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Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Sat Feb 10, 2024 6:03 pm
by neil
I'm booked for Saturday, Al, Tony if you want to stay over let me know. I'm about 25 miles from Elvington

Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2024 10:11 am
by tony.mon
neil wrote: Sat Feb 10, 2024 6:03 pm I'm booked for Saturday, Al, Tony if you want to stay over let me know. I'm about 25 miles from Elvington
That's a kind offer, thanks.
Wife is probably joining me, and the journey from Kent is only about two hours so I'll think about travel nearer the time and let you know.

Anyone know what time sign-on starts and finishes?

Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2024 11:50 am
by AMCQ46
neil wrote:I'm booked for Saturday, Al, Tony if you want to stay over let me know. I'm about 25 miles from Elvington
Hi Neil, do you mean Saturday? The rwyb is on the Sunday

Thanks for the offer of an overnight stop, but I am out to see a band on the Saturday night, so will have to do an early start to get to the Pod for 8am scruitinering

Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2024 10:21 pm
by neil
Back home now so can reply. Wifi I was using when away wouldnt accept replies, it was blacklisted.? I thought you'd booked for the Straightliners show in February not the RWYB. Crossed wires due to timing of earlier replies

Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 10:20 pm
by AMCQ46
Chaingaurd is required as part of the regulations for the straightliners organised drag events.

Looking at the one on my firestorm, i thought it could be a good starting point to fit the RDs braced and extended swing arm, so I contacted Frank & Mac inc, and got a spare one.

Some Dremel cuts a taped hole, 2 rivnuts and 3 Aldi steel brackets later its is done.
IMG_4982.jpeg
Happy with that

Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2024 11:22 pm
by Duffy1964
Tidy job Al


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Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 1:23 pm
by fabiostar
That looks the very job :thumbup:

Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2024 2:23 pm
by sirch345
Another Firestorm part on this bike, what’s not to like :thumbup: :thumbup:

Chris

Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 7:31 pm
by fabiostar
sirch345 wrote: Sat Mar 09, 2024 2:23 pm Another Firestorm part on this bike, what’s not to like :thumbup: :thumbup:

Chris
i strangly kinda have a firestorm part on my LC :D . i didnt realise until i went to replace the chain on it, the storm and LC use the exact same chain :eek2 :eek2 . what the hell did yamaha think a 250 would do to a dirty great 530 chain :eek2

Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2024 9:34 pm
by sirch345
fabiostar wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2024 7:31 pm
sirch345 wrote: Sat Mar 09, 2024 2:23 pm Another Firestorm part on this bike, what’s not to like :thumbup: :thumbup:

Chris
i strangly kinda have a firestorm part on my LC :D . i didnt realise until i went to replace the chain on it, the storm and LC use the exact same chain :eek2 :eek2 . what the hell did yamaha think a 250 would do to a dirty great 530 chain :eek2
8O 8O Well I never, not what you would be expecting I'm sure :lol:

Chris.

Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2024 10:28 pm
by AMCQ46
Well that’s a huge step backwards!

With the 1st drag outing less than a month away, I thought i would start her up, get her up to temperature and make sure all the basics are still working.

After wam up, did a couple of hard starts from about 3 to 4000 revs just to see it it wheelies or spins (it spins) and then the engine note changed with a new metallic sound from the left hand pot.

Back on the bench and took the L/h head off to see some metallic particles in the combustion chamber
Debris in head
Debris in head

Further strip down to find the back of the piston has broken up
Failed piston
Failed piston
So now I need to split the engine to get the rest of the bits out and also the joy of tracking down a 40yr old piston which may or may not be from a DT175.

The engines out and on the bench and I have spent hours on the internet tracking down Yamaha pistons that are marked like this one
Piston number
Piston number
No engine
No engine
On the bench
On the bench
Let’s see how far get before the deadline of April 7th

Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Wed Mar 13, 2024 11:37 pm
by tony.mon
Otherwise, bring the KTM, it'll be a laugh seeing that launch. Good luck with finding the parts.

The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 10:38 am
by Duffy1964
Oh that’s a shame Al, my RD400 had a partial seizure last time out, but I haven’t investigated it yet. However there is a guy called Mally on the RD400 forum hat had issues similar to mine and it turned out to be aftermarket pistons that expanded too much as it was poor quality. So if you find the right size pistons it might be worth checking if they are of a decent quality.
Hope you get it sorted in times Image


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Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 6:32 pm
by AMCQ46
tony.mon wrote: Wed Mar 13, 2024 11:37 pm Otherwise, bring the KTM, it'll be a laugh seeing that launch. Good luck with finding the parts.
That was my fall back as I don’t think the storm clutch going to enjoy drag starts

Re: The RD400 drag bike

Posted: Thu Mar 14, 2024 8:19 pm
by AMCQ46
Duffy1964 wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2024 10:38 am Oh that’s a shame Al, my RD400 had a partial seizure last time out, but I haven’t investigated it yet. However there is a guy called Mally on the RD400 forum hat had issues similar to mine and it turned out to be aftermarket pistons that expanded too much as it was poor quality. So if you find the right size pistons it might be worth checking if they are of a decent quality.
Hope you get it sorted in times Image


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So i now know to avoid the Mitaka brand