74 RD 350

[furious_blue_imp]

sweet !
brings me back to the days when the local shops would advertise a sale on cartons of 10 (12 ?) NGK spark plugs to get traffic into the store....

[Bheezy27403_imp]

sweet !
brings me back to the days when the local shops would advertise a sale on cartons of 10 (12 ?) NGK spark plugs to get traffic into the store....

Ha! Yeah I'm about to sock up on some.

[PowerDubs_imp]

*sigh*. i've always wanted to own one of these obnoxious noisy smelly beautiful machines but I've just never had the mechanical chops. every time I think about getting one I remember how much skill and time and tools it takes to keep it working well and I back down. I'm glad somebody is keeping them on the road.

2-stroke are much much easier than a 4-stroke, and an air cooled 2-stroke is about as easy as it gets.

No camshafts, no valves, no coolant....easy peasy. And basic hand tools is all you need for whatever.

Worst thing about that bike (maint wise) is just the carbs...but carbs on any bike are a PITA eventually.

[GoldOxide_imp]

... and points maintenance was distracting.

[Bheezy27403_imp]

*sigh*. i've always wanted to own one of these obnoxious noisy smelly beautiful machines but I've just never had the mechanical chops. every time I think about getting one I remember how much skill and time and tools it takes to keep it working well and I back down. I'm glad somebody is keeping them on the road.

2-stroke are much much easier than a 4-stroke, and an air cooled 2-stroke is about as easy as it gets.

No camshafts, no valves, no coolant....easy peasy. And basic hand tools is all you need for whatever.

Worst thing about that bike (maint wise) is just the carbs...but carbs on any bike are a PITA eventually.

2-stroke are much much easier than a 4-stroke, and an air cooled 2-stroke is about as easy as it gets.

No camshafts, no valves, no coolant....easy peasy. And basic hand tools is all you need for whatever.

^^^^This.

[misterprofessionality]

*sigh*. i've always wanted to own one of these obnoxious noisy smelly beautiful machines but I've just never had the mechanical chops. every time I think about getting one I remember how much skill and time and tools it takes to keep it working well and I back down. I'm glad somebody is keeping them on the road.

2-stroke are much much easier than a 4-stroke, and an air cooled 2-stroke is about as easy as it gets.

No camshafts, no valves, no coolant....easy peasy. And basic hand tools is all you need for whatever.

Worst thing about that bike (maint wise) is just the carbs...but carbs on any bike are a PITA eventually.

2-stroke are much much easier than a 4-stroke, and an air cooled 2-stroke is about as easy as it gets.

No camshafts, no valves, no coolant....easy peasy. And basic hand tools is all you need for whatever.

^^^^This.

2-stroke are much much easier than a 4-stroke, and an air cooled 2-stroke is about as easy as it gets.

No camshafts, no valves, no coolant....easy peasy. And basic hand tools is all you need for whatever.

^^^^This.

You guys forgot one very important tool: knowledge, and I dont got it. I've tried to get it many times and it all just turns up looking like Egyptian to me. You can have a garage full of tools and the knowledge just isn't going to come to me. Can't make heads or tails of a service manual and every time I try something there's always some critical catastrophe even though I do exactly what I'm told. Some people are just cursed in certain areas of expertise, and motors are mine.

No sirs, I think I know my limits well and I'm happy to pay people to do the bits I cant. Im fine with changing oil and chain maintenance.

[Bheezy27403_imp]

*sigh*. i've always wanted to own one of these obnoxious noisy smelly beautiful machines but I've just never had the mechanical chops. every time I think about getting one I remember how much skill and time and tools it takes to keep it working well and I back down. I'm glad somebody is keeping them on the road.

2-stroke are much much easier than a 4-stroke, and an air cooled 2-stroke is about as easy as it gets.

No camshafts, no valves, no coolant....easy peasy. And basic hand tools is all you need for whatever.

Worst thing about that bike (maint wise) is just the carbs...but carbs on any bike are a PITA eventually.

2-stroke are much much easier than a 4-stroke, and an air cooled 2-stroke is about as easy as it gets.

No camshafts, no valves, no coolant....easy peasy. And basic hand tools is all you need for whatever.

^^^^This.

2-stroke are much much easier than a 4-stroke, and an air cooled 2-stroke is about as easy as it gets.

No camshafts, no valves, no coolant....easy peasy. And basic hand tools is all you need for whatever.

^^^^This.

You guys forgot one very important tool: knowledge, and I dont got it. I've tried to get it many times and it all just turns up looking like Egyptian to me. You can have a garage full of tools and the knowledge just isn't going to come to me. Can't make heads or tails of a service manual and every time I try something there's always some critical catastrophe even though I do exactly what I'm told. Some people are just cursed in certain areas of expertise, and motors are mine.

No sirs, I think I know my limits well and I'm happy to pay people to do the bits I cant. Im fine with changing oil and chain maintenance.

2-stroke are much much easier than a 4-stroke, and an air cooled 2-stroke is about as easy as it gets.

No camshafts, no valves, no coolant....easy peasy. And basic hand tools is all you need for whatever.

^^^^This.

You guys forgot one very important tool: knowledge, and I dont got it. I've tried to get it many times and it all just turns up looking like Egyptian to me. You can have a garage full of tools and the knowledge just isn't going to come to me. Can't make heads or tails of a service manual and every time I try something there's always some critical catastrophe even though I do exactly what I'm told. Some people are just cursed in certain areas of expertise, and motors are mine.

No sirs, I think I know my limits well and I'm happy to pay people to do the bits I cant. Im fine with changing oil and chain maintenance.
I hear you, and believe me, I am not above a catastrophe or two along the way, but, walk away and come back with fresh eyes. The only way to get the knowledge is to do it. P Dubs is correct though. All an engine is is basically an air pump and with a 2 stroke it is a very simple air pump. Anybody, including yourself, can do it. The only difficult part is the measurements/tolerances. All this being said I still don't crack cases (prolly could) but a top end can be done. Get yourself a cheap old 2T dirt bike that needs a top end rebuild, get the manual, watch utube vids, and learn. You're a smart fella from your posts....you can do it.

[PowerDubs_imp]

Don't need knowledge whatsoever.

I started working on bikes when I was about 10-11. No idea whatsoever what I was doing. This was waaay before any internet.

No shop manual, just my dads socket set and screw driver. And vice grips and a hammer.

Heck- plenty of times I remember trying to find the closest 'normal' socket that would fit a metric. This was back when most everyone had an American car or lawnmower.

Had plenty of bikes bought out of a shed not running, or blown up and in boxes. Would just take it apart, guess at what I needed, get my dad to drive me to the local shop- "Cycles & Sound" and explain to them what I wanted and they would order it. Also used Dennis Kirk and Chapperal a lot later on for mail delivery. Lots of pistons/rings/gaskets - lots of carb cleaning and spark plugs.

Everything just unscrews and screws back together. If you think there is no spark- get the neighbor kid to stick his finger in the cap while you kick it.

Oh- and tighten until it is 'tight' is not good. I wish I knew about a tq wrench for my first 20 years.

[Bheezy27403_imp]

[GoldOxide_imp]

This is about as close I get to an RD350 these days in my basement ...