Okay, so I finally got around to messing with this RD 350 LC. I’ve been seeing these things pop up in restoration videos and always thought, “Man, that looks like a fun project.” So, I started by scouring online marketplaces – you know, the usual places. After a few weeks of dead ends and overpriced junk, I finally found one that looked promising. It was rough, no doubt, but the bones seemed good, and the price was right.
I drove out to this guy’s place, a few hours away, with a trailer. When I got there, It’s even better than it described. The engine was seized, the body had a few dents, but most of the original parts were there. We chatted for a bit – he’d had it sitting in his barn for years – and then we loaded it up.
Getting Started
- Tear Down: First thing I did was completely strip it down. Every nut, every bolt, every wire. I bagged and labeled everything, taking tons of photos along the way. It will make reassembly so much easier. It took like, weeks to take a part.
- Assessment: With everything in pieces, I could really see what I was working with. The frame was straight, which was a huge relief. The tank had some rust inside, but nothing I couldn’t handle.
Then I cleaned the carburetors. Because it’s been sitting for a long time, so it’s a bit of trouble. It was covered in old gas varnish. This took some serious elbow grease and a few cans of carb cleaner, but I eventually got them looking like new.
After that, I moved onto the engine. Opening it up, I found the pistons were stuck and full of dirty. I ordered a new piston and some other things I noticed were messed up. New seals, gaskets – the whole nine yards. I wanted to do this right.
Putting It Back Together
Once all the parts were cleaned, repaired, or replaced, I started the reassembly process. Putting the engine back together was the most challenging part, I’ve been following the manual, and made sure every bolt was torqued to spec.
With the engine back in the frame, I started connecting everything else. The wiring harness was a bit of a puzzle, but all those photos I took during the teardown really paid off. Slowly but surely, it started to look like a motorcycle again. It’s a very exciting process.
Finally, I added the bodywork, the wheels, and all the little details. The first time I fired it up, it sputtered a bit, but then it roared to life. That was a feeling. The engine sounds good, but I still need to fine-tune a few things and take it for a proper test ride.
But for now, it’s a huge win. It’s been a long journey, with plenty of frustrating moments, but seeing this old RD 350 LC come back to life is super rewarding. I can not wait to put it on the road to feel the wind.