Installing HVC Cycle CNC Performance Heads on my Yamaha RD350 Cafe Racer!
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- Опубліковано 18 жов 2021
- Today I installed a pair of CNC machined HVC Cycle heads on my RD that I had bought earlier in the year and had on the shelf waiting for the right moment. Overall super happy with them, loads more torque in the low/mid range and a much stronger powerband.
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I had several Rd 350's and 400's also triple Kawasakis back in the day, it's great to see the younger generation appreciate these machines. Excellent job young man, keep up the great work!
Thank you! I'd love to add a triple to the collection in the future. You had quite the fun!
@@Enginerded Nothing sounds like a triple Kaw with K&N's and a set of Denco's.
@@harveyjeffcoat2443 ...... A three into one sounds even better :0) ua-cam.com/video/IH1gjNS77pg/v-deo.html
2 stroke smokers forever. I feel for young guys that never felt that 2 stroke power band hit at 7 grand in a light bike. The best I rode was 85rz350 as I am in usa and we never got the other great 2 strokes like the NSR400 honda or Yamaha RZ500 Or Suzuki RG500 gamma. I love America but man we got hosed on the best 2 strokes in the late 80s and 90s
I'm with you owned and still have a 78 Daytona RD 400. I'm 70 and I still ride it. I like BMW for comfort now. I bought Kawasaki 500 & 750 new and 74 & 78 Yamaha used.
Such a cool bike! I've wanted one of these bikes since the mid 70s. I remember going to El Cajon, Calif Yamaha shop and seeing one and that desire to own one has been with me since then. Be safe!!
Love love love the sound of a two stroke twin! Awesome 🏍!
Sounds crisp and hungry like every decent 2 stroke should. That sound took me straight back to my days in the 80s here in the UK. A tweaked 2 stroke delivers power like nothing else, its so addictive. Enjoy
@Peter M I’d say ravenous rather than hungry, , it took me back to the 80,s too blasting around Surrey/ hants on rd250 and 400,s , miss those halcyon days too much
@@muckle8ساری.....
@user-ns7ng6xm3p hello 👋 amigo.
I love the Sound of The RD 350/400 🤜🤯🤛
Nothing like the sound and smell of 2 strokes. Klotz in the morning baby.
Just started on a build with my dad on this exact bike. It’s the first time for both of us. It was a barn find and we have completely stripped it. Our plans are to do something like what you have. Thanks for the video! Please post as many RD projects as you can.
That sounds like an awesome project! Mine was very much a barn find. Non running, no keys, but clean title and felt good on compression when kicking it over. Long story short it didnt take much to get it running, and the original key was locked in the gas tank! Love to hear another rd350 is getting restored 👍
The RD 350 is a kick ass bike my friend. I remember them as a teenager when they first came out. Great bike and I like what you've done with yours , the USD forks , the cafe bars and now those new heads. Too bad about the dent and scratches on the gas tank. I also like the after market exhaust system.
Thanks! The fork conversion i did myself. Designed various adapter parts in CAD including an upper triple clamp and had everything machined. Running honda grom (msx125) forks with stiffer springs. Will be additng a cartridge kit to them soon to add more damping control. Bike should be getting repainted in the future so no more dents!
personally i would leave it as a standard head ...from memory i used to use 2mm BTDC on the diall gauge for timing or else it would eat pistons or not perform at all ...i love the sound from the motor as it brings me back to the days of my R5 and RD400
Super cool bike! I just love that 2 stroke sound.
The cylinder heads look good and sound good.
I had a YDS7 : it was the most fun of any bike I've had.
Sexy ride man. I ride a 74 rd350 that I bought in 1978. I have done everything a guy can do to an rd350 engine. Mine dynoed at 68 horse power. Cost me 9 grand to get that but it hauls. I absolutely love your pipes. Don't give up on this machine, you have something very special there. Once you put new bushings and plates in the clutch, throw on some 30mm carbs you will notice even more power. I know guys say 34mm carbs but then you're just over carburated. 30 mikunis work perfect. There is a guy in California named Gary Shumake, he runs a company called spec2. He has forgotten more about Rd engines the most guys will ever know. Look him up, his knowledge will help you a great deal. Anyway man thanks for the vid.
