Austin MotoGP & An RD400 Update

Just returned from the Austin MotoGP race and yes, it was a blast. Marques dominated MotoGP, the track was beautiful and Austin is still a great party town! The racing was great and the MotoGP "grid girls" were bang'in hot!

Now the RD update..... After countless jetting sessions, with little to no improvement, I turned my attention to my beloved MZB ignition system. It appears that my issues are being caused by an ignition fault. Now I am in the process of ripping out the MBZ ignition and installing a Gen 2 Newtronics unit. This is no easy task since the wiring harness is a custom built unit just for the MZB. I'll debug the MZB ignition issue later. Right now I just want to get the bike running properly throughout the whole powerband.

I should start the ingition transplant this weekend... Stay tuned for updates.

The RD Curse

Today I finished up in the garage and started prepping the RD for a test run of the new carb jetting, until my wife came out to the garage. She was heading out and refused to let me test ride the bike if she was not at home. Confidence inspiring it's not, but in reality my wife's attitude is a reaction to a long string of crashes, wipe-outs, break-downs, and even a dry fuel tank. When I head out on the RD things happen and my wife has taken note.

In the not so distant past I have really pushed on the RD. I also accomplished 1 "I can see my house from up here" high-side, 2 low-sides, and 1 wipe-out that I still don't know what happen, "bringing the bike upright, wacked the throttle WFO and then next thing I remember was sliding on my back on the side of the road". The RD is fun to push...... Its light, its tiny, its got a brutal power-curve when it comes onto the pipe.... Just can't resist.

Need to chill on the RD, or else I'm going to get hurt again.

Jet Test 2 - "Baseline"

• Way too rich - loading up until 6,000 - 6,500 rpm
• Sluggish
• Cyclic thumping in chambers at idle
• Never really comes onto the pipe
• Knew this would be too rich, but I thought it would be at least a tad closer!

• Main - 170
• Slow / Pilot - 48
• Needle - CEL
• Clip Position - #3 (middle)
• Float Height - 19mm

Pre-Work / Testing

• Pulled heads to visually inspect top-end
• New head gaskets
• New reed-block gaskets
• Case Leak Test completed - 6lbs for 6 min.

Next Test

• Double check ignition timing (dial indicator)
• Check plugs & wires 
• Main - 170
• Slow / Pilot - 48
• Needle - CEL
• Clip Position - #1 (top)
• Float Height - 19mm

Tuning,Tweeking & Confusion

I am still perplexed by the lack of performance from the RD!

I have experimented with several different carb setting on the Keihin carbs, but the overall performance of the motor is nowhere near what I know it should be. I have swapped jets, main jet & idle jet, testing a wide variety of options. I have also tested several carb needle combinations. My jetting is correct and power delivery is smoother with less of a "flat spot", but power just isn't what I want it to be.

The engine starts and runs fine, but the bike does not come smoothly "on to the pipe". When the RD does hits it's powerband it's VERY noticeable, but not nearly as powerful as I remember it being "back in the day". Maybe I have become jaded by the powerband of my Gixxer, but I remember the RD as having WAY MORE power than this (but it's been 30+ years)!

Time for a change in plans......

First.... I tried swapping the Keihin PWK33's for the freshly rebuilt Mikuni VM28's.... No dice! The Mikuni's are just too clapped out, so I trash this plan.

Second.... If changing the jetting is not working, maybe I have an air leak? I am in the process of building a "home-brew" leak-down tester and should have it ready for a test in the next two days. 6 psi for 10 minutes is the benchmark.

Third.... Return to a "baseline" jetting on the Kiehin PWK's ; CEL needles on clip #3, Main Jet of  170, Slow Jet of 48. Most of my sluggish throttle response is from 1/4 to 3/4 throttle, so the needle should be my focus. I know the Main Jet is rich, but I like to start rich and work my way leaner. I'll be burning VP C12 fuel mixed with Amsoil Dominator 50:1.

Stay tuned for test results.......

Do I have an air leak?
Burned or holed piston?
Too much carb to even expect a mid-range?

Shake-Down Rides

So I thought I would finish the "Project RD400 Racer" in one summer, what a joke. I'll never finish, I'll just keep tinkering!

I reset the MZ ignition back to 2mm BTDC and the bike runs fine on hi-octane pre-mix. The powerband is still as extreme as ever, but the 2mm BTDC seems to be a reliable compromise. The RD comes "onto the pipe" at about 4,500 rpm and explodes all the way up to the redline.

Next I'll play will the main-jets on the carbs.

The first couple of shade-down rides have gone well, without any major issues or failures. The bike is a blast to ride and the powerband is exhilarating! I have been keeping the rides under 60 miles in length and keeping the speeds down.

For Sunday's ride I installed some new knee-sliders on my leathers and focused on cornering and handling. The RD is very predictable in the corners and it's quite easy to get a knee down on the sweeping corners. I have a long way to go on the suspension setup, but the journey should be fun!

