r5 vs rd

Well put Mr Von Vinzer. I can sell you a set of race parts that will make half the HP of a stock motor up to 7500 and then will suddenly make twice as much or more. Not a sensible choice on the street.

RD or R5 both are fun rides that can be easily tweaked to make good power. Many of the parts available are really not suitable on the street and what makes them feel powerful is that rush from 10Hp to 40HP over 1000 revs or less and then making only slightly more power than stock but at higher revs so all that noise and revs make them feel fast. Until a rider on a stock bikes just rides on past you. :-(

Port timings on an RD are more race oriented than you might imagine and it just needs modest changes to make them more interesting. Cranks last a long time but seals don't so replace all the seals. Pistons wear out but can be replaced. RD pistons are easier to get than R5 pistons because we use Banshee or RZ350 pistons.

They do not need huge carbs to work well. A mildly tuned RZ can make over 60 HP on stock 26mm carbs and stock 28mm carbs on an RD are all it needs up to about 9000 revs and 60HP or more. For a race bike, sure 34s are the way to go and on the street they just cost power fuel and cash.

Different reed cages are worthwhile and a slight port clean up and different reed cages and chambers and you are on the way to a fast exciting ride.
 
teazer said:
. I can sell you a set of race parts that will make half the HP of a stock motor up to 7500 and then will suddenly make twice as much or more. Not a sensible choice
i need those parts back haha sensible is over rated
 
It all boiles down to what kinda bike you want

a. a bike that makes someone question theres sitten next to ya at a stop ligth
or
b. a harley

your inthe middle of a lions den of two stroke guys right now. There lite fast...but can be a royal pain to own if you dont respect how bad they can break,ask me how i know. figure out where you want ta be a year from now and pick the bike that will help put you there.
On the seventh day God made yamaha, rich kids in milwaukee made harley

worken mans bike company hahaha what a crock of shit the FIRST TIME they were almost put under when the family maid stole a there profit outta a mason jar
ok turn of the centry america who has a maid, ill tell ya who doesnt....wait for it wait a blue collar family
so do you want a bike that came from a lier or god
 
The Harley talk is more for shits and giggles, I'm not comparing the two or choosing between I started looking for the two stroke and ran across the hog, I just think they make an interesting cafe.

As for the two stroke hitting hard, your talking about the jump in Hp, coming on the pipe or hitting the "power band" etc? That was always fun on dirt bikes but could be a bad deal on the street if hits insanely hard is there a way to keep the boost but even it out? I knew my old rm well and new when I was going to hit I suppose it would be similar on the street.

A rd poped up not far from me I'm trying to set up to go take a look today, but sometimes craigslist sellers are shit with communications. Either way I'll let you all know what comes of it, the 5 is missing some parts, and doesn't sound like the most reasonable choice for parts etc.
 
R5 parts are no harder to come by that RD parts unless you're trying to build some kind of 100 point resto. Seeing that you're asking these questions on a forum where the sawzalls get more use than the credit cards I doubt that's the case. And as was stated earlier, fhe only major difference between the RD and R5 is the top end of the motor and the brakes. All simple fixes. If you can get your hands on a sure thing R5 in good shape for a good price, jump on it. And when you get it home, make a list of the parts that are missing and let us know. I bet we have what ya need man.
 
thanks guys! hopefully i can get together with the guys that have the two bikes, the rd is more money but running. the r5 looks cleaner but is missing little bits... which ever.
going to give the duc a run out tomorrow, i havent really ridden it sine i got it, its to be 70+ deg tomorrow should be a nice day.
 
teazer said:
Many of the parts available are really not suitable on the street and what makes them feel powerful is that rush from 10Hp to 40HP over 1000 revs or less and then making only slightly more power than stock but at higher revs so all that noise and revs make them feel fast. Until a rider on a stock bikes just rides on past you. :-(

This is probably one of the most honest statements I have ever seen posted and is one of my main motorsports philosophies, I know I normally stay away from almost all debates however Brother Teazers words stand for everything I believe in and I preach the same thing to everyone that will listen here around the shop.

What feels fast and what is truly fast are rarely one in the same, the fastest equipment I have ever had the opportunity to pilot never felt fast and almost felt slow in comparison to equipment that feels fast to the untrained rider due to rpms, noise, and a chassis that is not working properly. In my experience the fastest equipment that I have ever piloted felt very smooth, when I was a young man and I first started racing seriously my Father would always tell me that I would know when everything was right as me, the engine, chassis, etc. would all come together as one unit and I always thought that I understood until I experienced it for the first time. Fast is smooth and feels like you are on rails and it does not feel fast until you truly know what fast is supposed to feel like, this has always been very hard for me to try to explain.

