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New arrival - '77 RD400D bitsa


DirtyDT
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This is the story.

I took the SV for it's MOT today (it passed again). Sitting outside the workshop was a tired and unloved yellow Yami. While I was waiting for the MOT I got talking to the shop owner who said it was up for sale at about £1 a cc. I know I have enough bikes, the YA-6 is still only semi stripped but the bike kept calling me. I dropped the SV off home and quickly spoke to my beautiful better half :love: . She basically said ".....if you want it, buy it....." so off I went to the bike shop again to find out a little more about the bike.

Bad points

No papers for it

No keys for it

Just about everything needs to be stripped and worked on

Good points

It looks about complete

It is not seized

Although useless it has 1 1/2 rear sets and what looks like some knackered microns on it

The shop would deliver it

So it was down to the price. That sorted I am now - well I will be Tuesday when they deliver it - the proud owner of a RD400 :hyper:

I think it is the 1878 D model but the only other RD I have owned was a RD250 so I am open to other suggestions on the model and year.

Here she is

RD4001.JPG

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Congratulations mate!, looks like a nice winter project. dose it start / want to start?

Good luck with it. ;)

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I don't have a clue about it starting to be honest Noise. I brought it with a little "blind love" and no alcohol was involved. I will go over it when it gets delivered.

For the money I paid for it I can't go far wrong!

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Yer when i wrote that about it starting i then remembered you said it aint got any keys so how would you know haha.

Yer cant see how you going to get shafted with it as it was a steel!

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I am not sure about the 1978 bit yet Tommy.

I do also have a 1965 YA-6, that is really old.

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foamy pays more than that just for the alcohol!! although he does recycle the cardboard packs into lovely cardboard tanks whoops sorry I mean tail peaces. :hah:

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Bargain mate! I agree with Tommy - yellow and black is the best colour combo. When the woman says "if you want it, buy it....." she wants something thats double/triple the purchase price of the bike for the house haha! Good luck with the tear down.

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Ha ha guys. Some funny comments and thanks for the positive comments. Competition yellow is the best colour, I totally agree.

I woke up this morning thinking "what have I done". I know it was a bargain but at the moment I am wondering what to do with it. I guess I can have a good look around it on Tuesday when they drop it off and then decide.

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Well done DT, I know just how you felt about it, same happened with the Suzuki's I bought, except I bought them and THEN told the wife!! Just been out and bought 2 new sofas she wanted so you WILL be going shopping shortly!!! I like the Yellow to, will be a great looking little bike when you get it sorted, if it's got the original ignition barrel on it then you can probably start it with a bent nail and lots of swearing.

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............... When the woman says "if you want it, buy it....." she wants something thats double/triple the purchase price of the bike for the house haha!.....................

Well done DT, I know just how you felt about it, same happened with the Suzuki's I bought, except I bought them and THEN told the wife!! Just been out and bought 2 new sofas she wanted so you WILL be going shopping shortly!!!...................................

Well guy's, I am lucky like that. I have a good other half now. She always has my back.

We have just had some building work on the house just finished but the house is for both of us so I benefit too. I still have to do some painting, wallpapering and run in a little plumbing for the utility machines but that is fine with me.

It's been a bit of a tough year so far. We haven't been able to have a family holiday yet and have had to put the first one we had booked back twice until later in the year due to family reasons. Work has been, and still is, manic. Apart from the RD now, I still need to carry on with the YA and I ordered a new chain and sprocket kit and the stuff to service the SV so that needs to be done as well at some point.

............ if it's got the original ignition barrel on it then you can probably start it with a bent nail and lots of swearing.

I think the key has snapped in the ignition but I can always just short out the wiring from the ignition multiplug to see what happens. I have a wiring diagram.

In reality I just hope there is an old tax disk on the bike or something under the seat that gives me a reg number so I don't have to go through getting it re registered on an age related plate. Either way I am not really fussed. It cost me £375 including the delivery so I can't complain.

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The bike turned up early (today). Looks like I have a bitsa. It could be a 400 with a 250 engine. pretty gutted but it just means that I have more work to do - and a RD400 complete engine to buy.

Looks like the frame and stuff is a 1977 D model.

More pictures to follow.

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could always break it? :P

That would be the last resort Steve.

Just getting any info from the DVLA now. If it is registered, great. If it is stolen - I have a receipt and will get my cash back, just hope it is not written off - gulp.

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Thanks to Paul Dawkins, who is a member on this forum as well as being on the aircooledrdclub forum, I have found out that:

The bike is not showing as nicked or written off and probably hasn't been on the road for a while.

I can get away with just changing the top end and oil pump to get it back into 400 trim - I may just buy another engine anyway.

Loads I need to check such as, are the carbs 400 or 250 (if there is a difference) and stuff like that.

Anyway. More pictures;

RD4002.JPG

RD4003.JPG

RD4004.JPG

RD4005.JPG

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still a bargain methinks

restore or modded? the choice is yours

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looks great even if it is a bitsa, few days work and some TLC and you will have great little bike, for what you paid still a best bargain.

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You wil need a complete 400 lump mate, crankcases are different , stroke is longer, 400 barrels do not go on a 250 bottom end , but if you can find a decent set of older 350 barrels that is feasible, take a look at the Project X 350 conversion on the RD forum

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