Thanks Henry. I was actually rather surprised when I took this little 2 stroke out for the first time. I’m more accustom to modern large bore 4 strokes. This little bike is SO much fun to ride. It feels so light and nimble you just think about setting up for a corner and it responds. You quickly come to realize that you don’t need to set up the for the corner so soon lol. I still have some more tuning and jetting to dial in closer but it was late in the season when I finished up this bike so I’ll have to wait until spring. I’ll take it out and do some plug chops to see where I’m at. To much snow on the ground out there now. If you like this video and you would like to see the plans I have coming up for it subscribe so you can check it out. You may also like my Moto Guzzi Cafe racer video I posted on my page. Thanks for watching, Todd
@@MrNedbe thank you for watching. I’m trying to grow my channel so I appreciate it. I would love to see yours when you’re done. Be fair warned, parts for that bike are no longer cheap. Good luck, Todd
Thank you Colin. I’m glad you like the wheels. Overall it was one of things that I contemplated over and over again. I was very close to doing them black, then I did my ATV wheels in black chrome and they turned out really well so I started thinking about doing the RD wheels in black chrome. After a lot of thought I felt like I wanted the wheels to pop rather than blend in so powder coated them with a really nice 2000 Lamborghini White. I’m not going to lie, I was blown away when I saw how they turned out. Probably not the smartest colour choice to keep clean on an oil spitting 2 stroke but I was very happy with the end result. Thank you for watching and if you liked the video I have many more things planned for this project. Subscribe if you would like to see what’s coming next. You may also enjoy my latest Moto Guzzi Cafe racer video on my page. Todd
Thank you Eric. Subscribe to see more to come on this Daytona. If you like this video you may also like my newest Moto Guzzi video on my page. Thanks for watching, Todd
I had one of these wonderful motorcycles when I was 22. I had the engine rebuilt and installed a set of Spec II performance chambers on it and it was so fast! I loved riding it. Great video, thanks for taking me back to 1985...
Just bought one a couple months ago at 21 rebuilt whole motor new crank bearings bored top end been sandblasting everthing going to keep 2 strokes alive
Wow take me back to 1986 when I bought my 77 RD400 with my tuition money at Western Wa University, I loved it and it was my first street bike. Man it was fast, I smoked everything except the biggest of bikes. Easily could hang with VF500 Ceptors and CBR600's. Everybody was bike crazy and wanted to be Maverick in Top Gun. The rich kids got the new sport bikes, and made fun of the old RD, until I blew by them. I paid $400.00 for it, and it was mint, 2000 miles on it, still had the original tires! I read and learned everything I could about two strokes and hot rodding them. So easy to get more power out of them. Finally had to sell it when I ran out of money and needed to pay for my last quarter of tuition. Once I started making money, I bought a mint RZ350YPVS, which I also raced for a while. I took that one to a Stage 3 from SpecII, that thing is FAST. Still have it 30 years on. Currently among my many restorations (I do it as a side business now) I have a 72 Kawasaki H2 750 Mach IV. Lusted after one from the first time I saw one...a 750 triple Smoker!! They are stupid expensive now, but I got mine with three engines as a basket case barn find from a friend for cheap. Great video...I would love to find a RD400 of any year, but like all smokers, they are crazy expensive now. Look at how much RRG500 Gammas are going for???? 40K??? Really???
Bought my 77 rd in 82 for 6 or $700 Great days !!! Guys had daytonas, thumpers were big guys wheeliing Ended up going to cb 750 then fz 750 Shoulda kept the rd tho 😂😂😂
Aqui no Brasil teve a rd 350 viúva negra mais conhecida como tampa de caixão eu me diverti com algumas e sobrevivi pra contar para os netos hoje estou restaurando uma 135 z 1998 e uma rx 125 ano 1982 com mecânica completa da 135 1998 yamaha é vida two stroke forever um forte abraço dos brasileiros
When I went to my high school Prom my boss at my part time job had almost the same car.His was a 1972 with a dark blue exterior with silver leather interior. It drove at least as good as it looked. So me,my prom date, my best bud and his date went to our senior prom in magnificent style! The 70's were a interesting time to be a teenager from the music, the partying, the easily available drugs, whatever you're into from pot to the vast amount of cocaine available. It was a crazy time.Glad i lived through it! Oh and the Lincoln Mark IV is still a great car!
I had a regular '77 rd 400 back in '82 Shouldve kept it but instead of dumping money in it i bought a '80 cb 750 round '84 Love the sabbath in the back ground zztop 😂
Beautifully done. I bought one of these the first summer they were out (19 years old). The only safety gear was a helmet and paper thin Bates "racing" gloves, and when I put those on I was...Kenny Roberts. lol
Thank you Kathy. I’m glad you like it. I really enjoyed working on this little bike and was pleased with how it turned out. I have more things planned for this bike. If you would like to see what’s coming up next subscribe so you can check it out. You may also like my latest Moto Guzzi Cafe racer video on my page. Thanks for watching, Todd
Great memories. I bought one new in the summer of ‘79. Clubman bars and pipes came right away. The dealer had two of them. I paid $1495. Five years later the other one was still in the showroom….the tag? $4995. Pretty sure the dealership owner just wanted to keep it. He knew what it was gonna be someday with 3 miles on the odo.
I didn’t have a Daytona, but I did buy a brand new 1976 RD 400, my cousin bought at the same time …..and my brother and other cousin bought themselves a pair of Honda CB 360’s. So in one sale, 4 bikes and the salesman was rich that day. In Montreal I paid , for my RD, with dealer installed flat bars, $1,395.00 Canadian, all in. Greatest 2 stroke I ever owned, and the year before I drove a Kawasaki H1 350cc triple. No comparison at all. I was able to put away up to 750 cc bikes, except the new Z-1 900. Miss that bike. And as you said, their value has skyrocketed, well done rebuilts go for 5-6 thousand, easily, and original bikes in mint condition are just touching 9-10 thousand.
