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Blast from the Past Yamaha RD350


bornagainbiker

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I found a 73 here near me a few months back along with a 74 SX650, the guy was asking to much, I offered, I wanted that thing so bad.  Just was not going to over pay for youthful nostalgia.  Agreed, one of the badass bikes of the 70s Loved the R5 more something about piston ports man.  Had on that I turned into a TR3  One fast 3 fiddy

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.” --Thomas Jefferson quoting Cesare Beccaria

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Imagine a cheap 500 hitting the market today that would keep up and even beat litre bikes round race tracks, even fast ones like Daytona. That's how good the little RD350 was in its day.

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bornagainbiker

I never owned an RD350, but I did own an RD400 back in the day.  That little 400 went like stink and handled like it was on rails.  Talk about bang for the buck: I paid $1,100.00, out the door, for that little gem.

Give Respect To Get Respect   https://jeff-galbraith.pixels.com/

 

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I used to own a pair of RD350 YPVS's and an RG500, all great bikes the Yamaha's where great fun and very reliable, the RG much less so, but it was highly tuned (probably the reason it was unreliable), but regularly went bang!! Eventually sold it as I wouldn't go anywhere on it (worried I wouldn't get back as it kept having piston failures.), probably wrong ignition timing or jetting. Would love another 350 Yamaha..

 

Gary

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I loved those, almost bought one back in like 77' but the kid selling it had bent the forks slightly back which F'd up the steering pretty bad so I didn't buy it but man was it a little rocket!

 

Later I fell in love with the last of the 2-stroke 350's.

 

 

 

 

KR RZ 350.jpg

Beemer

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The RZ 350 still looks pretty good even by today's standards IMO.

DewMan
 
Just shut up and ride.

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bornagainbiker
25 minutes ago, Beemer said:

I loved those, almost bought one back in like 77' but the kid selling it had bent the forks slightly back which F'd up the steering pretty bad so I didn't buy it but man was it a little rocket!

 

Later I fell in love with the last of the 2-stroke 350's.

 

 

 

 

KR RZ 350.jpg

That's one fine looking machine. 8)

Give Respect To Get Respect   https://jeff-galbraith.pixels.com/

 

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16 minutes ago, DewMan said:

The RZ 350 still looks pretty good even by today's standards IMO.

Exactly! I especially like all the smooth looking, rounded edges. The bike looks like it's cutting wind just sitting still.

Beemer

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To me, the best looking RD350 was the Elsie, 1981 white with blue stripes and 1982 blue with white strips. Not that I would refuse any other colour combination, but these two are my favourites. I also like the naked YPVS versions from 1985 and especially the white from 1986. Last year for the RD350 was 1995.

 

History of the liquid cooled RDs (that for whatever reasons got named RZs in some markets) http://www.rd350lc.net/ALLSTORY.htm

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^^ Now that was uncanny, why just the other day I was talking about the problematic reverberation caused by fluctuating inner gasses during exterior consumption of flatulence induced proteins.  It was like

 

mindblown.jpg

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.” --Thomas Jefferson quoting Cesare Beccaria

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2 hours ago, r1limited said:

^^ Now that was uncanny, why just the other day I was talking about the problematic reverberation caused by fluctuating inner gasses during exterior consumption of flatulence induced proteins.  It was like

 

mindblown.jpg

If that Kevin Cameron gets too heavy you can always listen to his twin brother.

 

 

No need for your left and right brain to vibrate and crack.

 

Beemer

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firstyammerha
Spoiler

 

The recent Cycle World has an article on the future importation of Japanese two stroke street bikes that were not legally available here in the past. There's a new law allowing their sale but  I don't recall the details. A couple of Gray Market importers were identified and parts availability were discussed. They're going to be pricey however.  

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Surprises me very little the nostalgia for the rd/rz350 on this forum. When I first saw and especially rode the 07 , the similarity of rush was so clear. The two bikes just feel the same to be near. Like an old girlfriend that you never stopped loving...

 

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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On 1/25/2018 at 10:14 PM, gregjet said:

Surprises me very little the nostalgia for the rd/rz350 on this forum. When I first saw and especially rode the 07 , the similarity of rush was so clear. The two bikes just feel the same to be near. Like an old girlfriend that you never stopped loving...

 

Look at a 72 R5 basket yesterday.  If the front was not rusted as bad as it was I would had taken it.  Cost of replacement and rebuild plus registering a bike that had not been registered since 2009, not worth it.  The hell with recapturing my youth and building another R5/TR3;)

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.” --Thomas Jefferson quoting Cesare Beccaria

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I didn't like the R5 as much as the RD. I think I wasn't until the 350B that the bike hit it's straps. A disc brake that worked helped ( unlike most other bikes of the era). Still needed bronze swingarm bushes and a "gold Valve " (in those days a Trickit). Even with the non chamber pipes it was a great motor. With decent pipes they are still fun to ride.  Rode one at the track in an historic race. The aftermarket pipes of the day were almost all for re-ported bikes and didn't work real well with std porting ( eg Bassani were hopeless with stock porting). I can't remember who made the goodies for oem porting. The poor road RD's were often overported as well ( OOOH I have a race bike...).  I suspect there is quite overported bikes still running around still..

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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I can agree, the R5 and RD had a bit different power delivery, personally I liked the piston port, mine was literally a TR3 spec'd motor, ceriani front koni rear.  Akront rims tomaselli clip ons and levers with ACK product rearsets.  Pipes were Dean Morrow Pipelines.  I made the mistake of putting on tr3 tank and seat so the tosse dmy ass in the GP class from modified cafe'.  Shoudl have left the stock tank and seat on :)

 

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.” --Thomas Jefferson quoting Cesare Beccaria

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 " I made the mistake of putting on tr3 tank and seat so the tosse dmy ass in the GP class from modified cafe'.  Shoudl have left the stock tank and seat on"

HOHOHOHOHO! But it would have been sooo much faster with that tank and seat...

Me, I'm a big fan of reed valves. BIG fan

Go forth and modify my son...go forth and modify...

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