Back From the Dead

After a very long break, I'm starting to get the wheels turning in my head again about getting this bike back together. Right about the time I last contributed to this blog, I was finishing up my prerequisites for getting into x-ray school. Life just got way too busy and intense- I had to completely abandon the RD project.

I did get into a radiology program- there basically went another 2 years of my life, working at hospitals basically for free, working my ass off trying not to get cut from my program. Immediately upon graduating (like literally 3 days after getting back from a celebratory vacation), I got a job shooting x-rays at a small urgent care clinic in Berkeley. Then two months later, I began work with an MRI company that kept me busy for the next four and a half years! Most of my employment there, I was working an average of 55-65 hours a week! Crazy busy (and tired), but the money was good. I finally quit that job and now have a much more mellow, manageable job working for Kaiser as an MRI technologist.

But honestly the last eight years wasn't all work and school. I took some time off to travel a bit. I had other vehicle projects that came along that were just a bit easier to work with than this RD that is stuffed in a bunch of boxes- I built up a really nice SV650 and sold that. I bought a Mazdaspeed Miata and built that up to track form to race the local tracks (Laguna Seca, Thunderhill Raceway and Sears Point). I bought a nice little Harley Davidson Iron and pumped out that motor to 1250cc's. I bought a brand new Jeep Wrangler and built that up a little to take to the Rubicon Trail (it's still a work in progress). And currently I also have a 1974 BMW 2002 on jack stands in my garage, waiting for me to swap out the head gasket and water pump. I think projects just find me...

Anyway, I had an epiphany this week, seeing myself on the RD400 on the track, me in my full leathers. Much has changed in the past 8-9 years. I was once going to build this bike up to be a TD3 replica, but now I think I'm going to make a Kenny Roberts clone. I think it will just be easier to stick with the mag wheels instead of going with the RD350 wire wheels. The fairing might be easier to find as well as the saddle. Also I found out that Works Performance Shocks basically has gone out of business, so I'll probably be switching to Ikon shocks.

I have emailed my local 2-stroke engine builder. Last time we corresponded [barely], we were in talks of figuring out what to do with my engine. That was 2 years ago. I hope he's still out there (alive). If he's not available, I have another well respected dude out in San Francisco, but that's going to be a bit of a drive. (Hoping to find my first choice- he's only 15 minutes away.)

I fired off an email to Bruce at Motocross Pipe Repair in Vegas. I'm hoping that since it's winter, his work load will be light. I've been putting off getting these Factory Pipes restored for years. It's finally time.

With any luck, maybe the bike will be somewhat finished in rough form by the end of the year. We'll just have to see about that. This project has a way of making its way to the backburner :|   I do have two or three vacations lined up over the next 12 months, so don't hold your breath!!