Insane custom R5 chop

Came across this insanely beautiful and meticulously hand-crafted R5 chop on Motorhugger. Interestingly, there's a small inset pic of my very own R5 in the writeup as an example of what "regular" R5s look like. Thanks! I'm grateful to have my bike shown alongside work like this!

A Question of Time

Edson writes in with a question:

Hello Lawrence,

First, thank you for putting together this website. It is very helpful.

I recently (yesterday) bought a R5 350 with a small history - the father used it in college back in the 70's then gave it to his son when he was 10, the bike was stored for 35 years, the son took it to college, a bunch of friends told him they "knew" how to work on bikes and put the whole thing apart and were never able to bring it back to life. Now, the son is finishing college in 2 weeks and needed to get rid of it (in boxes) The bike is in outstanding condition with 3100 miles on it BUT completely apart. I plan on restoring it S-L-O-W-L-Y. I know the engine 'turned' but did not run.

My question to you is, how much do you think (estimate) to have the engine done over? And how long do you think it will take to assemble this bike? I could not pass it on since I always wanted this bike since back home.

I appreciate your advice.

Cheers,
Edson

Edson - I bought my bike off eBay, with no prior knowledge of two-strokes (or motorcycles in general for that matter). I took it to a licensed H-D mechanic, who had recently hired a Japanese bike specialist. It took about $500 worth of sorting, cleaning and replacement of worn parts to get her going again. This price did include things like lightbulbs, tires, etc, so depending on the state of the engine assembly, this figure could be less.

Hope that helps. Keep us posted on your progress!

Racer Change of Ownership

Ricky writes in with an update to the Slick R5 Racer post a few weeks back:

Hello, I bought this bike from Michel who posted pics on your site. I have changed it up a little and had my first two races on it. Headed to California to race it at Willow Springs AHRMA April 22-24. Cheers Ricky

Reader Mail and Questions

Mike wrote in yesterday with some nice things to say about the site, as well as an interesting question:

How are ya? I'm a new R5 owner (as of Saturday) and found the site in my research travels! Very cool stuff. I've wanted an RD forever and lucked into an R5 basket case for $40, so I couldn't say no. I currently have several 70s era Honda projects, including a 1968 CL175 sloper (only year made) cafe racer project and a 1972 CB350 custom hardtail chopper. Anyhow, you don't want to hear about the old Hondas cluttering up my garage!

I'm actually writing because I found an article online awhile back that had some interesting modifications that racers used in the 70s on their R5s. One of which was a swingarm swap from a Yamaha enduro (I believe) of the same era that extended the wheelbase by 1.25" thereby helping to keep the front end down under hard acceleration. I am building vintage race replica for the street with my R5, plan on some basic power upgrades, and would love to do this swinger swap. I cannot for the life of me find the site again though.

That said, would you know what bike the swinger needs to come from? The DT360s of the era look similar, but I cant seem to find anyone that will take proper measurements for me. I could always lengthen the stock piece (as I've done before for bobber and racer projects) but would prefer not to.

Thanks for your time, and I look forward to seeing more of the R5 site!

Thanks for the kind words Mike, and congratulations on the find! $40 sure is a deal!

There's of a lot of interchangeability between the R5 and the early RDs, and had heard of brake and transmission swaps most commonly. Makes sense that you could swap in a longer swingarm from within the Yamaha family and have things line up pretty well.

It also makes sense that a longer swingarm would help keep the R5 from pointing it's nose to the sky so much. I couldn't find much on swapping with an Enduro, but I did find mentions on a swap with an RD400 (assuming a 1973 model year or close). As with any swap of this nature, I'm not sure how it might mess with the suspension geometry...

I also noticed in my research that Spec II offers a racing swingarm with an adjustment for stock axle position or 1.5" rearward. Check with them to see which application would fit, as well as what other adjustments might be necessary in terms of suspension setup. Might be worth looking into, especially if you're looking to go for more of a racer look.

Does anyone know of any particular enduro swingarm swaps? Anyone willing to forward some measurements?

Thanks again Mike, and congratulations. Send pics of your progress and I'll be sure to post them here.

Triple Engine R5 Drag Racer

I've seen this insane bike posted all around the internet. Unfortunately there's little information to go with it, other than it was photographed during "Suzukijoe's visit to Willow Springs"...









Found these images via 2 Stroke Biker Blog. Anyone have any more information on it?