Appreciate the kind words and advice! Definitely want to do some 30mm mikunis in the future for some more top end without killing the driveability. 34mm's always seemed overkill to me. Spec2 makes some great stuff! Clutch has been upgraded actually and made a video about that. Maybe porting the cylinders would be fun to do when i eventually rebuild the motor as well. 68hp is nuts for an air cooled rd350! What sort of work did you do to get there? I would love to get near that.
@@Enginerded from the top down. I put those same heads you did had them molled doen for more compression. Ported to stage 3, rebuilt , balanced and welded the crankshaft, new pistons( cast eather than forged because then they heat up at the same rate as the cylinders., banshee reeds which reqired grinding out material to allow them to fit, a crossover pipe between the carbs, 30mm mikuni carbs, k&n ait filter with a two into one rubber boot, new clutch bushings(neoprene rather than rubber) new clutch, heavy springs, had yo machine the inside of the clutch case 20 thousands to allow it to clear as well as used two gaskets , RD 400 gear pack so as not to be too wheelie prone, a race only electronic ignition system so it has no battery except for lights and that is a total loss system, a set of spec 2 gp pipes , then I had accelerated technologies build my suspension. John Sherrard is that guys name. He is well known in the racing world. I put a fibre glass seat with an aluminum fuel tank, and a glass fairing on it. Modified the front brakes to fit a floating rotor and used aluminum "H" profile rims with stainless steel spokes. If I can I will send you a pic.
@@Enginerded you can get 58 hp quite easily if you dont want to go nuts on the porting and leave those heads the way they are. Just a mild port job 30mm carbs jetted properly, those gorgeous pipes of yours, and electronic ignition , reeds and reed cages modified, but make sure you do the crank. It wouldnt hurt to put new crank seals in anyway so bearings and balancing just make sence. Gary has a pkg he sells that he claims makes 58 hp. To get much above that you need the higher compression race only ignition, and the race gas (c12)
@@elmerfudd1086 @Elmer Fudd thanks for all those details! I definitely want to keep this on pump 93 octane for convenience, so most likely will stick to mild porting and the 30mm carbs once i rebuild the motor. Definitely will check out that 58hp package
Standard Carb 350cc 120 Main Jets & RD 400
NEEDLE jets And A EARLY Yr5Airfilter And SCIM the HEADS 25thou ! And Clip The Reed valves ! And OPEN The Piston Ports !!!And Clip the Baffles ??.On The Standard Exhaust Pipes and RUN It On TOP FUEL !!!and BELL RAY Clear SPACE Oil 😁Ps & Tighten Up The REAR shocks And The F Forks And Fit TT100 or AVON Roadrunner Tyres on it And SHORT Flat Handle BARS !!!😁😁😁😁& Its Alter the Engine Sproket I Tooth Up ! And Fit a D.I.D.Drive Chain.too 😁And AT THE Lights !!!😂IF LIKE Me YOU Was NOT a HEAVY Man !!!IT Would SHOCK !!!EVERYTHING ON THE ROAD !!!BACK i. 77-79 😂lol WHAT A Sleeper ????? O---60 in 3secMAX !!!?AND 118 FLAT OUT !!!😣😔😔😔😂😂😂😍And Uprate The Disc Pads !!!lol a limey g
That’s a nice bike. Back in 1973 I bought an RD 350. It was a great bike
Back in my day we didnt have fancy heads. Nice job
Hello Eginerded, that bike brings me back to my high school days my buddies had the same bike, chambers and all, your RD is Sweet Brother you brought me back to the good old days hearing those Toomey Chambers Scream, God Bless and Be safe Brother
Your not building a top fuel dragster
The oil-based paints are easy to spread, partially self-balancing, and offer an excellent hold. Most often one coat of paint is enough for the painting anodized aluminum, but not every time. If the aluminum has to face harsh conditions applying multiple coatings is good.
Such a nice bike. The sound is amazing 👍
Expecting more videos like these🙌
Love that sound....takes me back...uk born n bread....sounds good to me peaky!!!
Some craic on a 2 stroke.. love it
RD 350B We got loads of the 250B's in that colour in the UK, our 350's were mostly silver. Man but they sure were a great bike..the very best 250/350s at the time.
Just tuned in to hear your bike again since mine is tucked away in the shed for the winter. Damn those pipes sound good.
Love to hear someone else enjoying it! I find myself doing the same thing every so often during the winter
@@Enginerded yea, I went out to my shed today because it was warm out and tried to fire mine up but no success with the RD but my Beemer fired up no problem however that bike is so quiet it just doesn't satisfy the need for that cracking sound.😀
Nice bike man. Maby im getting old but I love 2strokes. Used to race way back, the whole village afainst the next village we had a road right next to the 4lane highway the only rule we had was u had to go faster than cars on the highway doing 120. If u outrun that ur in. Those where the day man. Local heros where born there.