Thank you. If you like this bike and would like to see what else I have planned for it subscribe to my channel so you won’t miss it. You may also like my latest Moto Guzzi cafe racer build. Cheers, Todd
Thanks Keith. I’m actually on two minds about that fairing. It does look really cool, maybe incorporate some more speed blocks on it, but I also like being able to see the two stroke motor. There’s also some concern about restricting the airflow on an air cooled motor. So I’m still on the fence about it. I haven’t powder coated the frame yet but before I do I may weld some fairing tabs on it so I can quickly pop the fairing on or off for a different look.
@@OVVMtoddspurrell A friend of mine years ago Took a air tech fiberglass faring and did a ram air mod. Rd250. He said it helped on the track but stop n go was the problem. I remember he had a really cool DG head and flat slide carbs, aluminum swing arm , factory pipe products chambers! He made a Ducati SS type faring for the street. That little bike would do 120 mph!
@@keithhampton9700 wow that must have been a real weapon. Thank you for sharing your comments. Subscribe to see how it turns out. I just posted a cafe racer Moto guzzi video on my page that might also interest you. Todd
I've had lots of bikes, (and still do ... I used to take drugs ... and still do ... heh heh) but if I could only have one back ... the 77 RD400 would be it. Raw is really the only way to describe it. I remember my older friend got a 77, and it was so cool. And, a few years later, got the 79 ... now, I couldn't afford cocaine at the time ... but a few years later could afford the used 77 RD400. I mean, really ... the feeling going over the "orange crush" interchange at about 65 to 70 with probably leaking fork seals and older tires ... 150 feet in the air around a left banked corner ... but ... RAW ... that thing was one hundred percent awesome. Later, the RZ350 was pretty great too. A little quieter, water cooled, with some great punch and the same scary wheelies up the hills (especially with a friend as ballast on the back). FZR1000 was solid, and still a great motor ... gsxr's (working on an old air cooled 1100 in the garage right now). But, I'm old, and the various "slow" bikes are fine - the Stratoliner's got balls, my wife's V-star 650 with pipes, etc. is loud and fun, the klr 650 is slow and steady, and wonderful, TW200, DR350, 125's ... I kinda want a street tire'd YZ250 kinda supermoto ... ah, love Idaho where you can plate anything ... we'll see how long that lasts now that everyone from the big state is moving here is changing everything ...
Thank you for your interesting comments. I was very fortunate to come across this 1980 Daytona Special RD400G model. I’ve also had many 2 strokes and other bikes in the past but just to many to list. It’s nice that you can put anything on the road that you wish in Idaho. I wish it was like that here. Cheers, Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Thanks Todd ... cheers ... I left a pretty funny comment ... must have been drinking ... heh heh ... It has been a long winter here!
Great resto Todd! I bought a red RD400 D new for £701 on the road in 1979. The Daytona, or RD 400F was never imported to the UK, probably because the LC was on the way, but what a bike it was - the pinnacle of air cooled two stroke design.
Thank you, This is a 1980 RD 400G model imported from Japan to Canada. I suspect that there are not many of these around. I have a few more interesting things planned for this bike. I really like it. If you liked this resto, subscribe to see what’s coming next or go check out my Moto Guzzi resto. Cheers, Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Lol, we like the same bikes it seems. I'm from Portland Ore & got moved to San Fran in 1985 by an older woman I was dating. Loaded the siezed 350 in a U Haul with all of my belongings & drove to the Bay, unloaded my stuff & dropped the RD off in Daly City to have a top end built. A few months later I came into some money & bought a better bike. A 1983 Moto Guzzi Lemans III, best times of my life. Fast Bike & a loaded older Woman!
@@derrickmills7217 lol, that’s cool that you also like the Guzzi’s. Great minds think alike I guess eh. You’ll have to subscribe to get updates. I take it you saw my latest Moto Guzzi video?
Wow what a beautiful job you did! VERY impressive and loved the real vid with no irritating music overlays. How long did the project actually take? I love watching a master at work and seeing the finished results! I Had to sub after watching this and can't wait to watch more of what you do!
Thank you Brian. I greatly appreciate your comments and thank you kindly for subscribing. I must admit that I do also have a few videos with music overlays as I am not a big talker on camera lol. I also prefer hearing the sounds of the work being done with some background tunes playing on the radio. This project took about five months to get to the point you see in the video. I’m sure it could have been done quicker but I do have a full time job and a ranch. I also work on other bikes to help fund my projects so that tends to slow my personal projects down a bit. This bike had been sitting rusting away in a barn for over twenty years. I’m actually surprised that it runs after sitting for so long. Usually the crank seals dry out and you lose crankcase pressure. I expect to have to do a full motor rebuild on this bike very soon and that’s ok because I want to pull the motor and powder coat the frame while the motor is out. The next thing planed for this bike is to remove the chambers, take them apart and powder coat them with a high temp powder I was given to experiment with on snowmobile exhaust from a company in California. So that will freshen up this bike a bit. The jetting is also a little off on it so I’ll be working on that this spring. If you like this video you might want to check out my latest Moto Guzzi project. Where are you from? Thanks for watching, Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell I'm in Pa, have a few bikes myself but can't seem to get motivated to do anything to them. Tell myself I'm gonna start on one of them today, look at it and say fk it, lol. Funds are a little low in the winter when I have the time plus lots of my buddies don't ride anymore or sold their bikes. When I am working, never have the time ... sure you know how it goes.
I actually did drop a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder and gently rolled it over. I just didn’t want the video to be 2 hours long lol. Thank for watching , Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell you definitely have the vintage bike touch then, I wish I had the $ I’d do nothing but restore classic bikes. Thanks for sharing, I hope everything’s coming together good, I love the shocked look people get from being smoked by a smaller bike.
