Yamaha Rd 350 Top Speed!!!
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- Опубліковано 16 жов 2024
- I talk about my new 1975 Yamaha Rd 350 and then take it for a top speed test run to see just how fast it really goes!
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Music: White noise-Danrell
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Good to see you wearing all the right safety gear for a top speed run..
Dress for the slide!
@@shawnmclean7932 no just sensible. Road rash is expensive in more ways than one.
@@shawnmclean7932 You apparently have not had a crash yet. Losing a bunch of skin is no fun. The suspension and high speed handling of these motorcycles is not great. The RD350's did not have a lot of weight on the front wheel, which is why they are so easy to wheelie. A little patch of gravel, a pothole, or even a dog running into the street would result in a long, painful slide.
@@shawnmclean7932 nah just not stupid. No body wants to slide 100 feet on their skin at 85mph.
Road rash is never fun
RD 350s ran like scalded dogs. I loved mine back in college in the early-mid seventies. Some of my favorite stories of triumph and miraculous survival are about me and my RD 350. With the right tires it would scrape its footpegs off and keep going. Great bike. My ex still has scars from the exhaust pipe.
My ex too!!We are in our 60s
At last someone alive that had an rd .
I raced a 1973 RD350, a 1981 RD350LC and a 1983 RZ350. Top speeds were 107, 112 and 120 mph. I was an expert race tuner and always had the fastest legal production bike on the track. There were lots of little tricks for getting the most out of these bikes. You needed to experiment with the main jets because in Canada, they always came jetted rich so they wouldn't seize in cold weather. The RZ350 had a multi-layer head gasket so I used only one of the layers for more compression. I had a couple of thin washers so I could adjust the needles by half a notch. My best trick was using a rev limiter that cut the ignition off for 55 milliseconds, just long enough for a shift to go through. All I had to do was put pressure on the shift level as the revs approached 10,000 RPM. It didn't hurt that I weighed only 135 lbs.
Listen to this guy. He knows what he's talking about and speaks truth without imaginative exaggeration like the rest of you t0ssers. Back in the day I owned and rode an RD350A, rode the new RD350B in '75 when a mate bought one, compared both with a '73 CB350K-4, and currently own a 9/85 RG500G (since 3/86 bought new) and an 9/98 RG250T (since 1/00 also bought new). The RD's strength at the time was its acceleration, not its top speed. All three of those 350s mentioned were good stock for around 105mph/170kph. Nicest street Yamahas to ride (best handling) were the final unfaired mid '80s RZ350s and RZ250s & later faired TZ250s. That '98 RG250T of mine does 210kph true, circa 215kph lying on the tank if you allow it to wind it up. Acceleration to 170kph is linear. The square four 500 is linear to 200kph, tapers off but still steady and quickish to 220kph, steady but slowing to 230, and slow to wind up to 240kph-ish. When near new I had mine through a calibrated Police radar registering it at 242kph.
Starts at 7:48
Thank me later
@Current Batches Than you!
anytime you shift before 7500 rpm on a 2 stroke you are effectively 'short shifting'
.
Moto Mafia
First off the bike red lines at 9000 Secondly you assumed my comment was based on modern bikes. I've owned and ridden many 2 stroke both air cooled and water cooled variants. The air cooled bikes are very peaky water cooling then automatic variable exhaust mechanisms (see ATAC YPVS SAEC) broadened the powerband/torque curb.
Yes you are right on the last part , Ive ridden one of these before they can go up to 9000 but it produces peak power at 7500 look it up . Secondly I you could have just said power valve instead of all the shit you wrote.
I wasn't arguing peak power as a matter of fact my original comment specifies "anything lower than 7500"
You indicated it "redlines at 7500" so what you are saying now is you meant to say it peaks @ 7500 but again thats what my comment suggests so there would be no reason to disagree in the first place -right? :)
"Powervalve" yeah I coulda.
Also my original comment is being somewhat facetious - if you watch the video again and look at when he shifts Vs the objective you might see what I'm getting at.
Peace
+Kelly Jackson that RD is a pre water cooled, it's only got reeds, but I agree I was cringing at home short shifting.
I have had my RD 350A since 1975.I raced it extensively in production racing in New Zealand back then where the only changes allowed were to handlebars tyres and sprockets. Mine was one of the fastest and timed at 105.8 MPH on a long straight (Hawkesbury). Showing nearly 120 MPH on the speedo!! It had a 16 tooth frort sprocket and a 39 tooth rear sprocket and was pulling 9500RPM in top - flat on the tank in leathers.
John, 108.2 flying quarter Whangarei area a long long time ago, I miss the sound of that little engine working.
