1980 RD 400 Daytona.

[rgvmike]

Thank you Pat:
Carbon fibre really isn't very vintage is it! Us young guys like that new stuff. The fairing has a dam built into the bottom of it. In the picture It's just sitting there to see where I needed to cut it. I widened it 3 inches, extended the top half 5 inches, the sides were extended up to form a decent line to the upper part. It was a bit of a pain but I think it will turn out alright. I am no fiberglass expert, I am just doing what I can. I'm learning new stuff with every project I have taken on. I Should however have it done and fitted on the bike this week if all goes well. I am not sure what it came from, It must have been a 125 or a single cylinder of some sort. The center lower part was made for only 1 chamber to pass through.


Mike

[pacomotorstuff]

Ya, it looked like a 125 fairing to me as well - just couldn't place the shape is all and it bugs me 'cause I should know, dammit.
Regarding carbon fiber (CF), it's been around for 40 years or more as a composite reinforcement with an extremely high Young's modulus. I first used it back in the early '80's but it was always "buried in the matrix", if you will, as part of a composite lay up.
The trend to have the CF visible as styling feature is much more recent of course and there are a lot of shills out there flogging stickers as CF. Last weekend, we stopped a young man from spending $35.00+ dollars on ebay for a little 3M die cut sticker for the gas cap door on his Honda; we're going to make one for him from real CF bits we have left over from other projects.
Have fun with your bikes.
Pat.

[Dave Jones]

Nice one
I guess you know by now by now to try to buy gas without ethenol in it, and drain gas from tank after use to avoid the tank going soft and subsiquently leaking. There are some liners you can try to protect the glass from the corn gas. Dave

[rgvmike]

I have not even put gas in the tank yet. I have had water and I have had varsol in it and it never leaked a bit. I have been putting of filling the tank with gas because I don't feel like draining it after. I have a dummy tank made out of a water bottle to test run the bike for now.

[dan_bleichman]

I'm using a fiberglass tank which I drain at the end of each day. Also only using Shell 91. so far so good.

Really don't understand why they force us to use corn gas, it's not any better for the environment or anyone at all.

#525

[rgvmike]

I was told to only use Shell, so I guess that's what I will do. Draining the tank every day isn't a big deal so I'll learn from you and do that as well. I don't like learning the hard way. I know all the gas comes from the same place but I am not sure what the individual suppliers put in it for additives after they get it. Shell puts that Nitrogen Enriched stuff in their gas now. Not to sure what effect it has on a tank or performance for that matter.

Mike

[dan_bleichman]

On the pumps at the shell station it says that the 91 Oct doesn't contain corn products only the lower octanes do.

[rgvmike]

Almost there.