SuperDavexlv750r
Race Dog
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2011
- Messages
- 1,620
- Reaction score
- 37
- Location
- Relocated to Johannesburg South
- Bike
- Suzuki DL 650 V-Strom
I have the privilege to own not one of these RD01 legends - but 2.
The first is still virtually 100% original and the second was restored and then had an engine failure and was stripped. I bought this from Swanniebraai in 2013 with a view to re assembling and finishing the project. Since I bought it the bike was stored at a bike workshop and later moved to a container and finally when I packed up Gauteng for the West Coast it was transported here. The idea was to sort the bike out and finish the project.
Things haven't quite gone to plan and due to not having space to store the stripped bike properly and also not having the workshop space - i decided to see if a new home could be found for the unfinished project as well as its older brother - my almost fully original XLV. A few minor things detract from the original but very simple to rectify without any hassle. I just have never bothered. The headlight switch is a Yamaha switch as I could not source the Honda one at the time but since discovered that they are reasonably easy to come by. The seat was recovered and I bought the XLV750R stencil but have not painted the logo back onto the seat yet. The mirrors are after market.
Below are some links to Swanniebraai's old bike no 324, showing the finished product before engine failure and then various posts showing the stripped parts and also the story around possible repair of it.
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=109046.msg2175539#msg2175539
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=119564.msg2317680#msg2317680
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=60299.msg1323520#msg1323520 - Shows picture of completed bike before being stripped for repair. I cant seem to find the post that covered the restoration.
SO...
What is this Limited Edition Honda all about. Simply it was the grand daddy to the iconic XRV750 known as the Africa Twin. The model number was RD01 and lasr model number of Africa Twin is RD07a.
The RD01 came out first in 1983 and 500 limited editions were built in the Honda Racing Colours of the time. There were more built in different colours but those were not the limited Edition versions.
It had a 45degree V-Twin motor with similar output to the last XRV750 Africa Twin.
It was air cooled and oil cooled and was shaft driven. It was supposed to counter the BMW GS 800 PAris Dakar bike of the 80's.
Parts are reasonably interchangeable with Hondas of that era, For instance - I understand that the Goldwing 1000 may have used the same driveshaft as the XLV. The flicker lights for instance are identical to the XRV750 AT. Some of the other parts, like speedo and rev counter are XR / XL. The original motor and drive shaft were used, if I am correct with my info, in the VT750 of 1983 just befiore they changed to a water cooled version.
There is a huge following of these bikes in Europe and spares are reasonably easy to obtain - not new but used. Although Swanniebraai did find some new OEM parts.
My one, the one that runs, is a really nice bike to ride. I only had it off road once with Schalk van der Merwe and a few other folk on the canals and once on BreedtsNek.
The bike handled the trip like a star and its low down torque made the riding a pleasure. The motor feels more tractable than my XRV750 AT and offers a suprisingly good ride for its age. It still has air assisted shocks both front and rear.
Then I had one other long trip from Gauteng to Hazyview for the Paradise Rally in 2012 and back. It rode beautifully without a hiccup - just a front headlight globe that blew.
NOW...
I want to sell both bikes as a pair if possible as the complete one can be used as template to get SwannieBraai's old bike to as close to original as possible.
One of the posts in 2013 mentioned that SwannieBraai's bike was certainly worth the R15 000 he was asking given the work dome to restore the bike.
I believe that my bike is probably worth between R 27 000 to about R29 000. I am hoping to find them a good home and would probably let them go at around
R39 500.
If cash is a problem and you have a small motor car or bakkie in good condition at about similar value we can also talk.
I really want these bikes to be preserved and to go to the right home. their value is starting to climb and I read of an auction in Las Vegas where one fetched about 4 800 USD. I have seen them going for between Euro 2 800 to Euro 3 200.
The first is still virtually 100% original and the second was restored and then had an engine failure and was stripped. I bought this from Swanniebraai in 2013 with a view to re assembling and finishing the project. Since I bought it the bike was stored at a bike workshop and later moved to a container and finally when I packed up Gauteng for the West Coast it was transported here. The idea was to sort the bike out and finish the project.
Things haven't quite gone to plan and due to not having space to store the stripped bike properly and also not having the workshop space - i decided to see if a new home could be found for the unfinished project as well as its older brother - my almost fully original XLV. A few minor things detract from the original but very simple to rectify without any hassle. I just have never bothered. The headlight switch is a Yamaha switch as I could not source the Honda one at the time but since discovered that they are reasonably easy to come by. The seat was recovered and I bought the XLV750R stencil but have not painted the logo back onto the seat yet. The mirrors are after market.
Below are some links to Swanniebraai's old bike no 324, showing the finished product before engine failure and then various posts showing the stripped parts and also the story around possible repair of it.
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=109046.msg2175539#msg2175539
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=119564.msg2317680#msg2317680
https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=60299.msg1323520#msg1323520 - Shows picture of completed bike before being stripped for repair. I cant seem to find the post that covered the restoration.
SO...
What is this Limited Edition Honda all about. Simply it was the grand daddy to the iconic XRV750 known as the Africa Twin. The model number was RD01 and lasr model number of Africa Twin is RD07a.
The RD01 came out first in 1983 and 500 limited editions were built in the Honda Racing Colours of the time. There were more built in different colours but those were not the limited Edition versions.
It had a 45degree V-Twin motor with similar output to the last XRV750 Africa Twin.
It was air cooled and oil cooled and was shaft driven. It was supposed to counter the BMW GS 800 PAris Dakar bike of the 80's.
Parts are reasonably interchangeable with Hondas of that era, For instance - I understand that the Goldwing 1000 may have used the same driveshaft as the XLV. The flicker lights for instance are identical to the XRV750 AT. Some of the other parts, like speedo and rev counter are XR / XL. The original motor and drive shaft were used, if I am correct with my info, in the VT750 of 1983 just befiore they changed to a water cooled version.
There is a huge following of these bikes in Europe and spares are reasonably easy to obtain - not new but used. Although Swanniebraai did find some new OEM parts.
My one, the one that runs, is a really nice bike to ride. I only had it off road once with Schalk van der Merwe and a few other folk on the canals and once on BreedtsNek.
The bike handled the trip like a star and its low down torque made the riding a pleasure. The motor feels more tractable than my XRV750 AT and offers a suprisingly good ride for its age. It still has air assisted shocks both front and rear.
Then I had one other long trip from Gauteng to Hazyview for the Paradise Rally in 2012 and back. It rode beautifully without a hiccup - just a front headlight globe that blew.
NOW...
I want to sell both bikes as a pair if possible as the complete one can be used as template to get SwannieBraai's old bike to as close to original as possible.
One of the posts in 2013 mentioned that SwannieBraai's bike was certainly worth the R15 000 he was asking given the work dome to restore the bike.
I believe that my bike is probably worth between R 27 000 to about R29 000. I am hoping to find them a good home and would probably let them go at around
R39 500.
If cash is a problem and you have a small motor car or bakkie in good condition at about similar value we can also talk.
I really want these bikes to be preserved and to go to the right home. their value is starting to climb and I read of an auction in Las Vegas where one fetched about 4 800 USD. I have seen them going for between Euro 2 800 to Euro 3 200.
