CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
- Skub
- Posts: 12167
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 5:32 pm
- Location: Norn Iron
- Has thanked: 9828 times
- Been thanked: 10145 times
CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
https://www.bikebound.com/2023/02/22/ch ... mhide=true
Sounds like a handful on paper,nevermind riding!
The engine is now a 421cc with a +4 mil TSS crank, Cheetah Cub barrels, and 35mm Air Stryker carbs, as well as a whole host of other modifications including a hydraulic clutch. The pipes are also handmade by Performance Fabrications
Sounds like a handful on paper,nevermind riding!
The engine is now a 421cc with a +4 mil TSS crank, Cheetah Cub barrels, and 35mm Air Stryker carbs, as well as a whole host of other modifications including a hydraulic clutch. The pipes are also handmade by Performance Fabrications
"Be kind to past versions of yourself that didn't know what you know now."
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
Walt Whitman
https://soundcloud.com/skub1955
- Rockburner
- Posts: 4376
- Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 11:06 am
- Location: Hiding in your blind spot
- Has thanked: 7817 times
- Been thanked: 2528 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
That massive tail unit looks wrong.
Lots of work though.
Lots of work though.
non quod, sed quomodo
- mangocrazy
- Posts: 6901
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2405 times
- Been thanked: 3630 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
There's a lot about that I really like, but as RB says, the tail unit is just wrong - too high, wrong angle, too long. I'd also question the need for 6 pot ISRs - a pair of 4 pot, 4 pad Goldline Brembos would be more than enough and save a fair bit of unsprung weight. And while I applaud him sticking with the original 4L0 350LC motor, dropping a YPVS in the frame would have been the smarter move, I think. I also can't fathom how he gets 95 rwhp with 'standard porting'. The spannies look great, but are a bit bulbous and look as if they might ground out if taken to a track (or even ridden with brio on the road).
But all in all - nice one. I approve.
But all in all - nice one. I approve.
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
-
- Posts: 1882
- Joined: Sat May 08, 2021 5:14 pm
- Location: Another day without using algebra
- Has thanked: 65 times
- Been thanked: 1235 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
Not enough pinstriping.
I think when he says 'standard porting' he means cheetah rather than Yamaha!
I think when he says 'standard porting' he means cheetah rather than Yamaha!
- weeksy
- Site Admin
- Posts: 23421
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 12:08 pm
- Has thanked: 5451 times
- Been thanked: 13087 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
Awful.... nothing i like about it... but that's not a surprise to anyone.
- Taipan
- Posts: 13948
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 1:48 pm
- Location: Essex Riviera!
- Has thanked: 15955 times
- Been thanked: 10248 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
I should like it, but I don't. If you're going to use black and yellow, do the KR speedblock thing.
-
- Posts: 11234
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
- Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
- Has thanked: 607 times
- Been thanked: 4124 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
I don't see the point of LCs that make more than 60 bhp, they're never pleasant to ride, and there are lots of easy ways to get a 100 bhp.
Honda Owner
-
- Posts: 1804
- Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2020 5:55 pm
- Has thanked: 3255 times
- Been thanked: 1737 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
I agree, & god knows how much time & money has been spent on it...Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 1:48 pm I don't see the point of LCs that make more than 60 bhp, they're never pleasant to ride, and there are lots of easy ways to get a 100 bhp.
- Yorick
- Posts: 16737
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 8:20 pm
- Location: Paradise
- Has thanked: 10265 times
- Been thanked: 6886 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
My F2 LC350 made about 60 BHP and was a real hoot to ride. Often went to work on it for a giggleLe_Fromage_Grande wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 1:48 pm I don't see the point of LCs that make more than 60 bhp, they're never pleasant to ride, and there are lots of easy ways to get a 100 bhp.
-
- Posts: 11234
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
- Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
- Has thanked: 607 times
- Been thanked: 4124 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
I had a YPVS that made about 70, it was much nicer when it made 60, and now I'm happy with a standard ported one, there are easier ways to go fast than a 40 year old 350 two stroke.Yorick wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 2:17 pmMy F2 LC350 made about 60 BHP and was a real hoot to ride. Often went to work on it for a giggleLe_Fromage_Grande wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 1:48 pm I don't see the point of LCs that make more than 60 bhp, they're never pleasant to ride, and there are lots of easy ways to get a 100 bhp.
Honda Owner
- mangocrazy
- Posts: 6901
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2405 times
- Been thanked: 3630 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
If you go down the large capacity YPVS/Banshee route you can have your cake and eat it - lots of power, rideability and reliability. And to say 'there are easier ways to go fast than a 40 year old 350 two stroke' is missing the point entirely. But then you knew that.Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 2:29 pmI had a YPVS that made about 70, it was much nicer when it made 60, and now I'm happy with a standard ported one, there are easier ways to go fast than a 40 year old 350 two stroke.Yorick wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 2:17 pmMy F2 LC350 made about 60 BHP and was a real hoot to ride. Often went to work on it for a giggleLe_Fromage_Grande wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 1:48 pm I don't see the point of LCs that make more than 60 bhp, they're never pleasant to ride, and there are lots of easy ways to get a 100 bhp.
