I have restored a number of Yamaha motorcycles from the ground up over the last few years, and having the very first bike I ever owned sitting in my garage seemed like a neat idea. So in 2008 I started looking on eBay for an RD200B (the 1975 model year).
I missed an opportunity to pick up a mint example at a cycle dealer about 60 miles away but I didn't make it there soon enough to make an offer. I did get a chance to see it and it was perfect. The buyer lived in Florida and was having it shipped there from Wisconsin.
These RD200s are pretty rare and after months of coming up empty, I mentioned to a local mechanic that if an RD200 ever came into his shop to give me a call. As soon as I asked, he remembered that a friend of his had at least one if not two RD200s sitting in his shed for at least ten years.
After calling ahead to confirm he was willing to sell, I made a trip out to look at the bikes. I recognized the '75 immediately and the one next to it was a '74. Both of these bikes had been purchased at garage/estate sales over ten years previously. They had been sitting all this time so I knew they would at the very least be looking at carburetor work, and probably gas tank issues. In addition, I could tell that the lower outer fork tubes would need to be either re-chromed or replaced. The inner fork tubes on both bikes were shot, so add fork tubes and seals to the replacement list.
The seller also had a 1977 XS650D so I made him an offer for all three and the deed was done.
Here is a picture of the 1974 RD200A and the 1975 RD200B the day that I brought them home. Both of the RD's seemed to be in fairly solid shape therefore I decided they would not be frame-off restorations. The only frame associated parts that should really be addressed are the battery boxes, since they are somewhat corroded. I've decided I'll wait and pull those off next winter and have them powder coated when the riding season is over.
The Good: Both of these bikes have been stored indoors for years and have not been molested or parted out. The exhaust systems are intact and not cosmetic eye sores. In addition both of the bikes appear to have very low miles on them. Lastly, once I put batteries into the bikes it was reassuring to know that all the electrical worked except for the flashers (which were a little sporadic).
The Bad: Both RD's will need to have the following:
1) New front fork tubes and seal.
2) The lower outer fork tubes and outer fork tube nuts need to be re-chromed.
3) They both need the fenders and chain guards re-chromed.
4) Tanks and side covers/oil tanks need to be repainted, decals replaced, and in the case of the RD200A, new tank badges to replace the warped and cracked originals.
5) New Tires
6) New Chains
7) New Signal Flashers
8) New Rear Shock Absorbers
I noticed the '75 had an empty oil tank when I was tearing it apart, and I was a little concerned. The RD200 is designed to run on the Yamaha Autolube system which injects oil into the fuel system as the engine runs. This is the only lubrication that the engine receives. My initial concern was confirmed later when I started the bike and it had piston slap. Long story short: The engine needed to be bored out one size larger to solve the problem. I found most of the oversize parts on eBay at a much reduced price (about 50% less) from the NOS places I usually source parts. Fortunately the lower end of the '75 was in great shape so no other damage was done when the previous owner failed to keep his oil tank full.
Later I found that the autolube system on the 75 wasn't just empty, apparently it was faulty as it ran somewhat erratically. It goes from barely injecting oil to a rate that is so extreme it starts fouling the spark plugs. I looked at all my NOS parts shops for a new pump but couldn't find one so I resorted to a nice used one on eBay. In the meantime I'll make sure I keep some oil mixed in the gas just incase she gives out all together.
Here are some pictures of the RD200s in various stages of disassembly.
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I sent the chrome work to Custom Plating Specialists in Brillion, Wisconsin. The work they did on the chrome was outstanding. I was very impressed with not only the way the parts turned out but they also take great care in making sure they get every piece back to you by engraving your name in a spot no one else can see (like the underside of the fenders). This way they keep track of your part all the way through the process and make sure nothing is missed in shipping. In addition they take extra care in packaging your parts for the return trip. Pictured below are pictures of the finished chrome work for the RD200A (left) and RD200B (right) after I unpacked it. Pictures really don't so it justice - this chrome is really spectacular.
At the last minute I decided not to send the rear fender of the '75 thinking it would clean up nice enough to not need chrome work. It probably is nice enough that it won't pay to have it re-chromed but next winter I think I'll remove it so I can really get at it with some chrome polish. One set of fork tubes I was able to get from eBay along with a set of outer fork tubes, both being new old stock. The other set of outer fork tubes I sent for re-chroming. The other fork tube set I ordered from "Forking by Frank" located in Chicago, Illinois. Franks' is the last place to get fork tubes for the old bikes when you can't find NOS or an available aftermarket source. The parts for the RD200's are very hard to get NOS so you may have to go to Franks for fork tubes if you need them. In order to get re-chroming underway and the body paint work started I had to remove the front ends off both bikes. This entailed taking the wiring apart in the headlight bucket. In the past when I have rewired bikes I have always used masking tape and put a letter or number on each wire so I could easily reassemble it later. For example if I had three wires all coming together in one terminal I would call the terminal C, and the wires that hook into it C1, C2, and C3. While this process works really well most of the time it does have some limitations. The problem with masking tape is that in really gums up the outside of the wires when you remove it and the writing tends to get a little smeared if you are not careful pulling it through the hole in the back of the bucket. Sometimes the tape just falls off too. This time I decided to just digitally document every wire as I disconnected it. I ended up with over 60 photos of the wiring process. To put the wiring back together was easy, I just looked at the pictures in reverse. The benefit was that the wires went back just the way they came off, including their position in the headlight bucket. Here is a small sample of the wiring photos. You would be surprised how much detail they show when they are displayed at 100% (these are resized).
Here's a picture of the front of the 75 back together after the re-wiring.
The paintwork done by Pulera Collision in Kenosha (WI) on the RD200A was spot on! They did a perfect match on the paint and it really looks great. I found replacement badges on-line and they were a perfect fit. The petcock assemblies for both bikes required a great deal of soaking in MEC to soften up and remove all the old gas/varnish combination. The kits to rebuild them were available on-line as well. The rear shocks were the hardest of the RD200 parts to find. I was able to locate quite a few parts houses that said they could get the shocks but time after time they came back to me and said they were now unavailable. The stock Yamaha shocks have a 8mm threaded bolt on the bottom. I have had no luck finding these shocks although some folks are selling what they claim are RD200 shocks on eBay, but these take a 10MM bolt and that just won't work with the frame of the bike. It would take some pretty serious modifications to make that work and in my mind it just isn't worth it. If anyone knows a place where I can buy the correct shocks for these bikes - Please contact me through the contact page. Here's the finished RD200's sitting in my backyard: 1974 RD200A
1975 RD200B  |
