NEW PROJECT NOT A HONDA !!!!!!!!!

[kramit]

Tools said you guys were not a bunch of snobs, and that this area were it said "Everything but 750"S"
was the place to post other  topics. Well I had a brother that passed away about 15 years  ago and ,
he left my 1 brother with a Kaw-H1 triple, and me with a 1975 RD350 Yamaha. I would have loved to had the Kaw- 500--triple. But I have not rode this in about 8 years, mainly because the bike is not very large ,and I am !!! My ass is a little large for the seat.  lets go on Please try to get that image out of your head. I know some of you older gentlman on this site will remember this bike It was a "Rice Burner" 2 cycle oil was fed from pump to cyclinder for  lubrication. These RD350 bikes  are sought after in INDIA they will pay big money for these bikes. I wish I knew someone from India I would sell it. This bike was known as the crotch rocket back in the 70'Ts. It also was hailed as the "750 killer" now dont,t go ballistics guys I have a Honda 750 also,but not a 70 model. The story goes the RD350 guys would go into a bar, and find CB750
owners and bet them beers That they could beat them in a quarter mile run, sure enough  The 750 riders always had to buy the beers. Check the internet to confirm stories. Well anyway they would never beat the 750's on a longer than 1/4 mile race and especilly with my ass on it. This is not to make 750 owners mad, but I am trying to get this old RD350 Yamaha back on the road.

Again I hope I did not offend anybody !!!
Kramit

[TOOLS1]

Oh man it's been too long since I smelled Castrol burning
Love those expansion chambers, and clubmans. that bike is set up to hunt for free beer
I remember riding those little beasts. Yes they would give 750's fits back in the 70's.
The Kawasaki triples are pretty neat bikes, but lack symmetry. I mean 3 cylinders.
However it is sad to hear about your brother, but I think he left you a pretty nice bike to remember him by.
TOOLS

[LukeM]

Think of this place as a motorcycle forum, with a focus on Honda CB750s of DOHC and SOHC configuration.  We all like bikes.  I no longer own a 1979 CB750, but I'll still camp here.  I like the people, and I think I can contribute to meaningful discussion.  I have a Haynes manual for anyone's reference.

Me personally, I'd love a nice mid 70s CB350 twin.  Right now, I just got my 84 Shadow running this weekend, after almost 9 months without a ride.  It's interesting feeling the thump of a VTwin, versus the machinelike whine/hum of the DOHC 750.  Either way it's good fun.

We look forward to seeing your project as it progresses.  Pictures are good and stories are even better.

Luke M

[lcochran]

No snobs here! Ive got a passion for all motorcycles.  I drive a cb750, but my pops left me a 42 Harley when he passed. and this summer i'm gonna be driving a 66 Vespa to get some great gas mileage!

RIDE ON

[kramit]

Thanks for looking at the bike Tools - The bike is in nice shape - a lot easier to rebuild these carbs then the
4 on my cb750c  - I am attaching a picture of a RD that was on the internet which is done as a cafe" racer I love the look of this - wish I had money they have in this 1 !



Kramit

[kramit]

Luke thanks for the nice welcome I appreciate it I am still trying to navigate around, I agree I was talking to Tools 1, and I go on the internet at night I look at all types of bikes, crotch rockets,touring, cafe'
old bikes, anything on two wheels. One thing I enjoy we have vintage bike night once a month at a local
resturant were everyone meets to show off their bikes. You mentioned your 84 Honda shadow I like the sound of the twin cyclinder bikes, and they start when you hit the button, my bike is cold natured,but once it starts I am good for the day. I also when I was young had a cb350 Honda, it was gold, and black,and rode it around the yard all day, never had any mechanical problems. well I am glad your back on the road again after 9 months, hope to hear from you again ! Luke


Kramit

 

