My friend Scott found this rusty old bike that's been languishing in a barn since 1975. It has 10,800 miles on it. He bought it for $10! That's right, $10! It's a 1967 Yamaha RD 350 2-stroke twin. We went for a ride today and he got it up to 70 mph with no problems and we had a blast. He put a battery, oil, and 2 new plugs to get it running. It starts on ONE kick, and it passed inspection in NY. I shiite you not. He has 7 bikes but right now this one is his favorite, even though he has several cherry or almost cherry bikes. Here it is. Yes, that seat is original and has no rips in it. He calls it "The Pumpkin":
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3345/3416656300_830277eaae.jpg?v=0)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3348/3415847837_88b711be39.jpg?v=0)
That's my bike in the background with new spiffy paint work on the grab handle and frame, not that you can tell from that distance.
Scott's new bike needs SERIOUS cosmetic work, but mechanically it's fine! He literally blew a bird's nest out of the exhaust on the right side!!! I want you all to think about this before you think the first thing you need to do when you're having trouble with your bike is to take the carbs apart!
Great story, I work on similar old 60's and 70's 2 strokes and they usually fire up without much fuss if you just give them fresh gas and plugs. Watch out for rotted air filters, the bits get sucked into the engine. I assume he is a VJMC member? If not, he should be.
Well, the carps could still probably uses a cleaning...
Thanks for the rotted air filter and VJMC tips. I will pass that along.
Yes, of course clean carbs are always a good idea, but I said that because there are many who believe taking your carbs apart is the best answer for most troubles, and most of the time they're mistaken. Odds are their problems are caused by something else, like old shiite battery and/or bad electrical connections.
That's awesome. I love barn finds. Ditch the bars.
I agree, those are not the stock bars, not that I care about what's stock, but the stock bars are like those on our GS's and they rock. I'm not about to tell Scott what to do, but I think the stock bars are right for this bike, agreed! :thumb:
This bike is screaming for flat bars, dis-assembly followed by a good sandblasting, re-painting, and a good polishing of the engine, and a modern 2-into-1 exhaust system... I WISH IT WERE MINE!! Tank has no rust inside, AMAZING!! :dunno_white:
no no no! You do NOT put a 2-1 on a I2 smoker! Shame. SHAME!
As long as it breathes I don't really care what he ends-up with for pipes. This bike just needs new pipes because the old ones are decrepid, and I don't think any amount of sandblasting can bring them back. You prefer 2-into-2? That's fine with me but it isn't my bike!
I'd like to share this with everyone to show how much expectations have changed over the years concerning street bikes:
"The guy at the bar looked dazed, staring out of the 1975 Yamaha RD350 ad with bitter embarrassment. The copywriter's headline served up a little back-handed solace to wash down with that last swallow of beer from the mug in his hand. "Don't feel bad. You're not the first 750 rider to get blown off by a Yamaha 350." Anybody old enough to read a bike magazine back in '75 knew it was true."
Our often-dissed GS 500 4-stroke twin "beginner commuter bike" will eat a RD 350 for breakfast, and get 50% better mileage.
That's how much advertising has pumped-up expectations of street bikes in the minds of the public. The truth is our GS's can cost you your license in a flat-out hurry, and today's rocket bikes will do it even faster. It's the difference between fast and insanely fast. We ride on the street, not the racetrack.
I have that issue of Motorcyclist.
Anyway...36hp is what they were rated for, stock, but slap some pipes on her and a good intake and she'll be hungry...and a stock GS500 would have a difficult time keeping up with her. The engine is basically what's in a YFZ...I've seen people actually put the banshee pipes on the RD and make her scream. Lots can be done to her...and she's eager to perform...
Oh and 2-1 systems don't work on smokers because the exhaust expansion chamber plays a critical role in the engine's ability to even run...you couldn't have two cylinders share the same chamber and make it work. That's why it doesn't matter how many cylinders a 4-stroke has, you'll always see them merged...where as it doesn't matter how many cylinders a 2-stroke has, they've always got a matching number of mufflers (or expansion chambers at least).
If thats a `67 RD 350 someone has dragged it back in time, bored it out and fitted the pipes on upside down. It looks like it started life as one of these to me.....
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd92/iainmcdermott/yamaha-ds6c.jpg)
Yamaha DS6c. 250cc twin circ` 1969-70 and precursor to the DT series of off-road bikes.
Someone along the line may have confused it for one of these...apart from the pipes there is a similarity.
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd92/iainmcdermott/yamahaR5.jpg)
This is an R3, a 350cc twin from about the same time as the DS6c and was the precursor to R5 which evolved into the RD350 which depending on where in the world you live, was launched in 1972/3.
wow, good spot.
Not bad... those RD 350's can be made pretty nice/quick..
Yeap not an RD 350 that is a YR1 or the Scrambler Version of the YR1.Don't keep up with the Yamaha's Anyway. :dunno_black: I did part out a YR1 a few years back.
Quote from: makenzie71 on April 05, 2009, 09:10:16 PM
I have that issue of Motorcyclist.
Anyway...36hp is what they were rated for, stock, but slap some pipes on her and a good intake and she'll be hungry...and a stock GS500 would have a difficult time keeping up with her. The engine is basically what's in a YFZ...I've seen people actually put the banshee pipes on the RD and make her scream. Lots can be done to her...and she's eager to perform...
Oh and 2-1 systems don't work on smokers because the exhaust expansion chamber plays a critical role in the engine's ability to even run...you couldn't have two cylinders share the same chamber and make it work. That's why it doesn't matter how many cylinders a 4-stroke has, you'll always see them merged...where as it doesn't matter how many cylinders a 2-stroke has, they've always got a matching number of mufflers (or expansion chambers at least).
bingo ON TEH EXHAUST EXPANSION CHAMBER MAK. BINGO :bowdown: :bowdown: