Classic motorcycle review: Yamaha RD350 F2 YPVS (RZ350)
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- A little investment and piece of nostalgia I picked up recently. I used to own one in 1990. The smell is divine!
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Wow, that is fantastic! Boy does that bring back some fond memories. Thanks for letting us take a peak at her and go for a ride along!
The bike I never had...... 52 now, I’d still love one.
This was my dream bike when I was 18! What a great bike that is, thanks for the trip to the past!👍👍
I remember if you toomy pipes, that added like 13 horsepower and took a lot of weight away. Brilliant machine.
Thanks for posting this. It takes me back to my 89 Powervalve when I was a 19 year old young spunker. It's good to see one in good clean original spec, without silly micron pipes.
Ahh memories.
Yep definitely really important to have the standard pipes fitted. Perfect sound.
I had one in the 80's , just hearing the sound again opens up great memories! RD350 at the time was "The Bike" dream. Love it! ♥️
That brings back memories of my first bike - RD350LC :)
On my way to work there was a very busy traffic light controlled roundabout near the M25. Rushing in the morning, I'd often forget to switch on the fuel tap and by the time I got to the roundabout it would still be running just with the fuel in the lines.
Filter though the middle and sit there waiting at the front of the queue ... poised for a race start to get away from the traffic... all is good. I see the other lights change to red, I kick it into 1st, then ours flick to amber, I twist the throttle and ....habububub ... kaput!! :D
I'd have to paddle out of the way then spend the next 2 minutes kicking the fuel back into the motor :D
It happened a lot and I vowed never to have a kickstart bike again :)
Yep, been there, done that too! lol
RoadcraftNottingham dosent these have a vacuun valve to open the fuel?one open one closed and one direcy? ive never had eny problems of that sort!! only the minor issue to ride from cops and get cought by the vacuume in the gas tank couse it used petrole faster then alouved air in !, making same truble as going out of fuell.....cost a lot
I always forgot the choke and had to contend with a bike that acted like it had turbo lag pmsl
@@transdetendal
Power valve has one, LC no
so the rd 350 lc isnt a ypvs !? didnt know that !
Wow brings back happy memories, I had a few RD’s in my time, the F2 was the last model I had. The All speed exhausts were always my choice over microns as an aftermarket exhaust. You can’t beat the smell of Castrol R and that surge as you hit the power band. If my memory serves me correctly you can’t remove the baffles on the F2 and had to fill the exhausts with caustic soda to clean them. I live in Ilson where this was filmed and spent many happy hours tearing it up around their as a youngster as well as blasts to Matlock on a Sunday...........happy days
Used to have the exact same model. My thumbs would turn white and numb after fifteen miles or so, with the vibration, just about the same time the air leaked away from the front forks, boy do I wish I had kept it, such a rewarding and fun ride.
What a beauty! had a 250LC back in 86, always wanted the 500LC but never did. That sound and the smell will stay with me forever. Love it.
Love those, want one! Most were enjoyed, raced and crashed though. My college GF had an RD400, what a blast that machine was!
What a bike,I had a 1989 model in 1992,when I was 17,I thought it was a ZZR 1100,if you can't wheelie one of these you can't wheelie anything,remember blowing a Golf GTI into the weeds and the owner giving me the thumbs up,there wasn't much feel in the tires,very flighty due to the light weight,it would have took serious skill to ride one of these fast through flowing bends,Joey Dunlop type ability, but after a KR1-S or an RGV it felt like a big solid Yamaha XJ900!!👍✌
I've had one in the early 90's and it was my first 'real' bike (had 125s before). What an experience. So fast, so stable, it sounded so good. Wish I still had it
My mate had one and it was a great bike. I was lucky enough to be able to trump him a year later with an RD500. Nothing beats the smell and the powerband of a 2 stroke engine!
I had a 1987, identical right up to the power valve noise, scared myself many times but wish I hadn't sold it, however it led to me now to own a 1985 vmax, gotta love the 80's yamahas.
I have a friend who is a motorcycle mechanic, and has been for a very long time. These are his favourite bikes. He had an RD350LC before this, blue and white, and then he bought one like this one. I'm Canadian, and we say R-Zed-350. I had a chance to ride it once when my own bike was a Yamaha Seca 650, and I would almost have traded. He bought that power valve bike in the crate and did his own pre-delivery. He took the engine apart, balanced the crank, and treated the pistons, baking them in the oven. That's all before he rode it for the first time!
Great bike, I have one that I bought new back in 89. It's now sitting in my garage because it has some problems that it developed last year and I'm not sure what is wrong with it yet. Can't wait to get it back on the road though. I think I have more fun on the RZ350 than I do on my R6.
