My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

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JonW
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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#316 Post by JonW » Thu May 12, 2016 4:58 am

Thanks Dave, yes the faded look due to overly bright white LEDs was my worry too and hence why i went red. To be honest I see so many light issues that i dont really think its a worry unless a cop really wants to harangue me, ie. today I saw a guy driving a car with blue LED markers in his headlights, totally illegal due to blue lights being a cop only thing (is the fine for those listed as 'impersonating a police officer' i wonder?!), but he didnt seem like he was worried or had fitted em this week or anything.... and mentally he was driving near my house, and this area is cop central on the busiest road in Sydney. :/ They'll clamp down im sure, but for now I reckon showing red light on a plate isnt a terrible offence, certainly not for anyone riding a modified bike, plenty more things the cop can get upset about re the ADRs about noise, light placement etc etc. Actually, there were a huge bunch of coppers set in for the weekend in a portable office in a layby stopping cars (and bikes) in the middle of the day in Carlingford on Saturday; VIN check, Licence check, booze/drugs tests and also ADRs checking/testing Im told (I avoided the delay luckily). Makes you wonder whos catching the murderers and thieves, bet theyd panic if they found a stolen car with a murderer in it... LOL! :smt003
80 XT500 Supermoto!
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82 RD421LC Hybrid
82 RD350LC decapitation project
82 RD250LC JDM '251LC' YPVS
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Forzfed
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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#317 Post by Forzfed » Mon May 16, 2016 5:55 pm

Bike is looking good! How is it coming along?
90 RZ Race Bike
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JonW
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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#318 Post by JonW » Mon May 16, 2016 7:57 pm

Well.... Im sad to say, not that great to be honest. This bike is still due to have its frame taken out and replaced with another one, and Ive been hobbling round like an octogenarian for the past 6mths as ive trashed my Achilles... thanks for the kind words tho, its appreciated.
80 XT500 Supermoto!
81 RD350LC Resto
82 RD421LC Hybrid
82 RD350LC decapitation project
82 RD250LC JDM '251LC' YPVS
83 RZ350 Resto
84 RZ500 Resto
85 RZ350 F1 Resto
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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#319 Post by JonW » Thu Sep 22, 2016 7:29 am

Of course I couldn’t leave the old 421 alone for long, so while I had access to the workshop I cut the number plate part of the tail tidy with the big sheer and had it welded back on further up. I had to do this is because the unit was made for the UK / EU market where the number plates are larger and the fixings are in the middle, here we have small plates and they affix at the top. With that mod done I powdercoated it with ‘mystery black’. Its called this as its been in the shop a while and no one quite knew what it was. We think its a mix of gloss and wrinkle blacks, but obviously has a bit of some reds and clears in it as well, anyway its come up really nice with a texture and looks satin black but in the light has the occasional bright fleck. Either way its under the bike and you never see it, but its pretty cool. :)

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80 XT500 Supermoto!
81 RD350LC Resto
82 RD421LC Hybrid
82 RD350LC decapitation project
82 RD250LC JDM '251LC' YPVS
83 RZ350 Resto
84 RZ500 Resto
85 RZ350 F1 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Hybrid

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JonW
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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#320 Post by JonW » Mon Feb 27, 2017 9:09 pm

For anyone wondering whats happening with this bike, you might want to read this thread on Norbos forum:

http://rdlccrazy.proboards.com/thread/3 ... g-lc-frame" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It details my quest to find information about what people did to strengthen the LC frames and then after taking on board what was said, added to what I read and my own thoughts, I started cutting gusset plates and tubes to do my own work. The 'project within a project' is almost complete now and I just need to do a final clean up of some welds, blast it and hit it with primer and then its off to the frame straightener guy who will ensure nothing is out of whack. At that point the existing LC421 V1 comes apart and V2 is born...

In the meantime here are some teaser shots:

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80 XT500 Supermoto!
81 RD350LC Resto
82 RD421LC Hybrid
82 RD350LC decapitation project
82 RD250LC JDM '251LC' YPVS
83 RZ350 Resto
84 RZ500 Resto
85 RZ350 F1 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Hybrid

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hondaror
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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#321 Post by hondaror » Tue Feb 28, 2017 5:25 am

Jon, it strikes me as crazy amazing, how skimpy the welding is on both the RZ and LC frames. They only did what they thought that they had to. I'm not surprised the the stock LC frame behaves the way it does in stock form, and conversely, I'm shocked at how well the RZ frame performs with all it's welding "shortfalls" which fall in line with the LC frame, just a better design.
There were a lot of gussets and triangulation added to many of the bikes in Canada. It was not legal for racing here in the 400 production class. Only in the open, and GP classes. With the RZ coming in, back in '83, the LCs disappeared from the tracks. The strengthening was only really done for street riding.
Great job on the gussets!!!!! If I was running a modified LC, I'd definitely be bracing the crap out of the bike, finishing welds, gussets everywhere. I had a stable of LCs, but since I've put time in the saddle of the RZ, I have very little interest in running one. The LC is extremely nostalgic for me, as it was my first street bike and I rode it for 9 seasons. I really groove to riding the TZ bread RZ frame. I just can't go back to the archaic mono backed LC.
That's going to be one strong LC.
Rory
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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#322 Post by JonW » Tue Feb 28, 2017 8:41 am

I totally agree, the amount of unfinished welding is unreal on the LC and you can see how Yam did a lot of fixing that for the RZ as very little of that is unwelded compared to an LC, although there is a bunch of it of course!