Cylinder heads look absolutely brilliant and excellent quality of finish seems to be doing a great job bloody awesome viewing from Northern Ireland,,, thanks for posting the video get octain booster in the fuel and do a plug chop,, tells you the mixture without a dyno,, road racers from here used to do it on old 2 stroke race bikes ☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️
Sounds like someone read my article about squish clearances. Now do the port work and hang on. Love the way your bike sounds, brings back a lot of memories.
Definitely did a good amount of squish research to make sure i wasn't going to hurt the motor, appreciate the knowledge!
Thank you very much for your cool picture.
RD350 best.
Those pipes sound great and the head colours match well with your forks n rear shocks. I had an RD350 back in the late 70s and was the most Fun bike I ever had. I always wanted expansion pipes on mine like you have, but was too tight to spend the money. What a poser I was on the back wheel around town on a busy Saturday on Main Street shoppers running across the road as I wheeled through them. The police never could catch me in there little mini police cars as I wheelied past them and darted down narrow back lanes etc. Enjoy your RD.........I loved mine :)
They look amazing😍
The legend Rd350
Sweet!
For more power, you can file the base of the inlet port about 1 - 3 mm. (Make sure to smooth the break point so the rings don't catch)
Change the oil in the gearbox to stop the clutch slip. You might have a friction modified oil in there that's causing the slip.
Lovely bike.
I had an RD250 with 350 top end.
Good point about the gearbox oil . R-40 is the thing to use in those . And R-30 is pretty good as Engine oil .
@@johncunningham4820 You put 2 stroke oil in the gearbox? No thanks!!
Cant beat ATF in the Gearbox! Automatic Transmission Fluid
@@jarnosaarinen4583 R-40 the Recommended for a Two-stroke Gearbox . Also for Detroit Diesel Two-Stroke engines BTW .
So what would YOU suggest to but in a Motorcycle Gearbox that has a Wet Clutch ?
Very interested to hear................
@@jarnosaarinen4583 . ATF is totally WRONG in that application . What the hell are you thinking ? Explain yourself , because I am CERTAIN you are wrong .
I have a 1973 rd350 that I built in my living room. Running there pipes. Scr racing ported my motor. And did the heads. Brad Owner at hvccyle said it was one of the fastest he ever road!
Thats awesome! I definitely would love to get the cylinders ported by Scott when i get around to tearing the motor apart. Must be a ripper!
Love the bike and the methodical approach-you're my kinda nerd. Hope the bike ends up just how you want it.
Your bike is beautiful, thanks for sharing this!
Appreciate it! Looking forward to making more videos on it
Sounds great just enjoy it the vids come second
Man youre rd 350 sounds so sick
Stunning!
I would love an rd350 or 400 ,beings back good memories
Sounds great!
we used to race them 40 odd years ago! Sorry but yamaha did a terrific job designing the engine, and gbox too. If you want more go don't bother fiddling with the engine, apart from cleaning the ports up. A rebore with original yamaha piston kits, with a very fine hone job and tight piston clearances will serve you best. Should be good for 180kms/hr. If you want 200 to 220kms/hr look at the later water cooled engines. They used to lap racetracks in the same times as early TZs. cheers.
you deserve so much more quailty is on top
Vanos man with a rd
Well sort of similar deal
Got a m3 and a rd with some charging work in progress
But your 350 sounds sweet
U did gr8
Keep that front on the track
Stay blessed
Bro your bike is very nice.. sounds very good.💥
Crazy sound.
You should pull out those tank dents one day . Awesome Resto so far !
It's great to see a bike that is used battle scars and all, and it's a real RD not an LC sorry if I have offended any one but I loved the older air-cooled bikes
looks great gold heads and all
Put some 30mm mikunis with a breather, a high pressure clutch and drop a tooth off of the front sprocket. Check out Spec II out in Cali, they can help you out.
