Rebuilding.... The Bike & Myself!

Merry Christmas! Five weeks since my wipeout and I am starting to feel pretty good, almost well enough for some short rides. All of the rebuild parts have arrived and the rebuild is well underway. My ribs and side still hurt and a sneeze will induce a level of pain that I can't even begin to describe.

Maybe it is not just a "rebuild", but more of an "upgrade". I have mounted some new Woodcraft clip-ons, much nicer than the steel chrome units that got trashed. The new forks are on the RD, complete with vintage DG pneumatic adjuster caps and some upgraded springs. I have started polishing the replacement stator cover and the repaired Moto-Carrera rear-sets are ready to go back on the bike. I am also taking some time to drill and safety wire all the critical nuts and bolts. I have mounted a new petcock on my undented blue tank and should have it swapped out this weekend. Still struggling with possible paint schemes, period-correct white with red striping factory race livery is my current plan, but......

My target is to have the RD rebuilt, painted and running 100% in time for the annual "Mods vs Rockers City of Hate" event in late March. Looks like a three day rally, March 26th - 28th.... This event is sponsored by the DFW chapter of "Ton Up" and this will mark the fourth year of the event.

I also have some crash damaged gear to replace. My beloved Yoshi leather flatracker jacket is toast as is my Shoie helmet (cracker the shell straight to the foam liner). I did not realize just how hard I went down until I started examining the damage on the helmet. "Leather, leather, armor, and then more armor", my new moto! I have been eyeballing a new Alpinestar "Dragster" jacket (complete with chest armor & back protector), some "Rockers" leather patches from the "Ace Cafe", and a sleek black new Shoie X12. The black X12 will receive a custom paint job, something with red stripes, jolly rogers, and a nice four-leaf clover on the back.

It Hurts When I Breath!

Still recovering from my accident, but the good news is that I will not need surgery on my shoulder! I'm still having some major pain and I can't sleep....Sucks!

I hope to be back on the RD racer within 3 weeks. These will be very slow and very short rides :)

The parts from eBay have started to show up on my doorstep. So far I have....
Crankshalf
Foot Peg Hangers
Stator Cover
Rear Brake Actuator...

Still waiting for the forkset to arrive. Not sure if they are 34mm or 35mm, the suspense is killing me! Drove by the wreck site yesterday and the brothers of the dog I hit were running loose on the road! WTF, someone is going to get killed!

Moondog Meets The Big Dog

November 20th was the day, the date for my first "long ride" on my RD Racer. I came home from work, leathered-up and filled the tank with pre-mix. The moment of truth had arrived! One kick and the RD came to life, crackling and idling smooth as silk..... Life is good!

After a couple of minute to warmup the engine, I roll out of the driveway with a huge smile on my face. Today I will be riding the twisty little country roads around my home, maybe 40 to 50 miles total. The engine is crisp, coming alive at about 3500 - 4000 rpms as the powerband kicks in. The bike is light, very flickable and responsive. About 15 miles into the ride some minor issues become apparent, I need to make a very minor adjustment on the rear brake level position and the fuel petcock is not flowing properly. I should have rebuilt the petcock, but for now I just tap the petcock occasionally to keep the pre-mix flowing.

The bike is running great and I am really getting into the ride. Now I am on my way back home, already planning to rebuild the petcock and dreaming of long rides on the little RD.

Ahead I can see a Ford Excursion approaching me and I am taking it easy at about 30 mph. The Excursion is moving much slower, but nothing was setting off "my alarm". Just as I pass the front of the Excursion a large German Shepperd sized dog darts out from behind the vehicle. I had just enough time to think, "This is going to hurt!"

I brake hard and swerve, the dog darts, we collide. The RD goes down and I am ejected over the bars. I come down on my left side, dislocating my shoulder and getting some huge road-rash on my hip. My leather suit is a two - piece and the zipper separated on impact, exposing my hip. The dog did not fair as well, he became lodged between my front forks and the front of the expansion chambers..... Dead Dog!

11 days later I was able to return to work , but it still hurts BAD! The RD did not suffer as badly as I expected and I should have it back on the road in no time. Total damage to the RD....

• Front Forks - Bent back about 1.5"
• Left Moto Carrera peg and shifter are "toast"
• Stator cover is ground down pretty good
• Broken clutch lever & cable
• Bent left clip-on
  

I have already started on the new forks and I should complete the final installation over Christmas break. Maybe I'll actually be able to ride by then?

Details......

Finishing up the last of the wiring and now everything works. Routing fuel lines, still need to get some small clamps. Tonight I'll reverse - bleed the front brake, grease the swingarm pivot, fill the gearbox and forks with oil, ........ And then off the stand she comes and she will begin resting on two wheels.

