[ku69rd]

Few differences between US & Indian Spec Bike

1) Cylinder make a whole world of difference with a higher output of 39 BHP compared to Indian Cylinders. (30 BHP for HT & 27 BHP for LT)







2) Changes in the speedometer console; Speedometer console accommodates telltale signs for break and has a green background

3) Foot rest changes for the front something similar to la RX100. Rear are simple but tends to foul with the kicker when they are opened out, Indian Spec RD’s got the RD400 style foot rests to give Indian Riders better GC



4) Vehicle is much heavier compared to Indian Spec RD. Front & Rear Mudguards are heavier compared to Indian spec. Chrome finish is extra-ordinary. The rear mudguard which has seen more summers than me is still in pristine condition and still in factory chrome

5) Silencers are designed to accommodate the higher engine output. Exhaust shrieks more than Indian ones, very easy to scare people when you go full throttle, have seen a couple of jay walkers jump to the safety of foot path





6) Front fork setup has a complete change in its internals and is harder compared to Indian Spec. The Disc is a solid one and measures 267mm on its diameter and is shod with a single piston caliper. However they are no match for the Eliminator Setup which was there earlier



7) Rear Indicator Stalk length is shorter but equals Indian Front Indicators. The front indicators are too long compared to Indian Front Indicators, quality & finishes are top notch

8) Front Headlamp console is slightly different and has beam adjustable screws visible from outside

9) Silencers have part numbers stamped on their baffles for easy identification, they taper towards the rear sharply unlike the LT which have a gradual taper

PS: Port Maps have been taken in from RD/RZ Forums, Indian Port Maps have been taken in from rssarma website.

[aadithsince1980]

What a beautiful story and a brilliant outcome. The bike looks simply awesome. Hats off to the build What's the top end that she does now (If you've tried it yet) And can you give us a ballpark figure of how much in toto the build costed you?

[r_nairtvm]

Hi Mahesh,

Sorry I missed the opportunity to see your bike in person last week.

Good write up about owning various RDs

Look forward to the Parts yet to come.

By the way my LT has a Made in Japan left cover and a 347 barrel. May be as mine was first of the LT lot they must have been clearing up the HT parts bin.

Have sent you a PM as well

Best Regards & Drive/Ride Safe

Ram

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by aadithsince1980

What a beautiful story and a brilliant outcome. The bike looks simply awesome. Hats off to the build What's the top end that she does now (If you've tried it yet) And can you give us a ballpark figure of how much in toto the build costed you?

Aadith,
Thanks for your comments, well the thread is yet to be updated with her latest get up. As you can see the seat assembly looks yuck, a shapeless torso if I have to put it that ways. Have a couple more updates before I can submit the total cost. Top End is a true 110MPH verified with a Ninja 650. Solo rides have seen her comfortably cruise in the vicinity of 60-70 MPH.

Originally Posted by r_nairtvm

Hi Mahesh,

Sorry I missed the opportunity to see your bike in person last week.

Nair Sir,
Absolutely no worries, am ever looking forward for your relocation to Bangalore. Need to make a trip to your hometown just to see the bike in its original clothes. Thanks for the information around the stamping, yes a few LT Bikes did come with the 'Made in Japan' stamping and you rightly quoted the reason for it.
Please do keep a day off your schedule when you are in next time so that I can get to see your beauty. Shall respond to your PM.

[JVH]

Mahesh, is that really you? I mean you have written all this?
Sorry for the sarcasm, but this is one of the most comprehensive reviews written on bike restoration. Really a great job done on the restoration and the write up.

Surprisingly, I have never ridden with your RD. Hopefully soon. I have fond memories with an RD way back in the late 90s during my college days. It was an icon even back then and a real classic now. Am rating the thread 5 nakshatragalu :-)

[n_aditya]

When i saw this bike for the first time (remember our ride to Kolar CCD?) i was stumped. Spanking new this bike looked. Not just the paint job but every minor detail was looked into and worked on.

Takes immense patience and effort (money too, but patience is a virtue ) to get a bike that is more than a decade old to look like this. And she goes like stink too. Sounds delicious and angry at the same time, lol.