Appreciate it! It already has a 520 chain conversion from Economy cycle with a 14/39 sprocket (cant remember what the stock setup is right now). Have put in an upgraded clutch with fzr plates and stiffer springs since this recording and that did the trick! Spec II makes some sweet parts. Will definitely be putting some 30mm mikunis on in the future as the original carbs are pretty rough even after multiple ultrasonic baths. Runs good for now though at least!
nothing like the rush you get when you step off the rd after a blast around town !!!!!!!!!!!!!....................just sayin ....................:)
Awesome power
I live in New Zealand, these types of bikes were very common back in the day, now you can’t find them anywhere, it sucks , I would love one.
Same story here in the states! Hard to find good ones, and the good ones command a higher price unfortunately. Got lucky with this one as a barn find around 2018 for $600 and been working on it since (though it has sat for almost 2 years when i started my custom seat project)
Really fkn nice bike bro !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2 stroke heaven😊
I had a 75 RD350B back in the day along with a TZ750 (best thought of as 2x 350's welded together by the factory for Kenny Roberts).
For biggest smiles, lower intake ports 4mm and raise exhaust ports 3mm, smooth and widen transfer ports with a 280-320 finish grit.
It will take it from mildly pipey to downright explosive and give you at least 2000 more rpm of peaky fun.
My RD350 would wheelie at 60mph in 6th gear when cranked on. Can be very scary for newbs.
That tz750 had to have been a monster! I haven't ever done any sort of porting but it doesnt seem terribly difficult, just need to know what you're doing. I'd love to do some porting like that and use a vito's crank eventually when i rebuild the motor. Any recommendations for good places to get the cylinders ported by someone who knows what they're doing? Wheelies at 60mph would be awesome and make it feel more like my mt10 ;)
@@Enginerded It's kind of a lost art these days. There might be a few out there that do it, but I do not know of them.
I did my own since I was a mechanic for more years than I'll ever admit w/o massive amounts of alcohol. I don't have the ability to do it any longer since I'm a stage 4 cancer patient these days....I sit around and watch shit like youtube videos :)
Anyway, you'll need a degree wheel, a long shank die grinder, and a porting kit that consists of a bunch of (basically) sandpaper drum wheels and flap wheels.
If I could upload a image it wouldn't be too tough for me to photoshop up a drawing showing exactly how to do it....but kinda limited here.
Here, this guys shows some good images of the cylinders before and after.
Should help you understand perfectly.
ua-cam.com/video/zR4_1n0P8Ko/v-deo.html
@@jamesroberts1800 @James Roberts well shoot I'm really sorry to hear that, but sounds like youve had a hell of a time at the very least with these awesome bikes! If you have some info lying around you could email me at enginerded@gmail.com if you feel like it, but no worries.
fantastic!
Thank you. Nice one.
Nice bike! I have the same one but the 250 version, which I’m currently building.
Would love to see a video on your front fork conversion.
Agreed! Love the forks
Sweet build... I need to dust mine off and get her running.
If you can get were you live. Castrol R-30 can be used as two stroke mix for extra power and the smell of vintage race days .
that smell is so awsome back in the early 70s it was realy expensive i would hate to think what it would be now
Superb👏😁
I loved my RD-400
thats a bad ass bike for real!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was a young kid flagging the races on a 1/8 mile bridge then the RD 350 Yamaha raced a 750 Honda Super bike the guy on the Honda was half way across when the Yamaha was the finish line the guy on the Honda was crying, I was laughing my but off !!! On using the high compression heads are great. I built a Kawasaki 750 triple and I used 12 to 1 pistons, polished the exhaust ports and put a real nice expansion pipes on it, made the intake a little and I knew before testing it I had put in a set of Barnet racing disc's and double springs. and the guy I was working for wanted me to race it. i ASKED him did my wife put you up to this. He didn't have the money to get the extended swing arm and put on a slick an wheelie bars on IT..
Are used to race Daytona specials at Willow Springs. I had about five of them.
Cool video, very cool bike. I just rolled a Vt Barn Find 78 RD400 into the shop but haven't figured out if I'm going for a restoration or to make it an obnoxious fully faired race replica. Subscribed
Very nice, and thank you! I'd go with whichever path would make you ride it the most. Im shooting for a very daily rideable but modern version of the RD. More power, better handling, better brakes, and the aesthetic style that suits me. Keeping the autolube and trying to make it sporty yet still comfortable. Enjoy!
dude…she was pinging off her pipes better than ever in the driveway. I knew the performance would be there during warmup. I’ll put up some RD rebuild vids soon.
