Might EFI my 1976 RD400 this winter

[Striker1423]

ooooo

[rd400canuck]

I really had no choice but to sell my beloved F150 and get this electric car. I was burning $800 per month in fuel and that alone more than covers the loan payment on this car. charge it at night for .08 cents a kw and it costs me around $10 per 500km (310  miles) range. No il changes and really no maintenance, ive touched the brake peddle twice in a week so im assuming brakes are gonna last forever.

[Striker1423]

don't forget the brakes allow for regeneration a bit. so mileage will go up some when you actually use the brakes.

[m in sc]

how's towing, if any, capabilites with those? I'm serious, i have no idea. 

[Brad-Man]

don't forget the brakes allow for regeneration a bit. so mileage will go up some when you actually use the brakes.

Actually, regeneration occurs without touching the brake pedal.

[rd400canuck]

thats the reason i never touch the brake pedal... you modulate regen with the throttle peddle. It's one peddle driving and you learn when to lay off and can regen it brake to a stop.

It has a hitch and can tow 3500lbs.

I think the car has equivalent of 450hp and thats as soon as you press the peddle. instant torque and it pulls so hard I have to put it in "chill" mode so it behaves more calmly.

[m in sc]

good to know in the towing... that matters to me.  The rest i know is good, congrats. 

[SoCal250]

$0.08/kWh?! Wow they're practically giving it away in Canada. Here it's over $0.40/kWh

[rd400canuck]

$0.08/kWh?! Wow they're practically giving it away in Canada. Here it's over $0.40/kWh

holy crap! I dont think mine goes that high even during peak rates. For me it's .08 or .09 cents from 7pm to 7am.

[rd400canuck]

Hello again, I'm back.

Had to disappear for a year and a half... got leukemia 20 years ago, did chemo and bone marrow transplant but I still have issues, nothing that will kill me off but still a massive nuisance.

Still have all the parts for EFI project but I dont really have the strength and drive to tackle it now. I sold all my bikes and sled as well. Was about to sell the RD but decided not to. Was worried once my health returns Id regret it because Id never find another stock RD, and here we are.. Im feeling better and thank god I didnt let it go.

Im not going down the EFI road now.. just dont have the energy and as much as Id love to dig my teeth into that project and I dont fancy being in the garage touching gas and breathing it.

Last mod I made to bike was replacing the HPI ignition with a Vape unit. The ignition curve on the HPI was amazing, the bike really pulled so much harder but I didnt like the tiny weightless flywheel and lack of flywheel effect. I had to keep the idle up as well so it could tick over and it smoked worse at red lights. The vape flywheel makes the bike feel so much better and smoother to me, I really love it. Also the wattage the Vape puts out keeps everthing bright and flicker free.

Now my big plan is getting the heads doweled to cylinders and the head's squish corrected to 1mm (I think is the safe norm) and chambers milled to keep a sane compression ratio. Once that's done I will set out to dial in an ignition curve. Im going to keep everything else stock.. aside from sprockets.. I really wished I had taller gearing to settle the revs a little especially when it had ign curve cause it felt like it had more than enough torque to do it without struggling. Dropping them by 750rpm in 6th would be nice.

The plan is to go through the motor this winter and make sure all is well and fix a small oil leak that was there since I rebuilt everything 3 years ago. I think its coming from the shifter rod or counter sprocket shaft. Im still on fence about completing my home made dyno to tune in ign curve... I may just find a dyno shop in town and pay to use it. Depends on what energy I have. Tbh when I had the bike attached to it, running on one cylinder, during testing it scared the crap out of me. Or, I may just plug in a "safe" ign curve like the one the HPI has and call it a day.

So, I'll start with quesiton #1... Who has had squish and chambers volumes done and was it worth it? Noticeable benefits? And if so.. any suggestions where I can send cyls and heads to get them doweled and squish corrected?

Thanks again everyone.
John 

[m in sc]

thats a lot to unpack, sorry you had to deal w all this.

as far as heads.. man, good q. maybe ed toomey or wicked motorsports? it def helps.

[rd400canuck]

thats a lot to unpack, sorry you had to deal w all this.

as far as heads.. man, good q. maybe ed toomey or wicked motorsports? it def helps.

ya i wrote a book there lol

Thanks for those suggestions. I will contact them and get that ball rolling.

[STLMike]

Damn, Sorry to hear about your health. But, I like your attitude! Sounds like you've rebounded pretty well.
I, too have returned to this forum after a long hiatus. I had an R5, now back with an RD. These bikes never leave the memory.

[pidjones]

Small oil leak - get an LED UV flashlight (Amazon or ebay) and look for it in a darkened garage. I found a leak on mine from a blanking plug that would not stay seated. Finally cleaned all and coated the OD of the seal with Hondabond - no leaks since.

[sav0r]

EFI, no EFI. Who cares? Glad you're back!