MY RD 400 is on the Road!!! But…

I took it for a spin, my MOT is on 27/11, so have to fix all niggling problems.
The Speedo crapped out (turned out to be the u-bit inside the wheel)

What i really didn’t like too much is this:
If you open it up, like seriously 6’000 rpm and more up to a good 120kmh and then change gears, the revs don’t go down during the change… revs up when you clutch it.
Nothing dangerous but a bit uncanny.

Other thing is at same speed/revs, when you slow (you have to at some point!), without clutch, just letting oof the gas grip,
it displays the worst “ramheading” (direct from the french, sorry!) I’ve ever felft: ie revs decrease but not nicely, but you get the feeling of bom-bom-bom-bom and it’s hard enough that you get the impression the motor is moving in the frame … it isn’t, probably just the rubber bushes transmitting the motor’s behaviour.
I am not a newbie with old two stroke, and expected the motor to just rev down and not fight it. ” ramheading” feels a bit like when you close an old water tap and your hear that noise in the water pipes… know what I mean? Correct Engrish word anybody?

Both my mechanics mates told me this sounded like the bike was too rich, specially the surging at high speed when changing gears.

Apart from that, the bike is quite impeccable, but starts very often without choke… another hint of richness? Idles great, revs well,plugs OK, baffles too, new everything, etc…
Very flickable… I like it!

What do you guys think? What should I do next? Oh, and now I know what you were talking about the 3500 flat spot!

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.