Moto WASABI : Spice on 2 wheels

As I mentionnend at the start, this blog is also to help me remember stuff about the bikes I restore. This will stay on top (look at the date!).
The more up-to-date message are right below this post.

Total Cost (shipping to Switzerland included): 1129 CHF, roughly 930 US$

Received my complete loom and accessories from the US… paid 3 month agao and just received today… there were posted on the 9th of MAY!!!

Just in time to stop me from rebuying all this stuff. I just need an afternoon in the workshop to put it all back together.

Found more electrical stuff at the breakers, my rectifier was missing so that's sorted. The frame is clean I could refit the motor now...still missing others thing, ballast, I don't like my coils (the wires look melted), a turn signal cancelling unit and of course turn signals (saw them at the breakers).

Wish my parcel from the states would arrive or was I burned?

Thanks to Easter, Iv'e been able to advance this project.

From this

to this

Everything went smoothly, except that the head gaskets in my kit are much thinner (0.5mm) as the original ones(1mm). What should I do? I can always re-anneal the old ones. For those of you who don't see much difference, THERE IS!
New crank, new seals troughout, new gaskets. I'm always surprised to see how clean these motors can stay IF there's some oil in them.

I might need a mate around for the fitting in the frame, with everything on the motor, it gets pretty heavy. I still have to redo the pum and fab a new oil pump cable.

I sold today a bunch of DS7 pistons I didn't need to a gent in Germany. These guy work on Adler motorcycles from the 50's… a direct link to YAm as the Adler MB250 was used as the basis of all YDS bike. No wonder the pistons fit straight into the german bike!
I'm sure they could use RDLC pistons from Wiseco if they didn't have the reed windows cut in. Read somewhere that Wiseco would do them at no extra charge. Something to check.

HEre's their little museum with NSU and Adler bikes.

After honing these cylinders at the shop, I couldn't fit the pistons confortably… seemed like one of the jugs was tapered. Brought these to a old shop thta will properly hone them (Sunnen Hone). Turns out, one of the base cylinder flange was cracked and that probably caused the bore to fuck up.

Funds are low… no more eBaying for me. I thought I might try to turn some of my stuff into much needed ca$h. Spent quite a bit of time riffling through my pile of YAmaha NOS stuff that came with the 1UA. This could fund most of the RD400 parts.

Well, these guys finally did quite a good job out of it and for a decent price. I still have to chamfer the ports and then we'll hone the jugs to correct spec. They bored to 3/100 and we need 4 to be safe with standard Yam pistons... except the honer hasn't got long enough stones for the T shaped intake prto of the RD400.. off to find some.

Brought the cylinders with pistons to my usual workshop. It was a bit worrying as they suddenly look like they didn't know what to do with it! They don't have a bore machine but will ut it in their big digital center... and finish it with a light 3-stone hone... We'll see next week, but I might have to change shop.. Plus I will have to do the chamfering and cost per cyl is around the 100CHF mark, a 20% increase from last time.

Before tearing into the RD motor, I decide to order the necessary stuff, if possible in one place, in order to save a bit of dosh.

Sirus Con Inc, had almost everything I needed. Check this ebay seller: Carb kits, gasket and seal kit, even a manual.

Received all that today. We're set.

Just received the crank from SirYamaha from eBAy and it looks just like what he described! A nice change from the usual bullshit you usually get from eBay resellers. Check him out, he often has complete, rebored top ends for the RDs. It could be the ticket for half dismantled basket cases. So waiting for Pistons, still need to order the rest ie gaskets, seals, air filter etc.

Received the front brake system from the States, and of course the guy dismantled it rather hamfistedly. The only thing useable is the master cyclinder... After assembly, everything seems to work, but the pads are dragging quite a bit. I might have to really disassemble the whole thing inc. caliper if the dragging doesn't disappear after a bit of wear.

It took three hammers to remove the cylinders from the RD400. The crank is rusted solid, the small ends too...The rest of the bike is thankfully almost new... on to finding the parts and splitting the motor.

HAd a go at the RD 400. It looked promising BUT... Cylinders are real Stuck! As in "never seen Stuck like that before"
I'd like to save the crank but it soen't look good. I'll certainly need new piston as well. Oh well, first I have to get them off.

Went to the local bike breaker (I am a good customer) and the owner sold the business... to a bunch a neo-bikies wanting to set-up a HARLEY DEALERSHIP!!!!!! When i got there they had already trashed a mountain of bikes, 15 years of breaker's stock going to the crusher...

Welll guys can I help you with that? I'll even move them myself....