Wheelies

i was never much of a wheelie guy all the years i’ve ridden. accidentally popped the clutch a few times on my 1978 Vespa PX125 with mixed results. kept both wheels on the road on the 1978 Suzuki GS550e, 1981 Moto Guzzi Monza, 1978 Kawasaki SR650, 1994 Honda CBR F2, 1982 Honda Silverwing, and anyone else’s bike i borrowed. i ride like a maniac but kept my body parts, bikes and driving record mostly intact. my lifestyle and riding style i’d describe as “sustainably reckless.”

now i’m a novice two-stroke vintage yamaha RD400 wheelie enthusiast. whoo hoo! that is some good stuff right there. it’s therapy in seconds. i can turn a bad mood or crappy day around with a twist of the wrist. a quick check for a clear path and no cops get get it to 6000 rpm and bring the front wheel up to eye level. practice is required to get good at anything and in many cases, like making babies, practicing is fun. it can also be fun to watch.

RD400 Timing…How To

“Speed Kills…the blues.”

that’s what i read at the end of the timing guide written and illustrated by a badass.

it’s true.

as sure as the sun.

that, and wheelies.

the phrase is derived from a thing i found on the internets while searching for how to properly do the timing on an RD400. the haynes manual grazes the subject in a matter-of-fact way that made no sense. the service manual and owner’s manuals were similarly vague. finally, i discovered an obscure geocities website that succeeded where the yamaha corporation and hayne’s publishing had failed.

i went to do the timing recently and thought i’d remember the procedure but realized i needed a refresher. a quick search through old bookmarks for the link to the timing guide revealed it was no longer available. the site had expired and been abandoned.

fortunately there’s the wayback machine and i was able to recover the data. after this scare i’ve decided to combine all the useful stuff i’ve found on the subject and build a cohesive timing section on this site. until that’s ready i offer geocities spoomym’s guide to timing your RD:

Timing the bike…

Ok, heres a quick schematic to timing your bike. I used the spec 2mm btdc, because
it is easy to type. Your spec may be different, refer to the tune up
section of your repair manual. If you don’t have one, go buy one before
proceeding. Not following reccomended specs CAN cause your motor to be damaged severely unless motor is modified.
If this is the case, consult a specialist or pay somebody to do it for you.
Ok… now to the meat. First .. SET YOUR POINT GAP TO SPEC!!!

A quick bit of info on timing: if your timing is found to be too advanced, to adjust, move the points in the direction of the normal crank rotation. On RD’s, this is counter clockwise as you look at the left hand side of the motor.
If your timing is too far retarded (firing too late, not slow to learn stuff), move points in opposite direction of normal crank rotation.
To sum up:
To advance timing, move points plate clockwise.
To retard timing, move points plate counter-clockwise.

This is also a diagram for setting points, if you have electronic, the method is the same, but depending upon bike & unit, it may be set differently. Consult manual/directions.

*the following diagrams are in sequential order as a slideshow. they clearly describe how to read the dial gauge, find TDC, explanations for relevant details and more…

Sharing is good

i’ve been in the throws of a relationship with RD400s that is so deep i often lose perspective. i forget all rational sense and allow myself to be whipped like a lovesick teenager being led around by the ‘nads. my friends put up with my familiar lament and are patient with my moods. the girlfriend does her best to convince herself  that she’s okay with spending date night in the garage inhaling noxious fumes.

i am grateful for the people my life that tolerate my irrational pursuit.

i’m also grateful for these folks that post invaluable commiserations online. it’s time i express this gratefulness and share some gems i’ve found…

• the quintessential timing guide that recently disappeared from the internet…i have tracked it down and saved it for all:
  http://www.geocities.com/spoomym/timing/timing.html
• more timing:
  http://rd400.petercamburn.com/2008/08/25/homemade-2-stroke-timing-kit/
• kawasaki triples forum with great RD info:
  http://kawasakitriplesworldwide.com/
• piston slap?
  http://www.advrider.com/
• electronic ignition:
  http://www.aircooledrdclub.org.uk/

Broken Down

Three RD400s in the garage that aren’t running. One is a 1976 parts bike, a.k.a future track bike, torn down to the frame. Her picked over carcass has provided many great things and she still has meat to give. The other 1976 is intact. Blows massive clouds of heavy smoke out her right tailpipe and rattles like a bucket of rocks, but she’s all there.

Ripe for a rebuild top to bottom, she was my first RD and her name was Desirée. I get a little misty when I think of all the good times we had. The countless hours we spent together in the garage. Wrenching on her was slightly more fun than a sharp stick in the eye, but when she ran great the feeling was indescribable. I’ve kept her green tank and sides to someday resurrect her for the track. Tuned and polished with performance parts and super-sonic fast. Doll her up properly and bring her out on the weekends to have the boys gather around and give that princess the attention she deserves.

Seizure

Desdemona, the 1977 saucy redheaded homewrecker. She came along and I all but abandoned Desirée. I felt bad about the breakup but it didn’t bother me too much until recently.

Desdemona had a seizure. It happened on the freeway a few weeks ago. It was a warm, sunny day and I found myself on a stretch of fresh asphalt with no traffic. A thorough scan for “five-o” revealed none in the area. I opened her up in 5th gear and tached over 7,000 real quick. Gave the clutch a split second squeeze as a formality and shifted into 6th gear. I slid back on my sear, kicked the rear pegs down and hugged the tank. It was glorious.

I kept a little left on the throttle until I over 7,500 and went for it. The needle clocked 105 mph and I decided that was plenty. No need to push my luck. I dropped the throttle and the roaring 2-stroke symphony quieted.

In hindsight, I realize my mistake. It was hot and suddenly the amount of fuel and oil that’d been pouring into the cylinders had dropped. The precious mix of combustible lubricant was insufficient to keep that swollen piston moving. I’m not sure if I heard it first or felt it. A disturbance in the force, a vibration, something triggered my reflexes just in time. My fingers were on the clutch by habit and I pulled it before anything locked up. But the damage was done. The left side wasn’t firing and I coasted to the side of the road.