Post-Sale Update: This RD250 sold for $5,700 on eBay.
Produced from ’73 to ’79, the air-cooled Yamaha RD250 was always in the shadow of the famous RD350, but today it provides the base of an interesting Italian-influenced custom. The RD250 produced 30 horsepower and interestingly enough, had 6 gears in the transmission, but you could only access 5. Removing a blanking plate allowed you to get the 6th gear.
Mechanically, this specific Yamaha RD250 has been converted to a monoshock. The frotn forks are from a RD400 and have been rebuilt with Racetech springs, while the monoshock is from a Ducati 750SS. CUstom pieces include the triple clamp and the solid stainless teel fairing stay. The motor has a fresh top end with a “mildly ported” cylinder. Fueling is handled by 32mm Mikunis, while the ignition is a Dynamo Power that does not need a battery…interesting. There’s all kinds of mechanical extras listed in the ad, so head on over to the link to check it out in more detail.
While the mechanical upgrades are nice, it’s the cosmetic work that makes us stop and stare at this beauty. The fairing is from a ’69 Benelli 350-4, while the tank and tail are from a ’71 Benelli 750cc road racer, and all have been spray painted in a lovely, though somewhat flat, light green/silver combination.
Find this Yamaha RD250 for sale here on eBay with an opening bid of $4,000 and the reserve not yet met.