low priced cylinder/piston kits on eBay

[Still biking]

I know the rumor is that they are crap, but has anyone had any actual experience with these very low cost kits?  see https://www.ebay.com/itm/RD-350-yamaha-cylinders-pistons-kit-1973-1974-1975-new-RD350-cylinder-kit-US/232987337340

[motodreams]

No personal experience but weren't these cast based on the Rajdoot cylinders?  Guys in India buy all my 350 cylinders to avoid using the domestic ones.  Must be pretty bad as with shipping a 350 top end is expensive to deliver there.

[Striker1423]

No personal experience but weren't these cast based on the Rajdoot cylinders?  Guys in India buy all my 350 cylinders to avoid using the domestic ones.  Must be pretty bad as with shipping a 350 top end is expensive to deliver there.

From what I hear, liners pressed in upside down (can slip and fall down causing engine failure, and porting being such that the power was massively reduced per Indian regulation. So, they require work right from the start to make right.

[pdxjim]

Can't speak to the Indian cyls, but if you want cheap pistons, look towards cruizinimage.net.

Pistons are cast in Taiwan but quality is extremely good.  Especially for $45-$60 for the pair.

[Tuck]

Like the old saying goes... You get what you pay for.   Why chance it! 

[2t Fan]

those are not Indian cylinders. No company in India is making RD after market cylinders. These are Chinese (some say Taiwanese) cylinders. It is neither US specs nor Indian spec, sort of in between. need port blue printing before use. same available dirt cheap on alibaba  ;D

[motodreams]

those are not Indian cylinders. No company in India is making RD after market cylinders. These are Chinese (some say Taiwanese) cylinders. It is neither US specs nor Indian spec, sort of in between. need port blue printing before use. same available dirt cheap on alibaba  ;D

The Niche Industry banshee/RZ cylinders made in China were sent through a full test on the banshee forum.   They found the pistons to be heavy and poorly cast to bad tolerance as were the barrel sleeves.  To fix this they bored the barrels and found the sleeves to be too porous for use.  Basically garbage.  Again, I haven't used these ones but if this is the case it could easily be the same.

To the 'why risk it comment'...why do I want to send my cash to pad margins when I can use someone like cruzinimage and get quality pistons at a decent price?

[Still biking]

those are not Indian cylinders. No company in India is making RD after market cylinders. These are Chinese (some say Taiwanese) cylinders. It is neither US specs nor Indian spec, sort of in between. need port blue printing before use. same available dirt cheap on alibaba  ;D

according to seller they are from India.  see EBAY ad.

[2t Fan]

it is from China , marketed from India

[quocle603]

I wouldn't run it.

[teazer]

They are made in China or Taiwan and the die casting is streets ahead of anything that Yamaha made back in the day.

Ports are close enough for a daily driver but the ports in the liner are a little smaller than the aluminum casting and can easily be cleaned up.  Main transfers are much better than OEM, but the auxiliaries need to be cleaned up a little to make them flow.

I'd recommend getting a set of OEM pistons or Pro-X and check clearances, or just get them bored to the next size up with the right clearances and know they are round. 

I have a couple of pairs that I collected for different projects that are not needed now ( I used a TZ750 top end instead)

[motodreams]

Like I said above, if these are Chinese cylinders there is a good chance they cannot be bored as the liners are actually porous due to poor casting. Then again, when it comes to China Who knows which factory produced them.

[teazer]

So basically, no one has any personal experience with the parts but are willing to share all sorts of horror stories.  I appreciate caution and sharing of knowledge, but let's hear from someone that has a set. 

Someone mentioned in a different post that a friend had a set on his bike and as I recall there were no issues there.

I have two sets here.  One I bought and one that came off a low mileage motor that had stuck a piston because timing was wrong and it leaked through the crank seals.

The casting is way better that OEM and the liners are good but the inlet and exhaust ports in the liner are a little smaller than the aluminum.  Those can be cleaned up or left as-is.  How long they last, I can't answer.  But at the price they seem like they are worth trying.

Indian cylinders were indeed ported to a lower tune, but these do not appear to have been manufactured in India.

[m in sc]

that was me.
they were from vitos and seemed fine. i've seen a few bikes with them, have heard more horror story theories than actual failures so.. i mean, you can buy 2 sets for the cost of plating an original set. Unless you have some already high end porting on that original set, its go with a new set and work from there. my .02

[bracket maker]

So basically, no one has any personal experience with the parts but are willing to share all sorts of horror stories.  I appreciate caution and sharing of knowledge, but let's hear from someone that has a set. 

bought the blaster top end kit. new from china. comes with a modern piston and all the gaskets. the new tech is there. the only problem I saw (and the guy posted it in the description) the ports needed to be chamfered and excess flash needed to be cleaned up. like 15 minutes with a dental drill and a football diamond and I was good. mine definitly needed some cleaning up but well worth it.