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Cus’Tom Bikes rebuilds his father’s RD…
The Yamaha RD350 was one of many nice giant-killers of the two-wheeled world, a two-stroke road machine with a race-bred bloodline. In AMA Class C racing, the RD racers commonly blew away machines with twice the displacement, making the 350 a favourite of membership riders all over the world, and a 70s Yamaha commercial confirmed a downtrodden 750 rider on the bar: Don’t really feel dangerous. You’re not the primary 750 rider to get blown off by a Yamaha 350.
Whereas the two-stroke parallel-twin made simply 39 horsepower in inventory trim, it was ripe for modification, spawning an entire cottage trade of tuners and elements makers. What’s extra, the RD350 may deal with properly within the bends, at the very least for a motorbike of the interval.
“The RD 350 is a restaurant racer’s delight with its slim, modern styling, disc brake on the entrance wheel and a closely-spaced six-speed transmission… On a favourite stretch of hilly, winding street, you’ll discover a race-bred bike in a road machine’s clothes.” –Cycle World, 1973
Our new pal Tom Boissel has been modifying bikes since he a child racing 50cc machines, and he opened his personal workshop Cus’Tom Bike 4 years in the past, positioned within the countryside close to Toulouse, France.
The bike you see here’s a 1973 Yamaha RD350, and a really particular one at that. Says Tom:
“It was my dad’s bike, with which he got here to choose me up from college every so often. Therefore the engraving: pour toi vieux renard (“for you, outdated fox”). I inherited it after his demise six years in the past. I hadn’t modified it till then, however I’ve a bit of boy who will probably be 6-years-old, and it will likely be my flip to make him dream in entrance of his college — the trigger was legitimate to change the inheritance!”
The modifications had been intensive, together with the inverted WP fork, brakes, and wheels from a KTM Duke 390. The swingarm is from the RD350’s legendary successor, the liquid-cooled RD350LC. Right here it’s been put in upside-down with a {custom} Shock Manufacturing facility mono-shock absorber, together with a rear disc brake and plenty of one-off {custom} {hardware} to make all of it work.
Different highlights embody barely bigger pistons, twin 32mm PWK flat-slide carbs, digital ignition, light-weight rotor, interval enlargement chambers, a selfmade metal tail part with vegetable leather-based saddle, selfmade pegs and foot controls, and far more.
Tom continues to be breaking within the new high finish, however he’s aiming for a very giant-killing power-to-weight ratio:
“When it’s completed, we are going to fine-tune the settings, hoping to get 50 hp for 100kg.”
Tom’s RD was a finalist on the 2023 Wheels and Waves “Yard Venture” Customized Contest, and we will’t consider a greater tribute to his late father — nor a extra thrilling trip dwelling from college for his 6-year-old son! These are the tales that make motorcycling so particular. Bravo, Tom!
Yamaha RD350 Customized: Builder Interview
• Please inform us a bit about your self, your historical past with bikes, and your workshop.
I’m Tom Boissel, I’m 33-years-old, and my workshop Cus’Tom Bike is in southern France, within the countryside close to Toulouse. I began modifying bikes at 12-years-old with my father for 50cc races, and since then I’ve by no means stopped.
My workshop has been formally open for 4 years (www.custommotorcycle.fr). I’m just one; I do all of the work (mechanics, welding, milling, lathing, bodywork, body, paint, and so forth.) besides the seat upholstery cowl and the paint for giant buyer initiatives. You’ll find brief motion pictures of my work on my Youtube channel. Subsequent up, I’ve began initiatives quantity 24 and 25 this summer time on two V-Max 1200’s.
• What’s the make, mannequin, and 12 months of the bike?
It’s a Yamaha 350 RD base from 1973.
• Why was this bike constructed?
It was my dad’s bike, with which he got here to choose me up from college every so often. Therefore the engraving: pour toi vieux renard (“for you, outdated fox”). I inherited it after his demise six years in the past. I hadn’t modified it till then, however I’ve a bit of boy who will probably be 6-years-old, and it will likely be my flip to make him dream in entrance of his college — the trigger was legitimate to change the inheritance!
• What was the design idea and what influenced the construct?
I wished to maintain its unique line, modernizing it with out dropping its proportions, preserving a retro facet, with a contemporary contact, leaving it fluid to focus on its mechanics and add a racing facet to it, as a result of in spite of everything it’s a two-stroke that has the demon of an engine.
• What {custom} work was finished to the bike?
The unique elements that I stored are the engine, body, and tank.
The entrance axle (rim, caliper, fork, and crown) comes from a KTM 390 Duke; it’s the White Energy model, in fact built-in by me by adapting the unique steering column axis of the bike (see YouTube video under).
The entrance disc is a racing sort (NG brake in 320mm floating diameter). And as a element, a selfmade steering column nut.
The rear rim additionally comes from the KTM; it lets you run a 150 tire to maintain the proportions of the bike. To adapt it, it was needed to vary the bearings, redo the inner and exterior spacers, modify the prevailing crown holder, and have a {custom} crown machined.
For the swingarm, it comes from the legendary 350 RDLC, tailored (the other way up). It’s modified to accommodate the one shock absorber custom-assembled by the French firm Shock Manufacturing facility.
They had been variety sufficient to calculate probably the most favorable shock doable for me (the lever arm being crucial because of the kinematics of the meeting).
The rear caliper is tailored by way of an aluminum plate sort fixing + Cus’Tom chrome steel connecting rod, the other way up for the last word racing look.
The grasp cylinder additionally comes from the KTM (see youtube video on the mixing of the rear brake system).
All of the selector and brake pedal controls are selfmade. The rearsets additionally come from the legendary 350 RDLC, as do the 2 interval enlargement chambers.
The steering damper was recycled from a broken-down washer and it’s adjustable!
For the engine, the entire consumption and exhaust diameters have been barely elevated to suit higher with the brand new mufflers to realize some horsepower within the excessive revs.
The unique Mikuni diameter 28 carburetors have given strategy to two 32 mm PWKs with flat slides, tailored by custom-made aluminum pipes on the workshop.
The outdated ignition with contact breakers has been changed with an digital ignition with inside rotor, permitting for sooner revving (much less inertia as a result of the rotor is far smaller) and adjustable ignition advance.
The cylinders have been rebored to accommodate new pistons. The bike is presently working in, when it will likely be completed, we are going to wonderful tune the settings hoping to get 50 hp for 100kg.
The again shell is product of selfmade metal.
It homes a trailer taillight, and a saddle in purple and gold-stitched vegetable leather-based that matches the deep sweet purple of the bodywork and the entire bike’s bronze washers.
The headlight is a regular mannequin, the place I added a small fairing to cover the brand new counter / tachometer / dashboard.
A small selfmade entrance wheel guard coated in matte black discreetly hugs the tire. The tires are Pirelli Tremendous Corsa in SC2 race rubber to excellent the racing look.
Comply with the Builder
Web site: www.custommotorcycle.fr
Fb: Cus’Tom Bike
Instagram: @custom_motorcycle_tom_boissel
Youtube: @custommotorcycle8364
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