Just picked up an unfinished project ’78 and want to document progress here

[Deadly Ed Lee]

Hi fellow members, Ed here to document my new acquisition, a 1978 RD400 I picked up on my travels.  The previous owner never finished it and it's pretty much together however, I'm tearing it back down and starting over to make sure everything is sorted properly.  Ordering a few parts and will begin the ask hopefully within the week or so. 

Anyways, just wanted to say hi and get a starting point on this forum.


https://share.icloud.com/photos/087ZiBbzLvcpesMtje3mdzz5A
https://share.icloud.com/photos/021Rm_pBSs29BcZg2aUWDVFfA
https://share.icloud.com/photos/0c3KaMOE3Uy6UBpUhSwlfCflw

[Simmons1]

Nice find

[1976RD400C]

Looks like it was pepped up a bit with carbs, pipes, crossover tube, and air filters. It might be interesting to see any port work that was done.

[85RZwade]

Great starting point; that's my favorite 400 color scheme.

[RDnuTZ]

my favorite RD of all time too. Would love to find 1 someday that doesn't need a butt load of work and $ put into it 

[Deadly Ed Lee]

The gentleman who sold it was in a bind, I guess he lost his job and was moving from Oregon to the east coast.  He spent something like 20 years trying to get the bike built and pretty much everything is fresh from the gearbox to the cylinders and heads, carbs, etc....  He said h'es not the wrench he thought he could be.  Doesn't know how to time a bike, sync carbs etc.....  The bike is whole, albeit with some funky mods, handlebars, turn signals, cheap rear shocks, front brake reservoir from what looks like a dirt bike.  However, all teh stock parts, including the stock exhaust in perfect condition were with the bike. 

He never disclosed that when he bought it, his coworker seller ended up going to jail and he never got the bill of sale, or pink from the guy.  So a title skipped, no pink bike.  Not a good start and I was about to turn my car around, lick my wallet wounds and go home.  He took $500 of the price of the bike and I agreed to work out the paperwork.  I found the owner, who apparently is in California and worked with Oregon DMV to get a pink slip.  Last time it was registered was in 2002.  Price for the bike $2,500.

Now time to get busy.  Miss my old bike I sold about 9 months ago, a Daytona Special. I still have another one  that will get restored. 

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0a8ck96mE1O7xXpef9wfR473Q

[Deadly Ed Lee]

Looks like it was pepped up a bit with carbs, pipes, crossover tube, and air filters. It might be interesting to see any port work that was done.

There was a little work done to it and I forget the name of the person who did the work.  Oregon folks.  I'll look through the paperwork and try to track it down.  The seller spent years building the bike and then was hit with some hardship as well as not really knowing how to even time the bike or set up carbs.  It has never ran and was just in the process of being assembled. 

[Deadly Ed Lee]

Where is everyone getting their graphics from.  I'm ready to pull the trigger on this set on ebay.  Looks to be nice.

https://ebay.io/m/1Qvyq8

[RDnuTZ]

I've bought from them before including a bunch of RD side panel repro decals recently. They were very communicative with updates in the process and shipped quickly. Decals looked good quality when they arrived too.

[Deadly Ed Lee]

Were they an exact replica of the originals?  Another member stated RDgraphics.com and theirs are twice the price.

Any ways to post up pic of yours on a bike?