Mount the pipes, pour in some 50:1 pre-mix, and then the start her up.

The RD is going to need quite a bit of "shake-down riding". Coming from a pile of parts, the bike had no baseline setup. During the "shake-down" period I am going to ride the bike unpainted, al natural. I can hardly wait!

Wiring Mystery - Solved!

Spent this weekend with my volt-ohm meter in the garage. The original wiring harness on the RD had been "modified" several times and I was getting some very unusual results. A couple of shorts located and resolved, a rewire of the kill switch circuitry, and finally getting the lights all working (as they should).

Now I just need to button up some minor details, connect the instrument console, resolve the front brake issues, mount the expansion chambers and then start the process of "shake-down rides".

Maybe I'll be riding over Thanksgiving break!

Oh yes, I also got all of my beer bottled! 20 gallons = Four 5-gallon carboys = 321 bottles of beer! Hell Yes!

Weekend Off!

This weekend was just too nice to spend my time locked up in the garage, 75F sunny and little to no wind. I spent Saturday riding my Gixxer on the back-roads and Sunday I brewed up 24 gallons of homebrew; "Streetfighter Dark Ale", "Cafe Racer Stout", and "Ace Cafe Bitters".

The homebrew should be ready at about the same time the RD Racer is ready! The Planets are aligning!

Tonight after work, back to the garage to preform a "clutchectomy".

I Hate Wiring! I Love Dreaming!

Spent last evening connecting and routing wiring, I hate wiring. I classify wiring as "non-mechanical", translated that means boring. I love the look of well routed and well managed wiring, but it is all so anti-climatic.

I started at the front of the RD and fastened and routed the wiring working my way rearward. Most of the wiring is tucked up and mounted under the subframe, nice and clean, out of sight. This evening I should finish mounting and routing the last of the wiring, just in time for my clutch parts to arrive!

Progress...

I can tell I'm getting close to completing the RD Racer because my mind is constantly drifting to, "Where should I journey to when the RD is done?". Today I am going to buy a new copy of the "Texas Gazetteer", an atlas that shows all the little country backroads. Then I'll sit down and plan out a 400 to 600 mile "RD Adventure". Maybe I'll head north to the Oklahoma "Salt Flats" or to the cool Little hip town of Tahlequah. Maybe I'll try to discover a new "backroad route" to Austin and Luckenbach. Maybe the rolling mountains of north-eastern Arkansas. My mind is dreaming of an epic 2-stroke adventure.

Mystery Clutch

Buttoned up the left side engine case and discovered "the world's stiffest clutch". Actually "stiff" does not adequately describe the feel of the clutch, maybe "fused" or "unmovable" might be a better descriptor. I can actually snap a new clutch cable in less than two dozen attempts at disengaging the clutch, holy crap! I'm not sure if the problem is related to the clutch pack thickness, a bent plate, or maybe some kind of "super clutch springs", but now I must once again remove the right-side engine cover. I have read about "friction plate swell", but I have never actually seen it... Who knows?

I have some extra EBC friction plates and some stock clutch springs to play with. I'll measure the clutch-pack thickness and mix the springs (3 Ferrado and 3 OEM stock), then test the whole setup before remounting the right-side cover.

It is the journey that counts, not the destination. Right?

I have started eyeballing the heap that is my second RD400 and dreaming about the start of my next build. Pure masochism! Not sure how the second build will end up, but I am thinking "Street Tracker", something I can ride two-up with my wife. I am also not going to modify the engine as much, so that I can let my daughter ride the bike without feelings of dread and nervousness.

Seat Finished!

Sub-frame done, check! Tail mount done, check! Undertail battery mount done, check!

Next I modify and mount the rear section of the wiring harness under the sub-frame and in the tail section. Can't work on the bike Sunday afternoon, religious obligations, MotoGP at Phillip Island!

Ghetto Sub-Frame

Attaching a vintage TZ250 tail-section to a 1970's era RD400 requires some ingenuity! My solution began with an old sheet aluminum street sign (purchased, not stolen). Lots of measurements, cutting and some grinding..... Voila, my "Ghetto All-Aluminum Sub-Frame".

The sub-frame eliminates any flex in the fiberglass and allows me to securely attach the tail-section. The battery pack will be tucked away inside the tail-section and should allow me to trim several pounds off the bike. Deutz fasteners will secure the tail-section in place and allow quick access to the battery pack and electronics underneath.

Getting closer....