@John Mcdonagh I had one as well. The only bike I owned that I never fell off, and it was far and away the fastest! I have a brand new set of factory disk pads, still sealed in their bags if you're interested. Threw out the original handlebars when we moved a few years back - I had SS bars on mine rather than Ace bars. I'm in Wellington drop me a line if you're interested in the brake pads.
Problem with a load of fools is they think speeedo reading is gospel.
I had a ride of my mates rd350 back in the 70s ,very fast little bike there was something wrong with the bake brake in that you only had to touch it with the smallest amount of pressure and it would lock up 😮 ,another friend had the 400 which I preferred 😊
I had a 73 in 77 that was ported and polished that went above 125MPH! Actually, like yours it had rear sets and chambers. Great sound! Classic trainer for racers!
Fastest I ever got mine was 117. Then the speed wobble happened and we went down.
Was this the motor that wound up in the banshee?
Did the later years of this bike come with fairing and race paint job?
It was a twitchy on the throttle the bike it was a beast to handle not a great first bike for the handling issue as you stated at high speed head wobble was comman. Had 4 of them over the years growing first one at 15 years old after a KE100 first bike. It was my favorite bike ever was not the biggest fan of the RD400 when it cam out but the RD350 hit the sweet spot for me. 😊
The mirrors cost you about 8 miles an hour, the turn signals didn’t help either. If you had a number plate that was at a 45degree angle mounted between your headlight and the top of your gauges that you could tuck behind, and if you had a 16 tooth Sprocket, tight leather’s, and high pressures in your tires, with your transmission oil nice and hot, and motor oil instead of Grease in your wheelbearings, you could get over 111 miles an hour by the speedometer, if where are you are riding is not above 3500 feet in elevation. There is also one modification that Yamaha put a service bulletin out saying, two half-inch holes, one on each side of the airbox. Fresh NGK b9hs non resistor spark plugs with only one heat cycle on them, and clean pistons, that were matched gram for gram.. it also helps to modify the way the front fender is installed, get it as close to the tire as you can at the leading edge, but you have to allow for the tire to grow just a bit. Make sure your chain and sprocket‘s are not worn..worn sprockets and chain can cost you up to 6 hp. But don’t start a race on a brand new out-of-the-box chain, because it needs to be broken in, I have seen a brand new chain on a machine I was riding in an endurance race come into the pits on its first gas pitstop, the chain was turning blue. spray with chain lube and the chain lube sizzled....Cut the two lock nuts off of the oil pump cable, and turn the Cable in and adjust the cable so that the oil pump only reaches full stroke, when the throttles are wide open. Oil lowers octain ,low compression ratio engine cannot burn oil. That’s why you see white clouds of exhaust from 2 strokes
I made sure all of the information I just gave you was done to my racing machine. I got my bone stock RD 250, not 350, to indicate 111 miles an hour on the front straightaway at Summit point Raceway in Virginia in the 70s& 80s.. I had no mercy on the clutch, but I babied the transmission with every shift. The original clutch lasted me over 100 races. It’s still in the machine today. I never had to touch it.
Won 6 championships-2 time national champion on my stock 1974 RD250- with a drum brake (I tried a disc in the front, the machine was slower on acceleration, slower steering, because of that Gyro disc,The handling was worse on bumpy high speed corners because of added weight of the disc and the caliper, made the front wheel chatter and slide around tight bumpy corners because it took longer for the suspension to recover between each compression...energy into the heavier spring,oil in the forks to control the spring.... The heavier the wheel, the longer it takes to complete that cycle. If the wheel isn’t ready for the next ripple, the wheel well chatter/bounce, and you will lose traction...and disc brakes drag) I tried both disk and drum, and I was much faster on lap times with the drum. I also liked the fact that I didn’t have to be as careful with the drum doing 10/10 braking as I would have to be with a disc,Especially in the rain.
dude. I thoroughly enjoyed this post. Thank you for sharing your experiences with the RD. I rode a badass little RD350 on the streets, back in the day.
Sounds right ,I think 112 was the number I got but its been awhile.
Shift Every gear at 8500, tuck down and in. My old piston port R5 350 would go 105 quite easily
Coldsmoke I think something is wrong with the bike because it took me a long time to get up to speed.
2vintage Are the point gaps set to EXACTLY .014"? Be sure of this.
I used to own one. The timing is critical. I used a dial indicator (in the spark plug hole), with an electronic point checker. IIRC, the individual point (for that cylinder) should just begin to open at 2 MM, before TDC. The more accurate your timing, the better it will run. Also, the float levels must be exactly the same on each carb, with synched slides. After 15,000-20,000 miles, I'd install new rings, which is very simple to do. (or if had a few years on it).