[kramit]

lcochran I'm glad no snobs here !!!  If we all had Vespa's we could say "GOODBY" to those high gas Prices,
that should get at least 70 mile a gallon. If everybody bought only gas at the convenience store, no lottery tickets,cigaretts,doughnuts,milk,eggs,newspaper,snacks,those hot dogs that roll on the rollers all day long,
we could bring gas prices down. The only thing you buy is gas, and leave!!get your coffee, and all the other items from a 24 hour all night store which there is usually 1 or so on your way in to work, or on your way home. If the convenience store can not make money inside then they might have lower prices outside at the pump, or go out of business. OK !!!!!!!! now that I solved the gas crises, lets talk about that 42 Harley does it need restored, or or just cleaned up. I like harley's but they are way out of my price range the only Harley I can afford would be the 883 SPORTSTER, and it looks smaller than my cb750c. That would be a nice summer project to work on while you are saving all that gas money, you will be able to have a couple of extra bucks to restore your Harley. HA!! HA!! we all know that will never happen, just when you have extra money, someone, or something comes up and !!!!!!!!!! "POOF IT's GONE".

Thanks for letting me vent.
Kramit

[LukeM]

Oh...did I mention when my original Avenger broke its cam chain, I was motoring around the city and the neighborhood on my wife's 2004 Honda Metropolitan?  Ever travel at a top speed of 37 mph?  On an orange juice colored scooter, no less. :-)

I have to admit.  It's fun to ride.  You have to plan ahead due to the lack of power (maybe 5 hp max), but 100+ mpg is hard to argue with.  Nice to know I'm not the only scooter rider on the forum.

Luke M

[lcochran]

ah on that vespa i should get better than 70mpg(im dreaming here).
The 1942 harley is a WLA, military issued, drab green, its mainly original with some work done on the engine.  it has a sidecar that we aren't sure of its origin. My dad always liked it in its unrestored condition, it has character that way, so i intend to just prevent rust, and ride the hell out of it.  I wont ever sell the thing, both uncle's lay claim to it if I for some reason cant keep it lol

I found out im off friday(good friday), so i'll be pulling it out and going thru it too get it back running.  I'll post some pictures then! :)

[TOOLS1]

My Grand Father had 5 of them shot out from under him in WWII. He was a dispatcher for Gen. Patton. Can't wait to see the pictures.
TOOLS

[lcochran]

ah thats what i love about old bikes.  Endless stories you encounter every time your out riding.
...i use to own one when i was 15
...ran from the cops on one of those once

[LukeM]

Since we're reminiscing...

I got started messing with motorcycles back in the early 70s.  A friend of mine acquired a late 60s Triumph Bonneville 650.  It was bored out a bit (.030 if I recall), but everything else was stock.  He drove it home from the previous owner, after we push started it with an almost dead battery.

Got it home, and eventually over the next few months, we got it running more or less reliably.  I have not so fond memories of the starting procedure:  Key on, tickle the choke, crank the kick starter until you feel compression pushing back on your foot, throttle held just slightly open, and KICK with all your might.  Repeat this process 5-6 times until the engine coughs to a lumpy idle.  Adjust choke as the engine warms up.  After 4 minutes, set choke off and get on and ride.  Once you got it running, it was a very sweet bike to ride.

When I got my CB750 and cleaned and adjusted the carbs, the starting sequence was much shorter: Choke out halfway, clutch in, crank for 3 seconds, close choke after a minute, get on and ride.  I hesitate to think what the new fuel injected bikes start like. :-)

Luke M

[kramit]

Lets go back when I built my first minibike-back then there was no power wheels,or powered scooters,
when every kid had a bike but no motor. I was always tinkering with lawn mower motors, the BRIGSS &
STRATTON engines that you had to wind the ropes on to the pulley everytime to try to start engine.
I can remember the blisters on my hand from pulling the rope so many times. I did not have a clutch
on my minibike it was direct chain drive just turn the throttlle and it would go faster. Then I got the idea
to run besides the minibike, and once it started jump on and ride, well that was STUPID once it started being direct drive it took off to fast, but I held on and lost most of my skin on both kneecaps. I even
put a mcculloch chainsaw engine on 1 minibike, talk about scary fast, watch out for sewer lids hidden
in tall grass they make you stop really quick !!! "I am starting to feel my age now" if I could only figure
out how to motorize this walker. "ONLY KIDDING"