Congrats again Mahesh. I know this bike means a lot more to you than the FZ-1 and any other import that will occupy space in your garage.

Happy revv's to you this 2013.

[Tsixty1]

Very nice nice write up. Now we know whom to contact for a RD rebuild. Looks like you still miss your first one with whom you parted for no-reason.

[jayakrishnan_v]

Hi Mahesh, Happy new year and a very nice write up with most of the things in detail...and the bike looks excellent....


Can i ask you with what ignition you are running and what all you have observed with the Indian bottom end and US spec top end with your engine rebuild...one of my friend is also doing the same and he is still in the process of collecting parts...

You are very much correct about the silencer sound...Regarding the seat i tried replicating the US/UK spec seat assembly but didnt turn out really well..what is the plan on the same? Awaiting your newer updates

Cheers
Jay

[TwinHead]

happy new year ku69rd, very impressive detailed write up, able to feel your experience in and out. we should catch up sometime soon for sure

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by JVH

Mahesh, is that really you? I mean you have written all this?

Jay,
Thought would save up the best for the RD. Yes it has been quite time some time since we rode together and I believe we should do one of these rides.

Originally Posted by n_aditya

When i saw this bike for the first time (remember our ride to Kolar CCD?) i was stumped. Spanking new this bike looked. Not just the paint job but every minor detail was looked into and worked on.

Aditya,
Spot on this bike has much more value than any other bikes in my stable. Should say thanks to you for sorting out the attachment stuff.

Originally Posted by Tsixty1

Looks like you still miss your first one with whom you parted for no-reason.

Santanuji,
For sure anytime you would want to rebuild a RD do reach out and I would do my best. Well the first bike was parted as I was very keen to taste newer heights with all ORIGINAL. But the second bike inspite of its originality was a bit of let down when it came to true top end performance

Originally Posted by jayakrishnan_v

Hi Mahesh, Happy new year and a very nice write up with most of the things in detail...and the bike looks excellent....


Can i ask you with what ignition you are running and what all you have observed with the Indian bottom end and US spec top end with your engine rebuild...one of my friend is also doing the same and he is still in the process of collecting parts...

You are very much correct about the silencer sound...Regarding the seat i tried replicating the US/UK spec seat assembly but didnt turn out really well..what is the plan on the same? Awaiting your newer updates

Cheers
Jay

Hi Jay,
Thanks for your kind words, regarding the engine bottom end, managed to find imported Connecting rods locally. The Clutch Basket was imported. Did not bother much with the crank weights as there was absolutely no differences between the 2. Gear Box again no change in ratios or quality. Decided against importing as both would costed me a bomb whilst shipping and custom duties. However changing over to US heads did make some difference. Compression is better and even with a CDI Ignition System the kick start reminds me that of a Points (Half Kick)

Originally Posted by TwinHead

happy new year ku69rd, very impressive detailed write up, able to feel your experience in and out. we should catch up sometime soon for sure

Thanks Twinhead, for sure one of these days we shall catch up. Envy your TZ though.

[rajeshsundaram]

Easily this is one of the best post in TBHP. Also shows the passion and interest in you. Deserves a great applaud. Hats off!

When I was a school kid, I saw a bike with two silencers that "swoooooshhed" across our street in a few secs. That was totally mind-blowing! At first I thought it was Jawa. But my neighbor corrected me that it is not Jawa and something called RD350. This was during the 1990s.

[Acclero]

As somebody already put it - you would be the person on any Rd restorer's speed dial!

The Bike looks amazing - just get the torso sorted out for the complete effect!

[Ajaybiz]

Very clean RD, congrats for this beauty, BTW hows low and mid range with US spec barrels, as I always felt our LT is best for city ride and HT & US spec for highway blasts.
Which ignition you are using.
If I am not wrong I have seen this bike during last years RD meet.

[ku69rd]

Originally Posted by rajeshsundaram

Easily this is one of the best post in TBHP. Also shows the passion and interest in you. Deserves a great applaud. Hats off!

Thanks Rajesh, would say many of us have been infatuated with this bike from our schooling days.

Originally Posted by Acclero

The Bike looks amazing - just get the torso sorted out for the complete effect!

