1981 Yamaha RD350 LC Classic 80’s 2 Stroke .. The Elsie 40 years on 

These bikes defined the greatest time to be growing up, the early 80s. Young ones of today don't know what they are missing.

63 yrs old and had them since I was 20, still love them.

Love this, rode a Kenny Roberts edition once. I had a Kawasaki Mach III 400 that took my through more than 7800 miles back in high school. Brilliant, keep after it!

1983 @16 years old I had the RD50MX in the mars bar colours, my mate let me ride his RD250LC , amazing power especially as I only weighed 7.5 stone.

As soon as you kick started it in this video the noise took me back to 1982. The most fun I've ever had on the road. Cheers for the memories.

Love these had loads, and I love the way you had to fight to keep it in the power, that's real riding,and made good riders. Thanks for the memories 😊

In the 80s we all had 2 strokes. It's impossible to say how much entertainment/fun we had on these bikes, racing on the road, wheelies in the town, it made life such a laugh. Mine had allspeeds k&ns rearsets ace bars.. ready to race along the local coast road :)

I had one exactly like this from 1984>86. Can confirm that the original front brake was hopeless, used to get forearm pump so bad that I couldn't get my leathers off. Still regret selling it but don't miss accumulating points for wheelies, it's impossible to ride any pre-power valve two stroke in a non-hooligan fashion, the power band rush is too addictive 😀

Great to see you out on a nice RD, it’s funny but I think they have come into their own as they allow you to have fun without worrying about the consequences of riding a 200hp bike. For smiles / £ 2 strokes can’t be beat. I’m really enjoying my recently bought power valve, suddenly I’m 20 again!

That’s an absolute beauty👌🏻 I’ve always wanted an LC and if I had the dough there would be one in my garage, and probably a matching XJ650, just because of the styling😉 The 80’s were great👌🏻

I spent the 80's on RD two strokes and absolutely loved the things. I started in an RD 50M (with a TY80 barrel and piston I believe?) , with Micron, reeds etc and followed that with an RD200 and a 250F. Eventually I dropped a 400 into it, with Allspeeds, Mel lemoto rear sets and flat bars, two/four seat and custom triple red paint. I was barely off the thing and used to double back to get a whiff of the Castrol R. Unfortunately it was stolen from a layby when heading back to Kent from London. I was devastated and replaced it with a race fairing 350LC but it was the air cooled 250/400F that were the purest RD for me. Thanks for stirring up some great memories.

My second bike was an Elsie 350,,my first was a Honda MB-5,,such a big jump,,that was in 1985 and I was 18..year later swaped it in for a white/red YPVS,..8 months later got wiped out at 80mph by a Peugeot 205...GAMEOVER, for a year...now I'm 54 and ride an R1

Absolutely beautiful! it takes me back to my youth, I had the Aprilia RS250 in the 90s which was probably the pinnacle in 2 stroke development and handling but the 350 LC will always be the most special bike to me.

I own one of these, a beautiful machine and will keep it forever

Nice trip down memory lane...I started out with an old, rusty and heavy (non running) suzuki GT550 two stroke triple! Which I completely striped and rebuilt as a full cafe racer.. So I tuned the motor, braced and stiffened it's very rubbery/wobbly frame, put on some mag wheels, box section swinging arm, expansion pipes and took off as much weight as legally possible(?)....which I loved for many years - as it was a mad thing - as only two strokes could be at the time! But then Yamaha launched the RD250 and 350LC the latter being literally everything I wanted the GT550 to be....but the design was spot on and so much lighter! So of course I had to get one ! Both bikes were fab and bags of fun, with big wheelies, grins and bang dor the bucks surprises ...and great fun to tune and tinker with ....never forget the pop pop ringing tones and then whaaaaaaaaaaa on the the power band.....great days LOL.

Loved my old RD350

Yeah the forks were crap. I remember getting a bit of a weave on a twisty road at 90mph. So I got a fork brace. That helped. The fork seals were rubbish so were the exhaust seals. I rode my LC from '82 to '96 until the gearbox seized. The powerband was tiny so 85 was the natural speed. I don't know know how I'm still alive because it was a hooligans bike. The cops stopped me regularly. Once my rear tyre blew at about 85 on the M6 near Walsall. To this day I don't know how I survived that. Great times.

Hearing / seeing that RD with microns [All speeds]....transports me instantly back to the early 80s as a teenager. 🥰 stunning bike.

RD 350LC - 150kgs,... Mad... My RG 500 is 156kg... and there was only 4 years between them, I love LC's Epic screamer bikes

Thanks for the video! You said the magic #,,, 115! That is exactly where my 1972 RD topped off. Wow! What a fun bike.

Thanks for sharing that, I love 2 strokes. I’ve had many over the years and still have a few today. Hope to see more of them in future videos

My mate had one, used to scare the shit out of me when I went in the back lol. I had a little Suzuki TS 100.

