Hi,
I have had a few motorbikes and I flog the heck ut of them commuting. My current commuter is an NC700x Honda. Very nice, easy ride with awesome mileage. I recommend it highly.
I have put 100,000+ miles on my rides over the last 25 years.
My dear friend, who was dying of pancreatic cancer, texted me one day and said,"I want you to have the RD. Keep it or sell it-your choice." Steve rebuilt cars and treated his babies with lots of care. I am certain he wanted to ensure the RD400 had a good home. When I said "yes" he proclaimed, "Thats makes me so happy."
When I went to pick it up, he said,"you are perfect guy for this bike. It's not too hard to work on. I wish I would be around to see it when you are done." A very sad moment.
Never having placed a motorbike on a pickup, luckily there were 2 other friends of his to help. I also got the ramps. It was a long 500 mile trip from the border of Oregon back to Bay Area but my other friend(who collects vintage bikes) was riding his Honda90 saw the RD400 and said,"Hey that's Steve's bike!" He helped me unload the RD and now it's in the basement. In great visual shape, it has a few maintenance issues which I am working through thanks to this board. As I work through, thanks in advance for any advice and hopefully the ghost in the machine will be pleased.