Rd 350😍
Such an amazing project. This is my favourite bike since i was a kid, and i'm only getting to buy one now that i'm 29. Still haven't decided between the older models and the 90's one, because the 93 RD 350R is my all time fave model. I live in southern brazil, and the RD 350 is called "black widow" down here because of the stupid amount of people who died riding her, to the point they stopped making them! LOL
Appreciate it! Would loveee an RZ350 (US spec) with the power valves some day. These bikes are a riot to ride!
Love IT!! Have had 5..All Basic STOCK! Did Brad O..At HVC include to reTorque Head bolts after a few Heat Cycles>? I always Do,, with reannealed COPPER gasket..or new..But,,This has O rings ! like a Modern dirt bike! Congrats!! Good Job on Squish.
if u listen to everyone you’ll be just like everyone… what fun is that
Yeah after hearing you get on it, it's completely fine, you'd know immediately if you were detonating due to too high of a compression... just run 93 in it to be certain lol.
Sounds phenomenal though....new clutch, stiffer clutch springs, and IDK how true it is or if it's complete BS, but there's both these little cross airfoils you can put into the stock carbs(and aftermarket) as well as these little guys you can put inside the carb slides that'll effectively turn your round slides, into acting like Flatsides....now I've "heard", that there's big HP to be had with those very cheap carb mods, like, definitely more than the heads, I'd give them a peek
(I've been looking at RD's, hence me hearing about them lol)
yeah i agree, that little fender is definitely doing the job reinforcing the forks. that's why no one buys the real deal🤷♂️ nice bike op
So...its been another year and that bike still sounds great to these old ears. How is the build coming along? Do you still have the rd350? Did you finish it? Take care.
Sweet man! The gold is cool, if you can see crossthatching still i really wonder if its original. But if the bore is still std. Size someone may have just replaced the rings and freshened up the cylinders. Edit* It runs really good nice work!!
Like my friends RD Top de line 🇧🇷
Although I've ridden bikes since the early eighties, I fell into the inline four crowd pretty early and felt like a two cylinder would have been an unthinkable step back. Now that I finally grew up, I'd be happy to lay my hands on an old two stroke. I had several 2 stroke dirt bikes and a GT 550 that I never got running, but I'm a Yamaha man, so I'm thinking about trying to find one of these or a rd250. I honestly want to slap some expansion chambers on and listen to the music.
The GT550 would be a blast with some pipes on it!
I was looking between the 2 stroke GT Suzuki bikes and the RD family of Yamahas. I wasn't partial to either one, but the RD popped up for sale as the perfect candidate which accidentally was the best choice due to so much aftermarket, reproduction, and OEM parts still available.
I get just as much adrenaline and excitement out of the RD as my 2018 MT10. The lightness and crazy power band make for a lot of smiles and fun on the street. Really need to get the RD buttoned back up and ride it again next season.
I like your bike! Be careful.
Hey! Please keep posting videos. I picked up a RD350 and RD250 during COVID and have been tinkering with them. I love what you’re doing and it’s hard to find decent DIY videos. Do you have any videos on your gauge cluster?
Thank you I appreciate the kind words! I don't have any videos yet specifically to the gauge setup but I can definitely make one in the future.
These RD's are so simple and fun to work on and really exciting to ride with some expansion chambers even though they aren't that "fast" relatively. Lots of smiles per gallon!
you know the 350 and 250 are the same bottom ends
I had these heads on my RD400 many years ago. Did they make any difference? that's anybody's guess, but they looked great!
What a nice beamer! You have to have very patient neighbours that you can warm it up like you do!
Love the mods you did (shocks, exhaust, front end ...) but I really like the dent in your tank. I have one in the tank of my rebuild XT500 as well and I got so used to it, that now I think it's just a part of my bike. The sound of your bike is hellish, oh no wait, heavenly 😎
Thank you! The E46 was my very first car and is still going strong with just under 205k miles on it, love the thing! Appreciate the kind words on the bike, i do eventually want to make the whole thing look brand new with paint and powdercoating etc. Though i don't mind the patina look to it right now.
that dent gives it character
also there are people that can take dents out and not even chip the paint i have a guy that did 4 for me i had a 12 bike collection but i sold most off as i am 72 in nov good luck on your xt im 120 soaking wet and i realy hate wen they kick back
@@dannysapp5559 when I rebuild it I installed the breaker 180° twisted. That leads to an ignition at the worst moment possible. It kicked back 3 times and after the third kickback I was sure I will never be able to walk again. 🤣
I talked to a specialist in terms of taking out dents and he told me it's really difficult if not impossible to do this on an aluminium tank so small as the XT ones. The material is too hard, or stiff might be more appropriate. But I think it ads character to the heavily modified bike I built.
nice bike!
