'87 Radian project

The Radian was always one of the favorite bikes I've owned, other than my physical size. You've done pretty much all the things I wanted to do to mine, though I admit I really liked the stock gauges.
One thing you might not know: a common problem with these bikes is the ignition pick-up magnets losing magnetism, whence the bike "cutting out" or just failing to start without a perfect charge on the battery. Might be worth looking into.
 
Is there a way to test that? I haven't found any "smoking gun" yet, other than the dirty carbs. The battery WAS pretty dry, but I have a brand new battery now.
I've had the TCI checked out, the fuse panel is fine, the kill switch is fine, the ignition switch is fine. I plan on ohm'ing out the spark plug caps soon. Someone else mentioned that a bad coil could cause the sudden cutting out symptoms.

I'll have all the parts here to fire it up soon.
 
Yeah, there is a way to test... Unfortunately I don't know what it is... Lol. Sorry. I do know there are forums dedicated to the Radian, I'd guess that's the best place to look.
 
The Radian is just the right combination of different elements. It's just a standard UJM under the skin, but it has those funky design elements, like the shape of the tank, and the asymmetric gauges.... And it was actually a ton of fun to ride! It isn't super powerful, but it feels like it is. And It's a wheelie machine! If it was physically just a little bigger, I'd have never sold mine. I'm kind of a big guy, and I looked like a monkey fucking a football when I rode it.
 
Lol to the monkey. That's how I feel riding mine. I bought it for my wife who is about 5'4 and it fits her well.
 
Well, I'm 6'1" and I kind of like the middle weight bikes. I currently have a CB500/650, a CB550 and an XS650. The CB's just feel right under me. Only when I see pics of me on them do they look small, never when riding them.
The Radian is super comfy to me with the stock pegs and Super Bike bars.

My tires showed up today and I stopped by both of my local favorite shops...and they were BOTH closed for the week! Grrr!! Everyone is at Myrtle Beach bike week. I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer to get her back down on two wheels.
 
I'm also 6'1"... I dunno, I got really long arms and legs, though. Like I said, loved the bike, just wasn't comfortable. I know I could've made modifications, so I guess it was just because my GT380 cafe was finished.... Either way, it was a stupid thing to do. Seeing the mods you've made kinda validates my ideas, though.
 
If you dont mind me asking what do you have into all the parts and the things that you have done so far? Also what kind of headlight is that? And how hard was it to switch over? Thanks
 
If I had to guess, I have right at a grand in it, maybe $1,100. And that includes ~$200 for new tires. All I really lack is a paint job and getting the tires mounted. Those are the only things left that will cost me out of pocket. Everything else that is left is just tying up loose ends and stuff I can do.

The headlight is from ebay. All the stock wiring went inside it, but it came with the wrong type plug to fit the harness. By the time I bought a plug to splice in, I could have just spent a little more and bought the H4 version. I actually have a used XS650 light that I was hoping to use, but the chrome trim ring is scratched up. By the time I bought a replacement trim ring, I was only a few dollars away from getting a complete headlight. It was easy to switch, but you'll need some type of headlight ears (also cheap, from ebay).
 
In the meantime....
I finished up the muffler installation today. I had to modify the hanger bracket slightly.




Now they're on. It's a nice, tight fit. The factory trim parts on the side cover up the header/muffler joint and make it look really nice. They clear the swingarm nicely, etc. Really happy with the look and the sound.




 
I did manage to hear it run today.
The Good:
*The engine sounds GREAT. No bad/funny noises, really smooth, no leaks, etc.
*The exhaust sounds really good, too. It's much more mellow than I was expecting, but still sounds meaty and aggressive.
* The Danmoto gauge seems to have the right resistance for the tach to work. Just need to program the tire size in so the speedo will be correct. Oh, the oil light worked when I drained the oil, too, so that's good to go.
* The charging system is working properly.

The Bad:
The carbs are still leaking like hell. They're not responding to adjustments as well as I wish they would. I have to decide what to do about them next. I guess they're going to require a full disassembly to fit new O-rings. I'm also very suspect of the pins that the floats fit on. I tried sanding them smooth, but whoever was in there before me marred them up and I'm wondering if the floats are sticking.

Here's a quick vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_5v3tz6DuI&feature=youtu.be
 
Cleaned out the tank using "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner method. It's spotless now and just waiting on paint.

I also picked up my carbs from Rick at http://oldskoolcarbs.com/ .

I know Rick personally (heck, I could walk to his shop from my house!) and I can't recommend him enough. The O-rings between the carbs were shot, and he also found a problem with the new bowl gaskets I had just installed. The float levels were way off as well. He also "dressed" the three good IMS screws and they move like butter now. I can't wait to get these back on the bike.






This bracket is usually in the way of the idle mixture screws, since they're plugged from the factory. We trimmed it a little bit, but Rick fixed that up as well.
 
Getting closer! I was actually able to ride it for the first time yesterday. Runs GREAT, with no issues so far (other than a pinched O-ring on the oil filter that leaks a tiny drop of oil every now and then. I'll fix that soon).
I haven't hooked up the speedo yet, so I don't know how many miles I rode it, but I've only been around the neighborhood so far. No real miles to check for the intermittent cutting out issue the P.O. had.
I'm beginning to think it was a combination of filthy carbs and a dead, dry battery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-oIuVWyHG4&feature=youtu.be

No...I know you all LOVE it, but I won't be keeping the stallion on the tank. Paint and body is coming up soon.
 
I swapped out the bars today. A friend commented that he'd like more narrow bars and I have to say he's right. The Super Bike bars were super comfy, but they did seem a little wide. I also had a heck of a time finding mirrors that would work AND look cool.
I had this set of Rizoma MA001B bars and put them on this morning. Looks much better and still feels nice. They're a tad lower and quite a bit more narrow than the S.B. bars.
I finally broke down and bought a bar-end mirror. Cycle Gear had real aluminum (vs. plastic) mirrors on sale. Got this folding version for $25.





 
Got the tank stripped, dents repaired and primed. Block sanded it in three stages. Here it is with the guide coat on, just before final sanding and color.



We also prepped the tail and fender. The hole for the speedo cable was filled because I'll be running a Hall Sensor and it's mounted on the opposite side.


 
Painted, waiting to be buffed out. It may appear a little violet in the photos, but it's a dark, midnight blue.




 
And...she's done! Paint is finished and Hall Sensor installed for the speedo.








 
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