[pramodkumar]

Most of us petrol head bikers have a unicorn, I have mine as well. The Yamaha RXZ. This is one bike that I always tried to own, right from the college days but it kept slipping away. In 2015 I almost bought one, this bike was in crap condition, for 15k with TN paperwork this was surely a mouth watering deal, I immediately pulled the trigger and paid the guy 5k Token, then started my ordeal, There was absolutely no bike, he showed me a rotten chassis and told me that it is all they have, he said that he had the crank case and needs time to get it. The deal was renegotiated and i agreed on 5k for the paperwork with the crank case.

As you all might have guessed he didn't get me the crank case, after a few months I saw a green rxz with the same registration number and when I asked him about it, he said he gave me the wrong paperwork and he needs the paperwork back, by that time I had lost interest and asked him to return me my money.


By then I had acquired all the spares I needed, I had a mint condition chassis, new body panels and other knickknacks needed for the bike. I was so upset with the whole thing that I sold almost everything I had and shelved this idea of building my RXZ.

Few pics of the things I bought back then






To be continued...

Pramod

[pramodkumar]

What makes an RXZ so special for me?

It was year 2001, I was in my engineering, I started seeing my wife(my then Girlfriend) and they had huge restrictions in their hostel, the gates will close at 6 PM and will open at 6 AM. Our college was 9-4, so technically speaking we had 3 hours in the morning and 2 in the evening, where we could meet and talk(being in two different departments)

I am not a morning person, but love makes you very punctual . I used to get up at 5:30, get ready in 15 minutes and wait for her in front of our college gate.

Every day two blue RXZs used to pass me when I was waiting for her. Both had 5 speed decals, one was a 4 speed. I was a sight that used to keep me amazed. I had a friend's CBZ in college but the RXZ had a different appeal for me. Since that time I wanted one, but money was a big challenge for a college kid and putting fuel in the CBZ itself was a big challenge, so I could not think of a gas guzzling 2 stroke. I had other priorities.

Fast forward, I tied a knot in 2006 and life took over and passion for 2 strokes slowly died, until 2011 when I saw the first bike I ever rode in completely sad condition. I had to rescue her, Parts availability and exorbitant cost of repairs didn't make financial sense for me so got the necessary things fixed, then came the shocker most of the work which I was billed was never done, this was a practice everywhere. I started doing small things myself, did a lot of hit and trial and finally learned to put the bike together from scratch.

I always had a white collar job(thank god) in IT firms, people especially mechanics and spare parts shopkeepers used to never believe that I did my restorations myself, I had always chosen the hard way, I volunteered to work with an electrician and worked with him during weekends to learn electricals. Enough blowing my own trumpet


I had an RX and soon an RD also came in life, that's when I started getting more impatient and wanted an RXZ asap. With OlX and other classified sites, the rates were already very high, I noticed people were asking 50-55 for completely run down bikes, that's when I got a lead on a 5 speed in Jammu for 15k. I was in seventh heaven, the seller was pushing it despite of having a man on ground. My man on the ground met with an accident and I lost that bike, then came many bikes locally, without papers, with papers, out of station bikes in Kerala, I saw it all, but I could not crack a deal with anyone as soon as I made my mind something will happen and the bike would be no longer available.

Until I found one from Kashmir. My friend in Kashmir, who met me on tbhp would regularly chit chat on WhatsApp. On one such conversations I told him about my "Unicorn", he was literally rolling on the floor and told me i can get as many RXZs as I want. I asked him to find me one.

In a week he sends me some pics








I was literally drooling all over. The price which we paid for it was so sweet that you cannot find 2 used carbs for that price.

I was all set.

To be continued...

[thirumalkumaran]

Unicorn restoration?
Now you have my attention!
I do have a unicorn 2007 Model which I have a huge sentiment, high enough to back out of an exchange last minute at the showroom, during my interceptor purchase.
Would like to restore to its full glory and will closely watch your thread.

Edit: Though the unicorn mentioned in a different context, This unicorn is my "Unicorn"

[alpha1]

Wow, a bike that is close to my heart - reminds me too about the college days and the fun we had ripping on RXZ. (which also included some competition between RXZ, RX100, RXG and RX135)

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by thirumalkumaran

Unicorn restoration?
Now you have my attention!

I never really thought that the title can be so misleading

Originally Posted by alpha1

Wow, a bike that is close to my heart - reminds me too about the college days and the fun we had ripping on RXZ. (which also included some competition between RXZ, RX100, RXG and RX135)

Closer to me and a lot of guys who completed their college in early 2000s

Pramod

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

Closer to me and a lot of guys who completed their college in early 2000s
Pramod

Spot on, I remember Yamahas to be the "performance" oriented bikes. Somehow KB100, KB125 and Prowler never caught on the fantasy though performance wise Kawasaki was not very different from Yamahas.

Of course Suzuki Shogun was the real boss but very rare.

Hondas were stuck with lazy 4 strokers, and had released CBZ to up the glamour quotient.


Yeah the late 90s and early 2000s were the golden period for 2 strokers - especially college campus scene!

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by alpha1

Yeah the late 90s and early 2000s were the golden period for 2 strokers - especially college campus scene!

True!

So, this bike was bought in 2016 and because of the weather we couldn't get it out immediately, it was parked at my friend's place for good 3 years

It started with bad weather, then i had some personal emergency and it kept getting prolonged.

Every year there is a small window where transportation can happen, if we don't play our cards right chances of loosing that window was very real, for crying out loud .



Good thing about Kashmir is the weather doesn't allow rust to happen. This is how she looked 3 years later



Finally 2 months ago when the planets and the moons lined up we got a small window. The bike was shipped, But this one being my unicorn it had its own plans.

To be continued....

