I have the opportunity to buy an RD350 from a friend in pieces for a couple hundred $$. He has all the parts minus a good set of jugs (supposedly beyond repair - though I haven't seen them). I know I can get new repro cylinders for it for ~$1K with pistons/rings fitted from http://www.hvccycle.com/cylinder%20kits.html. (http://www.hvccycle.com/cylinder%20kits.html.)
What do you think? Would this be a worthy restoration? It's never been wrecked. I know back in the day this was a wicked bike to ride and hard to keep from tire on the ground.
Whew, an RD is a kick to ride , twitchy as all hell and footpeg dragger short wheel base insanity.
If you have not owned one yet it is part of the rite of passage for manhood.
buy it and dump lots of money into it , ride it till you scare the hell out of yourself then sell it to the next guy so he can do the same.
good times. :good2:
RDs, whew!!! What a ride. I owned 5 RD400s at one time or another from completely stock to a screamed out full on HEAVY modded out one. What can I say other than the really modded one was scary as hell to ride. Eyes were wide open and a smile so big, that it almost met in the back of my head. You could not keep that bike from wheeling and had a power band so narrow, when it hit, well :crazy: :wacko1:
There were many a 750 that only saw the tail lights on that bike on the twisties or stop light to stop light. On the freeway though, the 750s would just fly by me at around 80MPH. I'll post a pic of that little snarling beast when I find it.
BTW, the RDs are becoming more valuable all the time. I see the 350/400 air cooled ones in great condition for upwards of $3000. The LC models are even worth more. This is in the US though.
Big Fun!!!!
CraigO
good times (http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?action-gallery;sa=view;id=817)
...... Gallery, FJ Bike Photos.. page 9, 5th row
Quote from: Brook on November 01, 2011, 05:03:51 PM
...... Gallery, FJ Bike Photos.. page 9, 5th row
Nice one, like your work. :good2:
Wow, thanks for the replies. The wife has sanctioned the purchase & resto as long as I sell when I'm done. There are one for sale at traderonline.com for $6800!!
1972 YAMAHA RD350, 1972 Yamaha RD350, What a Find, All original 5K miles, runs excellent, stock mufflers and turn signals on a 38 year old bike. Must See! $6800.00
Asking Price:
Calculate Payments
$6,800
Features
* Year: 1972
* Make: YAMAHA
* Model: RD350
* Type: Classic 1956-1982
* Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
* Mileage: 5,000
* Stock Number: Yam RD350 72
* Engine Size: 350 cc
How many pieces is your friend in? Hope he knows a good doctor..... :crazy:
Seriously, though, RDs are a LOT of fun, light and fast..... Go for it!
Never had an A/C RD, but did have an '81 RD350LC version.
Great bike! And you could (almost) use all its performance on the street without getting locked up :-)
Go for it while you can..... Everyone should have a performance 2-smoke in their stable (or history).
Cheers,
Arnie
Quote from: indyblue on November 01, 2011, 06:06:25 PM
Wow, thanks for the replies. The wife has sanctioned the purchase & resto as long as I sell when I'm done.
alright then the party is on. :dance2: :dance2: :dance2:
I used to tell my wife that as well . I am gonna fix it up and sell it for a profit.
I abused the privilege and now I am regulated to one at a time. So enjoy while you can and good luck on your project . find some old Proto pipes and wrap them in steel wool.
(http://i949.photobucket.com/albums/ad337/craigo987/rd400.jpg)
Yeah, that's the little ankle biter right there.
CraigO
...... when I had my 350 and when the 400's came out, I wanted so bad, to put those mag wheels on mind.
[and like you said], the one thing I really liked about the RD'S was the power band, a little twist of the wrist and there goes the front wheel.
What resources are there for me to learn how to restore a motorcycle like this. I've no experience in restoring aluminum or other bits of it. It took me 7 1/2 years to track down all the parts and restore my '67 Firebird and get repo parts.
What am I getting into? I am amazed at some of the restored bikes out there (see the Monterey Mecum episodes) and wonder how they get them so perfect and new looking. Old AL parts can become extremely pitted and seem impossible to fix.
http://born2trump.home.comcast.net/~born2trump/resto/Restoration.html (http://born2trump.home.comcast.net/~born2trump/resto/Restoration.html)
(http://born2trump.home.comcast.net/~born2trump/images/indy_show_bird.jpg)
Ebay is full of RD350 parts. Here is a prime example of a set of new cylinders and pistons:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-Cylinder-Piston-RD350-RD-350-1973-1974-1975-/230685885453?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item35b5f3440d#ht_967wt_698 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-Cylinder-Piston-RD350-RD-350-1973-1974-1975-/230685885453?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr&hash=item35b5f3440d#ht_967wt_698)
I had only RD400s, and then that was some 20 years ago. I am not familiar w/ the 350s. However, the RDs I had were super easy to work on. Not really too much to them.