Handmade Portraits: Liberty Vintage Motorcycles

Interesting interview with Adam of Liberty Vintage Motorcycles, which is located a few blocks away from where I used to live in the Fishtown/Kensington area of Philadelphia.

I've had the opportunity to visit the garage on a few occasions to speak with Adam. The place really is just jam-packed with all sorts of interesting stuff - cars, bikes, parts, signs, etc. This video is a really well-produced glimpse of Adam's persona, and very much worth watching.

Alan's Barn Bike Project

Alan of Jacksonville, Florida, wrote in to share his project and his story:

Here's a shot of my nearly completed R5C project. It started as a barn find that I picked up in the 2009 Bike Week auction at Deland for $400. It looked pretty complete and usable, the motor turned over and it appeared to be an easy restoration.

Of course it wasn't. From the wooden seat base down to the decent looking, but rotten exhaust, every surprise was a bad one. The chrome wheels looked really good, removing the tires revealed they were unusable due to internal corrosion. And so it went. Surprisingly the motor was good, though the carburetors seemed to contain a hodge-podge of DS7/R5 parts.

I stripped it to a bare frame, powder coated that and began the build from there. I was looking for a rest-rod look, identifiable as an R5 but individualized. The wheels are built up from a pair of XS650 alloy rims with Buchanans stainless spokes. The engine is stock with a K&N filter relacing the air box, jetting and a set of silenced chambers. I also added a n electronic ignition system.The side covers were refinished with an "asphalt" powder coat finish. Forks were rebuilt, new shocks, sprockets and chain installed, bearings repacked and all the usual maintenance and preparation were done during the build.

The rusty turn signals were removed, the burnt out headlight bulb replaced with a (pricey) new one along with a new rim. The wiring loom was taken apart and remade. Handlebars are a Triumph pattern, narrowed about 2". I sourced a repro seat cover and found a better chain guard. I replaced as many fasteners as possible with stainless steel and fabbed up some others, like clevis pins. Some rusty chrome parts like the headlight bucket, taillight mount and brake linkages were powder coated.

As you can see, the paint pattern is stock but the colors are not. It is Porsche Guards Red and Black. I thought the original tangerine was dated and I recalled how good some 70's bikes looked in red/black (Kawi Z900, Sportster, etc.). In keeping with the black rather than chrome theme, I changed the side covers to red with black spears and did the "350" with a black inlay. I'm very happy with the new look.

I'd hoped to finish it by Bike Week 2010, but as happens the project took longer than expected. I'd only just finished it, but not yet solved the carburation issue, when I had a serious accident on another bike. I'm literally just now getting back on my feet, so I have yet to ride it. But I will, and very soon!

The bike looks great - can't wait to see it when it's finished! See more projects going on at MOTOEURO.

Thanks!

Slick R5 Racer

Michel writes in from Leesburg, Virginia:

Love your web site and was very useful when I got started restoring & building up my WERA Vintage 2 class R5 racer. See photo attached and feel free to publish. She is a sweetie.

That is one great-looking bike. Love the hand-doodled livery! Here's a closer look:



Thanks for sending that in, Michel!

R5 for sale in Brooklyn

UPDATE - BIKE HAS SOLD!

A friend of YamahaR5.com recently wrote in to let us know he is selling his R5. It's currently listed on craigslist and eBay classifieds. See below for a detailed listing:

1972 Yamaha R5C 350 (NewR5B paint-$900 IN NEW PARTS)

For sale is a very good condition 1972 Yamaha R5C 350 with a 1971 R5B Orange/White new paint job on tank.

All OEM except: handlebar, spokes, tires and mirrors + many new and NOS parts.
Oil injected, 2 cylinder, 2 stroke bike, non reed valve
Matching frame and engine VIN.
Clear NY transferable registration.

SUPER CLEAN, ENGINE RE-POWDERCOATED.