Thank you!
I have garage envy........any garage......
Hell yes! Sweet build man, wow it sounds like it’s tuned to perfection. I’ve been working on my 1974 RD350 for the last few years and it’s getting close. I’ll send you a video when it’s dialed in. Congrats on the gold heads, what a good call. Would love to know what your ignition setup is and carb and intake mods. It really sounds great through all sections of the throttle!
I used to run a 350 with reprofiled standard heads, fast road type porting, not the totally mental port jobs some people try to get away with and home made pipes designed from the formulas in Gordon Jennings book. main jets 210 - 220 with open carbs or K&Ns, ignition 1.9 btdc. Max power was around 53 at 8600, max rpm was 9000 I had no trouble running 25 thou squish at those rpm. If you can get an RD400 clutch and primary gear the clutch has more plates, you may need to alter the rear sprocket if you want the same speeds in each gear. When you assemble it obviously use new springs and friction plates but leave all the rubber rings out, they push the plates apart slightly, finally I used 1.2 liters of Bel-Ray light gear oil instead of the SAE 30 recommended. I also raced this bike for a few months and had no problems with it
Thanks and good luck with yours! Would love to see some videos of it. Ignition is stock (and to my knowledge) the original points setup. I made a video where i tore the bike down and retimed it and cleaned the points once it fouled the plug. Did that right before i put the heads on the bike and it runs great! Also running the 2 into 1 y boot intake with the uni foam filter from either HVC Cycle or Economy cycle, yz125 reeds, reed spacer, and a crossover tube. All of those were from economy cycle. Then spent a ton of time messing with jets and needle settings (running the dave f carb mod) and now its pretty dialed!
@@madmaxsdog8040 May I ask for you help? What is it the title of Gordon Jennings’ book to which you a referring? Please let me know. Many kindest thanks!! :):)
The bike in the vid isn't mine I mentioned mine in the comments. I was running 220 main jets, had to move the needle clip one notch but can't remember up or down, you'll soon know if it's the wrong way. Ignition was a stock RD400E bottom end with cdi and wiring harness. Timing was 2.1 mm btdc.
Ignore the ignition timing, it's for a 400. For the 350 I used standard RD250E bottom end harness and cdi, timing 1.9 btdc
Had one of these as a first bike in the 80s. Loved it. Yours is a peach! If you’re still running points (looks like it) swapping it over to a modern electronic ignition will also give you a boost. If you only have 5 gears, check to see if you have a 6th hiding in there but blanked off on the selector. They did that on early ones. No idea why. Sounds very crisp now, definitely higher CR. You can hear it on the blips!
Please use only the best octane fuel you can get. Cheap insurance. What timing are you running? 2mm?
Well worth doing a plug chop too to check the mixture at the top end.
Great video by the way! Just found this channel.
Thanks for the kind words! They're a blast of a bike for sure. I'll be converting to an electronic ignition down the road for sure. For now the points work alright, but having an adjustable timing curve would be sweet! This is a 1975 so its got the 6 speed transmission in it luckily!
I always run 93 octane, but now with these heads I add octane booster or run race gas because the gap is pretty tight right now, and i felt like i may have been hearing some pinging occasionally on decel around 6-7k rpms after installing the heads. No issues after bumping the octane up over 93. I may back the timing from 2mm BTDC to 1.8mm and see how it does.
@@Enginerded Plug chop is next! Read those plugs. What mains do you have in there? What’s the induction system? Stock? K&Ns? Are you running YPVS boost pipe between the reed blocks?
@@Enginerded You've been given some good tips by Mr Walker a plug chop is a must, this lets you know how your mixture is. Also make sure your carbs are balanced ( slides opening together, not staggered) this feels crisper when blipping, the cables stretch over time and they can go out of balance, take air filters off and use a small mirror to check operation. Getting a performance two stroke to a good level takes a bit more than just the heads, also use a good two stroke oil preferably full synthetic, and check your oil pump is set according to the manual (or are you on premix). Two strokes take a bit of fettling compared to a 4 stroke, especially when it comes to mixture, ie jetting. ideally you want a nice pale to medium brown colour on the plugs, not sooty and not white ( too lean)
hope these tips help your setup, ps i used to race TZ 350 Yamaha many years ago, so i know the basics.