A 1973 RD350 was my first vehicle while in college. Loved that bike, and so did all the girls. Since then,I’ve had a Yamaha 650, BMW 750, BMW1200, and my current BMW RT1200, but my best memories were on the RD350! Thanks for sharing!
May the smell stay with you. ☺
They definitely put a smile on your face. Had mine a couple of years now and absolutely luv it. Enjoy.
A later review of this little gem is MANDATORY! Keep up w/ the good work RoadcraftNottingham
Thank you Russ. Your thought about caution and the sounds of the RD took me back to 78. I bought a T red RD 250e in white with the red speed blocks. That was my 1st proper bike.
I just can't get anything like so excited about any 4stroke compared to the 2strokes of that time . The sound , the smell , and kick . Makes me feel a bit sad those times are gone . Between us we had many different ones from 73 to 84 . All the Susie GT triples and some Kwacka triples in amazing colours , plus the Yams . My first rides on a Yam was a 73 250 YDS7 just before the first RDs . So much character then to the bikes then . The trouble is I feel for me personally is , I could possibly get back the bike but I can't bring back those friends , or the innocence of those wonderful times . Nice bike and good luck with thanks .
..... It's great we still have those memories. Thanks for your comment. ☺
OMG that brings back memories , you're making me go all bleary eyed & nostalgic!
I had the 350 Elsie with the nose cone, belly pan & All Speed expansion chambers. I was 20yrs old, this was my first 'big' bike & it sounded the dogs gonads. That 6000rpm power band was addictive...heaven.! I've now grown up a little (25 yrs in body not in mind) & have the next best thing IMO. An MT07....
had a RD 350 and 500, the 500 was just mental and shook its head a lot great fun to ride.
the stutter feeling will turn into blue smoke in the power band its not a city bike and gets oiled up easy, you blast down the motorway then slow down and drivers pass you trying to get the oil off the screens. always use good quality oil too!
one guy I know had a speed wobble on a xj 900 went though the bike found nothing then we worked out it was his back pack that made the wobble.
had a short race with a Kawasaki 6 pot that was just crazy as it was when injection systems came in.
ride safe and have fun the roads are to crowded to ride like we used to.
Oh that is glorious! Congratulations on your addition to the family!
I had 4 of these in all. One was the same colours as your but with the Marlborough decal pack. I went to the IOM TT in 94 on it, riding from the south to Heysham to catch the Steam Packet ferry. The F2 never missed a beat all week. great memories. Thanks.
Beautiful. I had a 1977 RD400 when I was in High School - 1984-86 - so fun.
Great bike and 2 stroke, a basic mean machine! No fancy electronics, pure biking.
Beautiful machine, and fond memories of the 2 stroke era. May have to get another myself!!
Good health to enjoy, and keep her between the hedges
I had the exact same bike, colour scheme on a D plate in 1990 it was a wonderful bike, never any problems with it, handling wasnt the best but it was very fast and super fun to ride, I wish that I still had it, there is no doubt that 2 stroke classics like this are going up in value, RG500S can go for nearly 20 grand.
This was the ultimate hooligan tool when I was learning and at the time, was far out of my reach price-wise.
you mentioned the RD500, well.. When I was working, part time, in a motorcycle workshop during the mid 90's we had one come in with a faulty power-valve servo which I replaced and re-syncronised, And then test rode!.....JEEEEEEZUS! was it a rocket or what!
Without even trying the front wheel would come up at the slightest hint of "too much" throttle in the lower gears and was just amazing away from the lights, out accelerating all but the most determined guy on a GPz900.
Thems were the days!
I've retired to my Bandit 600 now.. that's quick enough for me and just where can you use a 200 MPH superbike on todays roads?? But it was fun at the time!!
It's nice to have those memories. Most people would have never and WILL never ride the RD500, jealous! Watch out for a program called "the unrideables" It's interviewing the 500GP riders saying how mental these bikes were. Looking forward to opening the YPVS up although I'm not expecting Aprilia arm-wrenching power. Just the sound and smell makes me smile and that's what it's all about on our congested roads.
The nearest thing I could possibly compare it to was like the time I got to have a go on a mates GPz750 turbo. You don't get a lot below 5000rpm but watch out above that! You can get into all sorts of trouble very quickly!!
I think, for the road, the power valve was to make a GP bike ridable at town speeds and to give the rider a bit of low down torque to help you get away from the lights without incurring the wrath of everyone who breathes air! It could quickly become a fog of blue smoke if you gave it too much throttle and slipped the clutch without going anywhere! but that was not the idea of this machine..
