Owned them, raced them, miss them, can't now afford them........

@paulhopkins5296

2 ай бұрын

Me to lovely bikes good memories

@Phil144gbp

2 ай бұрын

Same here owned 3 RD 350Lc and 2 YPVS's loved them fun screamers ,miss Castrol R

@skymningforelsket1302

2 ай бұрын

If I could buy one of those now new, I would! They smogged 'em out of existence. Absolute blast to ride.

@musoseven8218

2 ай бұрын

Amen to that. I always wanted a 250 LC, can't afford one now✌️💜

@musoseven8218

2 ай бұрын

@@Phil144gbp Ahh, mmm, Castrol R. ✌️😊👍

Great to see you having as much fun as we did in the 80s. I think the Rd series made the decade.

Still got mine, had it since 89, the best bike I've ever had, she finally got it in the powerband!

Raced a 250LC, then had a 350 on the road, very fast bike at the time. Unexpected huge wheelie the first night I had the 350 with a mate on the back.... I had forgotten how peaky the motor was and up she came almost to the vertical ! Bit more careful after that, especially with a passenger. Amazed how physically small they are now, I am 6ft 2, I must have looked huge on mine but did I care back then..... ? Nope. A golden era so glad I lived it... and I am still here riding awesome modern bikes we couldnt even imagine would exist one day 😀

@katywalker8322

2 ай бұрын

Years ago borrowed a friends prody race tzr250 to pick up the pizza we had ordered, with my better half on the pillion. They accused me of trying to lose them off the back - I was trying my hardest to keep the front wheel down!

@tonybarton3746

Ай бұрын

Great bikes in the day , chap down the road is restoring one , they where a bit skittish on the front wheel especially round roundabouts but great fun + all bikes should have rear drum brakes 🤣🤣 . Ps lived in Kent for 40 years, was that Detling hill ? Been up and down many times , great testing road for bikes 😊😊👍👍

Bike designers take note. The extended tail piece eliminates the need for the ridiculously lengthened rear mudguards that are needed on modern bikes!

@JoeStanek-vu7rl

2 ай бұрын

Those are mandated by law in the states.

@robertmaitland09

2 ай бұрын

And a decent seat for the pillion.

Had a 1981 RD350LC the most fun bike I've ever had, rode it summer and winter. Needless to say i regret selling it.

@certificateofvaccinationi.d.19

2 ай бұрын

I feel your pain...I kept mine. It's currently in my dining room in my flat...yup,up two flights mate.

@Nooziterp1

29 күн бұрын

In the 70s and 80s people actually rode in the winter. Unlike now when they all disappear into garages till summer and the owner gets into their car.

@gavfreeman8797

26 күн бұрын

I think everyone regrets selling

@petercottier1376

14 күн бұрын

I also had a 1981 350LC and I have very warm memories of it. In fact rode it about 300 miles to the monsters of rock festival in donnington. To see ZZ top.

Had a 250lc after passing my test in 1993. Got a 350lc now . Can't beat the sound and smell of a two stroke.

@colinporteous2391

Ай бұрын

The smell 2 Stroke bikes those were the days ! I had a rd 50 mx micron exhaust bison reeds with expanded exhaust ports and changed the sprockets 55mhp and felt king of the road. I would pass a vespa 125 and fell king of the road.

RD400, long stroke, bags of torque for a two stroke and very relaxing. I did over 30,000 miles on mine and loved every mile.

I had one in 1982, I still have the muscle memory to knock the footpeg up before kicking it over 40yrs after I sold it.😮

@Phil144gbp

2 ай бұрын

👍

A mate of mine had one of them in eighties. I went pillion. I was so glad to get off alive

I had an F2 in the mid 90’s, astonishing machines. My mates all had 4 cylinder 600’s and I could keep up with them all on anything other than flat out on the motorway. I loved it, reliable, comfortable, light, smooth,civilised and an absolute hooligan in the powerband!!!

@hoonaticbloggs5402

25 күн бұрын

Reliable 😂

@theobster

25 күн бұрын

@@hoonaticbloggs5402 maybe I was lucky? 30k and nothing other than maintenance. I always fed it good oil and I didn’t rev the balls off it until it was fully warmed up, sold it with 36k.

We never got the LC in the US, but we did get the follow on LC2 YPVS. I went from LC envy to YPVS love in 1985. Yamaha gave us jewels with the RD's, LC's, and the YPVS. All fun bikes. Still have my '85 YPVS. I will never sell it. Miles of smiles.