Wasn't it just the 250's that had sixth blanked off? Sure my (very) early 350 had a 6 speed box. I think top was like an overdrive and the 350's had a bit more grunt to pull it
@@jasonpowell3841 My 350 definitely had a blanking piece. I remember removing it! Then was able to add a tooth or two to the rear sprocket as it was as you say, a bit of an overdrive.
install some 2 mm bigger carbs mikuni pwk an k&n pod filters port they cylinders and upper engine case ,it'll be a rocket.i messed with the rd's rz's and triple two stroke kawisakis back in the day.the triple kawis were faster,the rd's we're more nimble. both great bikes and a blast to ride. if I remember correctly the Yamaha fzr 600 or for 1000 clutches work in the rd's .they definitely work in the rz 350lc and the Yamaha banshee, pretty sure they work in the rd also if my memory serves me correctly.i still have a rd 400 I've had since I was 18 I am now 56. i haven't rode it in years.i moved on to the big liter gsxr's ,quit riding couple years ago. check your compression.anything over 155 to 160pounds of compression requires race gas.
Thanks for the tips! I do plan on going to 30mm carbs down the road and maybe mess with porting once i build the motor. I did end up putting fzr1000 friction discs in there with new steel plates and stiffer springs so it worked out! Will be switching back to stock springs once the weather warms up though. Id love to build one of the 2 stroke triples one day! My daily bike is a 2018 yamaha mt10 so thats a whole different animal. Good call on the compression, I'll check what it reads next time i get the chance!
Only put a few of the heavy duty springs in easier to pull clutch , your wrist will appreciate it. I 4ode rds back in the early 80s I could smoke the big bikes back then. Today's bikes are alot faster.
UK here, had RD and what you need are some twisty lanes to play on. Those roads are way too boring!
Beautiful by always wanted one! Add a 1974 Suzuki gt750 it was cool bike
Very cool....I love it....2 stroke....I want one...need to sell my ginger 750 05 first....2 stroke I learnt 2 ride first 😎
I had some original dg heads. I wish I never sold them. Best results on these is just correct the squish and open up her breathing a little bit. These are amazing machines when dialed in! My 400 is in the works and I can’t wait.
Cool!! RD350. Say where did you get the front forks and was it hard to change them out . I got a 79 RD400F Daytona and that looks like a cool upgrade.
Appreciate it! Using 2017 honda grom forks and i designed im CAD and machined axle adapter, rotor spacer, caliper bracket, upper triple clamp, and gauge bracket to adapt it all. Turned the lower portion of the RD stem down on a lathe so i could press it into the grom lower triple tree and shaved about 3mm off the bottom of the steering head tube just for clearance of the grom lower triple to rotate. Everything bolts right up with those parts/modifications
@@Enginerded COOL!! Thanks for the info.
Nice build. Which headlight is that? Looks really nice. Is it a straight fit or needs modification?
Thanks! Just a cheapo amazon headlight that I chose since it had integrated turn signals. Should be able to find one by searching something along the lines of "integrated LED motorcycle headlight". Didnt need to modify it other than find brakets that worked and wiring it up.
@@Enginerded do u need special led relays?
@@evoguy5561 Just an LED flasher relay. I bought a Rizoma branded flasher relay from Revzilla.
run a smaller gap on spark plug to keep the spark from getting put out
When ever you do a performance increase, you need to go richer because of the increased airflow demands more fuel for the engine over stock jetting. Plug chops at mid range needle at middle throttle settings with the handle previously marked with help. The main jet is easier.
Yep agreed! Oddly enough when increasing compression (like with these new heads) you need less fuel and can go leaner. From my experience so far the bike still feels bang on with the current carb settings after putting the heads on though.
@@Enginerded
That's probably because the jetting you had was probably already rich to begin with..
The very best way to understand this is with EGT sensors from the exhaust to make accurate comparisons.. Years of racing snowmobiles gives some familiarity on two strokes.... just remember, they always seem to run fantastic right up until they blow..
If it needs re-jetting , be careful not to go too lean . It will seize if you do .
Just curious . Why didn't you remove the Tank for that job ?
