RD200...

[AAAltered]

I recently noticed that the shed my 200 lives in was smelling like mouse piss.  I got a chance yesterday to clean the shed out, relocate a mommy mouse and babies, bleach then power wash the inside of the shed.

  Meanwhile I had moved the 200 into the garage and today I got degrease, deep clean, and wax it which was long overdue since it was not cleaned and covered before it went into that shed. 

Results were good.  This is a very original bike - other than the fork gators it's pretty untouched.  I never attempted to polish any of the clear coat which is fairly well gone.  Polish is saved for the R5.  It runs really well and it felt good to give it the attention it deserved. 

Trivia:  76 is the only year 200 with a front disk brake.  According to SocCal250's Production Numbers doc it's also the lowest production model of all US RD models over the years.  Serial number is 877 of 2000, I've only ever run across 2 others, both online...





Here it is camping at a race track...

[SoCal250]

Looking good Ed! It's a beauty and definitely a keeper!

I have the entire front end of a 200C in my storage, which I was planning to add to a future project so I could have a RD125 or RD200 with front disc.

[pidjones]

Please open and inspect the air filter box on your 200. Mice LOVE to hide things in them! I once found an entire ear's worth of maze kernals in the filter box of my '86 SEi aftr only two weeks setting idle in our basement garage. I don't relocate. Poison and sticky traps!

[RattlecanResto]

Dang that is nice. Hope to find one someday

[m in sc]

that is nice. i have a soft spot for 200's

[SoCal250]

More trivia: Not only is '76 C-model the only RD200 with a front disc, the RD200 is the only RD model with electric start 

[85RZwade]

Ed, that's a fine and lovely motorcycle. Don't ever sell it!
pidjones: I have an '86 SEi, and you need it. Please come and take it out of my barn; I'll sell it for less than the family rate!
sorry

[AAAltered]

Please open and inspect the air filter box on your 200. Mice LOVE to hide things in there.

Well the meeces didn't get into the air box but I found a sticky mess of gooey Uni's in there.  Economy came to the rescue, this arrived yesterday.

[2 Smoker]

This was my very first RD buy back in the early 80's.
The owner could not get the bike running and was a steal to purchase and all it needed was the woodruff key for the crankshaft, my father was a steel fabricator and made me one.

[tmatter]

This is my first post on this site so please bear with my longwindedness'.

I wanted to share my recent purchase somewhere where that I know other people will appreciate it. I recently had the opportunity to pick up a one owner bike from my high school art teacher. It is a 1976 RD200C it was purchased on july 31st 1978. The bike had been sitting on the dealers floor from 76-78 due to a dent in the right side of the tank from damage sustained in its original shipping to the dealership. When I searched the bike online I found the original post above as well as the production number by year sheet. I knew the 200 was rare but I didn't realize just how rare the 76' was.

With the bike, I received meticulous records of its entire 6,586 mile, 46 year ownership of the previous owner.

It needs new tires. The rear is (3402) and the front is from ( 359) before the DOT codes were updated to 4 digit codes in 2000. So the front is either from 79',89', or 99' and was made in a japanese plant according to the code on the sidewall. Both tires hold air just fine and the bike is easy to move it around. But I am not sure what I will do with it yet.

Is there any value in keeping it with old tires if I wanted to take it to a motorcycle show? Or should I put new tires on her, tune her up, and start racking up the miles? It was averaging less than 200 miles a year for the last ten years according to inspection records and maintenance receipts. If I ride it the milage will probably be 300-500 miles a year. I'd probably take it to deals gap for the 2stroke event there each year.

I have tracked down the mechanic who did the initial dealership inspection back in 1976. He's currently working for a HD dealership in PA. Given the bikes rarity and its shape I want to preserve it in its original sense as much as possible. At the same time, I want to share it with others and have fun enjoying my little piece of history.

I haven't even sat on the bike yet almost out of respect for my old teacher.

I just wanted to share her with you guys and maybe someday AAAlterd and Me can get our bikes together for a reunion since they are sisters after all.

As far as the rear rack goes, It looks factory But I'm not sure if that was an option.

[m in sc]

thats is awesome. I mean, id keep the original tires but def wouldn't ride on them. if you ever sell it , it may be important to an extreme rivet counter. very cool you have the full story on the bike. 

[SoCal250]

Welcome!
That is cool! A very nice original bike. Gotta love French Blue! Congrats on the new ride!

The rack may be a Yamaha part, as they sold accessories for owners to upgrade their bikes and "Tune-Up Kits". The part numbers for their accessory line started with "ACC-". I would guess it was probably put on at the dealer sale or soon after. Although it might be aftermarket because the platform sits higher and the lower braces appear to be shaped slightly different than what I'm used to. In any case, vintage racks are cool!

Definitely put new tires on if you plan on riding it. IMHO the old tires would probably only have value and be worth keeping if they are the original Yokohama tires.
Front: 2.75X18 YOKO Y506
Rear:  3.00X18 YOKO Y93C
I kept the OE Yokohamas off my 650-mile RD125 when I got it almost 20 years ago. They are wrapped in plastic in storage.

Trivia: the RD200C is the only model in the 581 model group. When the C was introduced Yamaha gave it it's own model code. The earlier RD200 A & B were 397 models.

[AAAltered]

Oh that's fantastic.  I've only ever seen one other 76.  At Mid Ohio last week I had my eye out for anything French Blue, all I saw was some XS tin.

If production really was sub 2000 how many can there be?  Mine is #877.

All clean after Mid Ohio:

[2 Smoker]

Here you go boys
https://www.ebay.com/itm/326092194912?itmmeta=01J45NE0A93YH77JPMT87EVVM7&hash=item4bec9c0460:g:7eoAAOSwvWtmHsBv&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA0D97vQbLXkNEVDxBgian90%2F1n1ByajppLUmrxHHGiimgOvy0%2FFY6Xx17FfY%2BhN3bpZm5MdXFk0v1xfJi9iPJKj%2FfCHn4tsbmZ9hdZJWHBcUmU3MJKGcy9ev%2F%2B5TN4xEa0bMZMYNMmPkrK0VtyEY4v4P93tIXx7d73PrWNVeJcP9BRCFC79vTRYkg2G2pDvlSIomG7FGUpcJqIu2gNSJCijIKYeBzZBulOK3hZjKTdi9DzUuwB5Rd4ThNstLjM%2BCfrB6KprjQvj8EWbI46zPlfZg%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6iFuLWhZA

[tmatter]

Well, TANKS a lot.