New member

[JPG]

Hi All
I'm an Adelaide local and have been riding 2-strokes for a long time.
I stumbled on this site while hunting for info on RZ250's. I'm trying to resurrect a '84 model which has been sitting in a paddock for several years. Hope to get it into some sort of cafe racer, but long way off. Water got into the carbies and I suspect they are beyond salvation. I hope some of you may be able to help with suggestions on reliable sites where to source parts and advice on tech as I don't have any experience with online bike parts. I got spark out of the electrics, so all's not lost.
Is it best to post queries on the Yamaha thread,or the general tech section? I see responses on the Yamaha link are several years old.
Looking forward to be part of the forum.
Regards
J-P

[BRG1200]

Hi mate, I’m also in Adelaide, Western Suburbs, whereabouts are you?

[JPG]

North East (Tea Tree Gully area)

[JonW]

Welcome!

I was with you until you said 'cafe racer', to be honest these are now too valuable to do that to, plus they make awful cafe racers. Youd be much better off with a 70s 4 stroke etc.

Anyway, parts... Trooper Lu, Gladstone for local. Partzilla and CMSNL for abroad. Those are OEM. RDLCCrazy for other parts, plus yambits (but avoid their rubber parts and seals, tho their brake lines are fine) of course.

HTH.

[BRG1200]

Pretty much everything Jon just said.

The RZ is s lousy base for a cafe racer the lines are all wrong for that, though it already is one in its own way.

What even is a “cafe racer” any more? A Cafe Racer was a Triton, Triumph, Norton etc with 50’s or 60’s modifications.
When the 70’s came around that scene went and people rode the new Japanese bikes.
What is being called cafe racer in 2021 is more what i’d describe as Hipster Custom, and will be gone when new fashions arise.

An LC is so unique/specific it is kind of its own scene, an RZ similar but also can be a sort of TZish race bike look.

Anyway, just my thoughts.
If (for most bikes) it’s complete and save-able I’d say save it, if its donald ducked and saving it means turning it into something else then have at it!

[BRG1200]

JPG, I’m hoping to have an LC on the road next week, we should catch up.

[JPG]

Thanks for all the thoughts and advice. Happy to get your views as I go along. At first the plan was to sell the bike as spare parts, but then I thought there might still be life in the essentials.
BRG, I'd be happy to catch up and look at your bike. Perry's has a nice racer on display. My bike is in pretty poor state and not much body-work or instrumentation is salvageable. If it was a 350, I might have been more tempted to do a resto. I suppose my idea of a cafe racer of old is just because I like the simplicity and real lightweight aspect. Reality is, I first need to get it mechanically into a decent state before I get carried away about the final look. I do have a nice original 80's 2-stroke and it's now become such a collector' piece, I'm almost too paranoid to ride it properly - I don't want the 250 to be a bike I don't want to risk leaving outside a pub. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely respect the need to preserve the history of these older bikes.
BRG, let me know when/where in terms of convenience

[BRG1200]

Sounds like you’re a thoughtful bloke rather than an “angle grinder first” kinda person!
If it’s quite far gone then yes, probably work out a restonod rather than restoration!
The instrumentation for a 1983/84 model is very hard to get in good nick, was only around for 2 years 40 years ago after all.
The motors are pretty durable and eminently fixable, at a cost (like any motor).

[Ozhammer]

Welcome JPG, in addition to what Jon and D have suggested, I would also say to set up an automated search on flea bay, so you can see when any RZ stuff gets listed. I have found this turns up stuff pretty regularly, although your wallet might not thank you! I also browse Gumtree pretty frequently and that can sometime be worthwhile.

A full ground up resto is now an expensive and time-consuming exercise, so it is best to only take that on if you really love that specific model of bike and intend on keeping it a while but done right, you will maintain its market value and preserve your investment.