He short shifts, he don't know.
Robert Hoard he shifts at like 7k 😂imagine him on a 600cc
Drove one of these across Canada and back.
Woke up one morning and the front tire was flat - no other problems.
Great bike the RD350. I learned to ride a tire to the edge on my RD350. One of my all-time favorite bikes. Pretty nuts to do a top-speed run wearing short pants and short-sleeved shirt, though. I hope you never have to learn that doing any top-speed run, wearing short pants and short-sleeved shirt is not a very smart thing to do...
Yes of course but one could easily argue that motorcycling in general is not particularly smart unless it were the only transportation one could afford. It's not real smart to take any risk unless one factors in the reward of sheer joy....All things considered compared to other crap done on bikes? Riding in shorts for 5 minutes on an empty dry highway at less than 100miles an hour on a well maintained motorcycle? NOT much risk at all compared to being in full protective gear riding balls to the wall for many hours on the twisty public highways
People in other countries put 4 generations of their family on one motorcycle along with farm animals. All while wearing sandals for protection.
That bike will do well over 100mph if tuned properly and you knew how to ride it
Yeah, one of my friend had a RD350, my other friend a RD350LC and both were beating the crap out of my modded RD400, 3 great bikes.
It definitely needs a good tune up. Take care.
@@micheltremblay4774 l
I've had both a 1974 and 75 rd350. A stock 350 will do 105 mph tops. Stock motor has 32 hp. and if memory serves me right the 1/4mile in roughly 13 -14 seconds. First 3 gears you can pull wheelies. I still own my 75. Changed the reed valves in it and its bored to 4th over.That's the max.Will do 115 mph if not more but never pulled top gear properly. These bikes are very sensitive. If you clean and polish the ports, change the jets cut the carb slides, rework the air box for better air flow and find a better exhaust then the stock you can have a quick cafe racer. You might have to change the plugs to one hotter to much and you'll cook the motor. But you might want a pro tuner to do the engine for you to get it done right.
Front forks on these bikes are to soft need a better progressive spring and different oil. The rear shocks rebound is to hard and the bike could use another inch of clearance. Nothing like dragging the pegs going around a corner and hope you don't catch anything to pitch you off.
The stock exhaust on them was better then most after market .That's the way Yamaha designed them at the time. They were the bike to beat during the mid 70's on the smaller tracks because they were so light and nimble you could just flick them from corner to corner and beat the 500's and 750's.On bigger tracks they could still win but it was harder because they couldn't get the top end the bigger bikes had going down the longer straights.
Overall this is one of my favourite bikes other then a Suzuki Gsx750 a Ducati 900ss.
It's fun being the underdog when you can beat a bigger bike in short drags or on those back winding roads.
My dad bought an RD 350 back in the '70s when I was in about 20 years old. He didn't get to use the bike much since I or my brother had it. If I remember right, it did the quarter mile in 14.2 seconds. I did get it over 100 mph but it sure felt light. My buddy had a Honda 650, and this Yamaha would take it up to 60 mph, then the raw power of the big Honda 650 took over. Loved this bike, great handling. Would buy another one in a heartbeat.
95 MPH is slow but fast enough for that road you were riding on, riding safely on it. You were shifting a bit early, not going all the way through the powerband. Never the less nice sound and good safe riding there. Stay safe out there.
I had 2 of them back in 1978 - 1973 models - One was set up for 1/4 mile w/ bars, sprocket, exhaust - Nasty lil bike I had a blast on it & also got skinned up on it hence the reason for second parts bike which wound up being non parts bike back on the road after tearing up the original - That last till Pops took 20lb sledge to it, probably saved my life though as 19yrs old & fearless when the 2 Stroke whinned-
I got head shake ( Death WOBBLE )at 104 0n US RT 50 near Davisson Run headed West.
Like it a lot , sounded like you had a miss fire on one pot and the carburation was a bit lean at idle , clean points and spot on timing is impotant with 2 strokes , but hey RD means Race developed . Wicked bikes and thanks for sharing this video . Ride safe .
There’s no motorcycle that sounds better on the street than a sweet 2 stroke!!! Great Video!! Thanks For Sharing!!!!!
A friend of mine bought an RD 350 and asked me to ride it home for her as she didn't have a cycle license yet. I got to a long stretch of road with no traffic and decided to see what it would do. Redline started at 8,000 so I had to get to that. I was in second gear wide open throttle and when the tach hit 7,500, it almost immediately jumped to 10,000 with a corresponding jump in power. They were a pocket rocket if you didn't drop the revs below 6,000. They had to run on premium fuel back then and I don't know how well they can run on the crap they call gasoline today.
next time turn the choke off
It is drowning!
