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What do I need to know about the RD350/400?
BlackMK4 fucked around with this message at 04:02 on Oct 20, 2016 |
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Oct 20, 2016 03:45
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You definitely need to know your atm pin
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Oct 20, 2016 04:50
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clutchpuck posted:You definitely need to know your atm pin Not true. If you care about it looking good, buy one that someone has already spent the time to make pretty. Charging system sucks, replace the whole thing from oregonmotorcycleparts.
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Oct 20, 2016 05:02
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Tomahawk posted:So I've been getting bike fever over the past few weeks to the point where I think I'm probably going to actually go through with it. I really like the look of Triumph Bonnevilles but looking on Craigslist I'm not sure I wanna drop that much on a starter bike. What are some similar bikes I should be looking at? Take the msf if they still offer it this late in the year in your area. Obligatory http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RsKFsce5phw A MIRACLE fucked around with this message at 06:01 on Oct 20, 2016 |
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Oct 20, 2016 05:55
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Tomahawk posted:So I've been getting bike fever over the past few weeks to the point where I think I'm probably going to actually go through with it. I really like the look of Triumph Bonnevilles but looking on Craigslist I'm not sure I wanna drop that much on a starter bike. What are some similar bikes I should be looking at? What do you like about the look of Triumph Bonnevilles specifically?
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Oct 20, 2016 06:00
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BlackMK4 posted:What do I need to know about the RD350/400? Reasonably reliable if done up right, number that are done up right out there is like, 1.
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Oct 20, 2016 06:59
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BlackMK4 posted:What do I need to know about the RD350/400? They are a phenomenal bike and you should get it.
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Oct 20, 2016 08:01
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Coydog posted:Don't buy the bike you have bike fever over for your first bike, sorry. If that was a wise move, there would be one less ducati superbike in the world. If ptwin standards are your thing, check out the GS 500. You'll hate a bonnie for your first bike, because it's so fat and heavy and subpar. Listen to this guy. My first ride was on some awful auto transmission speed limited scooter with a riding position that totally hosed my back, yet riding it still put a big stupid grin on my face.
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Oct 20, 2016 08:35
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In a similar vein, for me, getting a motorbike had always meant I was going to get a big fat cruiser of some sort eventually. Something like a Harley Softail, or at least styled in that manner, or an M109R (eventually). So, my starter bike was to be something like a V-Star 650 or similar. I turned up at the pre-learners' course (Australia) and sat on a standard, and immediately all desire to ride a cruiser left me. The standard seating position just made total sense to me for comfort and control, and the cruiser position made none. And that was that.
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Oct 20, 2016 09:00
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Sagebrush posted:What do you like about the look of Triumph Bonnevilles specifically? The "classic"-ness of it. So I'm definitely open to other options I just don't have great knowledge of what else is out there and is good.
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Oct 20, 2016 12:17
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FWIW I wanted a modern bonnie or thruxton for my first bike and ended up with: Ninja 250 SV650 Xr400r motard Fzr600r SV650 (only current)
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Oct 20, 2016 14:07
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BlackMK4 posted:What do I need to know about the RD350/400? 1) the electrical system is poo poo, like it is on all yamahas of that vintage. It is also quite fixable with some modern components 2) look up the "Dave F carb mod" and do it. Makes the stock carbs much more responsive and much easier to tune. 3) run either the stock airbox or the k&n y-boot filter, nothing else. Individual pods are poo poo on RD motors. 4) the RD is injecting oil into the intake tract only, not into the bearings, so it's really irrelevant if you run the oil pump or premix, because the oil is doing the same thing. They didn't switch to the Suzuki way of lubricating bearings directly until after they snatched the RD line away from the US 5) do not build a cafe racer 6) the RD is rad because it's essentially a street legal late 60's GP bike. Imagine if today you could buy a brand new bike with 5 year old motogp technology and power. That's what the RD was. There more, but I'm phoneposting. I've owned a couple of them, they're very cool bikes.
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Oct 20, 2016 15:23
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Z3n posted:Reasonably reliable if done up right, number that are done up right out there is like, 1. Who buys a RD for its reliability?
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Oct 20, 2016 15:54
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You buy an RD because it's loving awesome. Then you put some pipes and bigger carbs on it and pull some wheelies and blow it up.
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Oct 20, 2016 18:01
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I don't really like the RD350, or any bikes of that sort, and definitely don't like cafe racers. I just saw this, though, and now I have Biek Problems.
