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Gifted Rd350 and 400s - Pondering Cranks and Exhaust in relation to resale value.

5K views 57 replies 7 participants last post by  rdmerhar 
#1 ·
I was given a number of RDs the best 2 76/77 are of the 400 variety. One of which would be considered good to excellent condition with a title the second fair to poor has no title.

The 350 in my evaluation is trash and i am turning that over to another party to hold onto for parts.

The good/excellent condition bike, almost excellent has acid stains on nice solid chrome stock pipes.

Should I re chrome them to keep the bike completely stock? Or should I go the performance route and do chambers? Chambers might be actually be cheaper than the re-chroming. I will have to check. I would think stock would hold more value on resale of this vehicle.

I honestly cant say I want to keep the bike and will probably just repair the nice bike and sell the set.

The crank is suspect for rebuild, it holds pressure on a crank case pressure test up until push up or down on the end of the crank at the magneto taper than promptly leaks. At minimum seals and outer bearings will be needed. I have ordered a full gasket and seal kit. I have considered doing the crank myself, but am concerned about getting this correct on my first attempt without onsite guidance? I have a press but no experience + would need to have spacers and blocking made up for the process.

Who actually rebuilds these things now and if you send them out are they true when you get them back through the mail? No shop around me does anything of this sort.

Yes I have bike 2 but this was clearly not maintained and the crank would not initially turn in the bearings until it sat in wd40.

In spares i received 2 fresh cylinders "in need of paint" and a set of unused wiseco pistons which are noted to be fit to the cylinders. Other than the pistons everything looks stock.

This thing even has a period utility rack and crash bars with alternative foot pegs.

NADA pricing looks a bit crazy. Are those prices for real? Nada is usually good for the 90s and 2000s bikes I have been playing around with.

OK, Who pays 10g for this stuff? 1976 Yamaha RD400C 400 Standard Equipment, Prices & Specs

I have to consider actual value. I don't want to throw away money on a bike I cant say i will keep but don't want to be a wezel dick "see 1974 Honda CB200".
 
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Discussion starter · #7 · (Edited)
Looking at the stock exhaust I don't think there is any way to remove the stains. I started looking at retro chambers and from what I see there is Higgspeed and JL. I like the way the JL set looks. Anyone with real-world experience with either of these?

 
Discussion starter · #14 · (Edited)
i seem to remember a company , and looking at a catolog that made yamaha 4 stroke performance stuff along with the 2 stroke. 1982-84? big bore kits etc.for the seca 750/4 . spec2 also?
Nice pipes that sound great.
SpecII looks to be historic at least the site.

LOL I used to live 20min from this address in La Canada.
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
Did a bit of digging through boxes today. Found a Y-Boot Kit with K&N, clean carbs look stock, new sprockets and chain, and some old car style coils + new points and plugs and an 2t oil pump rebuild kit . Looks like I can get going with some reed blocks, exhaust, I still need to inspect that pesky crank more closly. LOL and some hoses no hoses here so far. Effing skinny Avon tires also.

The B motor spins and seems to have compression. I will have to test it.
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
Not sure there is actually 2 bikes here looks like 1 and some parts. This could have come off either bike. The second engine tests out at 120psi in both cylinders. I need to find a manual what is acceptable compression on these things?
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Discussion starter · #22 ·
The parts bike rear rim looks like it was rear-ended by a car. Could explain the missing parts.

That manual should work for now. I want to get a print manual at some point.

I am starting to like this thing. It has braided lines but the front seems too short for normal bars or is missing the hard line at the caliper. I might be tempted to keep this but think I would want to get some SUMO rims and modern rubber. The skinny Avons makes me nervous!
 
Discussion starter · #26 ·
I think i hit the last box found 2 gauge clusters a perfect one with around 17000 miles and a rough one with around 11000 miles. Bonus in that box was a Clymer manual, Vesrah gasket kit, and new unused hoses. Still might get new hose as I have no idea how old this stuff is.
 
Discussion starter · #28 · (Edited)
Clymer have a compression for it? or did they just copy the OEM manual lol

It's mid late 1970's the heyday of motorcycles.
They don't give a specific reading but state example ranges from 95psi to 130psi. The importance being the difference between the readings over time/miles on a hot engine.
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Discussion starter · #30 ·
It's the kind of engine that is so easy to pull the top end off and actually check the parts, other then the bottom end seals, and those might be toast considering the age of the rubber.
How rusty is everything that you don't want to show it, are we talking barn find under a 3 foot pile of racoon poop bad? I'm still not saying a price until I see it :LOL:
It's Dusty and in a tight spot in storage. Metal dust so I want to be cautious cleaning when I get to it. Turns out it's a 76 the parts are from a blue tank I suspect 77 or 78 but have not verified that. That one is rusty as it was salvaged from sitting out in an open field for years.

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Discussion starter · #38 ·
Ya if you add his labour he probably sunk near 10 grand into it to make it sell for 11, that's why the used parts in a box are only worth about a grand.

More and more I think make it run and use it. Chambers and reed cages and I bet it goes. Put the worse tank and seat on it. Best if I had some funky looking chambers too. Shave the worse seat and do a cheap cover.
 
Discussion starter · #42 ·
Heck no, if that was true then I would never ride a brand new one, I'm not smart enough to do that, I ride em.
Heck no, if that was true then I would never ride a brand new one, I'm not smart enough to do that, I ride em.
If I park my KTM or Aprilia in Downtown Buffalo they get too much attention from the wrong crowd. I am not discussing how they are ridden. The eye for the law and safety is the only mitigating factor on the wrist flexation.
 
Discussion starter · #44 ·
What motorcycle could you safely park in downtown Buffalo without worrying about it being stolen? :unsure:
Maybe if it was engulfed in flames or highly electrified nobody would try to thieve it.
It would have to be a flaming turd. Oddly my VFR never seemed to get the same attention. But it did get backed over by a van. Could have been poor staging for the loading. About 6k from their insurance as they were spotted and reported.
 
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