That's what keeps it running
I had a 74 RD350. I traded it in with 14 thousand miles in 79 for a new Yamaha XS750. I sold that in 86 and got a used 81 Yamaha Venture Royale. The 350 was a very light bike. On the Hoan Bridge it hard to keep it in the lane.
Yes sounds like that
You were nowhere near Red line you're at 7500 RPMs when you stopped you wimped out
They shriek, like a Banshee, because Yamaha used essentially this same engine for their Yamaha Banshee quad, as the abnormally long shift lever needed for this motor when fitted into a quad chassis. The RD350 itself had phenomenal acceleration, and would run with most 650's and 750's until 65 or 70 mph, then the displacement advantage the bigger bikes had was to great for "light and quick" to overcome. But, and those who rode or owned one will agree, when you accelerated full throttle through the gears, the engine screamed, you heard the intake of air through the intake tract more than anything. It would lift the front tire a few inches, and pull so hard that the frame, no where near as stiff as today's, would flex and the bike would for lack of a better description, "shimmy" or wiggle,and go! This is one of those rare machines, that have heart, a soul if you will. If it finds itself alongside a bigger bike, it will run its heart out to win for you. Then you roll home listening to that cool 2 stroke twins lovely exhaust sound. It's given all it had and reminds me of a young puppy, that's run its heart out, and is wagging it's tail, tongue hanging out, looking at you, "did I do good? "
Drove my RD 350 from Phoenix, AZ to Chattanooga, TN in the summer of 1978 for college. Took me 2 1/2 days. I went from Abilene, TX to within 100 miles of Chattanooga non-stop. That was a long day!
I LOVED my RD350. I stuck Pro Tec expansion chambers on it and re-jetted. It ran like a raped ape. I could outrun just about anything around me, except a Kaw triple 2-stroke. Run that motor up, past anything resembling the redline, to the 6pm mark. didn't matter. The engine screamed.
I bought an RD350 in 1974, added expansion chamber exhaust, clip-ons, full racing fairing that I got from a friend who was sponsored by Webco. After a ride to the mountains on the way home and a slight downhill desert road I got my RD350 beyond the indicated 120 MPH for several miles, maybe to 130MPH.
That takes me back! I love two strokes, ninety on that feels like 120 on a modern bike.
Brian Griffin Yeah it definitely does!
I had a 73 back in about 88... 4000 rpm it turned from a mild mannered scooter to a fire breathing beast! I used to drag race it, and not a single bike around here could beat me in the 1/8 mile. Wish I still had it.
You’ve got some intermittent plug fouling? I bought a brand new one in 75 it was ahead of its time a rocket up to 95 and the wind forces it back. The oil injection was a chore lots of memories 👍
I had a '75 YAMAHA RD 350B in high school with J&R Power pipes! I had the fastest bike in school!Proper tuning and jetting will yield great results!
Amazing bike for its time. Needs lighter crank, high comp' pistons, skimmed heads, bigger ports, bigger carb's and correct jets for some proper expansion chambers, quality racing spark plugs and decent air filters. 130 on the clock no probs. Expect an engine rebuild every 2500 miles though.
I had done a lot of that and melted my pistons riding double on an upgrade 120 indicated.on pump gas...I know it was stupid but such are the actions of silly 19 year olds....was like a sudden compression release of a big rig sound I am sure it would have been glorious from behind in the night with all the cherry hot fragments blowing out of the chambers....I just had to be going faster than all the other couples I was riding with lol ....still kicking myself 50 years later whenever I think of it. Nowadays I am riding an MT09 which power nature reminds me so much of the old RD even though though its a 4stroke triple that is WAY WAY faster than the RD ever could be and better handling in every comparable way except pushing them around in a garage since the RD was considerably lighter
Add replacing points with CDI ignition that came on Canadian bikes I think? Probably some universal aftermarket set ups too I imagine
I had a 74 RD 350 in th late 80s. If tuned right and the reed valves aren't wore out the power should come on like a light switch@ 6500 rpm and pull hard to 9000.
My 350 with 28mm carbs off a 400 and Bassani pipes would wheelie and top out at 125....bet the crank seals on his bike are leaking....doesn't seem to run very well.....should wheelie like a MoFo! even stock.