If you have good clean parts, a good straight rolling chassis, and augmented by what's on ebay, you should have her together in no time.
Post pics as you progress. I don't think I am the only one here that would be interested in seeing her come back to her former beauty.
BTW, nice restore on the Firebird. :good2: Having done that to what you started with, the RD will be a walk in the park.
CraigO
Mate they are a lot of fun, :good2:
plenty of parts all over ebay,
hvc cycles have all the rubber bits, just about every thing else is available at good prices,
try to log onto e bay asian parts, good cheap stuff there.
A lot of my Asian parts have been Genuine Yamaha.
Here is one of mine, its a 1975 RD250 with 350 barrells fitted.
(http://i40.tinypic.com/2wnqrdf.jpg)
Hey Megsy,
I noticed you Yamaha YL2 100 in your sig line.
My first bike was a 1968 YL2C Enduro with electric start, rotary valve, and auto oil injection system. Unfortunately that heavy generator out on the end of the crank used to wear out the main bearings, causing them to leak air, making the intake mixture lean, and occasionally bunring a hole in the piston.
Finally replaced it with a '72 Hodaka 100, the only non-Yamaha I've ever owned (but still a nice bike).
DavidR.
RD350's rock, they are the original giant killers to many.
I've got a friend with one, and I've got a '75 CB750 - We decided to have a little show down at the drag strip a while back -
Whole story is here http://www.wristtwisters.com/forums/f95/cb750k5-for-the-strip-19902.html (http://www.wristtwisters.com/forums/f95/cb750k5-for-the-strip-19902.html)
That was a great time!
(http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t317/UJMsRule/cb750chopper/RDvsCB01.jpg)
Quote from: SlowOldGuy on November 03, 2011, 08:35:07 AM
Hey Megsy,
I noticed you Yamaha YL2 100 in your sig line.
My first bike was a 1968 YL2C Enduro with electric start, rotary valve, and auto oil injection system. Unfortunately that heavy generator out on the end of the crank used to wear out the main bearings, causing them to leak air, making the intake mixture lean, and occasionally bunring a hole in the piston.
Finally replaced it with a '72 Hodaka 100, the only non-Yamaha I've ever owned (but still a nice bike).
DavidR.
Hi there.
Mate she 's a ball of fun, yah can ride her flat out & not brake the speed limit :good2:
(http://i43.tinypic.com/jhpqv5.jpg)
She's the pride of the fleet.
(http://i41.tinypic.com/2ugoxmp.jpg)
(http://i44.tinypic.com/2ezikap.jpg)
SWEET!
Mine was yellow, with a high pipe, and the gas tank had a very sharp rise right at the front of the seat. NOT a good design for a dirt-oriented bike. More than once I hit an unexpected bump and had a VERY uncomfortable "encounted" with that tank. :-(
I believe the top speed on mine was about 45 MPH, maybe 50 downhill with the wind at my back.
Nice to see one sill running!
DavidR.
Yes, do it! I have a 75 RD250 that I will build as a 350. A nicely updated RD with alloy rims and a set of chambers is just too good looking. I will post some photos of the parts I've made for mine.
For a couple hundred bucks you should go for it. They really are great bikes and I think that they're a good "my first 2-stroke street bike". They're very simple and easy to work on, and they have a reputation of being one of the more durable and reliable 2-strokes of the era. They have plenty of snappy power, but are still very manageable. Unlike, say, a Kawasaki triple.
As far as they cylinders go, you can certainly find a used set that's still got some overbore room for much cheaper than a new, reproduction set. There's some really good websites for the RDs, too. www.usa2strokers.com (http://www.usa2strokers.com) is the one that I use the most. I have a '72 R5, which is the precursor to the RD350 that came out in '73. It's a very similar bike, but styled a bit differently (much more classic looking, I think), and it has a DLS front drum and a 5-speed tranny as opposed to the RD's front disc and 6-speed. The R5 also lacks the reed valves that the RD got, though mine has an RD top end.
The aftermarket is still very active for the RDs, with companies like HVC Cycle selling almost everything you need to fix one up.
Buy it up. Vintage 2-stroke street bikes are great to ride and very addictive.
Quote from: indyblue on November 02, 2011, 09:23:16 PM
What resources are there for me to learn how to restore a motorcycle like this. I've no experience in restoring aluminum or other bits of it. It took me 7 1/2 years to track down all the parts and restore my '67 Firebird and get repo parts.
What am I getting into? I am amazed at some of the restored bikes out there (see the Monterey Mecum episodes) and wonder how they get them so perfect and new looking. Old AL parts can become extremely pitted and seem impossible to fix.
http://born2trump.home.comcast.net/~born2trump/resto/Restoration.html (http://born2trump.home.comcast.net/~born2trump/resto/Restoration.html)
(http://born2trump.home.comcast.net/~born2trump/images/indy_show_bird.jpg)
That's nice. I had a red 67, 326 HO with the hood tach. Not a convertible though. Wish I still had it.