1981 Yamaha RD350LC rebuild

[koba]

Very cool!

[Fastmark]

Congrats on a great rebuild, looks awesome. Had a 350YPVS which dollar for dollar was the best fun you could have on two wheels, and that picture of the first start up, I could smell to 2smoke!

[jasonu]

big day yesterday getting the bike relicensed and legal,it was a good sign when getting to the ltnz station and having the techo's practically tripping over themselves to get her off the trailer.i even had a good old chat with a random guy who followed me halfway across town to get a closer look as he used to own an lc way back as well.turns out he still owns a black and yellow tdr250 that he is putting back on the road.

She flew through the licensing no worries with no yet to do's on the list...sweet give me my license plate i'm out of here.
Today was spent just riding and 200 odd k's later i'm satisfied she's run-in.
Final jetting has still got to be sorted as there's still a niggly flat spot between 5-5500 revs...but it's nothing a quick two gear downchange doesn't fix

A few pic's between smoke breaks...

i like it!!!!!

[Mike.Gayner]

Amazing work eel, looks bloody fantastic. Hoping to get my A7 legal in the next week or two.

[Russell Fleming]

I have been looking for a 350LC for the last ten years-I finally found about 2/3 of one in a pile of Yam bits last year-have been steadily gathering the missing bits-Cant wait to actually ride the thing-I put mine through a gorse hedge at 130kmh in '89 then some arse set fire to it.. Hey ho-still looking for several bits-the plastic parts are as hard to find as rocking horse shite-the guy on the U.K yamaha site was right!! They could literally cruise at 145kmh, real smooth, nice peaky power... I haven't even seen one for about ten years-great bike good on ya!!

[J.A.W.]

E-R, good effort.. I've had a bit of fun with them over the decades..

See if you can find an XJ 550 back wheel..
..its wider @ 2.15in, but will fit with a bit of basic work, & still looks original..

Big Kawasaki triple mills fit pretty easily too, FYI..
& do markedly improve the steering/roadholding - as well as the obvious..

[GrayWolf]

E-R, good effort.. I've had a bit of fun with them over the decades..

See if you can find an XJ 550 back wheel..
..its wider @ 2.15in, but will fit with a bit of basic work, & still looks original..

Big Kawasaki triple mills fit pretty easily too, FYI..
& do markedly improve the steering/roadholding - as well as the obvious..

Yes they do, a yamaha mechanic in the UK Nick Shaw who worked in Wallington M'c's put a 500 triple in an LC frame, there was also a couple of RD 400's shoved into them, as well as 'reversed' 350 lc dropped in RD frames...
However I can assure you from owning a 350 LC, {stan steven's road/club tuning} it was way quicker than a 500 kwaka triple powered one. I replaced a H1a I owned with the LC, as it didnt require an underpants change at every corner......

[husaberg]

Yes they do, a yamaha mechanic in the UK Nick Shaw who worked in Wallington M'c's put a 500 triple in an LC frame, there was also a couple of RD 400's shoved into them, as well as 'reversed' 350 lc dropped in RD frames...
However I can assure you from owning a 350 LC, {stan steven's road/club tuning} it was way quicker than a 500 kwaka triple powered one. I replaced a H1a I owned with the LC, as it didnt require an underpants change at every corner......

The H2 fits in as well.
I have a pic of one somewhere with a Xj rear wheel and H2 Kawaka 750 powed LC it looks like a great stealth bike.
The Coffin tanked RDs look great with the LC RZ engine.

[J.A.W.]

Yes they do, a yamaha mechanic in the UK Nick Shaw who worked in Wallington M'c's put a 500 triple in an LC frame, there was also a couple of RD 400's shoved into them, as well as 'reversed' 350 lc dropped in RD frames...
However I can assure you from owning a 350 LC, {stan steven's road/club tuning} it was way quicker than a 500 kwaka triple powered one. I replaced a H1a I owned with the LC, as it didnt require an underpants change at every corner......

I've had heaps of 'em since back in the day when they were just cheap ex-racer stuff..

I 1st stuck a 750 triple in an LC 'bout 20 years ago ( still have it) because I had them laying about & it was an easy do.

These days it is regarded as a criminal waste of 2 valuable classics! Hah.. bullshit..
& I still run an RZ 350 as a bloody commuter..


As for the 500 triple, I 've owned/operated most of the variants.. the eariler - the quicker they are in stock form..
..but its not difficult to make 'em all run harder.. ..as stock, a good`69 H1 will speed-wise whip any RD 350 Yam earlier than an RZ..

See here, 12.8 @ 99mph 1/4 mile, & 125mph top end speed.. http://www.kawtriple.com/mraxl/reviews/69h1pg7.htm

One RD LC 350 I owned was an ex-production racer which had various 'naughty' components ( inc TZ rods),
& it was a quick one, but still no match (in a straight line) for a similarly tricked-up triple..

[husaberg]

RD café Sleeper RZ motor FZR disk.


Oh a Rd powered By an H1

[J.A.W.]

Yeah, thanks H, & while those YPVS mills feel a bit tame by comparison to earlier ( peaky pick-up) RDs, they do go..
..plus, if you ride around keeping those YPVS 'economy valves' shut ( up to ~5,500rpm/115 k/mh in top) they'll
bloody well do 55mpg too..

[F5 Dave]

Never understand why people like peakier bikes over the RZ. But if you did all you need to do is pull the fuse out in the open position.

[T.W.R]

The H2 fits in as well.
I have a pic of one somewhere with a Xj rear wheel and H2 Kawaka 750 powed LC it looks like a great stealth bike.

Issue 31 Streetbike 1st bike in readers rides
Wasn't exactly straight forward repower & the xj550 wheel was awkward. 50kg lighter than a std H2 & double the power the 350lc etc.

[husaberg]

Issue 31 Streetbike 1st bike in readers rides
Wasn't exactly straight forward repower & the xj550 wheel was awkward. 50kg lighter than a std H2 & double the power the 350lc etc.

It was also the Guy posting here have a look at the owners name and figure it out, Ya miles behind.

[T.W.R]

It was also the Guy posting here have a look at the owners name and figure it out, Ya miles behind.

you're the one who said you had pic of one....... You obviously didn't make the conection till you saw the name either
More a fan of the bloke in UK who slotting RG500 mills into RGVs.