New project...

Message

Greg · #1 Post by **Greg** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:34 am

4Lo, sadly not matching, but it's a runner and passed its MOT yesterday. Irt's what they call a rolling restoration I think...

BikerGran · #2 Post by **BikerGran** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 12:07 pm

Lovely!

Willopotomas · #3 Post by **Willopotomas** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 6:14 pm

coor!

fatboy · #4 Post by **fatboy** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:28 pm

I hated them when they were new, all the young scrotes going on about an engineering first, then you tell them that the Scott Flying Squirrell did it all in 1932...
It is actually a sexy little number, glad its gone to a good home

blinkey501 · #5 Post by **blinkey501** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 9:34 pm

Yum yum

#6 Post by **mangocrazy** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 9:36 pm

Looking good! Makes me feel guilty about not doing anything with mine. There's something special about an original Elsie...

Greg · #7 Post by **Greg** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 10:29 pm

Well, there's still a bit of work to do ... Now I don't know whether it's because I've grown up a bit, or that I'm used to the Falco - yes, it's probably that - but it doesn't go as well as I thought it would. At low revs it's a bit woolly and fluffy, but once it hits the magic 5 it's away like a scalded cat.

Actually the first time I rode it I almost shit myself - bear in mind that the last time I rode anything like this was my old YR5 back in Seventysomethingtime, it was a revelation to be on a small bike, and one that wobbles when you think about steering rather than responding to input like a bigger bike...

It's tiny by comparison to the Falco of course, a bit like riding a moped, albeit quite a fast one... but I think it will be fun.

One of the first questions I was asked after the MOT is "How much do you want for it.." I think I may have to get used to hearing this... (although gawd only knows what it will be like when I roll the RG out...!)

I'm on holiday for a few days next week, but it should have a decent coat of paint and a nice fresh set of decals shortly after that.

Watch this space!

D-Rider · #8 Post by **D-Rider** » Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:50 pm

mmmmm elsie

A mate of mine had one back in the day but was only a 250 in white.
It was fun though.

fatboy · #9 Post by **fatboy** » Thu Mar 23, 2017 7:14 pm

It is actually impossible to deny that the RD series produced more than a few hooligans.....
Being able to ride an RD250 on 'L' plates...madness, then someone wrapped a waterjacket around it, more thrashable

I will stick my neck out here and say I think they are more iconic that the previous kettles

HisNibbs · #10 Post by **HisNibbs** » Thu Mar 23, 2017 8:51 pm

Raced a 250lc for a couple seasons in the early 80's I guess. Great bikes but could get a bit wobbly at times. Always fancied the 350 ...

Greg · #11 Post by **Greg** » Fri Mar 24, 2017 7:03 pm

I wrote to the DVLA or whatever they were called back in the day and told them that my YR5 was a 250 not a 350.. They didn't check and the papers came back as a 250, so on went the 'L' plates and I had the fastest 'YDS7' in town!

JeanLucRidehard · #12 Post by **JeanLucRidehard** » Sat Mar 25, 2017 5:31 pm

Lovely looking machine, the sir

spiderwheels · #13 Post by **spiderwheels** » Sat Mar 25, 2017 7:58 pm

Very jealous. I had a 12 year old 250LC with a Bob Farnham Stage 1 porting job that could crack a wopping 115 indicated but I kept blowing it up.

Good luck with the project!

#14 Post by **mangocrazy** » Sat Mar 25, 2017 11:21 pm

Greg wrote: At low revs it's a bit woolly and fluffy, but once it hits the magic 5 it's away like a scalded cat.

5K? Mine only came alive at about 6500 rpm... But it was one of the very first shipped into the country and had to have its carbs drilled before I could ride it away. I also got a free Bell helmet in matching colours for having to wait so long for the bike.

I believe later ones carburated a lot better than the very first ones off the boat.

Greg · #15 Post by **Greg** » Sat Mar 25, 2017 11:24 pm

Well, we're in the early stages so far - the bike itself is complete as I said before, but I think it's a bit of a FrankenYam in that there are a lot of repro items on there.
Stuff like the headlamp bowl and rim, rear footrests and indicator bodies., are Chinese copies and the handlebars aren't right, but these can all be replaced in time. Original stuff though is very very scarce and can get quite dear as the same stuff is being chased by loads of guys doing exactly what I am.. Here's a prime example - the rear passenger grabrail - not much to look at but as rare as hen's teeth. there were three scabby ones on Ebay last week that went for over 40 notes, and a re-chromed one that sold for over £80.00.
The only one since then has just come up and I grabbed it - a presentable original chrome one - for £55.00. My logic there was that even if I could get a rough one it would cost over £40.00, then probably 25 quid for a quick re-chrome that last a couple of years (don'e ask me how I know this...) before it starts to pop... So now I have a nicely patina'd example for less than I'd have paid for a nasty one plus re-chroming...

Yesterday I picked up a can of 2k black plus a litre of satin clear - there's enough black to do two bikes - so I could go for an OE resto of the RD plus a satin black 'stealth' job on the Falcuono...

Decisions, decisions...