[JPG]

You all make good points and I appreciate the insights. For now I'm hoping to get the engine into running shape. I imagine the internal seals would need replacing. I've never opened up an engine (aside from top end), so might need to get professional help with the checking. I suppose you're all shaking your head!
I also thought of biting the bullet and buying carbs online. I got a quote for needles and seats for the dodgy current carbies and that made me think just change the carbs altogether. Trouble is, the supposed replacements don't seem to match what's on the bike. I'll post sometching on the Yamaha forum as I suppose this one was just intended to say I'm new.
Ozhammer, when it comes to spending money, I don't have much to squander, but it strikes me that buying anything modern that is vaguely interesting will cost an arm and a leg anyway. Might as well slowly build up a nice little bike that I enjoy riding and is a bit different. My wife thinks I'm a bit impulsive, but I don't feel the need to rush into a resto and spend a bucketload in one go. That might spread the pain so the budget doesn't hurt. I accept that I might not recover any spend, though I'm not doing this with selling in mind (I have a poor history selling anything).

[BRG1200]

Yes, leave the profit motive with people who lije the buying and selling process, respect your “nice old bike thats a bit different” attitude.
Before you spend too much on parts be sure you can’t make what you’ve got work.
I go back to work thursday but have a few days off next week, are you a 9-5 worker or do you get time during the week?
You’d be pleasantly surprised how much of a fan Louis at Pitmans on Main North Road is of these old bikes. Races a tastefully modded LC and has helped me and mates of mine with RZ’s and LC’s.

[JPG]

I'm mostly 9-5 but can be a bit flexible. Actually, I meant Pitman's the other day when I mentioned the racer - somehow wrote Perry's! Getting old and confused... They put me onto the idea of just buying new carbs after quoting me for needle and seats (and finding I might have to wait months)

[Ozhammer]

Hey JPG, there is a guy called muttsnuts on the Aircooled RD and RDLC Crazy forums, who overhauls Yam carbs for reasonable money, so it might be worth contacting him.

The general consensus amongst the cognoscenti is that most old 2 bangers run best on their stock carbs and induction systems, certainly from a reliable operation perspective.

HTH

[JonW]

I just always hope there is more to modding a bike 'into a cafe racer' than the usual 'removing the side panels and fitting an ebay seat' as they tend to be a so unimaginative a lot of the time. Its like the 'builder' has a hatred of rear bodywork lol. Hmmm... Do something new and clever if you want something 'just for you'. A Deus style thing isnt 'custom' its just another one of many. Only have to walk round the inner city burbs to see that.

Even the Chinese have got on board with those designs now and churn bobbers and cafes out in the thousands. I was at Mutt motorcycles a few months back picking up an RZ engine Id just bought from the mechanic there (hes left now). Wow, its a supercool inner city lifestyle place (more of a 'space' really), staffed with neatly oiled beards and sporting cool body and wall art. Place rammed with 'Deus style bikes' by the hundreds, all cheap as chips and when pushed they admit they are all Chinese made. But... even tho they call them 'custom' and you could add parts from the catalogue to the multiple models (all based around the same simple honda clone engine), they are not at all actually custom are they? To have a custom bike it needs to be a one off and you have to be involved in the build, even do it yourself. I do worry that when you start to think production=custom then the whole value of the word goes out the window, but... the owners of the brand realised something I didnt and that was the laziness and cheapness of humans who desire to look like outlaws, yet belong to a generic club to do it. Seems its not hard to feel and act 'dangerously on edge' on a budget in the 2010/20s. My advice for anyone wanting a bike like a Deus is to buy one of these. Enjoy plodding about round the city for a bit, soak up the lifestyle if its what you desire and then move it on when youre done.

The main issue with the LC and the RZ as one of these style bobber/cafe bikes is that the tank is all wrong. the 80s bikes were not set up with a frame that could take a small rounded tank and thats what is needed for that style really as its the brit bike look (on a budget) people seem to be after. The SR500 is a much better place to start, maybe an XS650 etc. Tho there are plenty of ruined SRs already... the SR and XS boys would not be happy I suggested those lol

Anyway, there are still parts out there to restore any RZ you just have to ask in places like this. I usually start with a bare frame etc, but parts (and frames!) are getting thin on the ground and they cost a bundle these days, but so do restored bikes so its a trade off of course.

Other clocks fit, including the later ones, but lots of modern stuff too. I fitted a GPS speedo to my LC etc.

I do think you can find a lot to do a resto-mod and that would be cool. Ive modded a couple of LCs and am doing a JDM style RZ etc Just dont get sucked into the cafe racer thing, its so 2010s. And if youve bought any exhaust wrap recently, please send it back for a refund

[BRG1200]

Exhaust wrap, I’m sure that started just to sidestep re-chroming costs