@@deborahchesser7375 thank you Deborah, I absolutely love rebuilding these old vintage bikes. I can honestly say that I enjoy building them as much as riding them. If you enjoyed this video you may also enjoy my latest Moto Guzzi project on my channel. I have a bunch of vintage bikes that I haven’t even started yet. Subscribe to see what’s coming up next. Thanks Todd
Very nice powder-coat work.😎 Do you have or are you going to make a video of running/riding that beauty? Even if it's just some drive to's/aways and/or drive by's?
Thank you kindly. I finished this bike up late in the year so I didn’t get a lot of run time on it for jetting and fine tuning before the snow came. I did manage to take it for a few short spins up and down the road but I am planning a dyno video and a ride video with onboard camera and drone footage that you’re not going to want to miss. If you subscribe to my channel you’ll see them when they come out. We still have 3 feet of snow here so we will have to wait for Mother Nature to warm things up a bit. In the mean time I’ll be working on freshening up those chambers and and capturing it on video. You may also like my Moto Guzzi Cafe racer build on my page to help tie you over. Cheers, and thanks for watching.
@@OVVMtoddspurrell There were a few people making expansions in the UK back in the 70’s and 80’s I had a set of Terry Beckett pipes on an X7 and they were great. Same can be said for Microns which performed well, sounded amazing and looked great in chrome. I’ve been restoring an 1978 X7 on and off for a while and each time I see a clip like yours it gives me inspiration 😊
So glad to hear that. I tinker with a lot of bikes but I really love my 2 strokes. I’m going to be pulling these pipes off this bike over the next few months as I have a new set of EGT’s to install in them. I’ll refinish them in a flexible high temp powder coat. I’ll be sure to capture the process. I need to finish off a motor modification I’m doing I’m doing on a different bike first though. I’d love to see the progress on yours. Cheers, Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Looking forward to the powder coat process and your future posts on all things 2 stroke😉 I may have to start a channel and post some X7 restoration related stuff but a bit beyond my skill set at the moment 🤣
@@kevowski I’d love to see your progress on your Suzuki 2 stroke. I had a GT-750 triple LC. Pretty cool bikes. If I can answer any of your questions you can reach on a page I just started. facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089670818103&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Nice, looks great. You a Canadian? I heard Tea Party and Chilliwack on the radio... I guess if I'd waited until the end to comment I would have heard the reference to the "United people of Canada" which would have removed all doubt, lol
Both very good question’s. The reeds make a difference for a few reasons. The main advantage over the stock steel reeds is that steel ones chip and crack. When this happens the debris gets sucked into the motor and gets chewed up. If the Boyesen reeds get sucked into the combustion chamber chances are the damage won’t be as severe. Reeds spend their time constantly flexing so they won’t last forever. The dual stages reeds give a much quicker throttle response over the stock reeds and you can eliminate the rev plate. As far as the spacer blocks go, they increase more crankcase volume to a modified motor. I assumed that the motor on this bike was ported because of the performance pipes and filter so I added the spacers. I ended up removing them because the bike responded poorly. It turned out that this motor wasn’t heavily modified after all. It ran way better without the spacers. I hope this answered your questions. Todd
Very nice job. Congratulations. I do have an advice. The Boyesen reeds. They're no good I'm afraid. The best you can get for that engine are the Vforce 3 or 4 from Mototassinari. The ones suited for the Yamaha YZ 85. They're expensive but worth every penny. They really are. Otherwise great job. Keep it up.
Thank you for your comments. I totally agree that V-force and Yz-85 reeds are better. I find the duel stage Boysen reeds are a quick and easy replacement and are much safer than the stock reeds without having to remove the jugs for grinding. I have plans in the works for vforce reed cages during the motor rebuild. I’m also going with stainless chambers. Work in progress. Cheers, Todd
Hi Larry, The 350 and the 400 were very similar in configuration as far as the motor goes with the 400 having a longer stroke than the 350. Yamaha did however go back to the shorter stroke RD 350 and added Liquid cooling which later became the RZ350 with the YPVS (Yamaha Power Valve System). The evolution of these bikes is actually very interesting. Thanks for watching, Todd
@@mikewatts1450 yes sir, they do smoke, but they are so much fun to ride. Riding experience like no other. I’ll be do more videos of this bike soon. Like and subscribe if you would like to see more. Thank you for watching and your comments, Todd
@@mikewatts1450 the water buffalo was the Suzuki GT750. A lot of people mistake them for the Vintage triple Kawasaki H2 750 widow maker. Very hard to come by and when you see them they are top dollar. Regrettably I sold my Gt750 triple Suzuki water buffalo. I do still see a few of them come up for sale sometimes but they are usually beat and very expensive.
Thanks Dwayne. Some of the older models had that red strip down the top of the tank and fender. This 1980 model was a little dull in graphics so I adapted that same look as the older model but decided to keep it black and white. Thanks for watching, Todd
You lucky &@$?!”) where did you find the Daytona? I had an rd that I blew up high reving into neutral and shattered a piston (wasn’t the first time) My buddy had a Daytona but sold it. He bought in a pawn shop in Victoria. Where do you get your new parts from?