427zoh6 my aprilia rs125 could almost beat that
fastest bike I ever owned was a Honda V65 Magna! Had no problems keeping up with Sport bikes in a straight line
Hell yeah! Awesome bike back in the day! Would own another one today if I could find one hasn't had the shit out of it. Almost as fast as my 2007 R1 back in 1985, but WAY more comfortable to ride. I bet I put 100,000 miles easy on my V65. FREAKING AMAZING BIKE!
I bought a new Yammy RD350 just after getting married (1974-1975). Used to my Harleys, goosed that 350 (ONLY a little, honestly) at the bike dealership... threw me right off the seat. Only slight damage, they fixed it in a few minutes. You already know, but just in case...it's a TWO stroke engine with a steep power curve...same engine Japan was sweeping all international races with... Respect that bike, and be careful on it...not crazy about where you decided to "open it up"...need a straight paved track (off-road). You already know that. Good Luck with it.
Stock it should do 105? With chambers and tuned right it should be more.
My best friend had an 76 RD350. He bored it slightly, but even prior to that, that baby was an rocket ship. Extremely quick acceleration. However, with enough road, my ‘76 Yamaha 650 Special, which also had some modifications, would reel him in a leave him behind. Love both, the RD350 and the Yamaha 650 Special.
It was wise to not truly take this to the limit with someone on the bike with you. If one wants to play with life, only do so with your own and not another’s. 👍🏻
Hunker down and tuck in on that baby to lower your center of gravity.
These things are crazy fast for what they are. Really cool bikes and I would kill to own one. People always want crazy money for them around where I live
Motor sounds "off", "4-stroking". You need a dial gauge and set the static timing 2mm BTC. Also check your plug colour, especially on part throttle (1/4 to 3/4 open) You may need to drop the needle, or change the main jet. There is very little to "tune", just timing, mixture and throttle synchronizing. It would also be good to check the stroke of the Autolube pump and the cable adjustment. Chassis instability? Check wheel balance, rear wheel alignment, head bearings, swing arm bearings, wheel bearings. May be useful to also check damping at the rear, and change the oil in the forks. Worst problem I had on mine? In cold weather the carburetor would "ice" and one of the slides would stick open! Whoopee!!! Later versions had a stamped steel plate that prevented the throttle cable unhooking itself when you rolled back and the slide stuck...
I haven't SEEN OneOfThemInYears!!Thanks!!for sharing!!
We still have cult following for this particular bike 😍had so many great memories with her.
That is a good tuned RD all the people saying otherwise just do not understand 2 strokes I own 13 RD 350 and 3 RZ 350 and all of mine are well tuned like yours is you can get them to go 100 mph with the stock sprockets and around 110 mph if you put a smaller one in front, great bike glad to see it running like it was intended to run
James Stewart I've you have a lot of too rich tuned RDs then, that bike was 4 stroking 1/2 throttle like crazy
The Yamaha RD350 iconic bike along with the RD250LC, RD350LC, RD350 YPVS, RD400, RD500 as well as the Suzuki X7, Suzuki RG500 Gamma all epic 2 strokes 😎 👍
I Bought one at yard sale when i was 15 for 75.00...it had exactly 600 miles on it.guy sold it cause he put one of the slides in the carb backwards and gave up.i turned it into a a riggide tail drag bike.had it till i was 17 when i picked up a 81xj 1100 midnight special for 750.00 and never looked back at small bikes.i loved those bikes.my schools hated me cause i was the only kid in school with street bikes
Cheryl Dart that's awesome!
In 72 I had a brand new RD 350. I knew how fast would go with me on it. But I didn't know how fast it could go. So I put my little brother on it. He couldn't touch the ground so I would run along side until he got going and stopped. He went down the road and came back. He said your helmet and goggles were too big, the wind got under them, so I couldn't see the speedometer after 110mph!!
Stock gearing on a 1973 RD-350 (maroon wonder) was 80 mph at 6,000 rpm. Theoretically 100 mph at the 7,500 redline. Yes, a lower redline than Honda's CB-350. You could increase it up to 8,500 if you replaced the stock wrist pin caged needle bearingss with the higher rated ones from a TZ-350. The TZ had a 9,500 rpm redline but you could reliable get 8,500 on the RD-350 just by changing the bearing. If you overrevved the stock bearing you would crack the bearing cage. This bike also has the automotive coil hose clamped to the down tubes mod described in "Cycle" which lowered the idle speed and stabilized the idle as well as making starting easier by increasing the spark plug gap to 0.035". Cutting a few coils from a DT-250 fork spring and putting one cut section over each RD-350 fork spring propped up the always sagging front end. I also put a piece of felt soaked in fork oil under each rubber wiper wrapped aroung the fork tubes to keep the fork oil seals lubricated and protected from grit. Those mods as well as Boge Mulholland rear shocks and Goodyear Eagle motorcycle tires helped the suspension and handling. And then Spectro Golden T synthetic oil in the tank stopped the mosquito fogging that happened with mineral oil. This video 350 has rear set foot pegs and expansion chambers so someone had ambitions to race. I LOVED the sound!