Fat Tires & Ignition Timing

Currently I have been spending the evenings in the garage trying to stuff the widest tire possible into the rear of my RD. This puzzle is all about finding just the right combo of rubber, chain length, sprocket size, and not have clearance problems between the tire and swingarm. Last night I dumped my box of chains and sprockets on the garage floor and started working out the best "combo". After trying several combinations, I have settled on 98 links, 17T front sprocket, and a 38T rear sprocket. This combo gives me about a 6mm gap between the new Pirreli "Sport Demon" 120/80-18 and the swingarm, but the gearing is not my favorite option. I would rather have a 40T sprocket on the rear! Now the ignition timing..... The 3mm BTDC on my MZ ignition is a bit extreme and I'm more than a little worried about frying a piston. This weekend I am going to experiment and test-ride settings between 1.7mm and 2.0mm BTDC. I just can't reliably get (or afford) the 115 octane leaded race fuel that I need for the 3mm advance. At about $12 / gallon, the race fuel really limits my riding options. I am planning an "epic ride" this summer and I want to complete the journey without melting a piston of seizing the motor! If I get the taxes done this week, I should be testing various ignition settings all weekend. Stay tuned for the results.

Rockers vs Mods 2011

Time flies and now it's almost time for the 5th annual "Rockers vs Mods" event in Dallas! April 1st - 3rd Dallas will be transformed into a cafe racer's gathering, with bands, rides, bar runs, bike shows and assorted shenanigans. I hope to attend, but it will probably be for just Saturday, April 2nd. The RD still looks pretty ratty, dented tank and I still need to get around to painting the bike. Sure hope to make the event!

UPDATE: 3/31/2011 Looks like I'll be in the garage working on the RD while everyone is partying at Rockers vs Mods! A rear wheel bearing failure and dificulty in procuring several parts have made the timeline undoable! Maybe next year....

Spring Is Here, Time to Ride!

Spring has officially sprung and I have sprung into action getting the RD Racer back on the road. This weekend I completed a tear-down of the carbs, charged the little micro-battery, and spent some time puzzling over the rear wheel alignment. Right now the rear wheel is my "big issue".

My quest for more grip led me to install a wider rear tire and now swingarm clearances are an issue. Hard cornering, my 180 lbs, and vintage 1970's chrome-moly all lead to some pretty substantial swingarm flex. After a hard ride with lots of aggressive cornering, I can see where the tire has rubbed the swingarm! I am moving the rear wheel back about 10mm to increase clearances.

Should be test riding this weekend!

Barcelona & MotoGP

Been away for awhile, but still having fun and working on the RD. Two weeks in Barcelona, with lots of time at the beach and the Circuit de Catalunya. The races were unreal and Barcelona is a beautiful city. Lorenzo won the main event while we sat with the Lorenzo Espania Fan Club. Very fun crowd.

I could so easily live in Spain! The Spanish are motorcycle CRAZED and the whole vibe is quite relaxed. Beaches, bikes and hot Spanish women... What's not to like?

I saw a wide assortment of 2-stroke sportbikes in Barcelona. Lots of CBR250RR's, Yamaha 250's and even a tricked out vintage Bultaco cafe racer.

I'm Healed!

Just over six months have passed since my collision with the killer dog and I am still hurting. Mainly it is my shoulder that hurts, but at least I am riding.


I have been riding my Gixxer, pushing harder and harder going on longer and faster rides. Now I'm ready to break out the "Punisher", my RD400. The RD is partially disassembled in the garage and this weekend I'll put all the lovely bits back together again.

RD Racer Version 2.0

Last night I completed the teardown of the next RD400 "donor". The "donor" RD is a 1978 US model that was about 70% complete and barely running on one cylinder. I competed the teardown in about 2 hours and now the fun begins.

My goal for this RD is to go a bit more radical than I did with the first RD. I will be using a RZ350 front end (forks, triples, rotors & brakes), a modified FZ600 swingarm in the rear, and RZ350 wheels front and rear. I will encase the bike in a 1986 TZ250 full fairing and bodywork. The engine will not be as heavily modified as the previous RD project and I'll keep the stock Mikuni 28's with a 2 into 1 intake. For the ignition I'll be using a generation 2 Nuetronics unit and the expansion chambers will be old Stage-II units.

After I degrease the frame and stock swingarm, it's off to the sandblaster and a couple of hours with the grinder. While the frame is being sandblasted I'll start the teardown on the engine.

This project will require more fabrication than the previous RD, but I am in no hurry to complete the project. If everything goes perfect (that's not going to happen), I could be done by summer.

All the King's Horses & All the King's Men.....

The RD lives again, all crash damage repaired and she is better than ever.... Work done included....

New fork with pneumatic adjustment
New Woodcraft clip-on's
New grips
New stator cover - Polished aluminum finish
New left-side shifter rear-set
New license plate hanger
New fuel tank & petcock (No dents, but it sure is BLUE!)
New left-side chain adjuster
New front fender mounts
New clutch lever

I added a nice CNC machined front rotor and moved the previous drilled front rotor to the rear brake. A nice touch and the CNC'ed rotor offered a minor increase in thickness.

After everything was bolted back together and buttoned up, it's time for a test ride! The test ride went OK (I didn't hit any stray dogs) , but I did uncover some issues....... First I noticed that the engine is running rough and then I noticed the sweet smell of pre-mix gas. A quick inspection shows that the petcock gasket is leaking and the right - side carb is dumping gas from the overflow. The new clear gas lines expose the grit and trash that washed out of my new "clean" tank.

Next steps...... pull the tank, flush it AGAIN and seal the petcock better. Then it is time to rebuild the Keihin PWK's and take another look at the ignition timing. My current timing settings require that I run 110 octane VP race fuel at about $7 / gallon.... OUCH!

I have a modified FZ600 swingarm coming in the mail (thank you eBay and Jibco520). Can't wait to play with the swingarm configurations. Stay tuned for some swingarm experimentation!

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.