Ducati Demo Days

The Ducati Truck is coming to Dallas, Advanced Motorsport to be exact. This weekend I am heading over to test ride the new Monsters, the 696, 1100, and the "OooLaLa" 1100S.

I am hoping to keep my wallet in my pants and my butt out of divorce court, but the temptation will be great..... I will be strong! I will be strong! I will be strong! I will be.... I want a Monster!, I want a Monster! I want a Monster!.....

After Saturday at the AMS Ducati test-ride, it is back to the garage for all day Sunday! Finally, back on task, back on Project RD400 Racer!

Update----------------

A bit of a let-down, the Monster is not that much of a "Monster" in the flesh. I guess my true love would have been the Street-Fighter 1098S, that is until they fired up the Desmosedici RR.... Holy Shit! I'm in love! The bike sounds like Desmo-Sexicci! A bike, even a bike as sweet as the Desmosedicic RR, should NOT cost $70K! WTF, who the hell pays $70K for a sportbike?

OK, I do like the Monster, not the 698, not the 1100, but YES...... the 1100S is a nice bike, but is it $14K nice? I say, NO! I could get the 848 Superbike, with the cartoonish "Captain America" custom paint scheme for the same price!

My advice on Ducatis, buy used or just steal one!

This YouTube Video Says it all for the Desmosedicci!

Desmosedicci Truth....

Weekend in the Garage

Friday evening it started to rain and it rained all the way through Sunday. Temperatures dropped and the garage became quite comfortable, mid to low 80's F. I spent Saturday in the garage playing with the RD.

Work completed this weekend......

• Dialed in timing with the dial indicator (3mm BTDC)
• Completed fabrication of aluminum under-seat subframe
• Mounted ignition switch
• Mounted digital instrument console
• Fabricated kill-switch mount
• Fabricated battery box mounts
• Experimented with wiring harness mounts (still undecided)
• Mounted and wired cylinder head temp sender
• Mounted and adjusted new throttle cable assembly
• Ordered dzus fasteners for tail section bodywork
• Watched Italian F1 GP (OK, not RD-related, but mandatory!)

Now off to the movies with the wife.

MZ Ignition

Nothing makes an RD scream like a little throw-back technology from behind the old iron-curtain. The MZ ignition is the hot mod when it comes lighting up the pre-mix....

Break out the dial indicator and dial in the speed...

Back On Task

Summers in Texas are HOT, too HOT to work in my garage! I feel like a complete slacker, but I have not had a chance to work on the RD for the past three months. I went to Forida for a long break, got bogged down at work and tried to spend as much time as possible with my daughter before she departed for UT.

Now that the weather is starting to cool off (below 100F), my daughter is off to college, and work is returning to normality..... Work is once again progressing on the RD. My target date for completion is October 2009, maybe!

Progress, Progress, Progress......

Today is a landmark day, All of the needed parts for my "build" are either on hand or have shipped! The moment of truth is quickly approaching and I am psych'ed!

Progress to date.....

1. Frame is sandblasted


2. Frame "cut-down" & welded


3. Wheels sandblasted & painted


4. New wheel bearings installed


5. Engine rebuild "completed" *Does the process of engine modification ever ends


6. Swingarm bushings (bronze) replaced


7. Frame painted Ducati Red


8. 33mm Carbs rebuilt & mounted


9. Forks rebuilt (all new seals) and lowers painted


10. New Venom tires mounted and balanced

Now to build-up the chassis. This weekend my "pile" will become a "roller".

The pile of new parts and bits has accumulated in direct ratio to the balance on my credit card. Good news, this is a "debt free" project. In other words, I pay the account balance off every month and let finances dictate the completion date of by build. Now that everything needed for the build is "on-hand", time will become the limiting factor. Let the build begin!

Progress & Set-Backs

After retrieving my two RD400 "Donor-Cycles" I spent about a week just looking at them and dreaming. I scoured the Internet collecting data, downloading pictures and archiving technical data. "What shall I do? Streetfighter, Street-Tracker or Replica TZ Racer, that is the question!" After several days of deliberation and agonizing, I decide to build up both bikes.... The first project will be a "Streetfighter" and the second project will be a "Street-Tracker".

Step One - "The Tear-Down" I COMPLETELY disassemble one entire RD400 donor, bagging and tagging as I progress. A notebook is quickly filling with a long list of "needed parts". The frame, swingarm and various metal bits are sandblasted and then I start grinding off the unneeded bits from the frame. I paint, scrub, polish, and fabricate. I organize dozens of boxes filled with labeled baggies, each holding specific bits of the greater whole. The engine will wait patiently in the corner of the garage until I recover from my initial capital outlay.