Hi Kirk, thanks. Yes this is a pretty rare gem. It’s a 1980 Daytona Special RD400G model. Imported from Japan to Canada for only one year. I get my new parts from HJC out of the US but they were not cheap! I’ve got lots more planned for this bike. Subscribe if you want to stay up to date with it. If you like this bike you may also like my new Moto Guzzi video I posted on my page. Thanks for watching, Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Thanks for the quick reply and the parts information. Mike's XS is OK but sporadic when it comes to internals. I'm looking to rebuild a running 78 YAMAHA 650. She smokes and taps on the left when cold but stops when warmed up (34320 km)
@@kirkbowman7452 HJC specializes in two stroke parts. I doubt they would have anything specific for your 4 stroke XS-650. I would try starting with a simple valve adjustment and take it from there. Those bikes make very nice cafe racer projects. Good luck Kirk. Todd
@@kirkbowman7452 here’s a little clip of me doing a valve job on my Guzzi. Not an XS-650 but it might help you out. th-cam.com/video/zQBo3sLuJkY/w-d-xo.html
Hi Mike, This project is far from complete. The exhaust is one of many things left to do. The project is being done in stages. I didn’t even expect the bike run after sitting for so many years. I was very surprised that it had such good compression but usually the crank seals dry up and leak causing a lean condition. I just wanted to see if it would fire up and go through the gears once to check on the condition of the clutch and transmission before a complete tear down. At that point the exhausts will come off so I can pressure test the crankcase. I have nice set of EGT sensors to weld into the exhaust and then I’ll powder coat over the welded bungs with a nice high temperature flexible powder I’ve been experimenting with on snowmobile chambers with amazing results. So I didn’t bother hitting them with a high temp spray bomb. The frame looks like crap also so when I pull the motor out I’ll powder coat the frame at that time. The old uni-filters that where on it when I got it where completely eaten away by mice and there was literally no foam left on them at all. Just the two discs left laying there. I installed a high flow K&N filter with Y-Boot and dual stage reeds with spacer blocks. I later removed the blocks as they just ended up causing bigger problems. Once I tear the motor down I will most likely open up the intakes to accept a set of V-force cages. I have a new kevlar clutch and springs to install among other things. Like and subscribe if you interested in seeing the progress. Thanks for watching, Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell I Loved watching it mate it sounds like you’ve got everything in place look forward to seeing the end result sounds like you know exactly what you’re doing should be a proper weapon when you’re finished Big love from the UK 🇬🇧
had a 75 350 bore .50 over chambers rear set pegs and low bars raced 2 of these at the same time and ran off from tell i hit my top speed then they slowly passed me
It is a better practice to hold the throttle wide open to help more air in to bring the compression up. I didn’t want to inject to much oil into the carbs before taking them apart and just wanted to see if the motor was blown or not that’s all.
Good job, but it's a shame that you took the color out of it! Had one back in the day as a teenager, abused the hell out of it (popping wheelies and scraping the pipes, couple of low sides, etc.) But looking back after going though 20 or so bikes; best bike I ever had!
Awesome had a mint 1976 red one loved that bike then my RZ 350 I would just throw a battery in her add a bit of gas in the cylinder she if it will fire
The Daytona Special was a beautiful bike. A friend of mine had 1.
I had the H1 Mach III 500 triple widowmaker with race chambers.
Very nice. I’m currently trying to buy a 500 H1 from a friend of mine. It will be a nice resto project for my channel. Wish me luck!
That Sir, is one of the most beautiful bikes - let alone RD's - I've ever seen.
Wow, thank you very much!
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Forgot to mention the shop music kicked a$$, too.
@@Fmontes good shop tunes inspire nice results. Thank you
Arguably one of the most fun bikes they ever made. Total giant killer in the right hands.
Thanks Henry. I was actually rather surprised when I took this little 2 stroke out for the first time. I’m more accustom to modern large bore 4 strokes. This little bike is SO much fun to ride. It feels so light and nimble you just think about setting up for a corner and it responds. You quickly come to realize that you don’t need to set up the for the corner so soon lol. I still have some more tuning and jetting to dial in closer but it was late in the season when I finished up this bike so I’ll have to wait until spring. I’ll take it out and do some plug chops to see where I’m at. To much snow on the ground out there now. If you like this video and you would like to see the plans I have coming up for it subscribe so you can check it out. You may also like my Moto Guzzi Cafe racer video I posted on my page.
Thanks for watching,
Todd
What a beauty! Well done! I have a Rd Daytona I've been wanting to restore for years! Thank you for the inspiration !!
@@MrNedbe thank you for watching. I’m trying to grow my channel so I appreciate it. I would love to see yours when you’re done. Be fair warned, parts for that bike are no longer cheap. Good luck,
Todd
Those wheels look amazing. Such a beautiful piece of history. Thanks for restoring it. You did an a great job.
Thank you Colin. I’m glad you like the wheels. Overall it was one of things that I contemplated over and over again. I was very close to doing them black, then I did my ATV wheels in black chrome and they turned out really well so I started thinking about doing the RD wheels in black chrome. After a lot of thought I felt like I wanted the wheels to pop rather than blend in so powder coated them with a really nice 2000 Lamborghini White. I’m not going to lie, I was blown away when I saw how they turned out. Probably not the smartest colour choice to keep clean on an oil spitting 2 stroke but I was very happy with the end result. Thank you for watching and if you liked the video I have many more things planned for this project. Subscribe if you would like to see what’s coming next. You may also enjoy my latest Moto Guzzi Cafe racer video on my page.
Todd
Realy should of cut out the spokes. (rocken radio station tho ).
geten a little jeaious .
I had one in 1979! Light to light it was hard to beat!
Thanks John. They certainly had a good reputation for that.
Had two on the track for five years. Original RD 400 and the Daytona. Fabulous bikes. Gorgeous job there!!
Thank you Eric. Subscribe to see more to come on this Daytona. If you like this video you may also like my newest Moto Guzzi video on my page. Thanks for watching,
Todd
I had one of these wonderful motorcycles when I was 22. I had the engine rebuilt and installed a set of Spec II performance chambers on it and it was so fast! I loved riding it. Great video, thanks for taking me back to 1985...