Great video! Absolutely, a hooligan bike. Makes me feel like I am 18 again, every time I ride mine.

Lovely sound with the expansion pipes. A lot like the RD400F I had back in 1979( wheelie machine)! Some people used to put a drop of Castrol R oil in for the lovely smell.

A lifetime of biking, of all of them these were the most exciting.

i love love love a rd350, i used to joy ride a bully’s in the woods . he stole it then hid it in a bush and i would hotwire it every other day and ride it and re hide it like nothing happened.

That sound is beautiful. Can smell it from here. I live in the Lake District and used to race around the tight corners in the 80's. So jealous.

A trip down nostalgia lane. Enjoyed that looking forward to more 👍.

Very nice i used to own the Kenny Roberts replica 350lc with the signature across the tank. Me missus always asked why Kenny Rogers had signed it she must have thought i was into country music😂

Would so love one of these, had many back in the day and use to race them with my buddies Kenny Irons and Ray Swann who went on to race in the Pro Am series. Just the sound makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Thanks for the vid, great stuff.

Nice one bought back a few memories good old 80s !!!

I loved all my Yammie ringdingers, 79 Daytona 400, 82 350 LC, 83 RZ 350, 1990 RZ 350, all were affordable, all were fast, all were fun, I do miss them so.

I loved that,what an awesome bike. I want one.

Just love the genuine enthusiasm and piss taking. It could be the early 80s. Normal blokes.

Brings back memory’s for me when I had mine with retro microns on

Love your videos! Freaks me out sometimes, sitting on the couch at the end of a long day watching you gents driving on the wrong side of the road!! It is still winter here in Alaska, waiting for the snow to melt so I can ride a bit.

RD350LC 81 out of Rocket Jane and finch Toronto. I live to say that gave it up for Kite surfing in Wasaga

I love the sound of these motors. The first pipes looked incredible, clean welds. We ran Klotz purple bean oil It had that sweet smell. Ain't no day like a sunny day. Enjoy!

Thanks mate, you brought back so many memories with that video. If only I'd kept my little Elsie instead of selling her for 600 quid. :( But that was 30 years ago, who would have thought?

Brilliant I was smiling watching that video listening to the engine note and then the banter top blokes well done

ONLY way to explain a Yamaha RD350LC is a bike that is always pisssed off only way to explain it when the power band comes in its like its its really pissed off !!!!! love it .. mine was totally standard would just hit 119 mph flat out prone .... once I do mean once got 120 MPH ,,, you could lift the wheel on power at 65 mph and if you were 2 up and were just going into 3rd always at 65 - 70 MPH the front wheel would come off the ground !!!! a Pissed off bike !!!! it took a 750 4 stoke to match it in the day !!!!!!!!!!!

That beautiful sound brings so many memories back. Thankyou ❤ ps love ur accent is really cheeky and atractive lol.

I watched this because I owned a Elsie mars bar but the rest of the video ........I was just laughing so much. I remember The Champions and Jason King. Just brilliant. Anyway I am an English bloke living in the Far East of Russia. There are a few companies in Vladivostok that bring over classic bikes from Japan. I am 60 next year and would love a reunion with Elsie!

Fork brace and steering damper is essential on an Lc. Ahh the memories. Thanks 😊

the 75 RD350 was my first bike. I bought it for $300 USD in 1980. I LOVED that bike. rode it hard. got noise tickets from the popo. It was a great bike.

I've not ridden a bike for 35 years and I'm thinking of getting a classic, I'd love an RD350LC but also fancy maybe a NSR250 but haven't got a clue what to look for now days!!!! Fab vid though. 2 strokes will always rule the world

Just the sound gives me goosebumps.

Thank you very much for an animation of cool RD350. I'm looking forward to it.

Really gorgeous bike, loved your video, yes I think it does look better in gold.....makes me want to get mine out of the shed......

2 strokes revving up is the background music of my youth.

The man himself with a new upload 🤘

Just subscribed after watching this video, love the banter

Still miss my old RD 200 twin .... sluggish with a pillion , but it was exceptional solo, at least for a 200 . It had twin crackle pipes on and sounded sweet AF. Regret the day I sold it , about 30 years ago, especially when I tried to trace the bike, I learned through friends that it was written off within a year of me selling it.

Those bikes were in my country👍🏻 they are not in the market now. We miss those bikes rd350

I had a 1988 Rd350 with 63hp… I loved to zip past the 750 and 1100 GSXrs in the serpentines, just to get smoked on the straight out of the mountains… I am sure they didn’t like the two stroke smell from my exhausts… lol… I loved the acceleration, the sound, the smell and to feel a little like King Kenny

I had one of these in the mid 90’s.. I was on the M53 with my mate on the back, I was doing 85mph and the left pot exploded, skid mark a hundred yards long (and that was just the bike 😏).

