Restoration of a 74 RD350

Yes, turn signal flasher. Smear some dish soap all over it, and you should be able to work it off. The notches holding it back are square, so it's kind of a "one way on only" scheme so it doesn't fall off. Looks like your front rim is for a large diameter drum brake hub. So it was probably intended for the rear. That's why the spokes are bent and it looks laced wrong. Save all the stock parts. Nice condition stock pipes etc. are worth a lot if you're restoring. Likewise the rims, really nice original Takasago are hard to come by. I've bought many rims from Mike's. Very nice, but sometimes need some massaging. You need to pay attention to get all the parameters right to not get a problem like your front wheel. I think most people are up to building their own wheels, but correct parts are essential. Could be crazy hard to figure out a problem if your inexperienced and the parts don't all match. Paint your frame with single stage 2k urethane. Powder coating is not better - opinions vary!
 
Also, if you find a decent wiring harness, examine the stator connector. It's a 3 in a row wire connector, all 3 wires are white, and it's in the middle of the harness. They commonly get very hot and melt. Unless your harness is really bad, you're probably better off fixing it. All the correct plugs, pins, insulators, and tools are readily available, and not crazy expensive. Get the correct wiring diagram, (on line free, I just checked) and work your way through. Nothing worse than a bike with electrical gremlins!
 
jpmobius said:
Yes, turn signal flasher. Smear some dish soap all over it, and you should be able to work it off. The notches holding it back are square, so it's kind of a "one way on only" scheme so it doesn't fall off. Looks like your front rim is for a large diameter drum brake hub. So it was probably intended for the rear. That's why the spokes are bent and it looks laced wrong. Save all the stock parts. Nice condition stock pipes etc. are worth a lot if you're restoring. Likewise the rims, really nice original Takasago are hard to come by. I've bought many rims from Mike's. Very nice, but sometimes need some massaging. You need to pay attention to get all the parameters right to not get a problem like your front wheel. I think most people are up to building their own wheels, but correct parts are essential. Could be crazy hard to figure out a problem if your inexperienced and the parts don't all match. Paint your frame with single stage 2k urethane. Powder coating is not better - opinions vary!
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Thanks for the info. The front wheel was just put on so it would roll. Definitely won't be using it. Definitely will have some one build my wheels. Haven't cleaned up the rear wheel yet but it looks good.
 
jpmobius said:
Also, if you find a decent wiring harness, examine the stator connector. It's a 3 in a row wire connector, all 3 wires are white, and it's in the middle of the harness. They commonly get very hot and melt. Unless your harness is really bad, you're probably better off fixing it. All the correct plugs, pins, insulators, and tools are readily available, and not crazy expensive. Get the correct wiring diagram, (on line free, I just checked) and work your way through. Nothing worse than a bike with electrical gremlins!
Click to expand...
My harness has alot of cobbled crap. Looks like there was more than one person in there putting their own touch to it. I was thinking about trying to find another harness for it. Do you know a good supplier plug-ins, pins,insulators etc?
 
Finally got out and bought some degreaser. Sometimes it's hard to get a ride since I don't drive.Hopefully tomorrow there will be no rain. So I can apply on frame and power wash.
 
Decreased the frame, looks to be original paint. The identification label on the yoke, doesn't have any paint build up. Like if someone would tape it off before painting. Definitely going to have to be painted though.
Took the jugs off also. The heads are real clean and cylinders mic in the 64 range. Also cylinders are real close to being true round. I think honing the cylinders is all I need.
 
Luugo86 said:
nice progress and good news with the heads and jugs for sure, just a little refresh and shes rdy to go
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The guy I got the bike from lives in Maryland. He was here in Florida for a wedding. So yesterday he came by and we tore the top ends apart. I am trying to get him to join the forum. He is more of a Kawasaki man. But his knowledge is unbelievable. It was hard for him to sit and watch me wrench. But his wife told him if he had dirty fingernails for the wedding. He would be in trouble. LOL
 
Does the kickstand look like it was cut out or tore off? There is no heavy rust. The previous owner says it was like this when he bought the bike. He had never ridden the bike.
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Torn. Shiny edges indicate cracks being polished from vibration as they get worse, with more ragged portions probably torn off by necessity. If you are fitting stock pipes, you can very carefully weld it back. If aftermarket pipes, fit a larger flat plate to weld a new/relocated side stand mount to. This is often (but not always) required when fitting the new exhaust. Often requires a lot of fussing/trial and error to get right as the spring has to over-center for the stand to stay up and stay down, be in the right place both up and down, and not interfere with the pipe. Often the stand itself must also be bent or cut. Can be quite the job for a simple thing.
 
Feel like I missed something. I believe the frames on '73, '74, and '75s are identical. Some trivial differences in the complete bikes, but not the frames. Certainly the frames are functionally interchangeable, so positive id, aside from registering, would seem unimportant.
 
On most Japanese bikes the new model year starts in October of the previous year. Any bike built between 1 October 72 and 30 September 73 would be considered a 1973 model. US state licensing and title regulations made things murky. If you bought an October 72 built bike in October 72 it would probably be licensed/titled as a 72 despite the fact that Yamaha production considered 73 the first year of RD350 production. If you bought an October 72 built bike in January 73 it would probably be licensed/titled as a 73. If you bought the same October 73 bike anytime in 1974 it would probably be licensed/titled as a 1974 model. Every one of the 50 states did something different until about 1977 when Federal law changed to a uniform system.
 
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