Yep. RT's are undervalued it seems, and a great option for projects. I also have a 91 that I got when looking for a parts bike and it is also in excellent condition. I am just going to give it a refresh. Most of the RTs I find have been unloved, but are still solid.
Good job. Bike looks great! I have same year/model RT with RT bits removed so it’s a basic R80 now. Mine is kinda boring to ride in stock form. What are your thoughts on the Siebenrock 1000 kit?
Thanks. The Siebenrock kit is excellent. The only thing I didn't like is that the cylenders are from a different cast pattern than the originals, so the mating surface on the block had a different profile. It was only a little annoying since I had already put sealant on the block. As for power, It's excellent. It will add 8-12 HP and I definitely notice that. Granted this bike had 263K miles on it and got essentially everything replaced and refreshed, so I am sure I am getting a cumulative effect. If you go that route, I would definitely do a full carb rebuld at the same time. This bike will gladly pull even if I am already going 70mph. Since I am not a small guy, it's impressive. If you still have not swapped your suspension, I would add that to the list as well. Taken together, it will really improve the ride and make it feel like a much more modern machine.
@@JustABillMoto Thanks for the input. Re the suspension: On the front, did you do anything beyond replacing the springs? On the rear, what shock and spring did you use? Thanks again!
@@bhoward001 Yes, new progressive springs in the front which do a good job of reducing the sponginess. For the rear, I went with the Ikon from EME, but the YSS option also looks good.
@@JustABillMoto I took off rear shock and removed spring. When I pushed and pulled the piston rod in and out it was smooth and seemed well dampened. That said, do you think I would still notice an improvement with new shock like setup you bought? Thanks!
It really depends on the age of what's there and how well it holds up to the total load. One of my bikes had a fairly expensive rear shock that was made for a smaller rider, but it was no good for me. If the spring is too soft or a bad fit to the load, it can feel spongy or overly bouncy.
What a beautiful build. Congratulations! She looks amazing.
Thank you. It was a journey.
I just bought one of these in England .. I want cafe it .. when I got it I realised it’s to good for that’s it’s an 86’ rt80rt all original
Yep. RT's are undervalued it seems, and a great option for projects. I also have a 91 that I got when looking for a parts bike and it is also in excellent condition. I am just going to give it a refresh. Most of the RTs I find have been unloved, but are still solid.
Good job. Bike looks great! I have same year/model RT with RT bits removed so it’s a basic R80 now. Mine is kinda boring to ride in stock form. What are your thoughts on the Siebenrock 1000 kit?
Thanks. The Siebenrock kit is excellent. The only thing I didn't like is that the cylenders are from a different cast pattern than the originals, so the mating surface on the block had a different profile. It was only a little annoying since I had already put sealant on the block. As for power, It's excellent. It will add 8-12 HP and I definitely notice that. Granted this bike had 263K miles on it and got essentially everything replaced and refreshed, so I am sure I am getting a cumulative effect. If you go that route, I would definitely do a full carb rebuld at the same time. This bike will gladly pull even if I am already going 70mph. Since I am not a small guy, it's impressive. If you still have not swapped your suspension, I would add that to the list as well. Taken together, it will really improve the ride and make it feel like a much more modern machine.
@@JustABillMoto Thanks for the input. Re the suspension: On the front, did you do anything beyond replacing the springs? On the rear, what shock and spring did you use? Thanks again!
@@bhoward001 Yes, new progressive springs in the front which do a good job of reducing the sponginess. For the rear, I went with the Ikon from EME, but the YSS option also looks good.
@@JustABillMoto I took off rear shock and removed spring. When I pushed and pulled the piston rod in and out it was smooth and seemed well dampened. That said, do you think I would still notice an improvement with new shock like setup you bought? Thanks!
It really depends on the age of what's there and how well it holds up to the total load. One of my bikes had a fairly expensive rear shock that was made for a smaller rider, but it was no good for me. If the spring is too soft or a bad fit to the load, it can feel spongy or overly bouncy.