Jetting is pretty good I think based off of how it runs and how the plugs look! Spent a lot of time dialing it in. Didn't take the tank off because I didn't feel like I had to. Had all the space I needed with it on, though maybe it would've made filming easier. Was just lazy :)
Just add a little more oil into the fuel tank if you think she may be lean
I have one I need to rebuild, I’ve been told, if you are not careful, it’s pretty easy to lift the front wheel just by cranking on the throttle, and I’m not talking about popping the clutch. How is yours with the new heads?
It felt really really good with the new heads! Its been torn apart for about 2 years now waiting for me to finish the custom seat i started. I've got an exhaust sound video i recorded it on my channel if you care to see it running with the heads. You can see it lifting the wheel up there :)
.060 is standard for clearances on most larger engines for piston to valve clearance, but your talking about a smaller engine, so less expansion with heat. Unless your planning on really running it hard I'd leave that clearance the way it is.
There are no valves in the head of a two stroke ..... i asume you mean piston to head squish clearance..... .8 mm is the min on a rd 350.
@@mikeford5106 In general engines, not just two strokes, yea like the idea no valves, but they are quickly being ban can't even get one in California anymore and you cannot ride on the street with a two stroke motorcycle that is newer than 2002, you also pay for certain months of the year to ride a two stroke off highway or OVH Parks they limit use and you still pay to use it for those months... Only way to get a street bike registered is it needs to be older than 2002 for street use, and they stopped new street bikes from being sold as of 1998. As of 2022 now new two strokes dirt bikes can not be registered or purchased from dealerships for off highway use, and obviously no road use. Only on private property or closed events such as racing.
If you really want that bad boy to rip raise the exh port 90 Thousands, good luck very cool ride
New subscriber so I am unaware of your build progress to date. RD350LC pistons weigh far less than air cooled RD pistons - less mass means a faster revving motor. A port & polish, a set of reeds and carefully jetting is the best way to get more HP out a Yamaha 2 stroke. 2 strokes need exhaust back pressure to make HP, 4 strokes don’t - pop your baffles out, it will run like a dog and go slower. Twin disc front end and dampener was a necessity on my LC. Perhaps your upside down forks are strong enough to not need those.
high comp pistons help and ...yoshi wee short pipe lol......portd and recarbd ...1977/8 was TheChapter7mcc years ...
What was your squish? 0.9 ?
Did they make a noticable difference?
Im just having my rd400 heads done by a famous two stroke tuner here in England. . He likes to keep it at 1.0mm squish to be safe. . . Can't wait to get them back. . I couldn't afford 800 quid here in England for them. . They look lovely. . .nice bike sounds great
I believe i ended up right at around 0.7-0.69mm. Pretty tight so I've been running octane booster in the fuel or a race grade octane when i can for the time being to avoid any spark knock. Will get thicker base gaskets or shim the jugs in the future to be safe on regular pump gas. No issues thus far after a few hundred miles and high octane fuel. Definitely more low end torque and much more top end power! Had to upgrade the clutch after the install, would no longer hold once it hit the power band
@@Enginerded I got my machined heads back today from the legendary tuner over here in England. Amazing I've ended up with the same squish as you 0.7 jeez not sure if that's safe. I shall be upping it to 0.9 min
Hi did you have to alter your ignition timing at all? Was there any instructions from dg about ignition timing?
@@coco-te1op i set my timing to 2.0mm BTDC. Been running it that way for a few hundred miles with high octane fuel + octane booster or with race gas and no issues so far. Might be backing it down to 1.8mm BTDC to see if i can get away with just pump gas comfortably and rev out higher.
@@Enginerded I have put a 0.75 base gasket on the 400 and now ended up with a 0.93 squish. Couldn't ask for better. .
I often wonder had the suzuki 500 and yamaha 500 2 strokes stayed in production with the best new tech and 40 yrs of development they easily could be 170hp 400 lb monsters
Totally agreed. Would love to do some ambitious fuel injected 2 stroke build one day!
OH man now your are talking my language. Light fast and with modern suspension and tires these 2 strokes would be giant killers.@@Enginerded
I have dream build a 300 or 400 ninja chassis with a 2 stroke twin out of banshee. Modern lught powerful in a new very good chassis. Up to 100 to 120mph it would smoke a ton of 4 strokes. The weight savings of 2 stroke twin over 4 stroke twin would be massive. Or get an open 500cc single 2 stroke cr or kx engine in a small twin 4 stroke chassis. I have been scanning web for Chinese 250 or 350 modern 4 stroke twin. If e give is shot or blown you still have very good modern chassis but 2 stroke big single or 350 twin from wrecked rz or banshee.