For those of us of a certain age, this was THE bike to have. It wasn’t the biggest or the baddest bike of the mid-70’s but in the right hands, it could run with anything in the twisties.
The RD350 was powered by a piston-port two-stroke that put out a claimed 39 HP. It featured Yamaha’s Autolube system, which eliminated the hassle of mixing oil with your fuel at each fillup by automatically metering oil into the fuel as it entered the engine. It also had a feature Yamaha called “Torque Induction”, which added an extra shot of fuel into the cylinder at the start of the combustion stroke, supposedly improving combustion chamber circulation and having the added effect of cooling the piston crown.
The RD had a fairly rigid double-cradle frame which proved to be very stable in the curves. With a single disc up front and drum rear, the brakes were also quite adequate for the 350 pound bike. The RD350 was made from 1973 to 1975, and many were raced either officially at the track, or unofficially on the roads, so finding a clean example is not always easy these days. This example does appear to be in very good condition still wearing original pipes and even turn signals. The seller doesn’t state mileage, but he has had some engine and carburetor work done, as well as paint, so this is no pristine garage queen.
These bikes were very popular back in the day, as they say, and still get rave reviews as an all-around classic. If you fancy, give the seller a call. You can find it listed here on Craigslist. It is located in Duluth, Georgia, just outside Atlanta, and the seller is asking $2,300. Bonus: He is donating 1/2 the proceeds to the Atlanta 2-day Walk for Breast Cancer, so you can even take a tax deduction!