Just bought one a couple months ago at 21 rebuilt whole motor new crank bearings bored top end been sandblasting everthing going to keep 2 strokes alive
Wow take me back to 1986 when I bought my 77 RD400 with my tuition money at Western Wa University, I loved it and it was my first street bike. Man it was fast, I smoked everything except the biggest of bikes. Easily could hang with VF500 Ceptors and CBR600's. Everybody was bike crazy and wanted to be Maverick in Top Gun. The rich kids got the new sport bikes, and made fun of the old RD, until I blew by them. I paid $400.00 for it, and it was mint, 2000 miles on it, still had the original tires! I read and learned everything I could about two strokes and hot rodding them. So easy to get more power out of them. Finally had to sell it when I ran out of money and needed to pay for my last quarter of tuition. Once I started making money, I bought a mint RZ350YPVS, which I also raced for a while. I took that one to a Stage 3 from SpecII, that thing is FAST. Still have it 30 years on. Currently among my many restorations (I do it as a side business now) I have a 72 Kawasaki H2 750 Mach IV. Lusted after one from the first time I saw one...a 750 triple Smoker!! They are stupid expensive now, but I got mine with three engines as a basket case barn find from a friend for cheap. Great video...I would love to find a RD400 of any year, but like all smokers, they are crazy expensive now. Look at how much RRG500 Gammas are going for???? 40K??? Really???
Thank you for your comments about your bikes
Bought my 77 rd in 82 for 6 or $700
Great days !!! Guys had daytonas, thumpers were big guys wheeliing
Ended up going to cb 750 then fz 750
Shoulda kept the rd tho 😂😂😂
Aqui no Brasil teve a rd 350 viúva negra mais conhecida como tampa de caixão eu me diverti com algumas e sobrevivi pra contar para os netos hoje estou restaurando uma 135 z 1998 e uma rx 125 ano 1982 com mecânica completa da 135 1998 yamaha é vida two stroke forever um forte abraço dos brasileiros
Looks awesome ! I had a rd400 77 great bike . They are worth a fortune now .
Thanks. You don’t come across many these days.
When I went to my high school Prom my boss at my part time job had almost the same car.His was a 1972 with a dark blue exterior with silver leather interior. It drove at least as good as it looked. So me,my prom date, my best bud and his date went to our senior prom in magnificent style!
The 70's were a interesting time to be a teenager from the music, the partying, the easily available drugs, whatever you're into from pot to the vast amount of cocaine available. It was a crazy time.Glad i lived through it! Oh and the Lincoln Mark IV is still a great car!
Motor keren menjadi sangat menakjubkan, sangat legendaris
Thank you, glad you like them
Great job. Love the powder coat oven !.
Thanks Paul, it’s not the greatest oven but does the trick for now.
Nice little giant killer!! sweet ride 👌👍
Thank you Ajchat. It certainly is a little weapon. Thank you for watching
Beautiful restoration!
Thank you. Still a work in progress
I had a regular '77 rd 400 back in '82
Shouldve kept it but instead of dumping money in it i bought a '80 cb 750 round '84
Love the sabbath in the back ground zztop 😂
@@zandig666 That’s awesome!
Thanks for watching
I had a RD400 Daytona special back in the early 80's. I changed the reeds, exhaust and jets. That sucker fly..wheelie machine.
That’s awesome!
Beautifully done. I bought one of these the first summer they were out (19 years old). The only safety gear was a helmet and paper thin Bates "racing" gloves, and when I put those on I was...Kenny Roberts. lol
Lol. Yes!
Nice job I had the same bike when I was 17. Ha the good old days.
Thank you. Seems like a lot of people recall these old bikes from their youth. Nice to see a few put back on the road.
Thanks for watching,
Todd
bringing back to life in that scale is great, thats what people come to look at
Thank you Kathy.
I’m glad you like it. I really enjoyed working on this little bike and was pleased with how it turned out. I have more things planned for this bike. If you would like to see what’s coming up next subscribe so you can check it out. You may also like my latest Moto Guzzi Cafe racer video on my page.
Thanks for watching,
Todd
Great memories. I bought one new in the summer of ‘79. Clubman bars and pipes came right away. The dealer had two of them. I paid $1495. Five years later the other one was still in the showroom….the tag? $4995. Pretty sure the dealership owner just wanted to keep it. He knew what it was gonna be someday with 3 miles on the odo.
Wow, that’s amazing. Thanks for sharing, Todd
最高ですね。
Thank you Takao
I didn’t have a Daytona, but I did buy a brand new 1976 RD 400, my cousin bought at the same time …..and my brother and other cousin bought themselves a pair of Honda CB 360’s. So in one sale, 4 bikes and the salesman was rich that day. In Montreal I paid , for my RD, with dealer installed flat bars, $1,395.00 Canadian, all in. Greatest 2 stroke I ever owned, and the year before I drove a Kawasaki H1 350cc triple. No comparison at all. I was able to put away up to 750 cc bikes, except the new Z-1 900. Miss that bike. And as you said, their value has skyrocketed, well done rebuilts go for 5-6 thousand, easily, and original bikes in mint condition are just touching 9-10 thousand.
Thank you. If you like this bike and would like to see what else I have planned for it subscribe to my channel so you won’t miss it. You may also like my latest Moto Guzzi cafe racer build.
Cheers, Todd
Just awsome !
You should be very proud.
Thank you. I appreciate that.
Cheers,
Todd
Lovely job , fair play !!
That faring is gonna look kickass on that Smoker!
Thanks Keith. I’m actually on two minds about that fairing. It does look really cool, maybe incorporate some more speed blocks on it, but I also like being able to see the two stroke motor. There’s also some concern about restricting the airflow on an air cooled motor. So I’m still on the fence about it. I haven’t powder coated the frame yet but before I do I may weld some fairing tabs on it so I can quickly pop the fairing on or off for a different look.
@@OVVMtoddspurrell A friend of mine years ago Took a air tech fiberglass faring and did a ram air mod. Rd250. He said it helped on the track but stop n go was the problem. I remember he had a really cool DG head and flat slide carbs, aluminum swing arm , factory pipe products chambers! He made a Ducati SS type faring for the street. That little bike would do 120 mph!
@@keithhampton9700 wow that must have been a real weapon. Thank you for sharing your comments. Subscribe to see how it turns out. I just posted a cafe racer Moto guzzi video on my page that might also interest you.