Thanks mate, but am sure there are lot of people in town who know better than me, do wait for another update where the torso is sorted out

Originally Posted by Ajaybiz

Very clean RD, congrats for this beauty, BTW hows low and mid range with US spec barrels, as I always felt our LT is best for city ride and HT & US spec for highway blasts.
Which ignition you are using.
If I am not wrong I have seen this bike during last years RD meet.

Ajay,
Thanks for your comments, regarding the Low End, the bike does not perform keenly like that of a LT. Engine does shudder especially when you are in the top gear and riding around 25 KMPH. Takes quite a time to get into a healthy rev band. Mid Range has been exceptionally good, pulls very neatly from 2500 all the way to 5K RPM.

Yes had brought the bike to last year's annual RD meet. In fact it was her first ride post the rebuild and I had parked it away in a corner. Have heard that you have loads of RD, would be great if I get an opportunity to oogle at them .

[ku69rd]

Observations of the RD based on my 50K kilometers of riding. (Accumulated over the 3 bikes approximately)

Reliability: Bike has always been reliable (touch wood) for the past 14 years. Never had any mechanical breakdown except for an odd puncture in city & highway, spark plugs have given up on me on many occasions however.
Points give the bike a very healthy raspy note which mysteriously goes missing when switched over to CDI. As long as you have a healthy rectifier & sound battery please do not expect any issues with points. Points require regular checks every 2500 to 3000 kms based on your riding style. If you have a progressive style of riding they will last longer but tend to get fouled up when ridden like an endless race from signal to signal.
RD has one of the best clutch systems, they will generally last longer. A healthy setup will/can go unattended for a good 5 to 6K Kms before they require to be dialed in again.
Cylinders will give you a decent life of 45 to 50K Kms. Ensure they are taken care of well, but please do change the rings once in 10K for a better life.
Oil Pump is absolutely trust-worthy.

Performance: RD is one of the true performers that are economically available in India today. They are known for their linear power delivery starting all the way from 3000 RPM till 7500 RPM unlike the pesky performance of a RX 100 or Shogun which come to life only at a certain RPM. Realistically speaking Cities do allow till 5 to 6K. (Not referring the peak hour traffic of bumper to bumper situation)
Mileage in city has always been in the region of 16 to 18 Kmpl and highways have seen 20 to 22 Kmpl. A steady right hand has given me around 25 Kmpl but I agree a RD must not be ridden that ways (70-90 kays)
Drum Brakes are adequate when ridden with the anticipation that the person you are following is an idiot and same goes with the fellow following you.
RD has a fantastic chassis which is strong and rigid unlike the bullet which flexes. Cornering and changing directions are a breeze. Ensure you move your butt when taking acute corners at high speeds.
Suspension till date is streets ahead compared to any other bike in India especially the front.

Spares: There is absolutely no need to source spares as if there is no tomorrow. Major consumables like throttle cables, Clutch cables or front Brake cables are easily available. Any well experienced technician can easily graft them from RX100 to get them fitted. If you are a frequent highway mile cruncher then suggest you to keep a set of these cables or if you live in far off cities or towns it’s a good idea. Regular lubrication will take care of any such unforeseen conditions.
It will be a good idea to keep a set of fork oil seals if you get original stuff, but not a big item of concern as they are readily available off the shelf in UK, US & Singapore.
Piston & Piston Rings will be a good addition to add in your kitty, preferably the next size.
Tires & Tubes are easily available; however MRF Nylogrip will be a hard find along with a perfect matching tube
Cosmetic Items are purely left to individual owner’s perspective. After an unfortunate incident where the bike was rammed into by a Maruti Van when it was parked; have forced me to keep a spare set of mudguards, silencers on standby.

Technicians: These days ‘technicians who service RD are a rarity. Young bloods lack the complete understanding of the bike. They are happier servicing the 4 stroke bikes or the Fuel Injected bike which lack character. A well experience technician will come with his price and baggage. Depends on how much of patience you can bear with him to get your bike up and running. Pockets would be required to run a bit deep but then RD’s hardly break down. They break down chiefly due to a rider’s inexperience or the technician’s incompetence. Preventive maintenance is absolutely essential just like any other vehicle to ensure she does not let you down.