accessories (rests, release aids etc) tends to reduce the price
advantage a little.

"John Ellison" <littl...@jellison.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message news:<01c15725$9d7ff620$a88387d9@default>...

> Thanks for all your replies - it's as I suspected.
>

<snip>

[duncan...@gmail.com]

Hello

[orbisi...@gmail.com]

I'm late to this party, but I now have some experience, per my 1988 Yamaha Alpha EX bow/system I am trying to upgrade with a new adjustable arrow rest, replacing "stik-on" plastic and plunger. The threads for all accessories and add-ons are a proprietary Japanese metric thread that must be custom made, now that the industry has standardized. I have just rec'd my custom order of two 8mm stainless cap screws, fabricated in Germany at $ 104.70 USD each, plus shipping. All queries to Yamaha and related Japanese archery fabricators and dealers ended with same result. None..had the machinery or interest in re-fabricating an archaic part of limited fitment. I was told, the Alpha EX limbs will not interchange with any other Yamaha bow riser, and their internal poundage adjustment shim system makes re-working another model unfeasible. The next recurve archery iteration after the Alpha EX was the Hoyt intro'd ILF.
The rest...is history. I'm now shopping the globe for some replacement Alph EX limbs in the 45lb range, and have been directed to an ex-Olympic archer in Brazil that holds the team's Yamaha last inventory. We shall see... Ricci