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
- GuzziPaul
- Posts: 418
- Joined: Sun Mar 15, 2020 12:45 pm
- Location: Chelmsford
- Has thanked: 59 times
- Been thanked: 195 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
Another vote for the horrible seat unit. I would prefer a more standard look/street sleeper. Do the wheels and supension but keep it looking standar ish.
-
- Posts: 11234
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
- Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
- Has thanked: 607 times
- Been thanked: 4124 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
They're not reliable, 70bhp LCs eat cranks, and I doubt if a pattern stroker crank is as well made as a Yamaha standard crank, TZ350s also go through cranks when they make 70bhp, and as I've said, I don't see the point of engine tuning on an LC now, the only reason I did it in the 80s was because I couldn't afford to run anything bigger and faster than an LC, as soon as I could afford a GSXR750 I bought one, it was a massively better bike than my YPVS.mangocrazy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 2:34 pmIf you go down the large capacity YPVS/Banshee route you can have your cake and eat it - lots of power, rideability and reliability. And to say 'there are easier ways to go fast than a 40 year old 350 two stroke' is missing the point entirely. But then you knew that.Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 2:29 pmI had a YPVS that made about 70, it was much nicer when it made 60, and now I'm happy with a standard ported one, there are easier ways to go fast than a 40 year old 350 two stroke.
Honda Owner
- mangocrazy
- Posts: 6901
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2405 times
- Been thanked: 3630 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
I'm sure that was absolutely the case in the 1980s, but we're now in the 2020s and metallurgy and lubrication technology has moved on massively. I was talking to Dave Whattams about this last year, and he was adamant that well over 70bhp can be obtained from a 350YPVS without any loss of reliability. The problem of course is cost. For the price of a fully specced 350 YPVS motor you can buy a secondhand 120 bhp motorcycle and probably still have change.Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 9:01 amThey're not reliable, 70bhp LCs eat cranks, and I doubt if a pattern stroker crank is as well made as a Yamaha standard crank, TZ350s also go through cranks when they make 70bhp, and as I've said, I don't see the point of engine tuning on an LC now, the only reason I did it in the 80s was because I couldn't afford to run anything bigger and faster than an LC, as soon as I could afford a GSXR750 I bought one, it was a massively better bike than my YPVS.mangocrazy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 2:34 pmIf you go down the large capacity YPVS/Banshee route you can have your cake and eat it - lots of power, rideability and reliability. And to say 'there are easier ways to go fast than a 40 year old 350 two stroke' is missing the point entirely. But then you knew that.Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2023 2:29 pm
I had a YPVS that made about 70, it was much nicer when it made 60, and now I'm happy with a standard ported one, there are easier ways to go fast than a 40 year old 350 two stroke.
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
-
- Posts: 11234
- Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2020 6:40 pm
- Location: The road of many manky motorcycles
- Has thanked: 607 times
- Been thanked: 4124 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
They don't take a lot of money to get to 70bhp, a good porting job and exhausts will do it, just, 34mm carbs would guarantee it, you'd also need a new ignition on anything other than a 31K as the later bikes have rev limiters, mine never broke down, but the crank had play in the main bearings after a couple of thousand miles of revving at 11000 rpm, I think the standard bikes don't have any power at over 9500, mine only made power once you were in the red line, it was a much nicer bike to ride when the power was lower down. I suppose it depends on what you want, my experience of the LC Owners Club these days is middle aged blokes standing round at bike shows telling people how much power their LC makes, much like the eejits with turbo nitrous Z1000s, I really don't want to ride a 1978 bike with 230 bhp either.
Honda Owner
- mangocrazy
- Posts: 6901
- Joined: Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:58 pm
- Has thanked: 2405 times
- Been thanked: 3630 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
I really don't see the point of going for a great deal of extra power on a 4L0 350LC; the frame, forks, brakes and swingarm can tie themselves in knots even with standard power so more power in a standard setup is not a wise use of funds. In my (lottery-funded) dreams I'd like a tricked out 421cc YPVS motor in the Hejira chassis I sold on over 20 years ago, but it ain't gonna happen.
There is no cloud, just somebody else's computer.
-
- Posts: 1930
- Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 10:54 pm
- Location: Ballymena Co. Antrim
- Has thanked: 221 times
- Been thanked: 878 times
Re: CHEETAH CUB: YAMAHA RD421LC RESTOMOD / HYBRID
This, look at the frame at the swingarm pivot, you've got a hugely stiff swing arm and front end and the middle is still pure 1970s* design small diameter tubing. You're just transferring the stress elsewhere.mangocrazy wrote: ↑Fri Feb 24, 2023 1:19 pm I really don't see the point of going for a great deal of extra power on a 4L0 350LC; the frame, forks, brakes and swingarm can tie themselves in knots even with standard power so more power in a standard setup is not a wise use of funds. In my (lottery-funded) dreams I'd like a tricked out 421cc YPVS motor in the Hejira chassis I sold on over 20 years ago, but it ain't gonna happen.
Hejira_01.jpg
*I know the LC came out in 1980, but it has more than a touch of 70's TZ in the design.