To expansion pipe or not?

[RDryan]

I do like those JL Retros. They got just the right look and I would like to keep the center stand so that's a bonus. I do have the Vape ignition and that was money well spent. I don't know too much tuning wise to make it work any better as far as adjusting the ignition curve with the Zeel although it's nice to know it's there. However I'm excited. Honestly I got the Vape the same time I got the DG's and really just did too many things at once so I'll be curious to see how far out of whack the jetting is when I finally have the stock pipes back on.

I find the RD's to be an interesting bike to look at. It's funny I've been approached by strangers with compliments on the bike and a few have said it reminded them of something from the fifties or sixties. I think that maybe something to do with the chrome fenders and tail light/bracket As well as the headlight and it's bracket. Although it is very much a seventies bike in terms of styling I can where the untrained eye would see it as much older bike, a throwback to the English bikes. In that regard I find the RD's to be a bit polarizing with all there chrome. One of my buddies even suggested there's too much chrome and possibly painting the chrome bits black which would probably play a whole lot better with something like the DG pipes. I guess where I wasn't planning on doing a repaint and just living with it's current "survivor look" I feel the original pipes will be my cheapest and most sensible best looking and I hope best performing direction for this bike.

So a few weeks ago and what kinda prompted me to take action with putting the pipes back on was that I accidently had parked the bike on some unlevel parking lot with not enough lean on the side stand. This is partly due to the HVC stand bracket mod giving the bike less lean onto the stand. Well unfortunately after a second or two at rest the bike fell on over on her right side, I was bummed. Not too much damage, bent the brake lever, scuffed up the brake reservoir cap, put the head light brackets all outta whack and bent, put a small dimple in the right front turnsignal chrome bezel and of course smashed it's plastic lens to bits. I dunno I know I spent some dough but that was few years ago and I had fun with it doing the chambered pipe thing. It's ok in the scheme of things it wasn't a whole lot of money. I did learn something after the bike fell off the sidestand as when I bought the bike it always had these symetrical strips of paint missing and replaced with ages of rusty patina on the headlight brackets. More than likely because this wasn't the first time she fell off her side stand. I always thought they were present because someone had maybe put and took off some kinda front rack on the bike which doesn't really make as much sense. And that's another question I have where can I get a nice set of original straight headlight brackets?

[RDFL]

The 250's and 350's do look 50's 60's to me (British), wasn't till 400 looked 70's 80's and really 78 for 80's (seat cowl made big difference). The RD60 led the way, don't know why it took Yamaha so long to transfer look to the larger models.

[RDryan]

Yeah I mean I hate to be that guy but it's either all or nothing with these bikes. Seems like you either get the stock look or you start modding them and I can see where a few folks would take the mods to a higher level with the cafe resto mod route and start changing out the seat and eliminating the rear fender with a more fastback look.

[rodneya]

I ran a set of modified DG's for a while. They were a bit beat up after being sandblasted and then stored for about 35 years with the rest of the bike in boxes. I cut off the rear cones because of damage and replace them with new cones, stingers and Tyga silencers. Performance and sound were improved, but you would have to get the pipes really cheap to be worth wile.

Since then the bike has had some major changes and I had to make my own pipes and silencers to make them work.

[m in sc]

this is how the 72 is, not going to change much else aside from getting the seat redone (stock r5, not the rd seat thats on it). The disc conversion was done 15 yrs ago. 

[1976RD400C]

I think I have mentioned this before but in the late '70s we would take our bikes to the local drag strip. I took my stock RD400 and it ran a 14.2. Then I went back the next weekend with my new DGs and a little bigger main jet, 13.7.

[Czakky]

I mean try spending $500 on a four stroke and lose half a second!

[m in sc]

well...

https://store.schnitzracing.com/nx-four-cylinder-motorcycle-ddr-nitrous-system/?sku=62000P&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItI7bkaj18wIVwbyGCh3p4grqEAQYAiABEgJx4vD_BwE

[Czakky]

Touché. Would you like the 15,20,75 or 200hp version?

[85RZwade]

Duh! Why even offer anything besides the 200hp kit?

[RDryan]

I do like those JL Retros. They got just the right look and I would like to keep the center stand so that's a bonus. I do have the Vape ignition and that was money well spent. I don't know too much tuning wise to make it work any better as far as adjusting the ignition curve with the Zeel although it's nice to know it's there. However I'm excited. Honestly I got the Vape the same time I got the DG's and really just did too many things at once so I'll be curious to see how far out of whack the jetting is when I finally have the stock pipes back on.

I find the RD's to be an interesting bike to look at. It's funny I've been approached by strangers with compliments on the bike and a few have said it reminded them of something from the fifties or sixties. I think that maybe something to do with the chrome fenders and tail light/bracket As well as the headlight and it's bracket. Although it is very much a seventies bike in terms of styling I can where the untrained eye would see it as much older bike, a throwback to the English bikes. In that regard I find the RD's to be a bit polarizing with all there chrome. One of my buddies even suggested there's too much chrome and possibly painting the chrome bits black which would probably play a whole lot better with something like the DG pipes. I guess where I wasn't planning on doing a repaint and just living with it's current "survivor look" I feel the original pipes will be my cheapest and most sensible best looking and I hope best performing direction for this bike.

