I sold my '76 RD400c in early '79, before getting out of the Navy and moving back to the mountains. I was mature enough to know that I was not mature enough to have that bike on these roads.
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A Bicentenial restoration/rescue - '76 RD400
- Thread starter jonesn7
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2019
- Messages
- 7,296
Welcome To Zero Motorcycles
Manufacturer of 100% electric motorcycles for the street and dirt.
www.zeromotorcycles.com
Bikes have come a long way since the early 80's. I'm looking forward to riding again on a company owned machine....
John
The last Barber Vintage Days (2019), a couple Zeros raced with the two-cylinder Triumphs and such. Smoked them until a fuse blew. Interesting that the ICE bikes accelerated on straights to their maximum velocities, while the Ebikes just kept accelerating. One of the riders told me that it took about half of a battery charge to run a race. 9 laps competition pkus a warm-up (just tires for him) and cool down lap. That's a 2.38 mile course. So, a lityle over 25 miles flat-out took ~50%. Ebikes and cars still have a way to go for mileage in the mountains, still.Welcome To Zero Motorcycles
Manufacturer of 100% electric motorcycles for the street and dirt.
Bikes have come a long way since the early 80's. I'm looking forward to riding again on a company owned machine....
John
Correct decals finally got here (they had sent a badly off-color tank decal in the first set). Applied and clear coated. Got fish eyes in the clear coat on one side of the tank, and a few gnats. Will wet sand that out and should be good-to-go. Lots going on (along with a sick 15 year-old dog), so probably next week before final assembly.
Yesterday I wet sanded with 1000 grit and used a touch-up dauber to fill the craters with left-over clear. Then let it all cure another day.
First day of wet sanding went well. Good amount of time spent with 800 grit getting things level and the eyes closed. Then, less with 1200 and quickly through 2000, 3000, and 5000. 7000 finished it off to compounding. I'm out of my good 3M rubbing compound, so used Turtle Wax rubbing compound and it was just Ok. 3M Finesse-It finishing compound still rocks, but I'll need to go over the tank one more time with it to get some mild haze out. My Harbor Freight variable speed buffer varies speed on its own and I don't trust it. Changed to an old Craftsman random orbit polisher that came in a 5 gallon bucket kit the wife bought for me years ago. Slow going, but at least it is pretty safe on the paint.
First day of wet sanding went well. Good amount of time spent with 800 grit getting things level and the eyes closed. Then, less with 1200 and quickly through 2000, 3000, and 5000. 7000 finished it off to compounding. I'm out of my good 3M rubbing compound, so used Turtle Wax rubbing compound and it was just Ok. 3M Finesse-It finishing compound still rocks, but I'll need to go over the tank one more time with it to get some mild haze out. My Harbor Freight variable speed buffer varies speed on its own and I don't trust it. Changed to an old Craftsman random orbit polisher that came in a 5 gallon bucket kit the wife bought for me years ago. Slow going, but at least it is pretty safe on the paint.
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All pretty much ready. Rear brakes may be sketchy so might either order a 14mm hone or a Chinabay MC. Oil in tranny, oil in tank, lines all connected. Will make up a Tee to connect my little 500ml aux tank and put some 32:1 in it for attempting 1st start, but the weather has turned very wet. Others things on list early this week, but might get to it by Wednesday. Paint still needs some rubbing with finishing compound to get out the haze, but it sure is nice to see it back together!
Shazbot! Gas smell in the garage narrowed down to a pinhole in the bottom of the tank inboard of the seam. POR15 clean, etch, and coat kjt due in today. Hopefully, careful masking and wrappjng will protect the exterior paint, and I can sand and re-prime the area of the leak (which never was color or clear painted).
THAT'S eight hours I'll never get back! Using the POR15 kit on the tank isn't particularly difficult. It just requires attendance every half-hour until the quart or etching solution has sat on every bit of the inside of the tank. After you've already used the wash solution and rinsed it out. After the five hours it took me to cover everything in the etch stage, that was double-rinsed and an hour of drying commenced. I alternated heat gun blowing and vacuum cleaner sucking. Then the liner gets stirred well and poured in. Then seal it up and roll it around until you are pretty sure all areas have had the stuff run over it, then do it again to be sure. Then drain the remainder out and let the liner cure for four days. All I have to add is this better work!