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Topics - Hawaii-Mike

#21
General Chatter / RD400 aftermarket gas caps
July 20, 2020, 09:26:02 PM
I bought an RD400 gas cap, Emgo I guess.  Looks good, I hoped to swap out the lock to continue using the stock RD400 key.  Doesn't seem possible.  The key profile on the aftermarket cap is opposite of the original key.  If there is no way to swap out the lock, I wonder if I can drill out the lock from the inside so that any key will open it?
#23
This set of FSA bearings showed up on an e-bay search.  Seemed like a great price for front and rear bearings but these are not for a Yamaha RD400.  Apparently there are bicycle hubs with the same name.
#24
General Chatter / Spec 2 decals
July 21, 2019, 02:44:05 PM
I've asked Gary (owner of Spec2) if I can get some decals off and on for several years and he hasn't had any.

I have a good Spec2 decal and am going to a local shop that makes vinyl decals.  The initial setup is the most expensive, about $25 and then the more I buy, the less expensive it gets per decal. 

Just checking to see if anyone else here is interested?  I estimate $5 for two decals mailed to your U.S. address.  I hope to print about 100 decals.  This design is not very large, about 2.25 inches x 1 inch high.
#25
General Chatter / 2strokeworld
July 04, 2019, 02:54:02 AM
I was offered the old forum domain name, 2strokeworld.com and I bought it.  It's now a blog with a compilation of Kawi triple and RD posts.  The site used to be RD400.US but I thought this domain name is better since I am more active with Kawasaki's now.

Note there is a link to the forum at the top of my blog.  If you have information you'd like posted on the blog feel free to contact me through the blog or on this forum.

Aloha, Mike
#26
General Chatter / Tapered Head Bearings question
June 16, 2019, 08:58:24 PM
I acquired a set of RD400 triple clamps with tapered bearings.  It has the top and bottom bearings and ONE race.  Is there a vendor that will sell one race?  Or do any 2SW members have a spare race they will sell?
#27
Turning Wrenches / RD350 and RD400 fork seals
April 06, 2019, 09:50:30 PM
I believe RD350's and RD400's use the same size fork seals, except for Daytona's which have different diameter fork tubes.  Can anyone confirm for me?
#28
General Chatter / Shiny nuts
March 29, 2019, 09:19:54 PM
My steering stem nuts on the RD400's are rusty.  Try finding them on e-bay - good luck! A forum member has one here in the U.S. that I'm going to buy.  I was looking for more nuts.

Further inquiry led me to a guy in the UK who makes stainless hardware.  $73 bucks including shipping bought me two stainless steel top yoke nuts with washers.  That's about $37 apiece and they won't rust the way regular chromed steel hardware does.

If you want to contact Nick, here's the info: n.chambers53 AT live.co.uk

#29
General Chatter / Mag wheel cleaning
March 09, 2019, 04:51:45 PM
For the '76 RD400 I started cleaning it up using a scotchbrite wheel powered by a drill.  This is the red, medium grit pad.  It can chew up the aluminum a little bit if held on one place too long.  The wheel looked better but there are still stains from grease and oil.

I have a leftover jug of muriatic acid (nasty stuff).  I laid the wheel on its side and put the muriatic acid in the inside parts of the spokes and let it brew.  That did a pretty good job, not perfect but good enough for me.

It's hard to apply the muriatic acid to the other parts of the wheel.  I'm wondering if I should paint them a silver color instead of cleaning?  I want to keep the stock-ish look.

On the old forum I remember somebody painted their wheels a silver color and they looked good.

Please share your experiences with cleaning and/or painting RD400 wheels.
#30
I'm talking about the bolts that insert in the drive bushings on the rear hub.  On the parts fiche, it's #27, part number 90109-12429-00.

There's a rear wheel on e-bay that's missing those bolts.
#31
General Chatter / RD400E Crystal Silver paint match
February 28, 2019, 12:12:43 AM
My handyman used to paint cars for a living and he offered to paint some bikes.  The '78 RD400E is a candidate.  Being in Hawaii, it's difficult and expensive to buy paint from the regular sources and have it sent here.  They can't send the paint in the mail so it's UPS, FEDEX or something else.

I wonder if anyone here knows of an automotive paint that's a close match.

Here's how I matched the purple paint for my '74 RD350.  I took a gas tank with good paint to the auto paint store, they scanned it and whipped up a batch of purple paint for a Mitsubishi electric car (pictured).  Yes, this paint, with proper application, is a match for the '74 RD350.

I don't have a good crystal silver body part to scan.
#32
Turning Wrenches / RD400 sidestand with chambers
February 23, 2019, 09:16:57 PM
I want to see what great ideas our forum members have come up with for RD400 sidestands that work well with chambers.  I am aware of HVC Cycle's kickstand relocation kit pictured, however $75 plus shipping would cost near $100.  If I buy one, I'm going to want to figure out how to replicate it at a lower price.

I'm wondering if a stand off another bike might be a bolt on with minimal tweaking.  Please share your knowledge.

#33
General Chatter / Are you seeing an empty Wordpress Blog?
February 21, 2019, 11:28:40 PM
Today, suddenly my desktop computer and cellphone get an empty Wordpress blog when I go to www.2strokeworld.net.  I was able to access this site on the desktop computer and phone until this afternoon.

Luckily my laptop still gets to this site.  I e-mailed Mark.

The tough part is, for anyone else getting the empty Wordpress blog, if they don't have Mark's e-mail address how will they let him know?
#34
I compared the measurements of a set of unused swingarm bushings I bought from Doug at Moto Carrera with this set on E-bay.  My set has different dimensions.  Measurements for mine are:

- Length 40mm
- Thickness 28mm
- Flange width 34mm
- Inside diameter 22mm

Conclusion - the E-bay bushings are not for RD350 / RD400 unless the bushings I received from Doug are not sized properly, which seems unlikely.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/JAPAN-BRASS-SWING-ARM-BUSHING-SET-YAMAHA-RD350-RD400-I-THINK-SEE-PICS/372607886938

#35
This poll is several years old, at least it provides info for jetting Yamaha twins.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cWqeS9eIAdSZYOhNPKVySceG4PFovT54PIcUks58OpM/edit#gid=0
#36
Turning Wrenches / VForce V384A reeds
February 11, 2019, 02:23:42 PM
Our extinct forum had a discussion of VForce V384A reeds for Yamaha twins.  I bought a set and can't find any discussions on the 'net for installing 384A reeds on RD400's and RD350's.  I put a set of reeds up to an RD400 intake and they won't go all the way in.  Looks like I'll need a set of reed spacers.  I would rather not take a chance on grinding the ports to fit the reeds.

Please share your VForce reed info here.
#37
Turning Wrenches / PWK28 jetting for RD400
February 11, 2019, 12:00:39 AM
I have a set of PWK28's that I intend to put on an RD400 with chambers.  PWK owners please share your jetting knowledge.
#38
General Chatter / Glad to have 2strokeworld back
February 10, 2019, 06:02:49 PM
I'm so glad the site is back in its new form!  I have several RD's to put on the road and look forward to the useful information about assembly, jetting etc.

Here's a pic of my 1973 H1 with an H2 motor.