Go ahead with your jokes... projects and holes in the head an' all that... I can take it. 
Anyway... it was advertised as a '74 RD 350, complete with extra motor, sitting in baskets on two pallets. Your classic "basket case," for 500 bucks.... right up my alley.
Offered 400 sight unseen and headed north to the Iowa border.
I've always loved the two strokes. The sound, the smell... the "holy shit" when it comes up on the pipes... love 'em. Don't get me wrong, I loves me a 4 stroke too... in equal measure I guess. Funny, most folk have a decided preference. I'll take either.
I grew up on the little Yamaha twins. R3's (YR3), R5's and RD's. Even raced an RD for a season back in the late 70's. If you tried to pin me down, I'd guess about 15 of 'em in total. I could rebuild and tune one in my sleep. I say all this as a way to describe why a grown man with too many projects already, drives to Iowa and plops down 400 bucks for two pallets of parts... it's in my blood. Never wanted a ready to ride one. Never mind the cost of that today, but I wanted one that looks like the one I've had in my head for the last 20yrs. If I'd spent $3-6k on a rider, it'd be gettin' tore apart by now anyway, so why not start there... in baskets?
So, here it is....what I've figured so far, it's pretty close to complete. Front fender is missing, seat's missing and so is the title. The guy says he knows where they are and that I'll get 'em. He's about my age, runs his own heavy equipment shop and lives or dies by his work and his word. I trust him. It was his sisters, sons bike. He knows little of it's history, but he knows where they both live.
This'll go into the rotation with the Victor, the Aussie Mutt, the ersatz Speed Twin and the CS5E.. which I ain't named yet. I've got an entire walk out basement to turn into a workshop before the rain comes. Guess I better get to it.
By the way, those are new, unused DG pipes you're lookin' at. They retail for about 6-700 bucks. I figure I'm already on the good side of this one.
Anyway... it was advertised as a '74 RD 350, complete with extra motor, sitting in baskets on two pallets. Your classic "basket case," for 500 bucks.... right up my alley.
Offered 400 sight unseen and headed north to the Iowa border.
I've always loved the two strokes. The sound, the smell... the "holy shit" when it comes up on the pipes... love 'em. Don't get me wrong, I loves me a 4 stroke too... in equal measure I guess. Funny, most folk have a decided preference. I'll take either.
I grew up on the little Yamaha twins. R3's (YR3), R5's and RD's. Even raced an RD for a season back in the late 70's. If you tried to pin me down, I'd guess about 15 of 'em in total. I could rebuild and tune one in my sleep. I say all this as a way to describe why a grown man with too many projects already, drives to Iowa and plops down 400 bucks for two pallets of parts... it's in my blood. Never wanted a ready to ride one. Never mind the cost of that today, but I wanted one that looks like the one I've had in my head for the last 20yrs. If I'd spent $3-6k on a rider, it'd be gettin' tore apart by now anyway, so why not start there... in baskets?
So, here it is....what I've figured so far, it's pretty close to complete. Front fender is missing, seat's missing and so is the title. The guy says he knows where they are and that I'll get 'em. He's about my age, runs his own heavy equipment shop and lives or dies by his work and his word. I trust him. It was his sisters, sons bike. He knows little of it's history, but he knows where they both live.
This'll go into the rotation with the Victor, the Aussie Mutt, the ersatz Speed Twin and the CS5E.. which I ain't named yet. I've got an entire walk out basement to turn into a workshop before the rain comes. Guess I better get to it.
By the way, those are new, unused DG pipes you're lookin' at. They retail for about 6-700 bucks. I figure I'm already on the good side of this one.
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