Step Two - "My Stimulus Plan" I pull out the plastic and began my own version of the "Economic Stimulus Plan". By now I am on a first name basis with the guys at HVC Cycles, I have out-bid 80% of the RD-heads on eBay, and the UPS delivery man is asking questions - "Do you own some kind of motorcycle racing team?"! The parts are piling up in my study, garage, and living room.

Step Three - "The Build" This is "the big part" and I hope to have the first RD carving corners by the end of November 2009, just in time to freeze my leather-clad butt off. Progress is slow, mainly because I have a life outside of this project. My wife, daughter, extended family and work will not be neglected, so my timeline is a bit longer than optimal.

Setbacks..... So far I have not had any major setbacks or issues, just lots of frustration over the quality and execution of previous modifications to the bike. The worst issue is the wiring harness that has been sliced, diced and mangled by a series of poorly executed modifications. The brakes are also a bit of a challenge due to parts availability, or lack there of. I have already started making a custom wiring harness and I am scouring the Internet for brake parts.

Inventory & Assessment

When I purchased the "donor-cycles" for this project, I got two partially assembled RD's, several large boxes full of "stuff", a motor with a connecting rod sticking through the case, a BIG pile of "miscellaneous parts", one well worn manual, and two clear titles to the frames. What a deal!

The seller even had one of the bikes running when I showed up! He started it up, rev'ed it a couple of times and then looked quite disappointed when I declined his offer of a test ride. No way was I riding that death-trap. After piling the heap of parts into my wife's garage space, I began sifting and sorting. I was actually amazed at how complete the parts selection turned out to be. With a little time on eBay and Craigslist, I could easily build two RD's from the vast assortment of parts littering my garage.

I sorted, I cleaned, I boxed up, and then I made a list of "needs" and "wants". Now I need to pull out the plastic and begin the "logistic & staging phase" of Project RD Racer.

The Wife (aka "The Gate-Keeper")

First let me say that my wife is an extraordinary individual, she is a loving wife and my best friend. She is everything that I have ever wanted and we have been happily married for 25 years. BUT....She hates motorcycles and totally disapproves of my "Two - Wheeled Fetish".

The trouble started when she returned home from a trip to her sister's and discovered a Suzuki GSXR750 in the garage. I had mentioned my thoughts of purchasing the Gixxer and she responded, "NO, motorcycles are too dangerous and you will get yourself killed!". I took her words as a challenge and purchased the Gixxer as soon as she left town. Within weeks of purchasing the GSXR my wife stumbled upon some of my Gixxer on-board video, documenting me carving up some twisty roads and exceeding 140mph on several straights. Yes, I know such behavior is illegal and irresponsible, but it is also thrilling and fun! When I get on the Gixxer it speaks to me like a devil possessing my sole, "I want to go faster, quicker, faster! Carve that corner! I need to see 10,0000 rpm, NOW!" The bike is "evil fast" and I survived the initial first year of "speed intoxication" before I regained my sanity. Now my wife just pretends that the Gixxer does not exist. "Motorcycle? What motorcycle?" She will not speak of it and shows absolutely no interest in it. Total denial! This said, you can imagine how she reacted when I drove up with a truck load of disassembled Yamaha RD's and then proceeded to deposit said pile in her garage space. Not a happy camper! The solution....... A brand new, high-end, washer and drier set, complete with a laundry room remodel! I built all new custom shelving for the laundry room, applied a new coat of paint and then installed the new appliances. She was happy and equilibrium had been restored to our state of marital bliss. Now I can begin "the build"!

Welcome to My Project

When I was in high school, the coolest road-bike to be had was the Yamaha RD400 or its earlier cousin, the RD350. These bikes were 400cc's of crackling two-stroke acceleration. Each weekend I watched RD's drag race and beat almost anything that fit into the category of "American Muscle Cars". I lusted over the little RD, but the little Yamaha smoker was out of my grasp. At the time I was consumed with motocross and most of my limited cash was dumped into my 125cc Honda Elsinore. Not to mention my parents, there was NO WAY they were ever going to let me get a streetbike.

Time flies and 35 years later I see an advetisment on Craigslist, "For Sale: Yamaha RD400 Basketcase Project". I made the call and about a week later I was returning home with what appeared to be the parts needed to assemble two trashed out RD400's stuffed into the bed of my truck. Just looking at the pile of rusted and greasy bits made my mouth water and my throttle hand tingle! Visions of yesteryear danced in my head, I was intoxicated with hope!

My RD journey had begun, "Project RD400 Racer" was a go!