On the track was where this machine is at home and the power valve then gives you a much wider power band to play with and a more user-friendly machine.
Enjoy it well! :-)
RoadcraftNottingham have you had a chance to take her some more? Vlog update?
Unfortunately not, I took her to work and back but the weather's not been great.
Mine was a 84 Rz....man I left the dealership in like ( 1994 )....The mechanic said when you pull out don’t get on it !!!! Or you will flip over!!! I pulled out on a two lane highway and pulled a first to second gear wheelie!!! Man what a machine!!!!!! Wish I never sold it!!!! This was a long time ago!! Had toomey pipes...
just watched this video what an awesome bike I'm 41 years old and I remember this one and so does my friend and we talk about it all the time the Rd 350 one amazing little 2 stroke I'm here and United States
and I used to have a 1989 ysr50 the Rd was never offered here but it was in Canada and can still be registered comma one day my ysr50 when I was 14 years old and not even old enough to ride it I had it doing 80 miles per hour, it was bored 30 over Toomey racing exhaust , racing clutch , etc , I miss that little guy! great videos mate ! totally subbed you , and liked and all that, I'll check out the other videos you seem to have a few and if you get a chance check me out on UA-cam and Instagram at Frank Rubicon and at Frank filippone
Man thanks for uploading this.
That was the last bike I owned before I retook my test 20 years later.
And boy was it quick wish I still had mine same colour as yours an all.
RSMF
My Bud owned one........wow, that rattled my last brain cell...lol Great restoration..!
I had one of these when I was 19 and even went touring on it, with my girlfriend at the time on the back, and all our luggage wrapped in bin liners and bungeed to the bike. It pissed it down half the time but the bike never missed a beat :)
Yeah, I had a GPZ600r and discovered that the 350YPVS was an extremely competent motorcycle, even two up was a comfortable and stable ride. I never had one but a guy down the road did and after a ride on the back I was much impressed and almost in awe!
Brings back memories of my 350lc. I had it in the 90's when it was not fashionable, I swapped it for a VT500. 😕 I often used to have problems, wondering which to get, baccy, petrol or 2 stroke oil as often I wouldn't have enough cash for all until payday 😅
I remember myself and friends carrying small 2 stroke oil bottles down our jackets and mixing it straight in the tank at the petrol station. Aaah, memories. ☺
@@RoadcraftNottingham yep, trying to figure out ratio's, easy until you get to the pump! My little TZR125 had enough space to tuck a bottle in the fairing, great little bike that was.
Something about the sound and smell of two strokes that takes me right back to my early days of motorcycling 😎
Oh did I raise hell on RD 350s when I was a teen, early 80s. Giant killer in the 1/8 mile
As a past owner of a few two strokes of this sort, I have to say that the bores/pistons are still tight. Once it starts to rattle you an fang it... :)
Love it, my mates brother had one in Wrangler colours back in the day. Please do another video when its run in and give us a taste of that power band.
That is a very nice bike ! - I am 57 years old, I had the RZ350 1983 and 1985, and an RG500, all great bikes....btw my brother had the RZ 500, heavier and slower than the RG..
I know there's no comparison, but this vid makes me miss my old RG125 I had when I was 17. The smell of two strokes always reminds me of being young and reckless.
woah thats a two stroke? my brother in law spoke of a MGP bike he used to own that had loud pipes and was a two stroke. im in love with these older bikes.
I've got a f2 1989 g reg. Same as you ive give it a full engine strip down rebuild..
Brakes strip down rebuild wheels polished and painted.
Doesn't look as nice as yours..
But your mate is right back in day they set your ass on fire. Now after riding 1000cc sports bikes since 2002 they are and feel really slow bur put a reel big smile on your face.
Yep, it's about smiles now rather than outright speed.
One of the best bikes ever made probably. So cool ;-)!
They're really worth their money!
FZRBiker Nice to know it's a sort of free bike if that makes sense?
Wow, what a beauty, oldie but a goodie. I wonder how much it costed. Great addition to the 'family' btw, hope you enjoy it to the full once you break into it :)
Absolutely beautiful.
Hard to believe 60 bhp went so damm quick!
Or it seemed quick at the time.
I would love one!!
60bhp in a featherweight bike.
It's not how many horses it makes - it's how it delivers it ! Got I love that machine. I wanted one in 86 and I want one now. Let it warm up !
The rings have to contend with all the holes in the barrel. And use the best synthetic oil you can buy. It really makes a difference. But you know all this. ;-)
RD350 for us was a 70's bike in Australia which eventually became the RD400 in 1976. My friends brother and his mate had one each and bought new at the time. One of the reasons I liked Honda back then (and still do) was because of the cleaner 4 stroke motor. Your RD350 for us is much newer and is known as a the RZ350 as well.
