A Bicentenial restoration/rescue - '76 RD400

The 350 was a true classic. I had a 250 before my first 400 (new, in '76) that everyone and their wives on my ship took their drivers test on. It was that smooth and easy to ride. Not so good two-up, though.
 
addertooth said:
I agree with both MarkBa633csi and ShootyMacShootFace.

With longer times to ship from overseas, this has caused a shortage in the market of tools/parts. For many people, when they cannot get the less-expensive Chinese products, they then compete for higher end parts and tools. Add to this, more people are exploring at-home activities, often in crafts. Demand has likely ratcheted up measurably. With the shifts in "supply" and also "demand", increased prices were almost a foregone conclusion. Some bigger ticket items (like dividing tables with chucks) have stayed relatively flat, but then, there isn't a huge line of people clamoring to purchase items like that.

We have a third complicating factor, as many resellers and wholesalers are having trouble predicting demand after January 20th of 2021. Some are not as ambitious with the quantities they have recently been ordering; they want to get a better feel about how the winds will be blowing for the next 6 months. I don't expect these markets to stabilize until mid-summer 2021.

It is certainly not just the Machining market that is chaotic right now. My wife asked me to consider purchasing a gun. There are a lot of empty shelves (both ammo and guns) in the shops these days. Even online shops are largely wiped out of inventory. Our problem in machining supply is simply emblematic of many industries these days.
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jonesn7 said:
The 350 was a true classic. I had a 250 before my first 400 (new, in '76) that everyone and their wives on my ship took their drivers test on. It was that smooth and easy to ride. Not so good two-up, though.
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Yes, it was a beast in 1st and 2nd gear!
 
Just a little update. New Shinko 712s mounted. The old front tire was from 1993! I couldn't find a 3.25x18 for the front, so went with a 100/90x18. Pretty tight, but it went in. The rear 3.50x18 went in easy. Still waiting for painting weather to paint the right side cover, oil tank, and gas tank before mounting, adding fluids, and firing up. At least the deck reconstruction on the side of our house is finished, so the RD can be brought back in the garage from the shed and still have room to get to the mini lathe and mill. Project for now is to produce an inline oil strainer to replace the torn one in the tank outlet. I plan to make an aluminum case to capture a pipe filter screen. Discovered that the mini lathe rack for manual feed was too high and allowing slip/improper mesh. Took it off and milled the mounting holes into slots letting the rack be mounted 1-2mm lower and much more positive mesh. Smooth now. Also removed the apron and cleaned jammed swarf out of the half nuts. Much nicer engagement now.
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The fine mesh brass screen in the bottom of the oil tank is ripped up (discovered with a USB endoscope camera). No chance to fix it, so I'll rip it out with hemostats and put a screen inline below it. I've already made up an aluminum body that threads together and will clamp a 60 mesh brass screen in it.
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Well, temperatures got over 60F today, so I shot the color and first clear on the tins. Not my best work, but it is my first time with the waterborne. I could have done a LOT better on the bodywork too, but this bike has plenty of blemishes so it wasn't worth a lot of effort and time. I plan on this one being ridden a lot in good weather, and I have some great roads nearby to ride it on. Now to order the decals.
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jonesn7 said:
The fine mesh brass screen in the bottom of the oil tank is ripped up (discovered with a USB endoscope camera). No chance to fix it, so I'll rip it out with hemostats and put a screen inline below it. I've already made up an aluminum body that threads together and will clamp a 60 mesh brass screen in it.
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It's coming along nicely. I would never trust the oil injection pumps on these old bikes (didn't even trust them back in '81). If it were mine I would simply remove the pump and fabricate a suitable blanking plate, then always run pre-mix fuel. The consequences of the injection pump failing are just too high for me.

John
 
I still have the service manual from my son’s (long gone) RD350.
I kept it as I plan on buying one for myself, 250 or 350, same bike, i just missed out on couple.
They are still (somewhat) affordable, reliable classics.
Only thing i’d do differently is put a smaller front tire on it, to keep the light flickable handling.
Just my opinión.
you are doing a great job with it, these things are little rocket ships.
Enjoy.
 

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I too had a 400 back in the early 80’s
Almost wiped out one night coming back from the World’s Fare in New Orleans. Alcohol and bikes don’t mix. That was the last time I got on a bike. No regrets because I’m sure I’d be dead if I kept riding bikes.
But bikes are a lot of fun.
 
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