I managed to import a 1989 XRV650 RD03 from Thunder last year. As far as I know, it is one of five RD03s in North America right now (there may be more, but they have not come up on my radar yet). That makes this not only a wonderful bike in its own right, but a very rare machine that deserves to be well taken care of. Upon receiving the bike and riding it for a few months, I decided to restore the bike to near-showroom quality. Here’s the story...
The day I received the bike (after around 9 months of paperwork and waiting!):
You can read about importing the bike to California here. It took quite a while and could not have been done without Thunder and Stormforce8’s help. I’m grateful that they seem to be as enamored with these bikes as I am! Prior to selling me the bike, Thunder had the engine rebuilt, so the restoration focused on the fuel system, electrical, frame repairs, wheels, body work and finish.
Here are a few of the trouble areas:
A bigger list of issues:
Refinishing the engine:
Refinishing the valve covers:
Powdercoated parts:
Reassembly begins:
A new Nitron shock from Rugged Roads (compared to the original shock):
Bodywork and paint
As I mentioned earlier, just about every plastic panel and the tank itself needed repair before I could repaint them. Many hours of sanding, fiberglass, bondo and sweat followed. Here’s the full set after all the prep work and with primer:
Painting this bike was the toughest I have done yet: five colors and 14 decals! Being a designer by trade, I created the decals and had them printed by Image Works:
Next came many hours in the garage paint booth. I gained a new appreciation for the precision masking that it takes to get this right! Here’s a pic while I was masking the dark blue coat of paint:
After all the colors were applied, I clear coated everything:
Then came the decals:
After all the decals were applied, I put several more coats of clear on top. The last step for the paint was to cut and buff the clear for a smooth shine:
And here’s the final result!
Still a few things to do here and there, but I am having too much fun riding the bike to bother right now!
Thanks to Thunder, Stormforce8 and many other forum members who helped me with advice during the restoration. Next stop will be a motorcycle show or two to educate my fellow Americans about the Africa Twin! Then I plan to ride the piss out of it! :toothy10:
The day I received the bike (after around 9 months of paperwork and waiting!):
You can read about importing the bike to California here. It took quite a while and could not have been done without Thunder and Stormforce8’s help. I’m grateful that they seem to be as enamored with these bikes as I am! Prior to selling me the bike, Thunder had the engine rebuilt, so the restoration focused on the fuel system, electrical, frame repairs, wheels, body work and finish.
Here are a few of the trouble areas:
A bigger list of issues:
- Just about every plastic panel had cracks/holes/deep scratches from years of proper use
- The tank had a few dents
- The frame needed some welding for broken tabs
- Wheels didn’t have too much rot, but the anodized finish was faded and worn. Spokes were rusty too.
- Engine paint was faded, stained and chipped.
- Paint was faded/scratched
- Persistent fuel delivery problems (tracked down to dirty carbs and a bad fuel relay)
- Upgrade the suspension while maintaining the original look
- Upgrade the headlights to use stronger H4 bulbs
- Replace dozens of worn parts with new or refurbished parts
Refinishing the engine:
Refinishing the valve covers:
Powdercoated parts:
Reassembly begins:
A new Nitron shock from Rugged Roads (compared to the original shock):
Bodywork and paint
As I mentioned earlier, just about every plastic panel and the tank itself needed repair before I could repaint them. Many hours of sanding, fiberglass, bondo and sweat followed. Here’s the full set after all the prep work and with primer:
Painting this bike was the toughest I have done yet: five colors and 14 decals! Being a designer by trade, I created the decals and had them printed by Image Works:
Next came many hours in the garage paint booth. I gained a new appreciation for the precision masking that it takes to get this right! Here’s a pic while I was masking the dark blue coat of paint:
After all the colors were applied, I clear coated everything:
Then came the decals:
After all the decals were applied, I put several more coats of clear on top. The last step for the paint was to cut and buff the clear for a smooth shine:
And here’s the final result!
Still a few things to do here and there, but I am having too much fun riding the bike to bother right now!
Thanks to Thunder, Stormforce8 and many other forum members who helped me with advice during the restoration. Next stop will be a motorcycle show or two to educate my fellow Americans about the Africa Twin! Then I plan to ride the piss out of it! :toothy10: