isde97

I have helicoils, but not timeserts in M8. It sounds like there is more going on.

I can go check. Did the helicoil come out on the bolt? Something doesn't sound right with the description.

This showed up today

86 . I just took it for a test spin- as dreadful and awesome as you can imagine.

We have this penciled in.

http://results.ama-d36.org/=W=/D36/2019/Enduro/events/05 05 Rnd-2 Fools Gold Enduro/flyer.pdf Duncan and I are planning on leaving Friday night, returning Sunday night, for his first Enduro. I think finishing for him will be ambitious, but this has some of the best trails in D36 and we are planning on having a lot of fun. We have room in the trailer and motorhome.

As expected, we didn't finish. Duncan did fine on the first loop, but had some tough encounters with some rocks, the first of which put a fold in the pipe, and the next one pulled the pipe out of the cylinder. He was pretty beat by that point from having to drag his bike back onto the trail multiple times. We got the pipe back in the cylinder, but then it wouldn't line up with the cylinder and was in fact pointing at the footpeg. We packed it in at that point, but it was still 20 miles to get back to camp. The riding there is really cool.

A quick search turned up this vid, which gives you a flavor for the area.

Hopefully, this isn't the last post on this. I bought this in 1983 just after I graduated High School, rode it through college and my first couple of years of Real Life. It got set aside while I bought other bikes, went racing, got married, etc, always with the idea in the back of my mind of creating the RD400 that someone would build if they could. I think the last time it ran was in 1996. Fast forward to now, my son is coming around to a love of motorcycles and 2 strokes, and the fact that 2 stroke streetbikes ever existed and we have one is amazing. First order of business is to get it to run. We just popped the carbs off and that revealed that there is some cleaning to do, but I don't think running is too far off. Fixing the siezed brake calipers should result in a rideable bike. The ultimate goal is something along the lines of a SuperDuke/Speed Triple/Tuono.ie something that you just look at and want to go romp around on. You can be a teenager forever.

The two stroke seed got replanted last July when I bought a KX100 for Duncan. In the meantime, he has grown like 6 inches, so we picked up a XC150. That thing is so cool, it feels like it weighs half as much as my 250. If we are going to be riding more, maybe it is time for a new bike for me? We went out to Cahuilla Creek today for his first MX track experience. On the topic of weight, we put the RD on the scale, sans carbs, to see where we are starting from. 334 pounds, which is a lot less than I remembered, and 182 of those is on the rear wheel, which helps explain a lot. Considering how much of this bike is steel (brake calipers, triple clamps), I don't think it is going to take much of a diet to bring it down a bit. And since we had to start somewhere- first thing to fix is something that has annoyed me since I got them, the lame appearing 1/4-20 hex head screws holding the silencer on were replaced with stainless Button Heads. These have the advantage of having a 5/32 socket, which is essentially 4mm, so is half metric. I am starting to develop an affinity for Torx drive, though, especially in Button Head/ Pan Head applications, so these may end up replaced again. Incidently, I'm not seeing a way to have comments in line with pictures, so all the pictures are at the end. Somebody please let me know if I'm missing something. We got the carbs popped off and disassembled. Kids, this is what happens when you park your bike for a couple of days and get back to it 23 years later. The floats were pretty firmly bonded to the bottom of the float bowl, and that sludge was pretty hard. Everything is soaking in Pine Sol right now and already looks way better. I think I should replace the air filters, and already have replacements. For expedience sake, it is going to be just the individual pods that were on the bike when I got it, although I have read the cool setup is the factory Y boot with a single filter and no airbox. I will have to figure out how to handle this with the (non stock) 30mm carbs.