1980 27 yr old balls to the wall 10 grand every shift loved it
350 is nothing but just great history..i salute this bike..rock rd..
So chuck grew 12” in two years ? Lol
I had a rd 400 and RZ 350 that thing would do 135mph
RD ‘s get a high speed wobble that torqued the swing arm and that causes wrecks. And unfortunately many a guy died on the RD rip
You shifted way too early to make top power and your idle needs fixing, it shouldn't be nearly as high as it is.
Enjoyed the vid. I own a 1973 RD350 I bought in 1980. When tuned and running correctly, it's scary powerful. Watch the front end rise! Mine would raise hitting fourth too hard sometimes. I bought mine for cheap from the original owner who laid it over twice because the front end came up and he panicked both times and dropped it. A friend who owns a fuel-injected 1200cc sport bike said the RD would give him a run for his money from 50 - 90 mph. He was amazed at the power.
FirefighterSEIN yeah I've owned a few over the years and the one I had before this would was scary fast! Like you said, the front end would raise up and it would feel like you were getting yanked off the bike. I had to hold on so tight! They are fun bikes! Thanks for watching man!!!
You have no clue how to make a 2 stroke perform, as the powers coming in you change up??? You're not even sure what gear you're in, going for one that is not there?? Do revs scare you? Leave 2 strokes alone if you don't know how to get them on the boil.
Hahahah, you didn't, by any chance, used to own a Suzuki gt750 did you?
I thought maybe your comment on "getting it to the boil" might have been a reference to you owning a ketttle in the past
This is a sad ending to a proud bike. These bikes deserve to be ridden properly. I blew mine up twice in less than 1,000 miles. Rebuilt to a 380 & the compression was boosted. All I had to do was snap the throttle @ 4,000 rpm & the bike would nearly flip me off the back. 2nd gear @ 5,500 & 3rd @ 7,000. Watching this type of riding is hard for a TRUE RD350 fan.
I had the exact same bike same year in '85. In reality it topped out about 100 but getting to 80 was.... WOW. I want another one or an RZ.
Owned one of these 1975 RD's during highschool in 78 and 79. They run like a bat out of hell. Used to toast rice burners on the way to Daytyona bike week like they were standing still. Too front heavy for wheelies, but would burn a patch in the road while already doing 30 mph by downshifting into 1st and gunning it. My top speed was 140 and i was happy to back off of it as they do tend to get the shacks atr top speed due to the frot heavy issue. Definitly a dream bike tough.
140mph? You’re dreaming. Maybe 110 if it’s tuned well. 🤣🤣
What a beautiful specimen. Lusted after one of these while I rode a Kawasaki KX100 in the early 70s. I'd love to own this bike!
According to original specs, these bikes had a rated top speed of 105mph, but I know from experience way back when, that they went a whole lot harder than that, a whole lot harder.
Back in the late 70s I had a couple of 73 RD350s with # 250 main jets, some mild port work on intake & exhaust,Wiseco Forged Pistons, Boysen Reeds & some beat up repaired a few time J&R expansion chambers & they would both do more than 120mph. That engine sounds pretty healthy. you may want to try a different gearbox oil to cure that shifting issue. If you ever want to trade for my 02 Busa I will make you a good deal. Good luck with your RD & thanks for sharing the RD experience so I can relive my Teenage Years.
I had 5 RD 360 in the old days.
Everyone of them ran 114-116 MPH stock out of box.
My 250s ran 106MPH OUT OF BOX.
J'ai eu un 350 en 1979 . C'était un tout premier modèle de 1973. Pour information en europe la sixième vitesse était bloquée dans la boite d'origine, peut être un problème de normes? Il fallait donc la débloquer et adapter une démultiplication finale en correspondance. Pour ma part elle montait sans problème à + de 170km/h ce qui doit faire un 105m/h, mais il ne faut pas hésiter à pousser les rapports à + de 8000tr/mn surtout la 4 et la 5.
I had an RD350 that was made in '76 or '77 and I bought it in '80. Only had it one year before it got stolen........ I know I hit about 95 on it, might have brushed 100, given constraints of finding a long straight road without traffic. Fun bike. I rode it from Seattle to L.A. and remember that the gas tank was very small so it could only go about 75 miles on a tank.