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Oct 20, 2016 18:04
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It's really interesting to see the dichotomy of 2 strokes in the 70's. Yamaha went for small bikes with big power, good chassis design and generally skimped on their electrics and completely poo poo the bed on lubrication. More of a "power before all else" mentality. Kawi was a bit all over the map with both big and small bikes, rotary intakes, piston port, red valves, etc. They started with the Yamaha approach of barfing oil into the intake and crossing their fingers, and eventually moved to injecting oil into the bearings. Their electrics were par for the course in the 70's. Their chassis design was.....not a huge focus. Honda only made 2 strokes when racing regs required it, otherwise opting to stick with 4 strokes because soichiro-san had opinions. When they did make 2-strokes, they were either dirt bikes or scooters. Suzuki was sort of all over the map displacement-wise, but tended to make engines that made less power than equivalent displacement two strokes from the other manufacturers. Suzuki electrics were pretty average 70's fare. But they almost right from the start used a different oil injection process that put oil directly in the bearings and relied on the natural scavenging process in a two stroke engine to keep it moving. That line process combined with generally understressed motors meant Suzuki made the most touring-ready 2 strokes out there. Hell, even the liquid cooled GT750 didn't make huge horsepower numbers, but it would run for loving ever. The nice thing about all this? It left us with a nice spectrum of bikes in the later years. Want balls out power and don't care about rebuilding every 15k or so? Yamaha. Want to ride from NY to LA on a smoker? Suzuki. Want an H2-750 and also hate chassis rigidity. Kawasaki. Want a 4 stroke, despite their obvious deficiencies in the 70's bike market? Honda.
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Oct 20, 2016 18:17
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I've got a doozy of a problem. I was riding to the store two miles away and about halfway there I started losing power at low rpms. I got the 5th gear and was cruising and lost all power, bike shut off. Wouldn't turn over either. Pushed it into a parking lot and checked what I could; half a tank of gas, battery is about 6 months old and had plenty of juice (high beams were fine, could try to start it over and over), plugs were giving me a spark, but it wouldn't start. After sitting a while, it did start but idled very low and died after a few seconds, and wouldn't do anything else. I did notice last week I was having to give it a bit more throttle from a dead stop, this seems to be more exaggerated to the point of not running. Bike is a 2009 vstar 250 with 14k miles. I'm at a loss of where to even start.
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Oct 20, 2016 18:18
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Check your petcock.
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Oct 20, 2016 18:22
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It's set to on, is there anything else to check it for like clogs or something?
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Oct 20, 2016 18:25
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Bottom Liner posted:It's set to on, is there anything else to check it for like clogs or something? Are you out of gas? Swap it to reserve, and ride to gas station.
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Oct 20, 2016 18:41
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No, as I said I have a half tank.
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Oct 20, 2016 18:50
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I've thought I had gas before and I didn't. Try reserve.
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Oct 20, 2016 18:53
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Tried it already. Opened my tank and checked as well, plenty of gas.
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Oct 20, 2016 18:57
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You're describing exactly the symptoms of running low on gas, so if you're sure you have gas, swap it to reserve or prime in case the petcock failed somehow. Edit: Check that the vacuum line (if your bike has a vacuum petcock) hasn't gotten removed/damaged somehow.
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Oct 20, 2016 18:57
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Tomahawk posted:So I've been getting bike fever over the past few weeks to the point where I think I'm probably going to actually go through with it. I really like the look of Triumph Bonnevilles but looking on Craigslist I'm not sure I wanna drop that much on a starter bike. What are some similar bikes I should be looking at? I was lured in by the siren song of the Bonneville. They're gorgeous bikes, but they're poo poo to learn on. I bought one before I took my MSF course, and I sold it within a year of starting to ride in earnest. They're awkward at low speeds. They're heavy and unwieldy. As a new rider, I never built confidence riding on the Bonneville because it was such a chore to ride in the city. Don't be stupid like me. Don't start on a Bonneville. Check out the tu250x. It's a retro-styled bike that is used at MSF courses. It should scratch the retro itch while being much, much, much more beginner friendly. Also, they're cheap as chips. You can also start riding on something like a ninja 250 (the ultimate beginners bike) and sell it after a year and move up to a Bonnie once you know you'll like it. It might not immediately meet the aesthetic you're gunning for, but you'll be a better rider in the long run. Alternatively, buy a supermoto and never look back.
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Oct 20, 2016 19:51
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Tomahawk posted:So I've been getting bike fever over the past few weeks to the point where I think I'm probably going to actually go through with it. I really like the look of Triumph Bonnevilles but looking on Craigslist I'm not sure I wanna drop that much on a starter bike. What are some similar bikes I should be looking at? My dreambike was a H-D Iron 883, and I had so many plans for how I was going to make it look. That poo poo is probably still in the Saved For Later section of my Amazon cart from like 5 years ago. I'm so happy I never got that bike and got a lightweight, quick, and fun starter bike instead. Or you could get a slow and fun starter bike like a TW200. Fishvilla posted:Check out the tu250x. It's a retro-styled bike that is used at MSF courses. It should scratch the retro itch while being much, much, much more beginner friendly. Also, they're cheap as chips. I wanted a TU250 to start on, but after I rode one at the MSF, I hated it. I couldn't wait to switch to a different bike on the second day, and I was much happier with the Ladyhawke 250. The TU250 was just really choppy and hard to hold a consistent speed on. I'd hate it as a first bike. If'n I was smarter then as I is now, I'd have jumped on the T-dub for the class. captainOrbital fucked around with this message at 20:13 on Oct 20, 2016 |
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Oct 20, 2016 20:07
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TU250 is an unrideable POS imo, I nearly failed my MSF because of that thing. Fueling was like a light switch.
