When the early RD's were new, and they were cheap enough, a guy could put $500 more into the bike and have a bike equal to or better than the factory sponsored racers in the 750 class !!!! SoCal was the place to be then.
Scott
Scott
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Old Gas Stains in Original Paint
- Thread starter YamadudeXS650C
- Start date
Yeah - all of my old leathers are that size as well.
Dammit - I hate it when things shrink.
Hi Pete,
you'd really hate the shrinkage if it happened to an insanely expensive Heine-Gericke 3/4 length leather riding coat.
Luckily the coat expanded again after I dieted myself 60lbs thinner.
Although fitting into all that mysteriously shrunken clothing again wasn't the main motivation to reduce my girth.
It was having to stop and take a breather every third step when going up stairs.
I was digging my grave with my teeth.
And if this formerly obese old man can reduce himself to being modestly plump, so can you reduce your girth to fit your leathers.
As an extra motivation, losing 2Pi inches from your waistline will externalize another inch of your genetic transfer module.
Yup - that is my memory too Scott.
My first bike was a nice sane, quiet, clean running Honda CB360T (blue tank - 6 speed) and ring-dings used to EAT ME ALIVE. I grew to hate the sound of some young hooligan (like....errrr, ummm, Mailman or Yamadude for instance.....) on one of those nickle-rocket, atomic bumblebees coming up behind me, blasting past and leaving me deaf from the noise and coughing in a cloud of injector oil.
The only thing more objectionable than a Yamaha RD350 to nice polite civilised lad on a Honda (like for example....me) was one of those accursed Kawasaki triples. The only thing about the Kawasaki was that if there was a curve in the road, they usually wound up in the weeds or through a fence, whereas the Yamaha invariably got around the corner.
.......gumble...grumble...grumble....grumble....
And as for your suggestion Fred - yeah, I'm getting there. Thanks for the encouragement.
Pete
My first bike was a nice sane, quiet, clean running Honda CB360T (blue tank - 6 speed) and ring-dings used to EAT ME ALIVE. I grew to hate the sound of some young hooligan (like....errrr, ummm, Mailman or Yamadude for instance.....) on one of those nickle-rocket, atomic bumblebees coming up behind me, blasting past and leaving me deaf from the noise and coughing in a cloud of injector oil.
The only thing more objectionable than a Yamaha RD350 to nice polite civilised lad on a Honda (like for example....me) was one of those accursed Kawasaki triples. The only thing about the Kawasaki was that if there was a curve in the road, they usually wound up in the weeds or through a fence, whereas the Yamaha invariably got around the corner.
.......gumble...grumble...grumble....grumble....
And as for your suggestion Fred - yeah, I'm getting there. Thanks for the encouragement.
Pete
DanielBlack
XS650 Junkie
I'm in agreement that an honest patina should be preserved, but I've got worn clearcoat down to the color on the tank and a very rough texture (sunburn?) on the side cover.
No, I wish. I have looked longingly at some RD400's that show up for sale periodically near me. But they are becoming rare and expensive.
Up until just recently, where I live, they required all motorcycles, regardless of age to pass emissions. A two stroke would have been quite impossible to make it pass.
By the way Pete,
They were fast alright but many was the time I had to change out oil fouled spark plugs on the side of the road! Haha
....and it served you right young man! Couldn't have happened to a nicer or more deserving guy.
Harrrrumph!
Yeah, but the exhausts didn't rust so bad, they just dripped sludge.
Scott
Scott
Yup - that is my memory too Scott.
My first bike was a nice sane, quiet, clean running Honda CB360T (blue tank - 6 speed) and ring-dings used to EAT ME ALIVE. I grew to hate the sound of some young hooligan (like....errrr, ummm, Mailman or Yamadude for instance.....) on one of those nickle-rocket, atomic bumblebees coming up behind me, blasting past and leaving me deaf from the noise and coughing in a cloud of injector oil.
The only thing more objectionable than a Yamaha RD350 to nice polite civilised lad on a Honda (like for example....me) was one of those accursed Kawasaki triples. The only thing about the Kawasaki was that if there was a curve in the road, they usually wound up in the weeds or through a fence, whereas the Yamaha invariably got around the corner.
.......gumble...grumble...grumble....grumble....
And as for your suggestion Fred - yeah, I'm getting there. Thanks for the encouragement.
Pete
So Pete, I have to ask if you are still nice, polite, and civilized ?
Your Honda was sweet.