As far as Ironheads go the last one I built for myself with a mild engine years ago was one of the fastest bikes I have ever built for light to light or drag racing style comparisons and it was probably one of the slowest feeling bikes I have ever ridden however at the end of the day and when I let it go to build another bike it had never been beaten and would easily walk away from modern 600cc class sportbikes through the quarter. It was always a funny feeling to hear a 600 screaming through the rpms beside me and then watch it steadily go backwards.

Now just to be clear you all know I love all makes and models of motorcycles and that I also prefer Japanese motorcycles over a Harley for quality, design, and performance any day of the week, I have a lot of love for the RD's just like a lot of you here however I personally would not want to try and race a properly built Ironhead with one.

Brother neckyzips the RD is an awesome motorcycle that is very easy to work on and it is also very affordable to build so I am sure that you will love building and riding one, please be creative and build it to your own style!
 
maybe i screwed up by tossing in the harley, its not an either or, type of thing, and dont mean to compare the two. just was typing what was coming to mind, that the hog would be cool too!

im not looking for 200mph, it doesnt do anything for me, but i would like to pop 80-100 between the corners (ie deals gap) and have the ass to pull out of them. id like to be able to ride the 200 miles to deals with out killing the bike. i really like the idea of the two stroke twin, and would like to pick one up when it comes along. just trying to figure out which is best, of whats close to me for sale.

as for the harley, ill pick one up someday, and maybe that iron head, seems like a decent price for one.

the guy with the r5 got back to me, he will take 700 for it and kick me the parts it needs to get it going, so i think thats a deal! doesnt look i could go wrong there!
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/mcy/3413623462.html

banchee pistons fit the rd, rd top end fits the r5... will the banchee top end drop onto the r5? just a thought.
 
Now you're talking a whole other beast. The Banshee is liquid cooled. So... Yes you can mate a Banshee top end to an RD lower but you're in for a ton of work to make it function. Now... I've been drinking. A good bit tonight, so let others who arent stupid at the moment get deeper into it. Ha.
 
No the bolt holes dont line up in the back but a rd350lc does. the banshee piston are not a direct drop in there is a little file work but it takes mins
 
So the duc just didn't want to be ridden... Knowing that it had a questionable past, I should have done a more through prep. Instead I wanted to take it for a spin... Bled the brakes lubed the chain, added some missing parts, and took off! All was well till the front calipers calmed down on the disks. Not a big deal you can feel it coming, just sux. So now a complete rebuild of the brake system. So no ride Sunday.

But I did seal the deal on the r5! And the girl is none too happy ;D

As soon as i sort out a trailer hitch I'll drag it home.. The guy refused to help shove it in the back of the wagon.
 
kool there is a site good rd's only freedmont i think is the name the guy is on his game when it comes to these bikes he has put together a pre ride checklist if the bike has sat for a long time none if it is a real big deal and could save your motor. are you gonna find a rd top?
 
ill pick it up in a couple of weeks, the guy is big into these bikes, said he had tons of parts, exp pipes heads engines etc, so ill see what i can carry off when i pick it up.
im pretty excited about it, even if its not a rocket, i just love the sound and smell of the two stroke!

i get ahead of my self with projects, in the works, dialing in the duc, finishing my cb500 that oldkool is building the body for, now the yamaha, and some day pulling the old 500 out of the living room and redoing the rusty tank, which is why it was stored, well that and it killed my wrist to keep the throttle open, those damn springs!
 
"you're asking these questions on a forum where the sawzalls get more use than the credit cards"

+100

that made my day!
 
Now you need to pick up the RD as well and tell your girl that the R5 came with "spares"
 
lol! i cant get the guy with the rd to get back to me!
not sure what the deal is with craigslist people, i think they just like to get emails and bitch about people bothering them!

i went through this a while back buying a car, perfect car on paper, good price but not too good you know. send them the email if no number listed. get one back. and thats it, nothing more!
 
Just think of the oil you wont be wasting dumping it in that siv of american made junk hd motor i spent the better part of my youth watching my father make a joke outta those things on a 500cc 2 stroke he would walk into the bar and ask who had the fastest bike in the parking lot the best part was seeing dad pull a huge burn out with nothing but the front break and then the harley would fail several times and then find a truck bumper to pull up against and go wide open to get the wheel to turn hahahahaha oil leaking red neck junk stained wife beaten fat asses with chain wallets now that kool ::) i think you made the correct choice i know yamaha makes alot of things that arnt motorcycles but do you really want to buy a bike for a company thats bread and butter is building bowling pins
 
Wait! 500 and 750 cc two strokes!!! That sounds better than a 350! Lol
Why was your dad taking you to bars when you were a kid?
 
Becouse he is a drunk and it was the 80's. here is me and his bike and the same bike after i found it in a barn 20 years later and restored it
 

Attachments

  • Photo-0031.jpg
    Photo-0031.jpg
    51 KB · Views: 491
  • IMAG0415.jpg
    IMAG0415.jpg
    1.7 MB · Views: 206
Back
Top Bottom