[bigron]

So after much mulling and delaying I finally decided to work on my RD 350 and have it up and running.

Its a 1986 LT that has been lying idle for about 11 years. I am right now going to give the tank for epoxy and was thinking about various paint schemes that I can do. The tank is black right now and I have a few options going forward.

1) I can repaint it black
2) Get one of the original RD Colors like red/blue/silver/white or one from the older 74/75 models like burgundy
3) Get a custom solid color like the BRG, Rosso Corsa , Highland Green , Championship White , Nardo Grey etc etc
4) Or go full out custom with multiple shades.

The possibilities are endless. I know that paint is a very personal thing, but I am open to suggestions. May be I see something that I havent thought about.
Attaching the picture of my tank as it stand now and a few other options. Lets hear what folks here think. It would be beneficial if a picture of the color choice that someone has in mind is added.
Cheers!

[Roy.S]

The blue would look absolutely stunning.
I see the fuel lid has started to rust. Are you planning to get that plated again?
Also, how is tank on the inside? Signs of rust?

[bigron]

Originally Posted by Roy.S

The blue would look absolutely stunning.
I see the fuel lid has started to rust. Are you planning to get that plated again?
Also, how is tank on the inside? Signs of rust?

The tank lid will be replaced since I am going to change the original lock. Other parts have already been plated and spokes fitted.

The tank has some rust hence the epoxy. So I have a few days before I get the tank back and ask my painter to start painting.

The blue indeed looks very good.

[Sebring]

You're in a unique position to create something beautiful. Something that would stand out. I would seize this opportunity to customize it

[neil.jericho]

I love scrolling through Bike Exif for ideas on custom paint jobs. How about something like this?

[bigron]

I am scouting for ideas on pipeburn and bike Exif as well.

A thing to look out for is that the RD tank has clean lines without any taper or cuts or anything unlike a Continental GT. With a tapered tank its easier to make multiple colors stand out .

[playingpossum]

I have a soft spot for black with gold accents on classic bikes.



Maybe a bit of flake in the black paint - just enough to catch the eye when the light hits it at the right angle. And gold metallic paint for pinstriping.

[bigron]

Originally Posted by playingpossum

I have a soft spot for black with gold accents on classic bikes.

It is definitely a classy combination. Twinline Motorcycles from Seattle have done the best iteration of the classic gold on black RD 350 custom ever. It actually runs on a Ron Chinoy CDI kit among other goodies. A very expensive build this.

[Mortis]

I would suggest a dark metallic blue with some coloured accents or pinstripes. A dark blue would pair well with silver, gold or white highlights.

I would suggest the dark blue shade from the Tata Hexa. Under certain light conditions it can have a slight emerald green tint to it as well which would make it more interesting kind of like a colour shift effect

[SnS_12]

It is always good to hear and see a RD 350 been restored.

I would suggest you choose a colour keeping in mind how you plan to go about the sticker design for the tank and side panels.

Classic colours would go well and especially some darker shades.

Some pictures I had saved from the RD 350 club page on Instagram which I had personally liked. I personally prefer stickers of the US spec RD’s







Also, since your bike has been lying ideal for over a decade how bad is the rust situation. Do you think it requires metal work? Saying this because when I restored my RD 200 and RD 125 (still in the process) the tank on the 200 was in a better shape compared to the 125 tank as the bike was exposed in a non running state to the humid conditions of Mumbai for over two decades and this is what happened to the tank post painting and epoxy treatment.





Post painting the paint started pitting

[bigron]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

It is always good to hear and see a RD 350 been restored.
Also, since your bike has been lying ideal for over a decade how bad is the rust situation. Do you think it requires metal work? Saying this because when I restored my RD 200 and RD 125 (still in the process) the tank on the 200 was in a better shape compared to the 125 tank as the bike was exposed in a non running state to the humid conditions of Mumbai for over two decades and this is what happened to the tank post painting and epoxy treatment.
Attachment 2103378

The decals will be from the US spec bike. The two rows from under the letter 'YAMAHA' going backward is what we have finalized. As for the color scheme, a darker shade of blue similar to navy blue is being contemplated. Just trying to see what color should the lettering and the strips be to enhance the blue.

The tank was mildly rusted from the inside. So epoxy is being done. From the outside as you can see apart form fading paint the tank seems okay. Will get to know at the time of prepping the tank if work is required.

The frame was rust free and so were the other panels. The bike though lying idle for over a decade was indoors and under a cover.
The frame, center stand, swingarm, clutch cover etc are getting painted black as we speak.

The shade of gunmetal grey that you have looks very nice.

[bigron]

This is how the bike was before we took it apart sometime back. And the parts all played.

[r_nairtvm]

Originally Posted by bigron

The tank lid will be replaced since I am going to change the original lock.

Be careful with this. Hope you are aware of the pin-hole air breather setup in the tank lid. This will make a difference to the bike - the way it runs on longer trips etc. Even the one on RX100 Tank lid is not the same even though it looks the same

Suggest you stick to the original - easy to get it repaired and electroplated

Best Regards & Ride Safe

[SnS_12]

Originally Posted by bigron

The decals will be from the US spec bike. The two rows from under the letter 'YAMAHA' going backward is what we have finalized. As for the color scheme, a darker shade of blue similar to navy blue is being contemplated. Just trying to see what color should the lettering and the strips be to enhance the blue.

The shade of gunmetal grey that you have looks very nice.

Yes, that decal would look good too. Hope you would be applying the final clear coat after applying the decals? Also, preferably have the decals applied with the tank and side panels fitted so that you have proper alignment.

I choose the Titanium grey for the RD 125 as I liked this shade which was painted on a car at my friends workshop where I got the parts painted as well.

I liked this colour shade so much that we did the same paint on my Dad’s chetak when it was restored. For the 200 we went with two shade colour theme with everything apart from the tank painted black and the 125 was to run on gold coloured alloys similar to my RX.











P.s - What pistons are you going to use and is it still running on points or you have converted it to a CDI?

[RedOne]

I am partial to the Original 70's RD paint design. Attaching a pic of my 73 RD350 in maroon and cream.