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I've read discussions here about using alarm batteries for RD's. A friend of mine works for an alarm company. He recently gave me two 12V alarm batteries in good shape, changed out after two years from an alarm system.

Today I tried a battery in my H1.  It won't fit sitting in the normal position, however I was able to fit the battery standing on its side with the terminals facing out.  Just went on a spin and it seems okay.  My bike has Jim's Super-Regulator so that the voltage going to the battery shouldn't be too high.

Anyone tried this before on a Kawi triple and have any comments?

A friend asked me for help with his Yamaha HT1 - a bike that I know little about.  The electrical system is 6 volt. The battery is dead.  The Yuasa replacement is 6N2-2A.  Does anyone know of an AGM or alarm-type battery in 6 volts that works for an HT1?  The battery is small and it fits in a tight space.  An even slightly larger battery won't fit in the stock location.

Thanks, Mike

For starters, I met Andrew with his Deals Gap shirt. I said "they are there" this weekend, then he realized I was talking about the 2 stroke guys. Silly me, I thought 2 strokers ruled Deals Gap!  Andrew rides a 2016 50th Anniversary R1.  I said "Oh, that's the one with the Kenny Roberts paint job, right?"  He didn't know who Kenny Roberts is.  I guess I am getting old!

Typically I am the sole 2-stroke rider at Bikes and Coffee in Honolulu. That was true today as well but there were some other interesting bikes!  Paulo and his son rode Japan import VFR400's - 1992 and 1994 models. Paulo also has a 2 stroke project at home in his garage, either an R5 or DS7.

We rode down to Lagoon Drive, next to Honolulu Airport for pictures.  A guy on a Triumph Tiger saw the KH400 and followed us. When we parked, Jake told us he just moved here from Japan and he has a couple of 2 strokes. I believe he said one is a KX500 which is street legal then another is a 50cc Kawasaki.  I'm looking forward to seeing his bikes.  Jake is in the Air Force, he's the big guy in the photos.

Speedchoppy (Tyrone) has an article with photos on BikeBound! Here is the link: https://www.bikebound.com/2023/01/20/yamaha-rd400/

This past weekend we went to a Bikes and Coffee event and his bike caught a lot of attention.  Tyrone's RD400 looks great, sounds great and it has lots of power!

I'm looking for an RD400 centerstand.  They seem to get top $ on the bay.  RD350 centerstands look very similar.  Who can tell me if the centerstands are compatible with both the RD350 and RD400 or not?

I went riding my friend Terry who owns the 1975 CB400F. This is my 1977 RD400 with a mild port job by Ed Erlenbach.  Ed worked on the cylinders 8 years ago and I finally got around to installing them!

Diamond Head, possibly Hawaii's most recognizable landmark, is in the distance behind me.  Diamond Head looks different in this photo because it's looking to the west.  Most pictures of Diamond Head are taken from Waikiki, which would be looking eastward.

I watched this auction, not really needing them but if the price was a deal. In the last 10 seconds the price increased by approximately $150 from two or more bids. Final price $657. Still a good deal for someone who might really want them.  The color is unusual, reddish.

This morning I began mounting intake manifolds and reeds on the '77 RD400. The bolts for the reeds are stainless. I added anti-seize to a bolt and was preparing to thread it into a hole to get the anti-seize in it.  Instead, I dropped the bolt (and its washer, I think) down the hole. The piston was near TDC so the bolt and washer went down in the crankcase.  #$%*!

I pulled the cylinder and found the bolt lying at the top of the crankcase. That was easy. Where was the washer? I couldn't see it and could not get it with a magnetic rod because stainless items are not magnetic.

Neighbor came over and we turned the bike upside down onto towels and cushions. I sprayed brake cleaner, turned the crank many times, sprayed more brake cleaner and no luck. Then I decided to spray water from a hose to try and blast it out. Still no luck as far as I could tell.  I used a torch to heat the crank and dry out the water.  More brake fluid, nothing. 

Did this mean I have to split the engine?  My neighbor came over and we put the bike right side up.  I began picking up the cushions and towels and found the washer!  At what point it came out, I don't know.  I'm not 100% positive that it fell into the crankcase but it seems like the most likely place, since the bolt went into the crankcase.

