My new (first) restoration. For you 2 strokers

JG463
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933
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Location
Stillwater, OK US
Edited Date/Time 12/6/2012 7:01am
I currently own a Kawasaki H2. The bike is in extremely good condition and was when I bought it out of a barn. Polished her up, cleaned the carbs, treated the fuel tank, and we were good to go.

I just bought a Yamaha RZ350 canadian model a few hours ago and will be picking it up early next week! The bike has not been ridden in about 10 years. I wanting to do a full restoration because the miles are extremely low at 6570.

Any tips on where to start? Body? Engine? Complete tear down? Some insight from a few of you who have done some restorations would be great!
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JG463
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Stillwater, OK US
12/5/2012 11:23am
Oh, And I will of course post pictures along the way Smile
rg4
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1/9/2011
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Eastern, WA US
12/5/2012 11:48am
Congrats. I own a 1976 Yamama RD400. My dream ride is the RZ350 Kenny Roberts Edition.

Good luck on your restoration.
newmann
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US
12/5/2012 12:41pm
I have often found myself searching for the RZ500. Damn expensive when they pop up. Good luck and keep us posted.
JG463
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Stillwater, OK US
12/5/2012 3:15pm
newmann wrote:
I have often found myself searching for the RZ500. Damn expensive when they pop up. Good luck and keep us posted.
Any pointers on where to start? I was assuming body so that it can be getting painted while I am tearing the motor down?

The Shop

holeshot100
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Billings, MO US
12/5/2012 4:02pm
This where I started.
newmann
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US
12/5/2012 9:07pm
newmann wrote:
I have often found myself searching for the RZ500. Damn expensive when they pop up. Good luck and keep us posted.
JG463 wrote:
Any pointers on where to start? I was assuming body so that it can be getting painted while I am tearing the motor down?
Fill up the digital camera with lots of pics as you disassemble so you will know where all the wiring and cables go when reassembling it months later.

No doubt, send the body and paint work out early as those types of projects don't rank too high with some painters. I can't get my guy to hardly touch an old Elsinore tank so I usually end up doing them all myself. He'll always volunteer to clear coat it all when I am done though! Same thing with anything you plan on getting powdercoated.

And order up those stainless cone pipes to provide some motivation to finish the damn thing...LOL



http://www.rg500.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=R&Product…
Moto Mofo
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886
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1/17/2008
Location
TX US
12/6/2012 6:16am
newmann wrote:
I have often found myself searching for the RZ500. Damn expensive when they pop up. Good luck and keep us posted.
Saw one for sale a few months ago. In Texas, too. You might know the owner, he is a vintage nut kinda like yourself.
TerryK
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9899
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CA
12/6/2012 6:28am Edited Date/Time 12/6/2012 6:29am
Best advice? Join an RZ350 forum. Guys that have done it all before are a wealth of information (and a source of parts!) and can save you tons of time and money.

As far as a starting point, I always start in the place that logic dictates: The frame. Strip the bike down to the bare frame and get it prepped and ready for all the new and restored parts you are going to be bolting back on to it. Then comes the suspension, wheels and so forth.

Have fun!
willie838
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852
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8/9/2011
Location
New Windsor, NY US
12/6/2012 7:01am Edited Date/Time 12/6/2012 7:02am
rz350 is the 2 stroke streetbike right?

we have a pretty gnarly road up here, rt 218, runs along the edge of a mountain with the cliff overhanging the hudson river. It travels between cornwall and west point (army).

i've always blasted around it and used it as a personal racetrack when i was a young retard. i still boogy on it but not like the days of yore.

regardless, even when i was going ridiculously fast for the danger level of the road and it's amount of blind turns- there was a local that would show up on a 350 and just dust me through turns. i'd pull back on him whenever it straightened out a bit but i simply could not hang with him on cornerspeed.

When we pulled over for a break i looked the bike over- the wheels were ridiculously thin. This helped him drop into corners faster but obviously minimizes his contact patch.

Following him though and just hearing that 2 stroke getting it's neck wrung and the smell- it was just awesome.


--

edit

and obv disregard my reminiscing if we're not talking about the same motorcycle haha

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