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Oct 20, 2016 20:32
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Beach Bum posted:My Ninja500R died yesterday. The rider said it made a clunk noise on downshift and stopped running. The starter is no longer engaging (edit: spins freely). Motor isn't seized, I'm able to push it and turn the engine over. Haven't popped the side cover yet, but does anyone have a clue what I'm in for here? Got the stator cover off and it looks like the starter clutch is indeed malfunctioning. I had to buy a flywheel puller bolt on Amazon, so I'm waiting on that to get at the starter clutch to see if I can't just stretch the springs out and throw it back in there. Good idea/bad idea?
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Oct 20, 2016 20:42
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PaintVagrant posted:TU250 is an unrideable POS imo, I nearly failed my MSF because of that thing. Fueling was like a light switch. I wouldn't trust any MSF bikes as real good examples of engine responsiveness or smoothness.
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Oct 20, 2016 21:58
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Beach Bum posted:Got the stator cover off and it looks like the starter clutch is indeed malfunctioning. I had to buy a flywheel puller bolt on Amazon, so I'm waiting on that to get at the starter clutch to see if I can't just stretch the springs out and throw it back in there. Good idea/bad idea? You won't know until you get that flywheel off. The clutch assembly could be cracked (common on VFR's) or the gear could have broken its welds. Could just be a bolt backed itself out. Note that depending on which way that gear and starter motor spin (I've never worked on an EX500) the bolt holding the flywheel on might be reverse threaded, to ensure that the starter motor can't spin the gear off its shaft.
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Oct 20, 2016 22:00
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Sagebrush posted:I wouldn't trust any MSF bikes as real good examples of engine responsiveness or smoothness. I rode a demo. Same story, probably super lean to get that 98mpg or whatever they advertise. It was pretty fine if you keep it in the middle of the rev range and are pushing against wind, but parking lot stuff was fiddly without a ton of clutch everywhere. I mean... the Uly has stupid tall gearing in first and parking lots require a lot of clutch but the TU needed even more.
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Oct 20, 2016 22:26
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I too have ridden a TU. Sucked. Get a ninja 250, remove fairings if you don't want it to look """"sporty""""
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Oct 20, 2016 22:48
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Just pretend I posted the picture I always post of the yellow ex250 that looks like an awesome scrambler/cafe, and go buy an ex250.
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Oct 20, 2016 23:02
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Back with an update on my friend's Puch. He replaced the rings and gaskets, but didn't have a feeler gauge to check the gaps. Put it back together, and the amount of air pumping when kicking it sounds much healthier. So maybe one of those was the problem? Is this scraping sound a bad sign? (0s and 5s) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOJVuzZGQwI Oh -- the Puch 50cc doesn't have a reed valve. At least not the kind I googled. Does it have some other mechanism? Just does without?
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Oct 21, 2016 07:48
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Beach Bum posted:My Ninja500R died yesterday. The rider said it made a clunk noise on downshift and stopped running. The starter is no longer engaging (edit: spins freely). Motor isn't seized, I'm able to push it and turn the engine over. Haven't popped the side cover yet, but does anyone have a clue what I'm in for here? Turns out one of the bolts that attaches the starter clutch to the flywheel backed off and chewed up the starter gear which then mangled clutch housing. Apparently this is a common EX500 problem. When I pulled the bolts they looked like they had no sign of threadlocker. I shall remedy this when reassembling. I dislike when a $2 part causes immobilization and $110 of damage. Not to mention my time. Do I need to buy the Loctite 243 since this area sees oil a lot, or will the standard Permatex Blue/Loctite 242 I've got be suitable? Beach Bum fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Oct 22, 2016 |
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Oct 22, 2016 02:56
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kimbo305 posted:Back with an update on my friend's Puch. He replaced the rings and gaskets, but didn't have a feeler gauge to check the gaps. Put it back together, and the amount of air pumping when kicking it sounds much healthier. So maybe one of those was the problem? And yes not all 2t intakes use reeds, even with piston port. Reeds are fairly high tech by late 70s moped design standards.
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Oct 23, 2016 05:45
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-edit awful app error
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Oct 23, 2016 05:49
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A puch moped is nearly 100% guaranteed to be piston port, if I'm remembering my various puch models correctly I'm pretty sure you can get aftermarket reed blocks for them though.
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Oct 23, 2016 13:37
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We checked it into the local moped shop. Based on their initial assessment from spinning the dynamo(?), it still doesn't have adequate compression. They think it might be the engine seal, but will tear it open and look around.
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Oct 23, 2016 16:04
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I think it was M42 who posted but I'm looking for the write up on making your own bar snake with an inner tube and some sand. I got the plugs out of my bar and I'm ready to go. I, apparently, need something a little thinner and smaller than a mountain bike tube filled with green goo. Anybody have that link?
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Oct 23, 2016 23:21
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