Clint’s RD350 YPVS special

See if you can spot the bikes in this wild special: DR600, XT550, KTM EXC, TDR250, RD350 F2.

OK, the DR600 is tricky because that’s the top frame tube. But as for the others it’s (in order), the fuel tank; forks and rear suspension; tail and side panels; engine.

Clint bought it years ago from a bloke in Germany who had made the frame using terrible welding. But it looked like a fun bike. Clint added the KTM suspension, painted the tank, rebuilt/tuned the RD350 engine, and organised most of the rest.

He’d got it running with a stock RD350 loom, but it wasn’t ideal. Connectors were visible everywhere, and the loom itself was very old. His initial hope was that I could make it all fit nicely. But with something so ancient and clapped-out it would be cheaper and faster to start again. So we did.

I re-plugged all the Yamaha components (YPVS controller, CDI, servo motor), and made up a new fuse box. That way it minimised the high resistances in the old, corroded connections. Building from scratch also meant I could integrate the new Koso dash and the LED indicators.

It started fine, and the engine sounded fit. Clint now has a snag list to run through – sort the exhaust brackets, improve the fit of the rear bodywork, set the carbs up – but it’s obviously going to be a mad (and unique) pub bike.