So a few weeks ago and what kinda prompted me to take action with putting the pipes back on was that I accidently had parked the bike on some unlevel parking lot with not enough lean on the side stand. This is partly due to the HVC stand bracket mod giving the bike less lean onto the stand. Well unfortunately after a second or two at rest the bike fell on over on her right side, I was bummed. Not too much damage, bent the brake lever, scuffed up the brake reservoir cap, put the head light brackets all outta whack and bent, put a small dimple in the right front turnsignal chrome bezel and of course smashed it's plastic lens to bits. I dunno I know I spent some dough but that was few years ago and I had fun with it doing the chambered pipe thing. It's ok in the scheme of things it wasn't a whole lot of money. I did learn something after the bike fell off the sidestand as when I bought the bike it always had these symetrical strips of paint missing and replaced with ages of rusty patina on the headlight brackets. More than likely because this wasn't the first time she fell off her side stand. I always thought they were present because someone had maybe put and took off some kinda front rack on the bike which doesn't really make as much sense. And that's another question I have where can I get a nice set of original straight headlight brackets?

Well I spent a better part of yesterday putting the stock pipes back on my little RD250B along with it's new to it centerstand and sidestand. What can I say...she sits just right like remembered her before the DG pipe experience on her sidestand and the centerstand will not only add some significant weight but with the the no nonsense utility that is practically speaking priceless. The bike looks just right aesthetically only because like I said earlier I never invested into a set of rearsets. The sound was remarkably quieter, I forgot how much of a joy these bikes can be this way. Yeah she lost her tooth so to speak but at least the offensive loud droning of a set of chambers is gone when I am mostly cruising behind some traffic anyways cause I do live in a overcrowded seaside suburb of points north of Boston,Ma. Hard to find less traffic unless you ride in the off hours usually early mornings or late in the dark and there's that the RD250 can actually do a bit more than keep up with traffic.

Last but not least it was an event cleaning up the splooge from those chambers all over the front of the engine not to mention some silly shift shaft seal that although replaced even the replacement likes to leave marks. It was also an event installing both the centerstand and sidestand. mostly because of my lack of experience fitting on the return springs and trying to recall how these things were installed with the correct hardware. So mind you she fired up on the first kick, I hadn't changed those Autolite plugs in over a couple thousand miles, absolutely didn't touch the carbs which I think I am running 190 main jets but it's been awhile so I'm not sure about that. The bike ran great with minimal smoking. The stock exhausts seemed to restore a lot pep down low so yeah low end was increased. Seemed like it took a good 15 minutes of backroads riding for her to warm up and wanna pull cleanly above 7k to say 8500 rpms. She did seem to lose a bit of power in the midrange to top end just going by my seat of the pants feel. However that power with this bike seems trivial, I mean she did gain some weight.  :'(but I think with some tuning with what I got this seems a sensible option. If you followed an earlier thread I started about a local to H2 750 for sale well let's just say I got the two stroke bug.  I may never own a Kawi triple but I still love to look for good deals on our kinda bikes. I'm game for a RD350, heck I may even do the conversion to mine but I kinda think it maybe more practical to preserve it as is and have both. I dunno I like the bike stock, although I would add that the Vape ignition system really took this bike to the level it's at. The bike is more forgiving of my ignorance in terms of jetting/engine tuning.

[soonerbillz]

I can't speak on actual experience on chambers vs stock exhaust on a RD350 but John who did my top end bore and porting for my R5 talked to me at length on plus or minus of chambers for my build.
The big question for him was intentions of use. I will be using this bike for town and country riding along with a bit of highway use.
He recommended me staying with stock pipes and did his work accordingly.. his reasoning was as to having a better broad torque band and good low speed response vs a more high strung experience.  I wanted a little better performance but long term reliability is my biggest factor in this particular build. He advised me on some minor carb work, for me to install a Vape ignition and take time to get the jetting correct.
I'm hoping come spring to be on the road here with my R5 and be able to report on whether it all works out.
I have my other R5 I will be building for track days and will be a bit more aggressive in the build..and of course be using chambers.
At that point I'll have a bit more experience and knowledge to share.

[m in sc]

one suggestion is to get rd350 baffles. they flow better than r5 ones.

my old lc hybrid (the estate wagon)  had stock pipes, and was down right quick and an absolute pleasure to ride, i mean it just ripped. The current owner agrees as well.  Had so much torque i put a 17t sprocket on the front an would still wheelie in 1st and second under power. it was ridiculous, but signed off around 8-8500.

[Striker1423]

What a cool bike Mark.

[m in sc]

THANKS.  long story on that one.. i probably should have kept it. But, it has a great home.. as long as it doesn't get crashed on a runway in Alabama like a certain 400 did. ( a few people know this story).