1975 air cooled RD350 was my first bike. 🇨🇦 Later my brother owned a RD 350 LC

Nothing like a little two stroke ride to sweeten your day. 😊

More Bry and more 2 strokes please!

Omg that engine and that sound! These 350s were legendary here in India!

This brought back memories, I absolutely love two-strokes. I had two RD350 YPVS and a RD500 YPVS😍 Thank you for showing us all.👍

Thanks Bry for the RD350 video. I was having as much fun as you were, just watching you. Great vintage bike in a small package but worth a try if you can find one. Cheers, Dan ✌️🏍🇨🇦

That exhilarating power band was what these little two strokes were all about. I also had a black one and I miss mine to this day. They are now worth a small fortune, if I'd only known!

That was so good. It takes me back to the days of my Suzuki GT 250. Not in the RD's league but brilliant fun.

I had a 1990 RD350F2 from new for about 5 years, the only reason I sold it was I had replaced all the items that wear out (at 35,000 miles) including the kick start, it was in excellent condition, but I knew that eventually everything would inevitably wear out again (including the suspension bushes, brake discs, fairing fasteners, cables, etc) and I couldn't bear to do it again. So I sold it, and a 1992 TDR 250 that I had (people go crazy for them, but honestly, after 18 months you'll be sick of the buzzy on/off nature of the power delivery) and bought a low mileage TDM850 that I got SERIOUSLY tuned. Flowed head, Yoshi pipe, Maxton fork rebuild, the works. I currently still own a 350cc two stroke that I owned before I had the RD, it's a KH250B2 with a S2A (350) top end. A much less capable bike than the RD 'LC, it won't crack the ton, but the triple configuration does give it a wide spread of power, and people (who have never seen one before) get really confused when they see one exhaust pipe on one side, and TWO on the other... I think the 350LC is as relevant on todays roads as it was then (I have ridden one), a bike that Yamaha got right from day one.

Passed my test on the RD250 , air cooled one , then went out a got a new RD400. It’s a life time ago, and have had many bikes since then. But they still hold a sweet spot in my heart great little bikes

Thanks Bry my best friend had one for a while it brings back good memories of him and the LC… RIP Kai my friend and may you forever smell of 2 stroke mate….

This made me smile, what an absolute classics machine. I loved mine, allspeeds, boysens, box swing arm, rear sets, clip-on’s, braided brake hoses, steering damper, embarrassing big bikes around corners

@joncooke479

Ай бұрын

one of the lads who lived ten doors down back in the day could hear me fire it up down at his with the allspeeds on

@hoonaticbloggs5402

25 күн бұрын

Don’t kid yourself, they handled like poop.

One of the original Widow Makers. Had a distinctive sound when on power. I remember in about 1982 talking with a friend in a car park, hearing one approach, saying to my friend “here comes an RD350” and then watched as he t boned a car pulling out. Certainly a small bore bike that needed a bit of respect.

The RD are wicked bikes loads of fun a very popular bike when I was growing up glad you enjoyed it cant beat a two stroke power band when it kicks in 👍

My only new bike was a 1987 F2 YPVS in Gauloises blue but I also had a 4LO like your's as a winter hack. The YPVS was the best bike I've had in 39 years and the 4LO was still an experience. I had two RD400s too. Like just about everyone else here I miss them and probably couldn't afford them now.

Omg that brings back memories RDs LCs was where I started back in the 80s 😁

I bought an RD 350 in the late eighties as a runaround and backup bike to my more expensive main bike. In the space of twelve months I went from three points to nine riding this little monster. It had spanny pipes on it which alerted plod to my impending appearance. It was so much fun, it turned me into a hooligan biker. 😎😎😎😎

Man, I love two stroke yesteryear bikes!!

Your video took me back 44 years lol I had a RD 250 LC in early 1980 the year they were launched I’m pretty sure a blue and white one. My mate had a Suzuki X7 with expansion chambers that sounds so dated now 😂 on the straight the The LC just edged it but when corners were thrown Into the equation The RD Was light years ahead really loved your upload made an old man very happy 😂👍

Such a lot of fun watching you experience the buzz of an iconic bike made so long ago.Happy riding!

i left school in 74 and was brought up on 2strokes had most of them from the air cooled RD200/250 and the bonkers RD400 also the suzuki GT250 and the superlight X7 (flipped the wife off the back of that wheeling away from traffic lights lmao) then the liquid Cooled era came oh so much quicker and the mono shock these handled so much better than the old air cooled, 250LC then the 350LC and px that in for the new 350power valve with the bikini fairing that was the boyo that was, px that in for a new 500power valve when they came out, the 500ypvs i kept till 2 years ago! it sat in my loft for years but my son nagged me for years so i eventually gave it to him with the condition he never sells it and i get it back when he is done with it, The best out of all these by far was the RD350YPVS lighter faster than than 500YPVS but the 500 had the looks and the sound with Stan Stevens pipes on was just OMFG...

