RD350N1 Mild Restoration / Build Thread

[Gregor]

Fingers crossed I'll have it by the end of the week, so I'll be able to run it down for an MOT , get it taxed, then I'll start showing the residents of Southern England what a proper motorbike sounds and smells like

Great for testing the neighbour’s smoke alarms as I found out when I was sorting out the tickover on the kdx in the garden last week

[Tricky]

That's looking lovely, now you'll have to repaint the other panels.

Thanks- fingers crossed I won't as the side panels (painter has one of them to ensure a match) and seat tail seem decent, but yeah, will see how decent they look next to the tank when I get it back

then I'll start showing the residents of Southern England what a proper motorbike sounds and smells like

If you're like me, you'll also be checking your mirrors constantly in the first few miles just to check out the blue two-smoke haze following you...

Oh yes

And to confirm there is some, and it's about the same on both sides, while your hand hovers over the clutch lever.

Yup, although I've got Motul 710 in it, which is pretty much smoke-free once they're warm IME- the hand over the clutch lever is something I actively try not to do but it seems to be baked into me from those 80's 2-stroke years- even now, in every trackday photo I've ever seen of me on anything I always seem to have two fingers resting on the clutch lever

[Tricky]

I am extremely pleased to report that I picked the tank up last week, and am very happy with the job he's done- had some frustrations with timescales, but I really can't fault the work, I don't know if it'll come out in the pics but it is a lovely deep looking finish that is IMO considerably better than the previous ( still not certain whether that was original or not), and at a not unreasonable cost either, so all in all, very happy and would recommend Mike- his business is TripleC in Wokingham

https://triplecpaintwork.co.uk/





As of today it's now on the bike and I fired it up ( first kick)- still haven't sorted those tidy pipes yet, but they will get done now, and as long as it's not wet tomorrow it will get its first little shake-down ride around the local lanes, and I'll get it booked in for an MOT etc next week.

Not an exciting vid at all, but I thought a number of us like the sound of smokers so it would be rude not to eh

- more exciting ones to follow over the next week or so

[Couchy]

The whirr of the power valve and the burble when it starts takes me straight back to 17 years old when I had my YPVS for 2 awesome years, 30k miles 2 rebuilds, one Terry Beckett tune TT trips and British GP. A couple of offs but what an awesome bike back then. I’d love a go on this when done

[Tricky]

Plan is it'll be at Pembrey, so you'll of course be very welcome to to take it out on track or on the local roads there if you still fancy it ( or not if you just prefer to keep those happy old memories intact )

[Tricky]

IMHO the track will show up it's foibles/age and you might come away with a smile but wondering why you're bothering with old bikes.
Out on the road it's an entirely different story and my LC always puts a massive smile on my face and even if I haven't ridden it for a while and have fallen out of love with it, I'm instantly smitten again.

I still think the N1 is the best looking YPVS by miles.

My paint job was done by Dream Machine, it's a beautiful job and next to a standard factory finish it's so much better - well it was until my MTB fell over on it and put a massive 10p sized gouge into it

Yep, agree, and am under no illusions as to it's foibles/limitations hence my comment to couchy, but if the suspension is sorted and it has decent tyres on then I know it will be fun at a short track like Pembrey, in the same way that both my 390s were- I'd never take it to a track as my only bike though, it would only be for something like the annual forum bash , and for a few laps if the mood took me

And RE your paint- I know that feeling!

[Couchy]

Plan is it'll be at Pembrey, so you'll of course be very welcome to to take it out on track or on the local roads there if you still fancy it ( or not if you just prefer to keep those happy old memories intact )

I'd happily take it for a spin on the roads, I don't care how it rides it's a trip down memory lane