Yeah I had the R5B, it was before the RD. Mine was a 4 speed. It would do 110 easily then run out of legs. Once that power band kicked in you held on for your life. They put that same motor in Banshee quads later on. With expansion chambers they are frightening beasts. If you ever have to rebuild, go wisco pistons, barnett clutch plates and expansion chamber mufflers and you have never felt anything like it. That high rpm rip is crazy.
5 speed
Motor needs tuning. Check tire pressure. Verify proper oil feed. Etc, etc. I dont ride in shorts and T shirts, but I am not the safety police. I still have my 1975 RD350b which I bought in the crate Nov 1974 while working for Yamaha. Top speed varies due to conditions of course, but my highest speed was 110 stone stock, 9 seconds flat in the 1/8th mile drags at 95mph. Yes, they were fast in their day, and may still be the fastest production 350 made. Changing pipes requires a retune. Carbs are only 26mm so just a bit restrictive for pipes.
Why did you not pin the throttle wide open till redline?
My old rd spent most of it's life on it's back wheel, ain't nothing like a well built 2 stroke, my old rd put out 55 horsepower, double stock, nice video, tune that rd, you won't be sorry!👍😎
Sounds like the jets are gummed up from sitting. With a little TLC and a hotter plug you can easily get 125/130 and possibly more but those roads are definitely not a good place for speed even though they look inviting. It would fetch a pretty penny at auction these days.
Had one exactly like that, with the clubman bars and chambers. Had a solo seat though. You got a steal!
what - 88mph on the speedo was 'awesome' ??? I regularly had 105mph indicated on my 1975 RD350 - I put a larger sprocket on the rear wheel to stop it lifting the front wheel when the lights changed to green. I remember that edge to the sound under hard acceleration.
My stock RD350B (‘75) would only do about 110 mph, +-2 mph. It was still a fun little bike …
Nice ! I made it to just under 190kmh [117mph} on my 2 stroke kh400 once . Swap that rear sprocket for one with 1 less tooth and then see how fast it goes.
bought a brand new one in 1973..maroon in color... use to blow away the 750 hondas at the drag strip..you need to red line that thing at shift points...with expansion chambers and re geared i was running 10,s...still have the time slips to prove it
burdman1954 10.999?
my '75 has a new reed valve, from 7k to 9k hold on for dear life. He's not pushing this bike hard at all. it's a scary bike at 100 mph
I had the identical bike to your video bike here. One morning I got off work at about 5 am and it was cool fall morning ,I got on Pa Turnpike at the old Perry Highway exit and headed toward Pgh. For some reason the bike was just liking the temp and humidity etc .I opened it up and cruised at average 90 mph and hit 100 for about ten miles
My 1973 RD350 would run through the gears in about a block and a half getting up to 110 mph up to 120 mph if I ducked down behind the gauge panel.
I cost me to much in tickets to keep so I sold it around 1985.
My boyhood best friend had a YDS3 250 and managed to get that to go over the ton. All the yams 250 and over were wonderful bikes.
Best mini-superbike of the 70's. Rev the snot out of the damn thing and dress properly. I flogged one for years and LOVED every second of it! Thank you 😊
Aaahhh. Rd 350… my first street bike…. That thing used to eat Honda 750’s 4 strokes for breakfast… lots of fun… be safe….
Just imagine the younger kids perspective of that. If it’s your brother he’s probably worrying as you fly by at 80mph an your just chillin. Then he gets to watch the video and see both sides like he was on the bike too. That’s awesome.
I bought a new 1973 RD350 when I was 16. I could do a little over 110 mph. I only weighed 145 lbs back then though, and that's why the bike was quicker and faster than a lot of bigger bikes I raced. I ride much slower nowadays.
This 350 is spluttering, not running right at all, the sound should be crisp. I owned all these Yam 2 strokes from 200 to 400cc and this is a slow one. I could get an indicated ton (100mph) on a 250. I don't know what is wrong, could be modern petrol, oiling of plugs or half a dozen other things but that bike is not performing as it should.
You have reason,this rd 350 is very slow and no r.p.m
I had one. Had charing problems.Gave it to my girlfriends brother around '96
or"97.If you got one of these around the Pikeville Kentucky area that one was mine.
What a beauty. Congratulations!