It's funny. I started off, like many, on a two-stroke but haven't ridden one for 20yrs. The second you kicked that over I just smiled :)
Have fun. Look forward to the follow-up vid when it's run in...
Love the old 2 strokers I had the Suzi GT250A wicked fun but lusted after the RD350LC always great fun and great to ride and show
my older bro had one when we were younger, (when I had an MBX50), and it used to look like a dream bike lol! Good stuff.
I had one just like yours, it was so much fun, on every ride the first time the power band kicked in it brought a huge grin. It also went along the motorway at 90mph like it was no effort at all. Regret selling it.
Was thinking of selling it but don't want that regret so will keep it a bit longer. ☺
@@RoadcraftNottingham If you don't need the money or the space I'd say keep it. There will never be any more bikes made like these.
My old dtr had a power valve as well, I used to love the power surge so much, you can't beat it. Sort of like a turbo feeling.
Beautiful bike. Looks and sounds lovely.
very nice .....there just something about those 80s 2 strokes when i see and smell them im 18 all over again
The yellow and black ones fetch a premium price!
I had two y&b rz350’s and I’m the original owner of an RD 400 F Daytona. Love the two-smokers! Keep them alive!
Ahhhhhh..... great little bike, very popular in Brazil. Those same exact colors :-)
I always wanted the chance to try one of these.Thanks for sharing it with us.
I had a 1990 model. brings back memories
I had a 1987 black one down here in Brazil, super fast bike
You lucky sod, had the older model pre powervalve. Thanks for the upload, really enjoyed it.
Hello ypvs brother, my name is Isneir my residence is São Paulo Brasil.
Your motorcycle this beautiful my congratulations, I also have one in Blue color 1990
I noticed you lies in England, I am in search of some place where yet original parts for sales are available these, I am planning a full restoration in my RD in Brazil we do not have much disposal of original pieces here.
Thank you for your attention and excuse my English From Google translator
That is a beautiful example of an F2 YPVS. A personal favourite of mine. Have always wanted one. I went for a TDR250 when i was younger. A total nutter bike in black and yellow. loved it to bits. Would you share how much you paid for your RD, just out of interest. Look forward to another video when she is run in and we can hear the smoker screaming. Just the smell is enough to make me smile. Enjoy it.
I can smell the castrol R still to this day. Very fond memories of the power valves I owned reed valves S Stephens tune 10mpg What more could a boy want.
Beautiful RD! In the USA the RD 400 was white with a red stripe. I loved that bike but this bike is better looking.
I'd like to have a maroon RD 400. They look great in that colour with black accent stripes.
Lovely bike, almost bought one myself last year, thanks for sharing. Its soo clean!
What a classic piece of machinery!
Lovely bike that. I got myself an NSR125RR a few years ago, just for the 2-stroke fun. Closest I got to that with a 4-stroke, was my old ZXR250 grey import. 21500 redline on that thing!!
Wow! I would love to experience the power band on any bike with that crazy red line.
The version sold in the US had Kenny Roberts signature on the fairing which gave it a 5 horsepower advantage over the UK version.
Good on ya mate, Thanks for sharing.
Brought back some fine memory's.
what a lovely bike
i wish i had cheeped my older rd350lc
I Had a 1981 when they first came out, and I raced 750 production class with it for 3 years. first year we where about 3 RD's out of 20 racers, second year they where only 4 real 750 bikes in the class because we where kicking there buts!
My old RD LC 350 Naked 1985......great sound,.....
The Daddy of the 350 is the RZ 500 which wasnt available in the USA due to emissions so Americans would buy them in Canada and take them straight to the race track. Both beautiful machines. Ride safe.
Dragan M wrong I owned one and they sold them in dealerships in US in 1984 and 1985
And I have a ad from the 80’s a dealer in the US was importing the RZ 500’s for an extra $200.00 or RD 360 LC I still have the AD on my tool box lol
Lovely bike, I loved mine that I restored lol I took the black plastic box apart that held the servo motor for the power valve and omg I so wished I hadn't so many white plastic cogs fell out as the halves opened! spent a good 2 hrs getting it back together and lesson learned leave things alone :( And this bike was such a step up from my original 350LC and I thought that was amazing ! would so loved a 500cc but my pockets were not deep enough.
I feel your pain 😂
my first proper bike at 17 .....1987 !! exactly the same
Same here, '87 RZ350 new at 17!