Todd
Nice bike and music 😎🏍
Thank you
A work of art😍😍😍😍
Thank you Robert
I've had lots of bikes, (and still do ... I used to take drugs ... and still do ... heh heh) but if I could only have one back ... the 77 RD400 would be it. Raw is really the only way to describe it. I remember my older friend got a 77, and it was so cool. And, a few years later, got the 79 ... now, I couldn't afford cocaine at the time ... but a few years later could afford the used 77 RD400. I mean, really ... the feeling going over the "orange crush" interchange at about 65 to 70 with probably leaking fork seals and older tires ... 150 feet in the air around a left banked corner ... but ... RAW ... that thing was one hundred percent awesome. Later, the RZ350 was pretty great too. A little quieter, water cooled, with some great punch and the same scary wheelies up the hills (especially with a friend as ballast on the back). FZR1000 was solid, and still a great motor ... gsxr's (working on an old air cooled 1100 in the garage right now). But, I'm old, and the various "slow" bikes are fine - the Stratoliner's got balls, my wife's V-star 650 with pipes, etc. is loud and fun, the klr 650 is slow and steady, and wonderful, TW200, DR350, 125's ... I kinda want a street tire'd YZ250 kinda supermoto ... ah, love Idaho where you can plate anything ... we'll see how long that lasts now that everyone from the big state is moving here is changing everything ...
Thank you for your interesting comments. I was very fortunate to come across this 1980 Daytona Special RD400G model. I’ve also had many 2 strokes and other bikes in the past but just to many to list. It’s nice that you can put anything on the road that you wish in Idaho. I wish it was like that here. Cheers,
Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Thanks Todd ... cheers ... I left a pretty funny comment ... must have been drinking ... heh heh ... It has been a long winter here!
@@bennyblanko3 np Benny. I’m actually out in the shop working on that RD right now. It’s very cold here today.
Cheers,
Todd
Great resto Todd! I bought a red RD400 D new for £701 on the road in 1979. The Daytona, or RD 400F was never imported to the UK, probably because the LC was on the way, but what a bike it was - the pinnacle of air cooled two stroke design.
Thank you, This is a 1980 RD 400G model imported from Japan to Canada. I suspect that there are not many of these around. I have a few more interesting things planned for this bike. I really like it. If you liked this resto, subscribe to see what’s coming next or go check out my Moto Guzzi resto. Cheers, Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Even rarer then! I ride a Moto Guzzi Griso now, so have subscribed, to see what you're up to next.
@@mrsilbo6499 thank you :)
th-cam.com/video/byODdxBeOUQ/w-d-xo.html
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Loved it. Especially minus the chair!
It's a beauty!
Thank you.
Those clubman's look great on the RD
Thanks Ali. They are not for everyone but give it a more aggressive stance. Glad you like them.
Todd
A beauty.
I learned to never trust my motor to that oil pump & always premixed after seizing my RD 350. Beautiful bike!
Ouch. That must have been terrible.
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Lol, we like the same bikes it seems. I'm from Portland Ore & got moved to San Fran in 1985 by an older woman I was dating.
Loaded the siezed 350 in a U Haul with all of my belongings & drove to the Bay, unloaded my stuff & dropped the RD off in Daly City to have a top end built.
A few months later I came into some money & bought a better bike. A 1983 Moto Guzzi Lemans III, best times of my life. Fast Bike & a loaded older Woman!
@@derrickmills7217 lol, that’s cool that you also like the Guzzi’s. Great minds think alike I guess eh. You’ll have to subscribe to get updates. I take it you saw my latest Moto Guzzi video?
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Consider me suscribed, I just caught a glimpse of the Guzzi in the background towards the end.
@@derrickmills7217 cool thanks, check out the guzzi clip. I’m sure you will enjoy hearing it. Crank up the volume near the end
I used to work on the rotary valve side draft two strokes LOL!!
@@mikewatts1450 The old LC 500’s with YPVS, nice
GOOD MUSIC!!!
sweet bike. I wanted one of thi=ose sooooooo bad in1978
Thanks Brian. Getting harder and harder to find them now.
Nice bike 🏍 👍🏻
Wow what a beautiful job you did! VERY impressive and loved the real vid with no irritating music overlays. How long did the project actually take? I love watching a master at work and seeing the finished results! I Had to sub after watching this and can't wait to watch more of what you do!
Thank you Brian. I greatly appreciate your comments and thank you kindly for subscribing. I must admit that I do also have a few videos with music overlays as I am not a big talker on camera lol. I also prefer hearing the sounds of the work being done with some background tunes playing on the radio. This project took about five months to get to the point you see in the video. I’m sure it could have been done quicker but I do have a full time job and a ranch. I also work on other bikes to help fund my projects so that tends to slow my personal projects down a bit. This bike had been sitting rusting away in a barn for over twenty years. I’m actually surprised that it runs after sitting for so long. Usually the crank seals dry out and you lose crankcase pressure. I expect to have to do a full motor rebuild on this bike very soon and that’s ok because I want to pull the motor and powder coat the frame while the motor is out. The next thing planed for this bike is to remove the chambers, take them apart and powder coat them with a high temp powder I was given to experiment with on snowmobile exhaust from a company in California. So that will freshen up this bike a bit. The jetting is also a little off on it so I’ll be working on that this spring. If you like this video you might want to check out my latest Moto Guzzi project.
Where are you from?
Thanks for watching,
Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell I'm in Pa, have a few bikes myself but can't seem to get motivated to do anything to them. Tell myself I'm gonna start on one of them today, look at it and say fk it, lol. Funds are a little low in the winter when I have the time plus lots of my buddies don't ride anymore or sold their bikes. When I am working, never have the time ... sure you know how it goes.
Love your choice if paint scheme! Do you need tubes with those cast wheels?
Probably not. The tires are tubeless ready. It had tubes in before so I put new tubes in it.
