A project dream for 30+ years! At the Cologne Motorcycle Show in late 1982, Yamaha unveiled their new RD350 YPVS, featuring the breakthrough Yamaha Power Valve System, which utilized a servo motor to change the […]
Tag: Yamaha RD
Ultimate RD: Yamaha RD400 Restomod
An 80-bhp Harris/Mark Dent RD400 Special… Introduced in 1975 to replace the RD350, the Yamaha RD400 would quickly become the alpha wolf of the late 70s sport middleweights, producing ~40 horsepower at 7000 rpm. Front […]
RD Rescue: 1975 Yamaha RD350 Resto
A California husband and wife rescue and rebuild an abandoned RD… Introduced in 1973, the Yamaha RD350 (RD for “Race Developed”) was an evolution of the beloved R5 350, featuring seven ports instead of five […]
For the Love of Screaming 2-Strokes: Yamaha RD125 Street Tracker
Wilco Lindner’s stunning RD125: Built for the love of screaming two-strokes… The Yamaha RD125 was an air-cooled, two-stroke twin that boasted 17 horsepower at 9000 rpm and a top speed of 78 mph. It was […]
Lightweight Monster: Yamaha RD400 Café Racer
“Like riding a lightweight monster…” –Derek Molinski, Bikeshop DM In late 1975, Yamaha introduced the RD400 — a stroked and updated evolution of the 350, featuring a rubber-dampened engine, disc brakes, longer reach spark plug, […]
2-Smoker: Yamaha RD350 by Marc Martin
“Don’t feel bad. You’re not the first 750 rider to get blown off by a Yamaha 350.” That was the headline of a 1975 magazine advertisement for the Yamaha RD350, and it was true. Introduced […]
Race Derived: Yamaha RD350 Cafe Racer by MotoExotica
A 1984 (!) Yamaha RD350 from the Himalayan foothills… The Yamaha RD350 is one of our favorite two-stroke street bikes, a parallel-twin standard that boasted 39 horsepower, Autolube oil injection, best-in-class brakes, and lovely colors […]
Street-Legal Dream Racer: Yamaha RD350 by Speedy Siegl
Introduced in 1973, the Yamaha TZ350 would revolutionize the 350cc GP class, a production road racer offering a 60 hp liquid-cooled twin-cylinder engine and lightweight chassis. Available to privateer racers, the bike quickly made a […]
The Wasp: Yamaha RD350 Scrambler by Danners Automotive
An RD350 dirt bike built for the Malle Mile… The Yamaha RD350, built from 1973 to 1975, is one of our favorite machines from the heyday of the two-stroke street bike — a 39-hp parallel […]
Track Racer: Yamaha RD350 by Moto Exotica
The Yamaha RD350 is one of our favorite two-stroke street bikes, a 39-horsepower parallel twin that featured Autolube oil injection and a similar frame to the Yamaha TZ350 racer. In most countries, the bike was […]