Had a 250/350 and 350YPVS back in the day. Loved them all, holed a piston two up on the way to Holyhead - not a machine for touring !

Hi and thank you for your video. I have a 1975 RD350. I love the sound, smell and fun of a 2 stroke! Thx!

Had a Stan Stephens tuned ex proddy RD400.......Wicked fun. Your video brings me back to the good times and puts a huge smile on my face....THANK YOU !

Hi So happy that you enjoyed it. I am of an age where these bikes were new when I was young and really impressive in there day I am also lucky enough to have ridden the older generation before the lc bikes and some were tuned to near TZ specs they were brutal to ride with a very narrow power band but such great fun they really brought out the hooligan in there riders they made the Rd lc feel tame. I urge you to seek one out and try it you won't regret it Have fun and keep it rubber side down

Yamaha used that engine for their banshee 350. The engine alone is legendary!!!

Had the 250LC back in 81. Loved. The video bought back great memories, but perhaps there should be an excessive noise warning on the squeals

I had a RD125LC in 1985, loved it💯👍 You went round the bend on that RD and didn't lean at all😂😂😂😂😂

Back in the day, I passed my test on the RD250 LC and then upgraded to the 350LC. Great memories😅

Normally I don't love the 80's vintage bikes. They started using a lot more plastic and headlights and gauges went from round to square on a lot of 80's models...but that 1982 350 is a sharp looking motorcycle.

Thank you for bring back all those memories. It was 1974 and I was 15y old. My mate just bought a brand new Gold RD350 he paid $1,400 NZD for it on his way home he called in to see me and I took the beast for a ride. No Helmets worn then but a 15y old kid riding a nearly 40 horsepower motorcycle WoW such fun if you didn't kill yourself.

Had an 350-1983 in the middle of eighties. Rode it about 10000km / year. Four fun years 🙂🇸🇪👋👍👍❤️

The sound and power delivery are addictive, I’m always chasing the magic “7”. I guess it’s may age, but I’d love to see more rides on 70’s and 80’s bikes.

I had an 1980 one , it had black allspeed pipes , looked awesome, the powerband was amazing , it was my first proper bike. Loved it wish i still had it.

“THE” bike of all bikes for me.

Hi John here, glad you enjoyed the Yam LC .I had 250, then 350 my 250 felt has fast has 350 .but both good fun in the 80s when I was 20 in 1983, I had a 250 Honda cb250 super dream in 1981 passed my test on it. Now I have a 1982 Honda cb250 super dream 42 year old not fast but nice to ride and nice condition. 😊

Hi, love two strokes haven’t ridden one though since I sold my RD350 YPVS some 30 years ago. I remember buying it the day I passed my test and physically shaking after riding home from the bike shop! Do try and ride the YPVS version as it is a step up. I also rode a friends RD500YPVS and can recommend that too if you can find one. One last recommendation a Suzuki RG250 is a must too. Thanks for the video it brought back a lot of memories.

i love how you really giving it the beans too ! 2 strokes are so awesome :D

Had the YPVS one of these back in the day! Amazing machine….Bry,we love you…🤟🌼

Really miss these bikes.

I had a blue & white 250 LC in 1980 and a blue and white 350 LC in 1981 after I passed my test. Great bikes and they still look and sound great today. I had a few years away from bikes in the 90s and then got a Suzuki RG500 as I *thought* it'd be like my 350LC but a bit faster - it was a lot faster as I found out!

We had a 1967 RD350 and a, I think, 1978 RD400. I was 13 14 years old at the time. My brother was a craneman for US Steel in Pennsylvania. He was able to afford a few bikes. He also had a 750 and an 850 Norton Which I loved. Anyway, the old 2 stroke Yamaha wheelie poppers were the most fun i ever had on a bike. I'd scare the dirt out of many friends riding wheelies thru 1st and 2nd gears. I do have to mention, the old Nortons had the best rides and sounds of any bike to date.

Had a few of these LC's, two stroke twins, miss them so much, wish they could find a way to bring them back, imagine where this tech would be now if it had lived, two stroke engines make so much sense on a motorbike.

