I know the owner.. he got raped by the shop that built this. know them too. nice parts but... I know hes got over 20k in this. and I also know its not a reliable runner ( Shit tuning mismatched parts etc)
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-yamaha-rd400-8/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Model_Update
He waited 3 years to have it finished?? :rolleyes:
it was actually longer than that.
Dang, that's a lot of money to build that.
What do you think it will go for?
i like the seller a lot so i hope he gets some of it back but id say maybe 9 tops. which, IMHO, its isnt worth it even parting it out.
if it goes over that id be super leery if it was legit
I saw that one pop up today. Sad to see a Daytona end up like that. Oh well, it makes the rest of them more valuable right? :haw:
And those heads are not DG Performance either.
it was a complete bike too. might remember a few years ago i had that daytona stuff ? thats the bike it came off of 'or it was going in the trash'
Blairs a nice guy. ben from GSM is a Richard Rawlins wannabe. the funny part is.. he didn't even do the work, a kid i knew (now 32) did it all. I have gone thru a a couple of bikes here and there after they went thru this shop for simple shit he missed or skimped on or just plain fucked up on the combo of stuff.
fwiw that tank is the same $100 chinese generic tank i have on the lightweight, with a weld in pop up cap. so, 2.2 gal max and im pretty damn sure he didnt weld in a crossover. and.. it needs one. I saw this bike at a few shows and 1 bike night. and it wasnt ridden in. Yeah. like that.
I so tried warning the owner about what he was doing but ... :whistle:
no clips/clamps holding boost bottle in the manifolds?
Parts list shows it has 66mm pistons.
When you completely change everything - it rarely goes well.
The cycle turns into more of an art project than a motorcycle.
I remember many years ago seeing a Jesse James build at a cycle show. Everything was red, and overall it looked ok.
What caught my eye was the use of a standard steering damper as the damper for the rear suspension. Looked like a complete afterthought, and something that would be useless in actual riding and probably fail in 5 minutes.
I applaud people that can put a custom together tastefully - but it has to still function as a rideable motorcycle.
I tend to do some oddball stuff but function is always #1. I may not ride the lightweight a whole lot, but I have a few thousand miles on it w out having to do any major rework of anything mechanical. tbh its very reliable. but ive seen many examples of that shops bikes not start at events, get towed away, or just get sold off in disgust. the reason it sticks I my craw is that i know, and have gotten to know other customers of that place. also, I know the 'kid' i referred to in the post that did the mech work. I actually took him to get his 1st motorcycle years ago. hes talented very ambitious and actually out on his own now.
Not sure why you'd do that to a Daytona. I do like the JL pipes though.
the pipes are nice. he'll the 4ls front brake is awesome... as an upgrade to like.. my r5 or t500. not that. and it was expensive af.
It *looks* like the VIN was ground off rather inelegantly with an angle grinder in the photo. Might have been better to tape it over before the overly thick powder coating was applied. He knows that obviously.
I'd hate to get pulled over riding this by the wrong LEO who happens to hate motorcycles and everyone that rides them.
The powder is coming off. If you're lucky he'll let you do it. Having a grey beard might help. But Gen X never got a pass before...
"Under 18 U.S. Code § 511, it is a federal felony to remove, obliterate, tamper with, or alter a VIN, which can apply if paint makes the number unreadable."
IR8D8R
they really do t give a shit in sc. ask how I know :lol:
Quote from: IR8D8R on February 10, 2026, 01:49:25 PMIt *looks* like the VIN was ground off rather inelegantly with an angle grinder in the photo. Might have been better to tape it over before the overly thick powder coating was applied. He knows that obviously.
I'd hate to get pulled over riding this by the wrong LEO who happens to hate motorcycles and everyone that rides them.
The powder is coming off. If you're lucky he'll let you do it. Having a grey beard might help. But Gen X never got a pass before...
"Under 18 U.S. Code § 511, it is a federal felony to remove, obliterate, tamper with, or alter a VIN, which can apply if paint makes the number unreadable."
IR8D8R
Rookies always over-do it.
People tend to think powder is thick, but when done properly it should only be about .003" to .004" thick for a single-stage coating like black.
At the proper thickness, even the softest-stamped VIN is clearly visible.
I guess somebody really liked it. Auction closed at a selling price of $11,250 and I just can't believe somebody would do that to a Daytona. I mean if all that was left was the frame, cases and a few other decent parts then I guess OK...oh well.
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-yamaha-rd400-8/ (https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1979-yamaha-rd400-8/)
Oh dear lord. It just looks like just about every other retro custom jobber from about 2015 to me. I guess there's no accounting for taste.
im wondering if the builder bought it.
Quote from: m in sc on February 11, 2026, 05:52:56 PMim wondering if the builder bought it.
Sure looks that way.
Comment from the seller says the guy starting the bike in the video is Benjamin Segal.
Owner of Gaston Motorcycle Werks (https://www.gastongazette.com/story/business/2017/02/04/not-your-average-museum-exhibit/22491225007/) is Benjamin Segal
Winning bidder is "benjaminS2536" who joined BaT in January 2026, and his one and only bid was the one on this bike.