Post Sale Update: This RD200 sold for $1,775 after 32 bids on eBay.
Yamaha’s famous two-stroke street bike line-up of “RD” models had several displacements for the discerning rider – 125, 200, 250, 350, and 400. Oddly enough, the 200 was the only one that Yamaha installed an electric starter to, and the sidecovers boldly advertised that fact.
The electric starter showed that Yamaha designed the 200 for newbies and commuters. As Yamaha put it in one of their ads, “kick the kicking habit with the no-nonsense machine from Yamaha.” The motor produced 18.7 horsepower, good enough for a top speed of 84 miles per hour. Wet weight was 290 pounds. For more on the RD200, check out this article on Motorcycle Classics. Or check out this three way comparison in the July 1975 issue of Bike magazine.
This example (VIN: 397208320) has 5,512 miles and it’s said to run great. Everything is said to work though the bike is missing one of the sidecovers. Find this RD200 for sale in Mitchell, South Dakota with bidding up to $1,516