Now I'm lubricating the crank with 2 stroke oil.  I will install the reeds and intake manifold on the cylinder BEFORE the cylinder goes back on the engine.

Lucky me.  Remember to block the intake ports and other points of entry when you're working on the engine to avoid this type of issue.

I just stumbled on this listing: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/d/san-leandro-1988-nsr250-rothmans-replica/7493319314.html

If I were younger and didn't already have too many bikes, this would be very interesting.

My RD project with low bars could use a shorter than stock speedometer cable.  I did some searching and it appears that all of the RD's have the same length cable, about 36 inches.  Does anyone know of a shorter stock cable that is compatible - maybe 32-33 inches long?  I would rather not order a custom cable from Motion Pro to keep the cost down.

My fender got smashed and it busted all four of the mounting points on the fork lowers.

Anyone have suggestions for repair?  I'm thinking either JB weld or Alumiweld.

Here's another crazy price - $9,000 obo.

I have an RD400 stock gas cap, the key doesn't match the ignition key.  I'd like to remove or disable the tumblers so that any Yamaha key will open the gas cap.  Has anyone tried this?

Before I jam a screwdriver down the lock, does anyone have a great tip on how to open the gas cap without having a key?  The cap is rusty, it's not worth buying a key to match the original lock.

I watched a Youtube video describing how to open Yamaha tank caps, it looked similar to the RD400 cap.  I was unable to get a screwdriver under the cap to push the latch as shown in the video.

Ideas please?

It looks like the circlip and spacer are not available from Yamaha.

The circlip #26 on the parts fiche is p/n 9341065040 according to CMSNL.

The spacer #25 is p/n 9020166585 per CMSNL.

There has to be another circlip for another vehicle of the same size, anybody aware of it?

The spacer I think could be fabricated though it would be easier if someone knows of a suitable matching part.

The washer #28 I have read from a Joe Spooner post can be substituted with an RD400 head gasket, FYI if you didn't already know.

I see Economy Cycle has a seat cover for the RD400E model.  Does anyone have experience/reviews of that cover?

Decades ago I replaced an "E" cover with a '76-'77 cover because it was all I could find.  It worked pretty well, I just had to trim the excess vinyl off the back of the seat.

Attached is a picture of that bike with the new seat cover for reference.  Aloha 808 has that bike now.

I think I am pretty good at changing tires.  Just replaced the tires on my H2 with Lester mags.  Both done with no pinched tubes. 

My new technique is to put Armor All on the beads of the tires.  The beads slide on easier, I make sure not to let the Armor All get on the tread.

RD400's - I have always had problems with these rims.  Front tire - changed it, held air overnight.  In the morning it was flat.  I removed the tube and it had started leaking in the area of where the valve is located.  Removed the tube, installed another and the second time it was good.

Last night I installed a tire and tube on the rear rim.  I inflated and deflated it several times, let it sit overnight and woke up to a flat tire. 

My friend told me about the Baja No Pinch Tire Tool.  It costs about $200 including the adaptor to fit the axles on our older bikes.  That's a lot but I have a lot of tire changing to do in the near future so I sprung for it.

Anyone have thoughts to share about the Baja No Pinch Tire Toll or just changing tires on RD400 rims?

I think every RD I ever owned leaked transmission oil from the shift shaft.  I saw Retroracersteve's product on Facebook.  Found him on E-bay then ordered two of his kits.  He's in the UK. The shipping fee for two kits was the same as the fee for one kit.  I paid $123 - not cheap but if they work I'll be happy not to deal with oil leaks.

Note - I've had a few RD projects for years and none of them are running at this time.  Don't hold your breath waiting for my results, it may take awhile.

I have seen photos of this bike before.  Looks nice but the tank logo and stripes are too high.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/165169647455

I have tried many different LED headlight bulbs over the years.  They are great for reducing electricity use however the brightness generally leaves something to be desired.  I have a bulb on my KH400 bought years ago that works pretty well.  I don't remember the brand and the bulb doesn't have a label. All of the other bulbs are marginal.

E-bay currently sells Auxito brand which looks pretty good.  I'm wondering if anyone here has tried them and can post their thoughts?  I like the most compact designs since the headlight shells on our bikes are small.  Here are some pics from E-bay.  The bulbs generally cost around $15-$20 apiece.