Well.... for that bike. In their day, RDs had decent suspension. By modern standards, it was horrible when new. I suspect the fork oil has never been changed, or I may have done it, once, a long time ago. It currently has some Fox emulsion shocks on it, that were better than stock but don't look awesome now. Thinking back about it, I can see where the big issues were suspension related. Fixing those will result in a much better bike. Looking at the swingarm I got, there is a chance that 140 tire that is common on bikes in the current 300cc class will fit. Yes, modern tires (and wheels) are in the vision. Stock is tubed 18 inchers in 125cc dirtbike sizes, and I suspect the wheels are really heavy. There is something to be gained here, I think. There may be some chassis build up coming, but I am looking for a bike that does OK in the turns, and then you just roll into the throttle and enjoy.

Thanks, I missed that first time through. Only 2 months old and already over 40 pages. ADVRider is a place you go with a high risk of disappearing and not being heard from in months.

Not quite sure what you are asking, I suggested a 390 Duke as a first streetbike, he has given it a test sit and likes it a lot. I'm not sure there is a good modern analogue for an RD. In their day, they handled and stopped pretty good when most bikes did not. They were inexpensive and made power in an 'interesting' and compelling way. They were giant killers and the hooligan bikes of their time. Now, pretty much all streetbikes are really good. An idea of what I have in mind:

Spec II chambers, although I don't know if I will be able to resist the allure of a set of Jim Lomas pipes. It also has 30mm Mikuni VM carbs. Conceivably, those could be changed for flat slides. You see where this is going. Hopefully, part of the fun of this will be getting it running, and then make improvements that you can actually feel. Modern streetbikes don't leave a lot of room for that.

Ummmm........ The short term goal is to have it running for the two stroke extravaganza next month https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Organization/2-Stroke-Extravaganza-338894736265870/ Rideable by WSB at LS is within the realm of possibility. Duncan could, in theory, have his permit by then. Will it be there????? That could be fun. We yanked the beyond dead battery and put in a EarthX battery we had designated for a TTR125, and the lights lit up. That was encouraging. Stock, the RD has a points ignition and a field controlled generator, so it needs a battery to start. There is a permanent magnet/CDI ignition available for it that I haven't pulled the trigger on yet, but then it could run without a battery. I found an aluminum swingarm on eBay, and have been picking up some other bits. I think I am already in to this more that what I originally spent to buy it.

You wouldn't be breaking the law, you would be trespassing, same as any railroad property. I'm not sure of the ownership structure, but ultimately it is owned by the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. Yes, private property owned by a public agency. It was a marginal operation before they took it over, and just been a shitshow since and clearly not a priority for the MTS. LE issues are primarily going to be with MTS police, and I suspect they don't sent anyone out on a regular basis. If you have problems, you are just unlucky. I've been wanting to go out to Goat Canyon Trestle for a while.

Duncan is supposed to make his full size bike and enduro debut tomorrow, but he has been sick today, so we will see. I should be riding Sunday. I think the Saturday and Sunday courses are identical, except the non LOI riders Saturday only do the first two tests.

My son and I are planning on riding Monday, provided he doesn't wimp out. If someone else is wants to go, I will care less if he wimps out. M

I have always used spray primer paint to get the grips on and then use lockwire to keep them in place. Glue seems like a better idea, although with primer, I just cut the grips off and the bars clean up easy.

Duncan has decided he wants to try a race on his KX100, so he is going to be making his debut here. I don't think he is really ready, but then, no one is.

Successful first race. I told him that it was amazing how fast a dirt bike could be ridden, but I don't think he was expecting how fast a dirt bike could be ridden by a 13 yo Mikayla Nielsen, who laid a pretty serious smackdown on everybody in the mini race. She seriously hauls. In spite of being not stoked on getting lapped twice, Duncan is really motivated to go practice and race again.

He has darn near outgrown it already, as can be the case for 15 year olds. I am already having to look for the next bike, even if it feels like I am now looking for one for myself.

I started out riding like it was going to be a long day but still trying to go a respectable pace. It didn't take long to switch to 'just finish this' mode.

It looks like I will not even be able to wash my bike until Thursday afternoon. I have 2 beds unaccounted for in the RV.

That is a good goal. I have about 20 pounds of Ballinger Canyon mud to get off my bike from this past week.