@andrewallen9993

2 ай бұрын

F2 motorcycles still, sell brand new Jawa 350 two stroke twins with expansion boxes. Only 28HP and 5750rpm redline though 😁 I have 3 one with a sidecar.

Microns, loft insulation packed around the baffles,rear sets dropped handle bars... equals memories of joy

I remember these back in the 80s in Ireland, there was actually talk of banning them due to the amount of fatalities involving them.....having said that would love to get my hands on one now.

Great to see a younger person enjoying a taste of the eighties! Miss the smell of two stroke and the noise wish id kept mine (don't we all!)

Very sweet old bikes! I have always wanted one.

Amazing how much more power you get with after-market pipes on . I had Microns on my 250 then put them on the 350 as I progressed . Quite simply the most fun I've had on 2 wheels , sheer excitement factor was only ever matched by a ride on a KR1S 250 and that came along a lot lot later than the beloved LC , but still a beautiful handling bike . I've seen pictures of the "new" 350 LC , but I reckon it will have been heavily brushed by the H&S band wagon and will be loaded with all sorts of gizmos to stop you riding it properly . LC's forever ❤

Passed my test on an RD250 back in 1982. Bought a 350LC a few weeks later...WOW! - Had loads of Yamaha 2-stroke twins over the years. RD250 & 400 air cooled, 250/350LC's, YPVS, you name it...wish I still had them all...I could retire!

Tried a 1985 RZ250 which was a surprise. Smooth for a two-stroke with more power at low revs that I thought it would have. Made the 1979 CB750 I was riding at the time seem like a ludicrously heavy relic. A lot of fun. This brings to mind the 1982 XT250 I once tried which was unbelievably smooth and torquey... it accelerated up a steep hill from low speed in top gear... most big bikes I have had could not do that.

My first bike was a 1972 rd350 which I bought in 1974. Wicked fast and smoked like a steam locomotive! I'd love to see you review a Triumph 900 Trophy. I owned a 1995 model and kick myself to this day for selling it.

A great video, nice looking RD, I had an RZ250K (another wish I'd kept it bike). Current 2-stroke ride 1972 TS90 Suzuki.

@johngalt97

28 күн бұрын

Smaller 2 strokes with tuned exhaust are fun to flick about and make sing!

:) I’d started to forget just how good 2-stroke multis used to sound when you let them go!

Always wanted a 250 LC (I'd ridden the RD200 DX a few times - my first 'bike' was a RD50DX - then I had a dalliance with Hondas). Sadly can't afford a RD250/350LC now, always thought I would, window of opportunity over. That sound though, they were such rocketships in the day (the 350's gearbox seemed a bit weaker iirc). Glorious, where does the time go. My older work mentors/mates were telling me (when I first started work) stories of the time they had on their cafe racers; Matchless, Triumph, Norton et al - that was thirty years before for them, now we are 40 odd years away from the time of the RD LCs😲😲😲🤔🤔😲😲 Thanks for sharing 👍😊✌️💜

42 year old bike.Would compare very well with today's bikes.The RZ was a bit better,with power valve?If you haven't ridden a 2 stroke you haven't lived.

Had a 78 RD250 E..... loved it..... Built a '71 h1 500. Never looked back....... For something modern I restored a shed forgotten aprilia rs250...... Valves are good but prefer my two strokes.... Two strokes live in the power band.

A mate had a 350LC I LOVED riding it it was so much fun and yes like others said if you had a pillion on it would pick up the front wheel as soon as you hit powerband, even when you were trying not to wheelie. Good times. If you get the chance have a ride on an 1982 GPz550, I owned one and it was basically the 4 stroke equivalent of the RD350LC.

My friend owned a bike shop and had taken one as a part exchange, low mileage one owner, he encouraged me to have a test ride, 200 yards and a fabulous wheelie later my only question was how much. Wish I’d kept it.

Had the first rd 400 in Hartlepool summer 76 , finally had an yps350 in 2012 400 44 brake 350 62bhp just for interest same power output as a kaw h1 which when it came on the market a 500c it was the fastest production motor cycle in the world .

I forgot to say, when I was about 14 or 15 I went on the back of a well tuned RD400 and that also did an unexpected monumental wheelie with me barely hanging on ! Feet off pegs hanging onto rider !! Those 2 stroke bikes could be a bit wild.... bikes are much more powerful now but its all very controlled and easy to use. Back then you really rode a bike..... good power but the tyres and brakes were laughable looking back. Still happy days though 👍 I would love an RD400 as an occasional classic ride, they were actually quite nicely tuned in standard trim fast but not mental.