Pramod

[pramodkumar]

We found the most educated guy in Kashmir to send the bike to Kerala, and he did. He made a mistake and that made me believe, that the RXZ was my true "unicorn". This was a simple mistake but it screwed the entire thing.

On a Monday I get the tracking number from my friend in Kashmir, He sent the bike through Gati, he had sent a bike through them before once. Last time it took 15 days, this time the promised delivery date was 5 days from the pickup date.

My friend tried to surprise me, he only had the address from 2016, I had changed my house since i moved into my own house in 2016. So he just randomly sends me a tracking number, he does that a lot. Any shipment coming to him he sends the tracking number to me through WhatsApp, yeah he is weird

He says he does this to track each package and digitize the tracking numbers, Yeah I know weird. So this tracking number didn't ring any bells but then he kept asking me if I was tracking it, then upon probing he tells me that it was the RXZ.

I immediately checked and the Destination was Thodupuzha, 197KMS away from me, He told me there might be an issue in the system and he finally confesses that it was sent to my old address which is 207KMs away from the bike

Now about the most educated person in Kashmir. Instead of the pin code starting with 695 he gave 685, This was the thodupuzha pin code, as promised the bike reached thodupuzha in 5 days and rotted there for a week because they could neither send it here nor they could take it back. My firnd tells me that this bike is in running condition, he asked me to go and pick-up the bike and bring it home riding.


To be continued....

[Ashley Nair]

......... and you began to wait, each minute thinking of the upcoming restoration, of the spares yet to be procured, the foreseeable problems while restoration, the paint scheme, the looks of the bike after restoration etc,etc.You would not have experienced more bliss, had you were going to receive a brand new Bonneville...............(taking the liberty to write so much from one's own experience)

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by Ashley Nair

......... and you began to wait, each minute thinking of the upcoming restoration, of the spares yet to be procured, the foreseeable problems while restoration, the paint scheme, the looks of the bike after restoration etc,etc.You would not have experienced more bliss, had you were going to receive a brand new Bonneville...............(taking the liberty to write so much from one's own experience)

This time, I wasn’t prepared. I kind of forgot about this bike, honestly because it’s been very long since I bought it. All the spares I collected during my previous build were sold. All I had was couple of meters, a headlight done, couple of indicators, an RPM cable, couple of pilot lamps, couple of other knickknacks.

That wasn’t enough for the build. This had to be more involved. I have some plans, but I need a lot of suggestions, especially since I cannot make up my mind anymore.

Pramod

[bigron]

Great write up!
Every time I read a restoration thread I want to get my hands dirty and start working on my RX and RD. Maybe some day.

The RXZ was indeed special. 5 speed with 14 bhp compared to the RX135's 4 speed and 12 bhp. And it looked different from anything Yamaha did back then.

Good luck with your journey. Its going to be very frustrating but immensely rewarding.

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

My firnd tells me that this bike is in running condition, he asked me to go and pick-up the bike and bring it home riding.

The ZMA we're restoring was messed up when we found her as she was like one of those parking lot finds, anyhow she was broken but rideable, so I asked my friend to ride her from Kochi to Trivandrum for the restoration.

Luckily he was smarter than me and brought her via train, he rode her from Thampanoor and brought her to my house at Pothencode, we cracked open the crankcase and there you have it, the oil pump cup was cracked.

I still wish the dude would've ridden her down, would've made an awesome restoration story!

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by bigron

Great write up!
Every time I read a restoration thread I want to get my hands dirty and start working on my RX and RD.
Good luck with your journey. Its going to be very frustrating but immensely rewarding.

I was inspired by countless people on the forum, I am glad that I am able to carry and pass on the baton.

Originally Posted by ashwinprakas

Luckily he was smarter than me and brought her via train, he rode her from Thampanoor and brought her to my house at Pothencode, I still wish the dude would've ridden her down, would've made an awesome restoration story!

Two things that got my immediate attention is ZMA and Pothencode. PM me where do you stay in pothencode.

Pramod

[pramodkumar]

My friend spoke to the Gati guy in Srinagar. This guy would simply say that the address correction is done. So my friend would convey this to me and i would go and check, this kept happening for some time(read weeks). The bike was stuck at Thodupuzha and one fine day my friend called me and told me that you forget that bike and he would send me another one.

I was now properly pissed and I was also trying to wrap my head around the fact that, this is that one bike that got away. I express my frustration with my friend and Finally he woke up from his slumber and he met the Gati guy, one call and the tracking status changed and the new destination was now Trivandrum. Still better.


On the D day I get a call from Gati, a very distressed lady calls,

Lady: "sir can you come and pick your package"
Me: Where is it?
She: "XXX 35 KMS away from your house"
Me: Can't you deliver?
Usual line
Lady: "No vehicle, etc..."
Me: "Give me 10 minutes"

Since the bike is just 35 KMs away and since my friend who sent the bike vouched that it starts and runs. I decided to call some backup. I called another RD group member, asked him if he can accompany me. He agreed, I called the delivery lady and she was happy that I was coming to pick this one up.

We took about an hour to reach there and finally when we did we looked at the bike, it was rough, but my friend promised that this one runs.


What else could go wrong?

Find out!!
To be continued.

Pramod

[ashwinprakas]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

Two things that got my immediate attention is ZMA and Pothencode. PM me where do you stay in pothencode.

Have PMed the location.

As for the ZMA, I got the motorcycle gifted to me but due to lack of a steady income source I gifted it to a friend who didn't have a motorcycle of his own and is currently funding the restoration.

Having owned and ridden the ZMA(Mine, not the current one being restored) for close to 60k kms before selling it in 2015, I knew what was in store and even warned my bud but he was adamant.

Now 60k and 6 months invested in the motorcycle she is still missing the fiber bits.