Count me in your group! 1987 I was 17 and this was my first bike!
a pillion ride on an N2 got me into bikes in the first place
My first big bike. They look tiny now, but at the time I thought it was big.Used to keep up with my mates GS1000 :)
When I was 15 in 1967 a 50 - 125cc was average engine size on the Japanese stuff the upper classmen rode. 160 - 305cc was the size we considered somewhat substantial and that sounded like a Honda 250 Scrambler. Bikes in that size range in the midpoint of the 60's ridden by guy's a few years older than us were mostly Honda's with a Yamaha and soon Suzuki and Kawi became more common. The 650 Triumph, Norton and assorted English bikes were big bikes to us that took a real commitment to buy. Much more so than any Honda or other Japanese make sold at the time. Harley Davidson or Indian was the truly gargantuan mount of outlaw biker gangs or in stock form the powerful and pricy steed of motorcycle cops.
Simply awesome. What a great bike!
Awesome bike - reminds me of my old two stroke Kawa 500 triple, also know as the "The widow maker"
I have an RD125lc. I can imagine the kick once the 350 gets into its powerband!
I remember this well, that kick in the pants feeling when you hit the power band..............
What a beautiful bike.
I had one. April to May 1985. Almost killed me. Just left me a Quad. First time I hit the powerband after running in, scared the living daylights out of me. In the wet you were on the edge all the time. If you were cornering and crossed a white line...pray. The bike was way too light for its power output. Very pretty to look at but a devil lurking underneath. RIP B969 XBH.
I'm totally a Banditaholic, but I'm sure RD350LC, WOULD be a treat.
We demand an update after you've run it in! ;)
I'll be doing one this summer now it has microns so get subscribed and hit that notification bell. ☺
Were did you find the microns would like some of them for my f2
I was patient and found them on Ebay... Weren't cheap at £600 though!
My best friend would race anybody/any bike no matter what, size, every Sat. .....100$ bucks a head winner takes all.... was the races through the windies (Pinole Valley road Alhambra Valley Ca )on that bike and nobody ever beat him. EVER
brings back memories of fixing up a TZR 125 to 80% mint condition last year...all until someone ran me and it off the road :(
even though it was only a 125 it was a whole lot of fun for 18 yr old me to ride
still havent got insurance money as well ;(
Ah such a nice bike twostroke for the win!
I had the RD400 with matching upswept expansion chambers and my bike scared me often. A turbo charger could never match the power of this two stroke power band. When I was transferred half way across the USA I sold it. That may have been the biggest mistake in my life. I see so many of the two strokes today smoking badly, but I used synthetic two stroke oil and there was very little smoking and usually when it was cold.
I had so much fun on these it should be illegal... Oh wait they are. As the last year I bought one was 1986. The last one on the show room floor in Red\White before they stopped making them in the US. The only one that was more fun. The YPVS 500 V4 LC..
war mein erstes moped.trauer ich heute noch nach
Great old bike the RD, best one for me was always the big boy the 500LC, total nut bike, but a great machine, love to have a go on one, closest I've got to riding one was a TZR 125,
Fantastic wish yamaha would make them again.
Totally agree but unless they make an emission happy 2 stroke oil I don't think it'll happen.
I had the identical looking Canadian version, same color scheme. Named RZ350.
BEAUTIFUL and the powervalve reseting itself noise err-err did the same on MY "TZR250" Paralllel not V which I wish i had never sold!!I went from a Fizzy(fs1e) to an RDZ125(just an rd with a dtpowervalve thats deactivated.good n bad thing was you could take the exhaust off and turn the valve fully open so you had about 17hp ontap but the downside ;(( nothing happened below 7000 rpm etc etc)... Anyway "powervalves" could be "fettled" by stan stevens etc who did a stage 3 fast road tune which would really really show the girlies on the back a good time...i had that done to mine and swarbrick pipes n filters ,pirelli demon tyres - all in all a gpz600r eater ... Your bike is a gut wrencher mate as i felt sick with envy watching the video..Just take care on it and from memory lowering the stantions between 10 n 20mm through the yolks would quicken up the steering and make the handling feel more planted at the front end...I did this mod to my mates ypvs f2 and with demon tyres ,it was a different ride he said!!!!! Stay Safe Brother.....
The second you turned around i jizzed a little :D I truly wish that I had been alive in the days when every biker rode to work in a big blue cloud of Castrol R :D
Very cool bike! There was a racing tzr250 for sale in the netherlands not long ago, wish i had the money to buy it..
Used to go out on rides with my TZR250R-SP, mate on RD350LC & 350YPVS Guy following on Guzzi Cali used to stop saying he was doing an oil change, on his windscreen! Miss two smoke 😢