I noticed that you shift to early that was the same mistake what your friend did when your raced the Ducati vs the RD400... on those 2 stroke bikes you can keep them just under the red line but make sure to let them cool down before you turn off the engine. Just cruise a little before you turn it off. The common mistake is to race the air cooled 2 stroke engine and turning it off when hot or to stop and have no air flow. They have much less wear if you allow them to cool down a little... and warm them up before race the engine. If they have the right temperature they love the high rpm and if it is mechanical sound they even do not mind to go into the red zone. But then you have to be sure the bearings and lubrication are 100% perfect. If she shakes you might want to check the front fork tree bearings and the rear swing arm bearings as well as the wheel bearings. If they have play you tend to shake with the bike. And check the spark plugs!!! they wear fast and if they break you can be screwed so change them time to time. Nice bikes!
I had one just like it in 1982. A few friends had them too .
Two stroke were they not outlawed for the road?
Plus he did ok fir a test drive with a kid on the back, two stroke needs to be revved out!
No gloves, shorts, t shirt - brilliant !!
dumb ass tester
What a hoot that vid is! Love the scrappy lookin retro RD and ya bro wearing Welly boots and an MX helmet with no strap! Coolio!
I built the same bike back in the seventies. The tach would spin all the way back to zero as well as the speedo. I miss it a lot.
All the old 2 strokes had the shakes had something to do with the 750's being called the Widow Maker
Great Deal!! Pipes, rear sets, all it needs is a cafe racer seat.
It’s running rich. Thin the mix and blow out the air cleaner. You can get 120 off an RD with the right mix and a good tuck. Beware all drum brakes and the tire patch of a Schwin.
Get some motorcycle leathers, gloves & boots - you fool.
Also - the motor doesn't sound right.
The motor is fine , its a 2 stroke
It needs engine tuning bro...It was launched in India in 1983...i had the 1986 High Torque(6 gears) model..i have taken it above 140Kmph. Truely amazing experience.
She is 4stroking at low rpm. Primary jet is too small. Lean at low rpm
kevin6154 , 4 stroking ...... Lol ? A 2 stroke can never 4 stroke , and it has nothing to do with the jet in the carb ..... Its the design of the engine period with or without carb and can never emulate any 4 stroke conditions .... The carb can replicate fueling conditions
Dude if ya dont know what it means when a 2stroke 4 strokes dont try to sound like ya do.... I'll give ya a simple low fown homie. When a 2 stroje dont pull enough fuel ibto the mix it is too lean to burn proper so it dont light off, causeing the cyl to not ignight the charge untill the next cycle when enough fuel is mixed with the air to burn proper. Please Google it and you will find that I am right. Unless you were using sarcasm in whitch case carry on man. If not learn b4 ya bash my man.
It is too rich. If you are running open filters, you need to go w/ a "fat" needle from a DT175B and "OO" nozzles from a R5. Big on the pilot jet, like a #40. I can't recommend a main, as my RD were maxed. You could do a plug chop, but it's hard to get a color w/today's clean gas. Timing is 2.3 BTDC w/ a dial gauge thru the plug hole. Use a blinker to see when the points "break". Don't touch the new points, hold the feeler gauge beside and 'eyeball" the gap. Sync. the carbs "longhorn" style. Put pinky finger in one carb and thumb in the other and feel for when slides open. Ck left side crank brg. often for play. If you feel movement, it's time for main brg.s and seals.
mate at first i thought chock on then heard it missing on one cylender ..fouled plug for sure ..they all did 105 on stock pipes i had a 73 still the best handerling bike i ever owned ..they go for 10 grand here in ozzy at the mo ment . first love ..
My 1975 stock RD350, with about 10,000 miles, would pull 8,000 rpm in sixth, a bit over 105 mph according to the speedo. Got horrible gas mileage for a 350, though.
I had a 1976 rd350 Cafe Racer from the factory and it would do 120 miles an hour. I used to do it on regular basis about once a week 19 79
Same bike, pegged the speedo back in 1975, on an interstate highway late at night.
I am in kansasville in racine County. Had an rd 350 new back in 76. You must be close if you go to new berlin
Easy 105-110 depending on gearing sounds like needs tuning?
I had 2 of them in the 70's..first stolen. Didn't do much other than bigger jets for the carbs..expansion chamber pipes..Bassani if I can remember ?? Mine would top out about 107-110. I only weighed 100 lbs then also.
You had the wind behind you too, speedometers are off some what, so 95 is about it for that 350. Needs some carb work if it idles at 3,000 rpm. I had 77 RD 400 that would do 115 by the speedometer but was more like 108 mph. I would say 100 in the 1/4 mile but time tickets at the drag strip said 95 mph. Mine had pipes and ported cylinders.
Loved the video, I’ve heard of RD 400 also, but you were going fast.
I let my bike idle for a minute or two, after most rides, but that’s me
well, my bone stock RD350 did 104-105mph, pretty consistently, but did not like doing that speed for any amount of time.