RZ350NC2 Resto Mod

[kpke]

Thanks Lonster. Once in a while I get lucky and get something right

1/28/23 and several weeks after that

Fitting the nose and chin fairing. The bodywork challenges continued.

I didn’t take many photos but there is a video to watch below.

The overspray on the inside of the nose fairing had to be fixed.

I taped it off so I could spray bomb it.

The chin fairing received a little bit of this stuff to hopefully protect it from the expansion chamber heat.

And this is where I ended today.

[YOUTUBE]WQdhQnscC2k[/YOUTUBE]

 

[kpke]

2/18/23 and after

Windscreen Restoration

These things are unobtanium, no longer available from Yamaha, so they must be handled with extreme care. For replacements there are China repops available on eBay, one US eBay vendor makes reproductions (I may try one of these soon), and Zero Gravity replacements are still available. On very rare occasions (not for some time though) I have seen NOS ones come up on eBay and they sell for many hundreds of dollars (maybe over $1K).

I started a refinish on one sometime ago but put it away. It takes forever.

My starting piece this time.

Here is one area that needs a bit of cleanup.

This is after orbital Sanding with 220 grit. I ended up orbital sanding another section of it with deep scratches also.

Then wet sand the orbital sanding areas with 320, 400.

Then wet sand the whole thing with, 600, 800, 1000, and lastly this 1200-1500 sanding sponge.

Then I took it to the buffer using the soft wheel with soft compound and got it in pretty good shape. I’m really not sure if this is the end product photo but let me say it was looking pretty darn good.

But I thought I could do better because some of the small scratches were still showing up. So, I did the whole sanding process again starting with 320 and going over the whole windscreen ending with the 1200-1500 sanding sponge. It was a beautiful day outside in between the rainy days so why not.

After this latest round of sanding, it had to be buffed out again.

I was getting quite excited because it was really looking quite beautiful. What a great job you have done Ken.

Then IT happened. FUCK



[YOUTUBE]J_yf1gmdMXg[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Lonster]

So sorry. And so close the being finished too. AAAAArg!!
Let me check with my RZ guy up here...

 

[Lonster]

Ken, I am PMing you a phone number of someone who may be able to help you in your windscreen search. He actually has a whole warehouse full of RZ350 parts.

 

[kpke]

Thanks again Lonny. In my PM reply I wasn't thinking of the windscreen problem. The reminder here will prompt a phone call.

 

[kpke]

2/25/23 and after

Another windscreen restoration attempt. This was one that I started years ago and didn’t finish.

Unfortunately this one is scratched on the inside and outside so required extensive sanding on both sides. I wasn’t sure where I left off last time I worked on this thing. After sanding I attempted a different method of polishing so as not to destroy another unobtainium part.

It started coming back but the DA buffer and fluids weren’t enough to cut through the residual scratches. It really needs extensive sanding AGAIN. Too much time penalty on this part.

Next was smoked pizza for dinner. Very tasty.

The windscreen restoration on this second one will have to wait another few years to get finished properly.

I broke down and bought this Zero Gravity aftermarket piece. It’s barely okay. Fitment is nothing like a factory one.

See the difference in curvature. It requires some pressure to get it to form to the fairing when attempting to screw it down.

The holes are too large and unless I use washers a close look shows part of the hole on the front mounts under the plastic screw heads.

Not shown is the poor fitment at the rear. I’m going to have to grind down some of the acrylic shield to align with the fairing so that I can get the rubber trim on.

Since this bodywork set is temporary I will leave this windscreen on.

Will I ever finish this project bike?

[YOUTUBE]F_qa0NCfHgI[/YOUTUBE]

 

[kpke]

3/25/23

Had to double check that the Zero Gravity windscreen fitment problems were due to it or the fairing part it was mated to. Installed a factory windscreen and it fit perfectly. Installed the factory windscreen on another fairing and it fit perfectly. Installed the Zero Gravity windscreen on another fairing and it had the same fitment problems. While it’s nice to be able to get an aftermarket part for these old machines, it would be nice if it fit properly.

Took the Zero Gravity windscreen to the belt sander to remove material on both sides.

The Prius was out of the garage so pulled this bike out to fill the garage with beautiful 2 stroke incense. It hadn’t been started in quite some time and as usual started right up.

Next was installing the cheap ebay trim molding. It is a hard plasticky material, not rubbery like the OEM stuff, and my concerns over it not making the bends without buckling proved to be correct. I used heat to make the bends but it still buckled in several places. Spent quite some time very carefully heating the buckled areas and using my fingers and other tools to press the material into shape and eventually got it looking quite nice.

[YOUTUBE]6x4F6inQO1w[/YOUTUBE]

 

[kpke]

3/26/23

DID (520ERV7110ZB) Gold High Performance ERV7 Series X-Ring Chain https://amzn.to/3NdIFmF arrived today AND got installed today.

[YOUTUBE]8TajaOlC9Qs[/YOUTUBE]

 

[kpke]

Looks like I forgot a couple

[YOUTUBE]eOR0oxGxA5M[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]tCmfFDhvF6Y[/YOUTUBE]