12855 original miles (May have a little more as I am riding it a few days a week)

$3000 - Cash only, local pick up in person
INCLUDES $900 IN NEW AND NOS PARTS

GOOD STUFF:

- Looks AMAZING, super clean engine, new paint job and shine.
- Had full-tune up by reputable mechanic (Speed Motorcycles in NYC - SEE BELOW NOTES)
- Starts with one or two kicks. Not an electric start bike.
- Engine is good order
- Gears work
- Brakes work
- Oil Injection works great
- All lights and switches are fully functional (except front brake lever stop light switch for brake light).
- Frame was repainted very clean no rust
- Gas tank is good order, no rust inside un-sealed

PREVIOUS OWNER RESTORATION AROUND 2009:

All OEM except air pods. Previous owner completed the following restoration work:

- New headlight
- Rebuilt Carburators
- New ignition switch
- Repainted frame
- Repainted tank and side panels with high quality auto paint (no rattle cans)
- Cylinder heads re-powder coated shiny black
(Original look can be achieved by removing the outer most coating on the fins. But the gloss black looks brand new and hot!) Always get complements on how clean the engine is.)
- New wheel spokes and nipples front and back
- Fixed oil pump
- New clutch and side cover YAMAHA logo decals
- New YAMAHA tank badges
- New chain
- New NGK spark plug connectors

PROFESSIONAL TUNE-UP AND MAINTENANCE DONE FALL 2010
By Speed Motorcycles in NYC - receipts available

- Clean points and check ignition timing
- Check charging system
- Clean carburetors
- Fix oil leak, new crank case gasket
- Install new shocks
- Install new throttle cable
- New battery

NEW or NOS PARTS INSTALLED FALL 2010: Most parts bought from 2-Stroke specialist store HVCCYCLE.COM
$600 VALUE - Copies of receipts available.

- New Yuasa 12V battery
- New Battlax B45 tires 90/90/18 and 110/90/18 purchased September 2010
- New European handlebar with bar snake
- New front brake lever
- Brand new reproduction Throttle cable from HVC Cycle ( hvccycle.com ) -
- New Crank Case Engine Gasket - resealed (NO LEAKS!)
- New drain plug seal (HVC Cycle reproduction)
- New left front foot peg rubber
- New chrome mirrors, reproductions
- NOS Red Wing high performance shocks from the '70s - never used before I bought
- NOS right front signal light flasher stay
- New brass swing arm bushing (HVC Cycle reproduction)
- New center stand rubber bumper

NOS MISCELLANEOUS PARTS ADDED TO SALE: OVER $300 VALUE

- NOS Steering fork lock with key (never used in package)
- NOS Front foot peg cover
- NOS front foot peg
- NOS left front flasher stay
- NOS Beston style Throttle grips
- NOS Front brake lever holder
- New Brake shoes
- Spare/new light bulbs for ALL lights, signals, headlight, displays
- New pet cock seal kit
- New Chain guard rubber damper (HVC Cycle reproduction in package)
- New Exhaust mount dampers (HVC Cycle reproduction in package)
- New oil tank level view glass (HVC Cycle reproduction in package)
- New Petcock Seals (HVC Cycle reproduction in package)
- New Allen head bolt set polished stainless steel (35 pieces for oil pump cover, right and left crankcase cover, clutch adjuster cover, generator cover, reed valve, exhaust)
- Gasket set: 8 pieces: Cynlinder head x 2, cylinder base x 2, valve seat x 2, exhaust pipe x 2
- 3 x 1 Liter bottles of MOTUL 710 2 STROKE High performance oil
- 2 x 1 Liter bottles of MOTUL TRANSOIL Gear box oil 10W30
- 3 sets of keys
- Original Combined Yamaha R5C, RD250, RD350 Service Manual published 1971
- Reproduction Yamaha Parts list catalog

BLEMISHES: Mostly cosmetic

- Some paint chips on headlight bracket
- Usual 40 year old chrome pitting and scuffs, not perfect, but overall chrome is very nice and shines up great, no major rust.
- Several dings on front and rear fenders, same way I got it. See pics.
- Right throttle grip has a small tear on bar end. I have new replacement with sale.
- Seat has small tear on right side and long tear on top across middle width. Sealed with pro Tear-Aid brand vinyl repair tape so it is sealed nicely. Unless you want to recover for restoration it works perfectly fine.
- Rear brake light switch attached to front brake lever not working. Foot pedal for brake light works fine.
- Left front foot peg slants down, I got it like this. Not a problem at all, just disclosing
- Could use new fork seals and front fork new springs to make like new.

Definitely check it out, and get in touch if you are interested... a deal like that won't last too long...

Beautiful Cafe RDs at Vanguard Cycles

While doing some research on exhausts, I stumbled across Vanguard Cycles. They have some nice RDs that they've given the cafe treatment. See here for more images of the bikes.