Kramit

[kramit]

I thought I was done talking but I mentioned that every kid had a bike,but only rich kids had the
"SCHWINN STINGRAY" Holy S---T , These were like no other bicycle I had ever seen the colors
were not regular colors, they were Brite !!! Lime green,purple,gold,with small metallic flakes of silver
in the paint, they had a long seat called a bananna seat,some had a stick shift to change gears,
and a tall sissybar on back of seat. These were choppers without motors, and you could buy all kind
of accessories such as a slick for back tire. Oh I forgot the had APE HANDLE BARS. I hated those rich
kids, I had 9 brothers, and sisters in the family, " YES THAT 10" and there was no way that I would
ever be able to afford a bike like that. They now make a new version of the "STINGRAY" but it is like when the came out with the new "Honda 750" it had look that no other motorcycle on the market had, and
all motorcycle companies would try to imitate.

Are you feeling old yet !!!
Kramit

[lcochran]

ha good stories.  The first bicycle i ever owned and learned to ride(2.5 years old, no training wheels :)) was a 77 Schwinn stingray in blue, but im only 21 now, so it was old when i get it and i still own it today.

I begged and begged for a dirt bike, mini bike, go kart, any of the three every birthday and christmas every year until i was 13, finally got one that i spent more time fixing and pull starting than riding! But i managed to make a track from the back yard up the front driveway to the front yard all in our small city lot. cuz boy was i told to stay out of that road haha.

Then Razor scooters got really popular and ofcourse every kid wanted one, well my parents weren't going to spend $100 on one, so went and bought a $20 dollar POS at some yard sale. Well it just wasnt cool enough.
So i took my desk fan all apart, nothing but the motor, power cord, pushbutton speeds 1-2-3, and i was gonna make my scooter motorized.  So a little bit of duct tape and a splice of the wires i was convince i could attached my fan to one of the batteries in our basement closet and be buzzing right along.

With a loud POP, I soon learned the difference in AC and DC electric motors. i was 11 years old.

[kramit]

Hold on to that bike ,my brother sells stingray parts on EBAY, he works for sears, and when he goes down in basements to work on furnace, he will sometimes find a old stingray, and buy for a few bucks. I know what you mean wanting anything that had a motor,I bet your neighbors loved hearing that dirt bike engine
reving up and down all day. sometime you wonder how you survived doing all that crazy stuff !!!!!!!!
Now every toy is motorized, my grandaughter has a pink power wheel Mustang. When I was young I had to pedal everywere I went, but thats ok I do not think I would look good driving that pink Mustang !!!!!


Kramit

[TOOLS1]

I had the Cheery Picker
But I sure wasn't rich Never got a moped But at the age of 12. I got a job outside of town working on a farm. I would ride my Mom's 72 CB 350 out to the farm to work. Was not long before I would buzz through town after work to Grandma's house. then to the drive in for a hamburger, and fries. By the time I was 13 I was riding around town like I had a license Never did get stoped
TOOLS

[kramit]

Tools 1 shure makes you wish for the good old days when we did not have any responsibility,and nothing mattered but having fun !!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am starting to get depressed were is my 'PROZAC". Hey guys you got to help me out . My wife has been wanting to get her breast enlarged, and I am catching a lot of flack about spending $ 10,000.00 for the procedure. I keep telling her we do not have that kind of money, mabey
I could buy a new bike with that kind of money, why spend it on enlarging her breast!! I told her why don't
you just rub them both with toilet paper. "She said what in the hell is that supposed do" I said I don't know
honey but it worked on your ass !!!!!!!!!

Here is were I need your help guys I am still locked up out in the mini barn, And I need someone to get me out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kramit

[TOOLS1]

I would try to help you out, but I would probably get you divorced
I was going to suggest a new wife with bigger ones, But you could do what me, and my future ex wife did. Separate apartments/hoses 4 years of wedded bliss now
TOOLS