I can smell the 2 stroke :) Started on the RD250 then the 350LC unforgettable experience.

My first bike was a 1984 Yamaha RZ350. The salesman knew it was my first and he was trying to turn me onto the 750s as they were more, um, predictable than the wild RZ350 step child. But I said, no, I want THAT one, the RZ. Loved it.

You've got to love it when someone gets on a bike and has to use the kick starter on an 80s bike then says "where's the foot peg". I remember these and the 250 when they first came out and they brought in the new 250 rule for learners in South Australia. Everybody was buying the 250 and putting the 350, and 400, top end on them to get around it.

Good video, Owned RD's and RZ's in my youth. Very special character full bikes, love them! Next maybe try a RZ / RD500.

Yes, that is one of the first RD350LCs I have two of them in my garage, one to ride, one for spares, both black, original paint. In France we designate it the 4LO as from the serial number. I'm 67 years old, have ridden fast motorbiukes since I was 17.. these were the times before radar traps, on a big fast bike, VF, VFR, CBR we could cross europe 120mph averageL. You can't do that any more. However on a B-Road is perhaps the most exciting bike to ride in the world

Had a 1988 and it was a hoot… light and flickable with 63 hp… I was amazed how I zipped past the 750s and 1000 cc bikes in the twisties… I also had the 500 but the riding on that was a bit more complicated and really quick with hooligan power… kept the 350 forever but got a rid of the 500 after a year… to bad I sold it when I moved stateside…

I had two of these the second one was stage one production tuned, that made it a much better bike.

Had three of those over the years, last one I bought new and was with the power valve, which I didn't like as much as the earlier one.

Fantastic

I had one of the very last ones, M reg 94 with electric start. Legendary bikes.

I've never ridden the 350 but I had a 250, smoked like a steam train (on old type 2-stroke oil..) and was fantastic fun to ride !..

I do miss my 2 RD350LC and 250LC but the big miss is my Marlboro RD500LC loved them !!

I had a 79 RD400. Nothing quite like these bikes when they hit the power band and the race tuned ones were even more manic.

Wish I had kept mine, it was yellow and would power wheelie in third gear, insane acceleration. The dealer i bought from warned me to be "very careful" until i had gotten used to it and he was used to a V-Max. The one in the video didn't look as fast as that but would still be fun to ride

Oh that’s so lovely! If only they could make them again 😢

In 82, All my friends went for cc's

In Japan, it was sold under the name "RZ350" and was nicknamed "750 Killer".

I had a 1975 RD-350B so I have some frame of reference for this suggestion - you should find an TM-400 Cyclone motocrosser (I had one and wowser!). If you can't find that, try a TS-400 Apache which was the street version. Despite being similar in CC, they are very different motorcycles.

Decades ago, when I was 16, I was able to buy a 1969 Yamaha 350 Scrambler. Even though it was an old bike it was in mint condition, with only about 2000 miles. Top speed about 96 mph. Kept it until I was 19. Never had a license (not recommended).

1984 3rd March my eighteenth birthday and I had the best present to myself a one-year-old Mars bar RD 350 LC with microns on it. The insurance was crippling but needs must. I wish that I still had that wonderful Yamaha and my old Red Kawasaki GPZ 750 R 1 that had a Harris 4-into-1 exhaust system TWV 96 X Kwacker reg no and WHD 161 X was the Yamaha's reg no. Both bikes were mega and I would love to have them both again.

I bought a new RD350LC YPVS N2 in 1986. Fantastic fun, though accrued a number of points on my license.

Best motorcycle I ever owned .

Ahh.. Fond memories of being a 17 year old hooligan.. Glad that you found the Power band!.. lol

I have a bog standard 2001 GSXR1000k1 if you want to try it. Nice a light, low seat and no rider aids to get in the way, 23 years old but still a rocketship 😈

what a great video

350 Power Valve (YPVS) was the true shock to the system, even a later TZR 250 didn't give that same first shock. True nutter was sticking the 350YPVS motor in a 250LC chassis for the lighter weight

Bry. Great video. You asked for recommendations to try other bikes. Maybe see if you can find an RD500LC?

Loved my 350LC, one bike I still wish I had. My wife had the 250LC and can remember rebuilding the engine in the living room after she holed a piston! (Still got the offending item). Try a Ducati Pantah 500, my wife enjoyed riding that when I owned it.