Fred, I am totally impressed with your weight loss! It is so damned hard to shed pounds, and your story gives me motivation to do so. Setting goals apparently is a key to weight loss; I have a number of them, but tonight I am adding "get back into that leather jacket" as a goal for my exercise program.
Me ol! I'm getting down - about 10 lb since Christmas and more to go.
To answer your question Yamadude...I can be civilized, but apparently, I still do have an edge (so my daughters boyfriends tell me).
This weekend - BIKES! It's going to be sunny and warm so, I'm finally going to tackle the ST1300 clutch slave cylinder R&R and then I'm going to get Lucille out of storage for a little toot down the road.
Cheers,
Pete
To answer your question Yamadude...I can be civilized, but apparently, I still do have an edge (so my daughters boyfriends tell me).
This weekend - BIKES! It's going to be sunny and warm so, I'm finally going to tackle the ST1300 clutch slave cylinder R&R and then I'm going to get Lucille out of storage for a little toot down the road.
Cheers,
Pete
You have a difficult circumstance with your '77, Dan. I had a blue '77 last year with the same clearcoat situation. Before I sold it, I was considering giving it a shot of new clear coat, but thought it was too risky, maybe lifting the old clear coat. I was, however, somewhat successful in making the finish more presentable by simply polishing it a with a very fine compound (3M Finesse It).
The PO was happy to accomodate my suggestion of digging up a photo of the RD sitting in his dairy barn, so here it is !
DanielBlack
XS650 Junkie
Thanks, dude,
I'd really like to do something a bit more than just 'more presentable'. As a daily rider here in the Valley of the Sun, it gets a boatload of exactly that. I figure if I don't get a good UV-protectant clearcoat over it all, what paint is left will degrade that much faster.
This guy gets some decent results from a gray scotchbrite and a can of '2K' clearcoat. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough.
I'd really like to do something a bit more than just 'more presentable'. As a daily rider here in the Valley of the Sun, it gets a boatload of exactly that. I figure if I don't get a good UV-protectant clearcoat over it all, what paint is left will degrade that much faster.
This guy gets some decent results from a gray scotchbrite and a can of '2K' clearcoat. I'm not sure if I'm brave enough.
Ooooohhhh - pretty bike Dude - THAT is going to be one very nice ring-ding! You'd better stock up on injector oil - you got some ridin' to do once all of that snow melts away!
Dan: that clear coat idea looks good. I might just try that myself on Lucille. She is definitely looking a bit....weathered.
Pete
Dan: that clear coat idea looks good. I might just try that myself on Lucille. She is definitely looking a bit....weathered.
Pete
Well done video, and an honest one, given that it shows that the technique provides a nice new shine, yet some of the faded old paint still show through.
DanielBlack
XS650 Junkie
I thought so, too, about the honesty in imperfection. I'm also quite ok with the preserving some earned patina under a good coat of smooth, protective clear. Reading up on Spraymax 2K shows pretty good things so far.
Dan,
I've used it twice very successfully, including on my '76. Easy to use, very fine spray, nice spray nozzle. However, it was on modern new basecoat. Who knows what exactly the composition was of the paint Yamaha used in 1977. Maybe you could find out, then bring the info to your local pro body shop equipment outlet, and consult with them. I painted many, many old cars and bikes back in the 1970's and 80's, and I did encounter occasional surprizing (discouraging) reactions with materials on other materials, even with knowledge of that which is chemically compatible with each other.
Old paint that is in the process of flaking off is vulnerable to lifting off or peeling when a fresh coat of paint is applied, so it is a risky endeavor to add a clear coat to old paint.
Back in the late 90's Honda (cars) had major problems with their paint jobs that looked like your tank after only a few years. Their attempts to fix by resprayng had mixed results.
Your pro shop might suggest first spraying with one of the new water-based clear coats, and then followed by the SprayMax.
I enjoy a poke here and there, Pete, especially when I have a good comeback; in this case, I can say that the hairline has receded about 1/2", but otherwise, its still all there.
Posing with my Bonney, which I restored, when I wheeled it into the living room a few years back:
View attachment 95194
I just have to ask. Do you have a motorcycle in the living room and a wife? I don't think I've ever met anyone who had both.
I managed to dodge that bullet
However, I did have a girlfriend once who was a software engineer and fully accepting of all the wrenches and grease, and she even was my pit crew when I raced. I have some regrets about not tying the knot with her.