EvilTwinz
Parts Cobbler
After carrying this bike around for decades through various garages, porches and stages in my life. It's finally getting restored. I bought this bike used back in 1986, while going to school, living in San Luis Obispo. It was in fairly bad shape trying to kill me, so I retired it somewhere around 1995. And it finally got broken down into boxes about 10 years ago. I've literally been buying parts for it on eBay, Craigslist and by word of mouth for the last 20 years or so!
I have always know that I don't really have the skills to build a 2-stroke engine, so after touch-and-go communications for a decade with an engine builder in Castro Valley, we're finally getting it done! I've recognized the fact that 2T non-electronic motors are a dying dark art and if I didn't get this thing built sometime soon, all the talented mechanics would soon be dead.
Over the years, I have gone through many design renditions in my head (and on paper or spreadsheets), but in the end, the bike will be a pretty good representation of how it looked when I first bought it many years ago. It's going to be Chappy Red with gold painted OEM cast wheels, the OEM brake system, original instrumentation, gas tank and sides. Some alterations that are being made are Woodcraft clip-on bars, racing suspension, a cafe seat (and rear fender elimination), cut front fender, modern signals and brake light. The motor will be mostly stock (almost all NOS Yamaha parts) with a 1979 Daytona head, Y-boot, intake crossover pipe, single K&N filter, and Barnett clutch output through a Factory Products Pipe exhaust.
I've already restored the forks with Race Tech internals and new seals. I bought Ikon (formerly Koni) shocks for the rear. We're in the final stages of the engine being built. This bike will be way better than when I first purchased it- I will finally get a chance to see what it rides like when it was fresh from the factory. I can hardly wait to get this bike completed!
I have always know that I don't really have the skills to build a 2-stroke engine, so after touch-and-go communications for a decade with an engine builder in Castro Valley, we're finally getting it done! I've recognized the fact that 2T non-electronic motors are a dying dark art and if I didn't get this thing built sometime soon, all the talented mechanics would soon be dead.
Over the years, I have gone through many design renditions in my head (and on paper or spreadsheets), but in the end, the bike will be a pretty good representation of how it looked when I first bought it many years ago. It's going to be Chappy Red with gold painted OEM cast wheels, the OEM brake system, original instrumentation, gas tank and sides. Some alterations that are being made are Woodcraft clip-on bars, racing suspension, a cafe seat (and rear fender elimination), cut front fender, modern signals and brake light. The motor will be mostly stock (almost all NOS Yamaha parts) with a 1979 Daytona head, Y-boot, intake crossover pipe, single K&N filter, and Barnett clutch output through a Factory Products Pipe exhaust.
I've already restored the forks with Race Tech internals and new seals. I bought Ikon (formerly Koni) shocks for the rear. We're in the final stages of the engine being built. This bike will be way better than when I first purchased it- I will finally get a chance to see what it rides like when it was fresh from the factory. I can hardly wait to get this bike completed!
My 85 RZ was non-op'd in 1999 or so, and it cost me $159 for a new plate and to bring it up to current. Couldn't do it online, but the DMV didn't need to see the bike either.