Engine and carb paint on early RD

[tore]

Did anyone of you buy a brand new of the early aircooled RDs?
I am a bit curious how long time the paint actually stayed intact on engine and carbs? Did yamaha repaint any on warranty?

[pidjones]

My '76 RD400c looked like new when I sold it in '79 to a shipmate. Don't remember the mileage. I guess a lot would depend on how it is treated and if you had metal buckles on your boots that would scratch it. It sat outside when I was in port (~50% of the time). It was locked up in the house when we went to sea.

[psoidon]

I bought mine when it was 3 years old, cases and carbs kept their finish for years.
20 + years in cardboard boxes took its toll in chips and scratches.
Would love to know how they painted the carbs, I have given up on trying and took them back to bare metal.
2K satin clear coat on the cases seems to work so far ... fingers crossed !

[CBM]

I bought mine when it was 3 years old, cases and carbs kept their finish for years.
20 + years in cardboard boxes took its toll in chips and scratches.
Would love to know how they painted the carbs, I have given up on trying and took them back to bare metal.
2K satin clear coat on the cases seems to work so far ... fingers crossed !

I had some brake calipers stripped, vapour blasted and done in satin black Cerakote recently and the Guy had just done some carbs in various colours and they looked the Dogs. What's nice about it is that it's a really thin coating opposed to powder coat plus it's much harder and fuel, brake fluid etc. doesn't touch it.

[5port]

The original black paint on RD carbs was fairly fuel proof and lasted well.  However, it certainly peels eventually.  The OE paint was almost a gloss and, painted over everything, including brass screws and springs, although I think the choke lever mechanism was not painted.  I would think the paint might have been 2k, but I am guessing.  Painted carbs are possibly the most difficult thing to do well I think.
Cheers

5port

[tore]

I have not seen an RD that has been used and that has the paintwork on engine and carbs spotless. I was curious of this since if there have been a warranty job there must have been some paint they recommended (probably better than the original one).

I have a couple of sachs engines made from 50-ties to 80-ties. None has chipped paint. Wonder how what paint those has?
Sachs engines are made of a zinc alloy, likely similar to what carbs are made of.