Either way, the RZ will always be better as the design is stronger, especially at the swinger (bear in mind that even the LC's swinger pin is hollow!), but the LC can really be improved even if only learning the lessons from the RZ by putting the two frames next to eachother. Re the swinger area, yes thats a cut down and rethreaded RZ swinger pin in there now as the new plates mean the pin needs to be longer (and not hollow since i run an RGV swinger)

I should say that a lot of this sort of stuff got discussed at length in the thread on Norbos forum if anyone fancies reading the thought process behind the work I did, and yes... Not everyone felt I should do this of course, many felt the LC should be left alone, and some said I should just buy an R6 if i wanted a stiff bike lol. Anyway, thanks for the kind words Rory.
80 XT500 Supermoto!
81 RD350LC Resto
82 RD421LC Hybrid
82 RD350LC decapitation project
82 RD250LC JDM '251LC' YPVS
83 RZ350 Resto
84 RZ500 Resto
85 RZ350 F1 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Hybrid

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hondaror
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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#323 Post by hondaror » Wed Mar 01, 2017 10:12 am

You are welcome. Your bike will perform well. Much better than stock. Still love the LCs.
It is a really nice luxury to be able to compare the two frames.
Last edited by hondaror on Fri Mar 03, 2017 2:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
Rory
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9 1986-1990 RZ350s
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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#324 Post by JonW » Wed Mar 01, 2017 9:00 pm

Yeah this bike should really be something, if i ever finish it LOL. Its like my XT where every now and then I just get a plan to do something else, usually when I can think of something no one (or very few) has ever done. :)
80 XT500 Supermoto!
81 RD350LC Resto
82 RD421LC Hybrid
82 RD350LC decapitation project
82 RD250LC JDM '251LC' YPVS
83 RZ350 Resto
84 RZ500 Resto
85 RZ350 F1 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Hybrid

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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#325 Post by Questo vecchio rz » Thu Mar 02, 2017 12:28 am

JonW wrote: And yes... Nrot everyone felt I should do this of course, many felt the LC should be left alone, and some said I should just buy an R6 if i wanted a stiff bike lol. .
You have a rather extensively altered LC, dressed in updated running gear , with a much bigger 421 heart. Just the thought that some would put off by the fact that one was modifying a frame to suit, seems rather peculiar.
I respect purists, but sometimes :smt021

Its a hobby...everything doesnt have to be absolute & perfect, nor accomplished the same way.

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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#326 Post by JonW » Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:09 am

Now in blasted and coated in primer and ready to be dropped at the frame guy for straightness checking...

Image

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And... the stripdown of the original yellow LC421 has now started...
80 XT500 Supermoto!
81 RD350LC Resto
82 RD421LC Hybrid
82 RD350LC decapitation project
82 RD250LC JDM '251LC' YPVS
83 RZ350 Resto
84 RZ500 Resto
85 RZ350 F1 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Hybrid

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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#327 Post by oldestschool » Sat Mar 11, 2017 8:22 am

Any idea what the modified frame weighs?Really looks well thought out.

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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#328 Post by JonW » Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:22 pm

Ok, Ive just used some digital luggage scales and got 14.66kgs. Ive no idea what an OEM LC frame weighs, but will weigh the one I have when I pull it apart if I remember.
80 XT500 Supermoto!
81 RD350LC Resto
82 RD421LC Hybrid
82 RD350LC decapitation project
82 RD250LC JDM '251LC' YPVS
83 RZ350 Resto
84 RZ500 Resto
85 RZ350 F1 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Hybrid

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hondaror
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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#329 Post by hondaror » Tue Mar 14, 2017 2:44 pm

That's friggin an awesome job Jon!
Rory
2 1984 RZ350s
1985 RZ350
9 1986-1990 RZ350s
2000 ST2
2005 749
2005 749 with 999 engine

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Re: My RD LC Athena 421 Hybrid with RGV suspenders

#330 Post by JonW » Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:02 pm

Thanks for the kind words Rory.

My LC421 now only lives on in photos and memories. It's now in boxes in my garage and its original frame will be fully stripped and then a few small welded additions removed and it will go to the frame guy as well.
80 XT500 Supermoto!
81 RD350LC Resto
82 RD421LC Hybrid
82 RD350LC decapitation project
82 RD250LC JDM '251LC' YPVS
83 RZ350 Resto
84 RZ500 Resto
85 RZ350 F1 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Resto
86 RZ350 F2 Hybrid

Like Watches? www.PloProf.com & www.DeskDivers.com

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