Any RD owners around here?

tacoswild · Posted: July 3, 2009, 6:18 pm Post subject: Any RD owners around here?

I picked up a little RD200 to play with this summer, pretty fun little thing. Small enough for my girlfriend but it'll go 75mph on the freeway if you really wring it's neck.

It was running great for a few hundred miles, then started acting like it was tuned really rich. Symptoms were a fast idle after a cold start and hard starting while hot. Seemed like the choke was on (but it's not and it gets much worse if you pull it out). Plug check showed a good right plug and dark left one. I tried cleaning the carbs and air filters but no improvement. Swapping plugs from side to side makes no difference either. The problem may still be the carb or choke, I'll have another try at cleaning but after the first pass I wanted to check the ignition.

Here's where I need advice. The only info I can find about timing these bikes is a static timing procedure found here: www.geocities.com/spoo...iming.html

When you remove the left cover on these I don't see any timing marks stamped anywhere that would let you check the timing with the bike running, but it seems there must be a way to check or how would you ever know if the advancer was working?

jayel · Posted: July 3, 2009, 6:32 pm Post subject: Re: Any RD owners around here?

two strokes don't use a advance it fires where you set it, and unfortunatly Yamaha never did put timing marks on their bikes (keep the work in shop I guess) yes you'll need a dial inditcator and the sparkplug tool that the dial reads off of, I suppose you could put marks on it after it's timed, but it's probably not timing, more likely sucking trans oil thru the center gasket if it's not in the carb

tacoswild · Posted: July 3, 2009, 6:43 pm Post subject: Re: Any RD owners around here?

No advance huh, yeah this my first 2 stroke since I was a kid on a dirtbike and I didn't know a thing about wrenching back then. I have a dial gauge, I'll see if it's long enough to reach the piston through the spark plug hole.

I still suspect the left carb so I'll have another go at it.

Retiredgentleman · Posted: July 3, 2009, 8:40 pm Post subject: Re: Any RD owners around here?

tacoswild;
Just out of interest, I thought you might like to see the tool that I used back in the mid 1970's. Its called a "Micro-time" and was sold by Compu Industries out of Sun Valley CA.

It works like a micrometer, and has a sliding pointer that can be locked with a thumbwheel. It has an adapter to fit 4 different spark plug sizes. You would find TDC with the pointer loose. Then lock the pointer. Rotate the engine backwards so it was BTDC.. Turn the micrometer barrel downward the specified distance, and then gently rotate the engine until the piston touched the pointer. A test light was used (or an ohmmeter) to see when the points opened.

Maybe not quite as accurate as a dial indicator, but that's what I used to set timing on my 1967 305 cc Yamaha big bear scrambler.

Only problem I had with the 305 was the engine running extremely hot. Turned out to be the crankshaft oil seals leaking causing a lean condition. Replaced the seals and bike ran excellent.

tacoswild · Posted: July 3, 2009, 9:07 pm Post subject: Re: Any RD owners around here?

Neat tool RG. Hopefully I'll get some time on the weekend to work on the RD. It's a bit of a pain to work on compared to my XS, carbs are a bear to get out. Looks like it's almost easier to drop the engine then pull the carbs. Still love the little guy though, put some new rubber on it last week and man was that a challenge. They really don't sell 2.75/18 tires in north america anymore. There's one ribbed cheng shin, that's about it. In the U.K. there's at least three modern technology options from metzeller, michelin and pirreli. It's about a 80/100 in metric, ended up fitting a 90/100 which required bending the fender stays out some.

jayel · Posted: July 3, 2009, 9:11 pm Post subject: Re: Any RD owners around here?

read this taco,
www.yamahaclub.com/for...opic=17307

killer · Posted: July 4, 2009, 6:12 am Post subject: Re: Any RD owners around here?

Very neat tool RG.

If anyone doesn't have one... get a degree wheel from your inkjet printer.
http://www.swarfrat.com/DegreeWheelDownload.htm

If there was one bike to have to play with it would be an RD. I wouldn't trade my XS in on one, but the RD bikes just look so fun. If only the stable were bigger for more bikes.

tacoswild · Posted: July 9, 2009, 7:09 pm Post subject: Re: Any RD owners around here?

It is a pretty fun bike killer, smells and sounds great too. The smell of a 2 stroke always takes me back to the old cr80 that started it all for me and if something smells like your childhood, well, I say you just have to buy it. It is a little cramped though. I'm about 5'11 and the bike is perfect for a little blast down to the beach or the 20 minute ride to work but I certainly couldn't take a road trip on it.

So the update, when I got time to have a another look I saw right away one of the points was worn really bad, deeply dished with a big ridge along about 1/4 of the outer edge. That can't be good. Yeah, it was getting dark when I took the cover off last time. That's my story Laughing

I lightly filed it, didn't take the ridge all the way off because I didn't know how much it would change the timing, and cleaned both points and it's running great again. Haven't attempted to reset the timing, will do when I locate a new set of points for it but on the ride to work today is ran great. I put the air screws out about 1/4 turn when I cleaned the carbs and it's way smoother coasting down with the throttle closed now.

Thanks for the link jayel, hopefully mine doesn't need that seal yet but it's good to know what the common failure points on bike are anyways.

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