Does anyone know anything about RD350's?

[Jackie_Black]

Evening ladies and gents. I'm hankering after a 2 stroke project. I fully expect it to rarely be on the road but one day plan to have it as a sunny day summer bike. I have shortlisted the following candidates.

Aprilia RS250
RGV 250
RD 350

The first two are relatively easy to get hold of but the third is becoming rarer. Thing is, if I do an RD I want it to have newer bits n pieces. Forks, swingarm, wheels etc. I would like the thing to handle (a bit). Can anyone offer me any advice as to how much to pay for one that isn't mint but works?
Does anyone on here know anything about what bits can be retrofitted to improve them?
My ideal one would have a banana swingarm, USD fork, posh wheels and a fazer or similar front light. As i said it's not going to be an everyday bike, I just want another 2 stroke to play with!!

Cheers in advance.

[RingDing]

Do you mean RD350 or RD350LC or RD350YPVS?

If it's either of the latter then check out www.yamaha-rd.com/forum (http://forums.sv650.org/www.yamaha-rd.com/forum)

For an LC then project bikes are starting to go for serious money (or what I'd call serious for a 1980's bike).

Let me know which model you are on about and then I'll see if I can help answer any questions. There's also another 350LC owner on here, from Bristol, but I've been away a while and can't remember their username.

[Jackie_Black]

I like the ones with no fairing. Ideally as new as possible. I think they did a YPVS one with no fairing but i'm not sure. Not after a classic minter or anything. Just want a base for a decent project. Cheers for the link. I'll check it out.

[dizzyblonde]

My ex partner sold his RD350YPVS with banana swingarm and RGV USD front end last year. Has had one or two RD350s, thats hes rebuilt and sold on.
In fact have a look in my profile 'bikes' albums you'll see the YPVS in there. I'm sure I could nudge him if theres anything specific you wish to know about how to get it all to fit nicely. Bearing in mind the picture on that album is old, and it didn't have all the bits back on it that should have.
Or if you are just after standard RD350, Lozzo has had a few in his time IIRC.

[RingDing]

There was an aircooled RD350, the first liquid cooled (LC) 350 and then the 1st year of the YPVS was also unfaired. Which model you want has a big impact on cost. TBH not sure of prices for aircooled, genuine unfaired YPVS (N1 I think) are quite rare. You can 'convert' a later model to unfaired though. LC's go for reasonable money to silly money.

How about you post a link to a picture of what you'd like and then we go from there?

[Jackie_Black]

Cheers Dizzy, thats exactly the kind of dangerous contraption i'm talking about. I just need to try and find info on what donor bits I need. The idea is to make one that looks like it's a new production naked bike. But obviously it will have a nice smokey stinkwheel motor in there...

[Jackie_Black]

I like the front and rear end of this device and the pipes!

http://forums.sv650.org/album.php?albumid=125&pictureid=793
http://forums.sv650.org/album.php?albumid=125&pictureid=793

[suzsv650]

I've got a 1981 350lc see profile pic....will post up info later

[Lozzo]

The unfaired RD350 YPVS was actually the second generation model of YPVS and was called the RD350N over here. They had a slightly different engine tune and bodywork to the earlier 31K model and share more enginewise with the F2 model that followed. They are reputed to be quicker than the F2s as well because of the igniter box being different.

RGV front and rear ends can be made to fit fairly easily, but if you're clever enough you can make any front or back end fit if you have the time, money and resources

[Jackie_Black]

Thanks lozzo, it's going to be my first bike project (instead of just bolting ****e to something). I think i'd probably go for the RGV bits if they are easier to do, although e-bay may show up some crazy forks I feel i must have. The RD350N sounds like the base bike i'd be looking for then. I don't want to spend millions on it. Although having just checked out the tuning options on the Stan Stephens website I see stroker tuning can get completely out of hand! 525cc overbores with 120 hp! Nice

[dizzyblonde]

Leave it with me.
I'll see if I can have a chat with him tomorrow about what you will need. IIRC the front and rear are from a RGV250? However the swingarm did require some expert welding from a mate too As far as I remember.
Its a good few years since that bike was wheeled up and down a road to bump it into life, me getting the lung full of blue smoke when it started!
I will say though in the end it paid him to strip that nana swinger and front end off, as he got more for the bike in its original state, and seperates than it was as it was, as it still had matching frame and engine numbers...somewhat of a rarity in RD land.
There was a lot of people who wanted to do this sort of thing a few years back, and now everyone wants original again, prices do seem to have risen.

[Jackie_Black]

I do like the look of the original ones but what i'm looking for is a stroker engine in something that could be sunday fun. I could just buy an RS250 but i'm tempted by the difficulty of making something from other bits and pieces. Modern body work on a classic frame and motor that goes ring a ding ding ding ding and smells of castrol R!!

[Red Herring]

I've got a couple of TDR 250's. They were basically a TZR engine in a trail bike frame. They're not a bad place from which to start a special.

[Jackie_Black]

I like the TDRs too. nice bikes. The mechanic I use has one, he collects 2 strokes yams which is one of the main reasons I thought of an RD, although he makes them standard and I want to modernise one.