I’d be scared to,kick it over without hitting the cylinders with some oil, make sure the rings are free etc. Love those RD’s and RZ’s ✌️
I actually did drop a teaspoon of oil in each cylinder and gently rolled it over. I just didn’t want the video to be 2 hours long lol. Thank for watching ,
Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell you definitely have the vintage bike touch then, I wish I had the $ I’d do nothing but restore classic bikes. Thanks for sharing, I hope everything’s coming together good, I love the shocked look people get from being smoked by a smaller bike.
@@deborahchesser7375 thank you Deborah, I absolutely love rebuilding these old vintage bikes. I can honestly say that I enjoy building them as much as riding them. If you enjoyed this video you may also enjoy my latest Moto Guzzi project on my channel. I have a bunch of vintage bikes that I haven’t even started yet. Subscribe to see what’s coming up next.
Thanks Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell I’ll check out that other channel out too, thanks T, Bill.
@@deborahchesser7375 glad to hear it!
Cheers
Very nice powder-coat work.😎
Do you have or are you going to make a video of running/riding that beauty?
Even if it's just some drive to's/aways and/or drive by's?
Thank you kindly. I finished this bike up late in the year so I didn’t get a lot of run time on it for jetting and fine tuning before the snow came. I did manage to take it for a few short spins up and down the road but I am planning a dyno video and a ride video with onboard camera and drone footage that you’re not going to want to miss. If you subscribe to my channel you’ll see them when they come out. We still have 3 feet of snow here so we will have to wait for Mother Nature to warm things up a bit. In the mean time I’ll be working on freshening up those chambers and and capturing it on video. You may also like my Moto Guzzi Cafe racer build on my page to help tie you over. Cheers, and thanks for watching.
an absolute fucking beast,if they were tuned these would tear apart most bikes up to 750
Lovely bike, what pipes are they?
They look very similar to my Swarbricks for my X7..
They are called Factory Race Products.
Don’t think they make them anymore.
@@OVVMtoddspurrell There were a few people making expansions in the UK back in the 70’s and 80’s I had a set of Terry Beckett pipes on an X7 and they were great. Same can be said for Microns which performed well, sounded amazing and looked great in chrome.
I’ve been restoring an 1978 X7 on and off for a while and each time I see a clip like yours it gives me inspiration 😊
So glad to hear that. I tinker with a lot of bikes but I really love my 2 strokes. I’m going to be pulling these pipes off this bike over the next few months as I have a new set of EGT’s to install in them. I’ll refinish them in a flexible high temp powder coat. I’ll be sure to capture the process. I need to finish off a motor modification I’m doing I’m doing on a different bike first though. I’d love to see the progress on yours.
Cheers, Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Looking forward to the powder coat process and your future posts on all things 2 stroke😉
I may have to start a channel and post some X7 restoration related stuff but a bit beyond my skill set at the moment 🤣
@@kevowski I’d love to see your progress on your Suzuki 2 stroke. I had a GT-750 triple LC. Pretty cool bikes.
If I can answer any of your questions you can reach on a page I just started. facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089670818103&mibextid=LQQJ4d
Nice, looks great.
You a Canadian? I heard Tea Party and Chilliwack on the radio... I guess if I'd waited until the end to comment I would have heard the reference to the "United people of Canada" which would have removed all doubt, lol
Yes, up in the great white north eh! Lol
Another would be nice
Last of the big 2 strokes.
Cool bike
I own a 76 400
Do the boyesen power reeds make a difference?
Why did you use reed block spacers?
Both very good question’s. The reeds make a difference for a few reasons. The main advantage over the stock steel reeds is that steel ones chip and crack. When this happens the debris gets sucked into the motor and gets chewed up. If the Boyesen reeds get sucked into the combustion chamber chances are the damage won’t be as severe. Reeds spend their time constantly flexing so they won’t last forever. The dual stages reeds give a much quicker throttle response over the stock reeds and you can eliminate the rev plate. As far as the spacer blocks go, they increase more crankcase volume to a modified motor. I assumed that the motor on this bike was ported because of the performance pipes and filter so I added the spacers. I ended up removing them because the bike responded poorly. It turned out that this motor wasn’t heavily modified after all. It ran way better without the spacers. I hope this answered your questions.
Todd
What is a Yamaha RD400 doing out inside of a country barn anyway?
I got one brand new when I was a senior in high school. I thought I was ten feet tall and bullet proof.
Thank you for your comment. I bet you miss it. They really are cool little bikes
This is great! Burt, turn that radio down. Beautiful Bike!!!
Aww yea strong work!
Thank you, if you like this bike you may also like my latest Moto Guzzi project on my page.
Very nice job. Congratulations. I do have an advice. The Boyesen reeds. They're no good I'm afraid. The best you can get for that engine are the Vforce 3 or 4 from Mototassinari. The ones suited for the Yamaha YZ 85. They're expensive but worth every penny. They really are. Otherwise great job. Keep it up.
Thank you for your comments. I totally agree that V-force and Yz-85 reeds are better. I find the duel stage Boysen reeds are a quick and easy replacement and are much safer than the stock reeds without having to remove the jugs for grinding. I have plans in the works for vforce reed cages during the motor rebuild. I’m also going with stainless chambers. Work in progress. Cheers, Todd
I wonder what is the difference between the 350 and 400? Bore and stroke or what?
Hi Larry,
The 350 and the 400 were very similar in configuration as far as the motor goes with the 400 having a longer stroke than the 350. Yamaha did however go back to the shorter stroke RD 350 and added
Liquid cooling which later became the RZ350 with the YPVS (Yamaha Power Valve System). The evolution of these bikes is actually very interesting.
Thanks for watching,
Todd
Sweet!
Holy shit!!!
I would love 😍 to find a restorative Yamaha RD 400 mind you im a little too old and way too slow🥺😉👍!!
@@mikewatts1450 they are becoming more difficult to come by.
