I had a 1973 RD-350 with Toomey Pipes and later a red RD-400. I liked the RD-400 more. I bought it and parked it in a parking lot to find it on it's side when I got back. The side stand dug into hot asphalt and in the process, broke the gear shift off. I went into the drugstore and bought a pair of channel locks and used it as a makeshift shifter for the 30 minute drive home on the Freeway. I was wearing flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt. I got pulled over by California Highway Patrol to see if I had a pink slip. (crazy, now that I think of it.) The RD-350 seized up at about 95 mph. The shop had not put the right side pipe on flush and it was leaning out. Locked the rear up and instinctively pulled in the clutch until I rolled to a stop. Let it cool for 30 minutes and still drove it home from 20 miles away on Hwy 94 in Jamul, CA. Years later, met a guy that described a black RD he owned. It was my old bike. It turns out that the shop put an RD-400 piston in one side, a RD-350 piston on the other. This from a motorcycle race shop. No wonder it ran like crap when I got it back from repairs. Two different compressions. The 1979 Daytona Special was my first RD ride from the back in high school with Dennis Robinson at the beach in San Diego-riding a long wheelie in Mission Beach-I was hooked! I ride a BMW R1200GS Adventure these days-with all my gear on.
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