Originally I was given a very ratty but mostly standard LC that was just rotting in a friends garage. I rode it until it died, then decided to rebuild the engine. There are a couple of pics here of the original ratted out LC (matt black).

After rebuilding the engine I began to notice all the LC's chassis problems - frame/swingarm bending, bad suspension, lack of decent tyres, etc. Hence the need for modification - I wanted to keep the engine - but to make it usable.

If you go thro' the RD project "in the Beginning.....you can find a couple of shots of the RG/LC as it was when I first put it together about 2 years ago. Yellow, ugly but very fast. I have actually been riding the bike around for the last 2 years, but I have decided that it's time to fix some of it's problems, rebuild the engine (again) and make it look good. You will see photo's of a piles of parts that are coming to be one ( well some will )

Basically the engine, electric's, most of the running gear are LC. But the engine does run an RZ crank, RZ pistons, mild porting ( I ride this bike around the city so I like bottom end and mid range ), an enlarged intake with RZ reeds and 32mm flatslides and obviously a set of chambers.

I just love the LC engine. Heaps of power, the 350 has heaps of torque as well none of the low RPM gutlessness you have to put up with on 2-stroke 250's these days. It is also such a simple engine, no bloody power valves to make a nuisance of themselves and greatly increase rebuild costs.

The frame, swingarm (now braced) and tank are Suzuki RG250WD 1984. The engine very nearly bolts straight in, that's the main reason why I chose this frame. I haven't needed to modify either the frame or the engine but I have made some spacers to drop the rear engine mounts about a centimetre.

The wheels were specifically chosen to be similar to RGV wheels, because of the truly amazing tyres available ( like Dunlop GPR70's ). We have a 250cc production racing class down here in Australia, I usually buy my tyres really cheap ( about $20 aus ) but slightly used off the guys who ride in this class. They only last 2-3 thousand kms on the road but it's great fun. Tyre sizes and 150-60-17 on the 4.5" rear and 110-70-17 on the 3" front.

Rear disk and calliper are RG250. Front end - forks, wheel, mudguard, disk, current calliper came off a Jap import SRX400 ( really cheap at the wreckers and they threw in a couple of RGV carbies ) :-). It is a 320mm floating disk and 4 pot calliper as off an FZR1000, I think I will put on a blue Yamaha monoblock calliper from a YZF1000 this time round - just for looks though, it stoppies quite adequately with the current calliper. I'm often asked why only one disk? Simply because it doesn't need any more brakes, they would just be excess weight.

The bike weighs in at about 120kg dry.

The new rear ducktail/seat unit is modified early model RGV. I have a friend who is currently (supposed to be) making me a nice carbon fibre guard. I'm planning on cleaning up the instruments and headlight and just keeping the bike naked. The engine cases are currently off getting bead blasted. Rear sets are also on the agenda, but they will have to wait. Unfortunately since I'm still a part time Uni. student things are on a tight budget, I'm currently so desperate to ride the thing again that rearsets will have to be made after the bike is functional again.

I am always happy to talk about my bike so email me if there is something specific you wish to know or have any hints or tips you think might be of use to me on this project.

E-Mail:

Kath@zip.com.au

I'm also happy to give anyone who may be interested (probably only fellow Aus people) info on where to go and who to talk to, to get things done (machining, anodising, which wreckers are useful, etc).