Just before my daughter left for Basic Combat Training at FT Jackson, SC she picked up this 1986 Yamaha Radian 600...


I wanted to knock out some work on it this weekend and snap a few pics. I'm heading down to see her graduate this week. The bike is still a ways off from being done. It will be a while before she can use it anyway, she has a 6 month school to knock out before she can have it at her post.
She is a huge cafe racer fan, but the Radian's lines don't lend well to that mod so I went a differnt direction with it. Here is the bike so far in it's early stages.
SOME of the crack ups:


The new head light and tail light and I talked her into keeping the Corbin seat:

Where it sits now, headlight & tail mods.

 

So i do some final fab on the front of the bike and start to clean it uo with some degreaser. Well, better to find this out now than later. Some moron must have used some bargan flat black on the motor and frame cause it began to shivel up and become a real mess. Hours later I get the majority of it off the bike and I see the extent of dammage this 4000mile bike took. A ton of the bike was paited of over with some rattlecan crap. plugs and plug wires, body pannels, carbs, the works.




Looks like the swing arm has lost some finish as well.

And of course the tank is a wreck, full of rust, bondo all over it. It was cavered in several coats of rattlecan paint so I just just started stripping it so I can start over. I leave for Ft Jackson in the morning.... This is gonna take a while.

 

fun project brother...she'll be stoked!

 

Hoorahhh!

That bike really takes me back...way back in the day! ;-) Looks like a great project.

You're a great dad for doing the work for her while she's gone.

Best wishes to your daughter in her military career.

 

Thanks guys, Will be showing her some of the pics tomorrow. In a hotel in Columbia SC tonite.

 

No work done this week, In Fort Jackson
First Squad Leader, it's her bike.

PV2 Persing with Mon & Dad.

Off to fix a water leak that sprung in the house while we were gone then maybe some work on her bike.

 

Picked up a Honda exhaust & midpipe in SC at a salvage yard for $20. (Blackbird high side?) Cut the can down to about 10 in & think the mid needs shortened a bit to fit right.



Got the valve cover off and cleaned and painted in engine enamel. The gasket is in great shape, I plan to use some sealant and use it again.


now the down side. I found this when I pulled the cover. Low side, cam abouve the Yamaha #2 I think.

 

Ever who had it before oviously didnt own a torque wrench. Its sad.Just want to find any pieces that may have dropped down, if you can. Gonna look good with the custom work on it though. Support our troops!! Go America.

 

Kudos to your daughter. Squad Leader is a position that def adds stress during training. She obviously displayed a high degree of responsibility to gain that position. Wishing her continued success.

Hope you're able to overcome the challenges w/ the build. Keep up the good work!

 

congrats! squad leader.. i know yer proud.....on the bike,, i would not sweat it as long as the bolts grab with a thread or two..the valve cover bolts wont neeed the 40000 footpounds the previous guy did...i agree with outlaw on finding the broken peices tho..