RD 350 Cafe Racer Project
This is one of our two RD350 projects built as a collaboration in 2009.
This is what we started with back in 2008. In retrospect we probably wouldn’t have started with something so rough but most of it ended up in the bin anyway so no big deal
A year and many bloody knuckles later we ended up with this RD (see, there’s hope for any turd). Over the next few weeks we’re going to post in excruciating detail some of the specifics of the build as sort of a how to if you’re so inclined guide.
Some posts from this bike we have coming down the pike include:
Benelli Mojave tank Conversion
XS650 dual disc setup
Shaved heads
Cafe seat with frenched in tail light and hidden battery
Hydraulic clutch conversion
and last but not least Dest has promised to do a full post covering the fabrication of his amazing stainless steel pipes. He’s going to reveal all the balck magic and hoodoo that goes into building these monsters from start to finish. I should also mention that they are available for purchase now from Economy Cycle
A little more bike porn
Cheers, VG
April 14, 2011 at 1:38 am
Building an RD 350 Cafe. Contact me. Its a 73. Want to put Banshee reed valves in it = How much to machine heads, and how much dose the hydraulic cltch conversion run. Oh and the dual front disck conversion. Thanks.
April 24, 2011 at 2:45 pm
I really need that bike!! what did you use as a tail section? any posts of the build would be very helpfull, I have not had a bike ignite my intrest as this has done. very nice!! BR.
April 24, 2011 at 5:29 pm
Simply the best looking cafe I’ve seen, bar none. Perfect lines…now tell me where to get tail section or I’ll have to cut my wrists…;)
April 25, 2011 at 1:54 am
Here’s a link to some info on the build. hope it helps.
http://www.2strokeworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=3129.msg23727#msg23727
May 1, 2011 at 4:48 pm
Thank you for sharing the pics. I have a basket rd that I want to build into a nice cafe. the lines of your bike are really just right, and I have seen alot. It is really a HUGE help to me that you are willing to show some of the details of your work, as I have never attempted something like this. Thanks again, and wish me luck. Barry
June 3, 2011 at 4:02 pm
I was wondering if you would be willing to describe and or show some details of how you installed the battery. I have located a similar tank but lack a gas-cap for it, and need to figure out how to improvise a tank mount, as I don’t have the skills to weld-up the tank as you have done. That was some really nice work! Barry
October 27, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Hey…
I put together an inexpensive RD-350 bike with drag bars and a 1/4 fairing, reversed the shifter, tool off the kick stand, used the center stand, sandblased the re-paintd all, red frame blue body parts, got lots of great comments, thanks Ray… ran the ship out of that one until a cylinder went down, sold it, wished I never did…
I am having dreams of a large bore, single/cafe racer thanggy…
Your bike looks cool.
All the best,
dww
November 19, 2011 at 4:13 pm
I’m building up a RD too…
What kind of steering is set on the yellow RD?
Greetz,
Roland
January 17, 2012 at 7:30 pm
IIRK the front end is a conglomeration of XS650 and RD350 parts. Sadly, though we tried, we were never able to figure out what the list of parts was. The bike was bought with that rather odd combo front end on it. We did have to rebuild some of it though…