@@OVVMtoddspurrell killed off by the four stroke 🥺👍! And emission laws 😪!
@@OVVMtoddspurrell I love too find a Kawasaki Water Buffalo LOL But people are probably still riding them 👍!!
@@mikewatts1450 yes sir, they do smoke, but they are so much fun to ride. Riding experience like no other. I’ll be do more videos of this bike soon. Like and subscribe if you would like to see more. Thank you for watching and your comments,
Todd
@@mikewatts1450 the water buffalo was the Suzuki GT750. A lot of people mistake them for the Vintage triple Kawasaki H2 750 widow maker. Very hard to come by and when you see them they are top dollar. Regrettably I sold my Gt750 triple Suzuki water buffalo. I do still see a few of them come up for sale sometimes but they are usually beat and very expensive.
My dad bought one new looked similar except his had a red stripe down the tank and fender
Thanks Dwayne. Some of the older models had that red strip down the top of the tank and fender. This 1980 model was a little dull in graphics so I adapted that same look as the older model but decided to keep it black and white.
Thanks for watching,
Todd
You lucky &@$?!”) where did you find the Daytona? I had an rd that I blew up high reving into neutral and shattered a piston (wasn’t the first time) My buddy had a Daytona but sold it. He bought in a pawn shop in Victoria. Where do you get your new parts from?
Hi Kirk, thanks. Yes this is a pretty rare gem. It’s a 1980 Daytona Special RD400G model. Imported from Japan to Canada for only one year. I get my new parts from HJC out of the US but they were not cheap! I’ve got lots more planned for this bike. Subscribe if you want to stay up to date with it. If you like this bike you may also like my new Moto Guzzi video I posted on my page. Thanks for watching,
Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell Thanks for the quick reply and the parts information. Mike's XS is OK but sporadic when it comes to internals. I'm looking to rebuild a running 78
YAMAHA 650. She smokes and taps on the left when cold but stops when warmed up (34320 km)
@@kirkbowman7452 HJC specializes in two stroke parts. I doubt they would have anything specific for your 4 stroke XS-650. I would try starting with a simple valve adjustment and take it from there. Those bikes make very nice cafe racer projects. Good luck Kirk.
Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell I like your powder coat oven setup were the Dayton side covers still metal in 1980?
.
@@kirkbowman7452 here’s a little clip of me doing a valve job on my Guzzi. Not an XS-650 but it might help you out.
th-cam.com/video/zQBo3sLuJkY/w-d-xo.html
I Would have given those exhaust a coat of paint and the ends a good polish probably put some KN filters on as well but all in all a good job
Hi Mike,
This project is far from complete.
The exhaust is one of many things left to do. The project is being done in stages. I didn’t even expect the bike run after sitting for so many years. I was very surprised that it had such good compression but usually the crank seals dry up and leak causing a lean condition. I just wanted to see if it would fire up and go through the gears once to check on the condition of the clutch and transmission before a complete tear down. At that point the exhausts will come off so I can pressure test the crankcase. I have nice set of EGT sensors to weld into the exhaust and then I’ll powder coat over the welded bungs with a nice high temperature flexible powder I’ve been experimenting with on snowmobile chambers with amazing results. So I didn’t bother hitting them with a high temp spray bomb. The frame looks like crap also so when I pull the motor out I’ll powder coat the frame at that time.
The old uni-filters that where on it when I got it where completely eaten away by mice and there was literally no foam left on them at all. Just the two discs left laying there. I installed a high flow K&N filter with Y-Boot and dual stage reeds with spacer blocks. I later removed the blocks as they just ended up causing bigger problems. Once I tear the motor down I will most likely open up the intakes to accept a set of V-force cages.
I have a new kevlar clutch and springs to install among other things. Like and subscribe if you interested in seeing the progress. Thanks for watching, Todd
@@OVVMtoddspurrell I Loved watching it mate it sounds like you’ve got everything in place look forward to seeing the end result sounds like you know exactly what you’re doing should be a proper weapon when you’re finished Big love from the UK 🇬🇧
🤩
had a 75 350 bore .50 over chambers rear set pegs and low bars raced 2 of these at the same time and ran off from tell i hit my top speed then they slowly passed me
Sounds like good times! Thanks for watching
Is that bike for sale?
Sorry Jeff it is not for sale
Aren’t you supposed to hold the throttle wide open when checking compression?
It is a better practice to hold the throttle wide open to help more air in to bring the compression up. I didn’t want to inject to much oil into the carbs before taking them apart and just wanted to see if the motor was blown or not that’s all.
i know the 350 was hot so this one is even better
I’m glad you like it.
Can you post it FOC to me in the midlands please? 🙂
Oh thats original sport rims cannot use tubeless tyre sir?
They required tubes.
👏
Datona😊
Good job, but it's a shame that you took the color out of it! Had one back in the day as a teenager, abused the hell out of it (popping wheelies and scraping the pipes, couple of low sides, etc.) But looking back after going though 20 or so bikes; best bike I ever had!
What carbs diameter
The original size carburetors on this bike are 28mm x 2
Even though it's a mag wheel, it should have an inner tube. It'll work without one, till it don't.
It has inner tubes in both wheels
Rad
moi j'avais la 350 j'ai fait mon premier bol dor avec !
Et vous etes un champion alors quelle experience
Awesome had a mint 1976 red one loved that bike then my RZ 350 I would just throw a battery in her add a bit of gas in the cylinder she if it will fire
The red ones were very nice!
Thanks for watching
Chez 106!
Félicitations de France pour votre très belle restauration 🤗🤗🤗🤗👍👍👍👍je m´abonné si ça peut vous aider.
Thank you for your nice comments. I appreciate your subscription. I have a lot more planned for this bike and others.
Rd 400s don't have tubeless radials?
It had tubes in it, so I put new tubes and new tires. Didn’t bother trying to set up for tubeless.