My favorite RU-vid Chanel , even though you are soft southerners 👏👏👍🏼

I had a 250 elsie Kenny roberts replica, brand new it cost me £1200 on 8th August 1982. I loved that bike and wished i never got rid of it . I was clocked by Hampshire police at 110mph on a slight downhill road, mind you I did only weigh 10 1/2 stone back then. If I rode one now it would be lucky to do 60mph. Great video, took me right back to my youth. BTW The champions were Alexandra Bastedo, William Gaunt and Stuart Damon.

Thanks friend. Nice. My first bike was a RD 400 Daytona. (very similar) I remember on the test drive I cracked the throttle wide open and almost slid off of the back. It's been 41 or so years but I think I gave about $1500 USD. Good memories.

Love my RD350, just doing some upgrades as we speak 👍🏻

Nice one ! Two strokes - Love 'em ! Thinking I should have kept my 4L0 .........

Brilliant!

OH THAT SOUND ❤... I NEAR ON CREAMED ME GUSSET. !!! 🤣🤣...

The Champions…… Alexander bastion? Wow really gorgeous looking if I remember.

The champions ! Is it a real story 🤣😂

Gorgeous! Sight, n Sound and bet it Smells gorgeous too!. Foxtrot Oscar to Greta and the other 'flat shoe hand wringers'.

Nice one mate, I had the same one in 1885 but mine had Microns, chrome radiator grill and steering damper, lifted the front at will, all the best.

Awesome Vlog

Back in the day I had a Lindermere tuned 350, the powerband on my bike STARTED at the redline and the engine would then rev to 11.5K RPM. Pistons were good for about 5k miles, the welded crank was good for 7k miles unless I missed a gear which would sometimes break the welds and twist the crank. (A Roy Simmons crank was the only one that would not twist). It was actually down geared from stock but because it revved so much higher than stock it was quicker. From memory it would do somewhere between 120 and 130MPH flat out but it took a hell of a lot of work to keep it running! It was a 'nasty' bike, I wish I still owned it!

Nice bro great video !

Friend had an RD 350 and I had a KH250 triple 😁🤘

I actually got to ride an tz 250 factory race bike it was awesome!!!

When I was 17 you could get HP be out on L plates on the 250 mental,, now you want the standard bits ,, which we removed for allspeeds ,micron ,, jetting kits,,👍👍👍👍☘️☘️☘️☘️☘️ from northern Ireland brilliant,, cheaper then aswell 😁

I had a RD 80 MX and that thing flew,couldn’t get a Micron or Alspeed for it so we had to ' Modify ' the standard one. Also had a AS 125 Twin. Later on I had the RD 350 LC and I think it was better looking than the YPVS. I’ve recently had to give up riding due to Disability but my last bike was the R6 ( oh boy did the coppers get a shock when I took my Helmet off and they were expecting a young hooligan Lol 😂 ). I’ve had Suzuki and Kwaks but for me it’s Yamaha that were just…. Awesome 😎. The bloke who bought my R6 had a Modern Ducati ( very expensive thing and loud ) and he wanted the R6 as a Day Bike,he did well out of the Sale though because I gave him all my old gear and spares and everything " Bike "…. I had too as didn’t want any reminders if that makes sense 🤷‍♂️. I’m pleased though that the R6 went to a good home and all my old Gear was going to be used by his Son or his Mates. The Bloke rang me after a few Weeks and Said that he is loving the R6 and he still couldn’t get over how immaculate she was and the Garage he used for his Ducati said that he Got a bloody brilliant bike with the R6. There is a little trick with the R6 in making sure that the liners don’t get a problem and that is you need to crank them over a bit without them firing up just to get the Oil moving and priming the Oil pump and getting things moving ( fluids ) within the Engine. I did that with mine because with the older bikes we would always turn them over a bit on the Kick start to begin with without them firing up just to get their juices flowing. Most R6 bikes have liner issues because people jump on em and start them up and roar off,they just need a gentle warm up before you go Nutz ! Always worked for mine 🤷‍♂️. Great Video

The look when the Kettle owner was asked “What about yours?” Nice bike, by the way. I think. 😊

Liked that mate 👀👀

fantastic, the last RD I had cost 700 quid the whole thing was sprayed in galvanized silver called it the silver bullet. It rattled overheated and brokedown fun times should have kept it might be worth a few quid now. Would love a go on 1 just can't find them anymore.

would love to see u do a tzr250 from a few years later had one! was quicker than a mars bar!! and handled better!

It's the wrong colour !. I had a white and red one in 1982 with chrome Allspeeds and K&Ns. Great Bikes.

I had a 138mph 1975 rd 350, I miss it

I'll be doing the same soon on mines, white n blue model,,😁👍🏻

Great video!! Most fun bike ever & proof you only need 45hp to have a good time, glad you didn't use your ACKSAW on this beauty

Wanted one forever . Then I bought my 97 TL1000s and the rest is history .

Great bike, too light when you caned it down the road, the front end would go wobbly light. Bike was forever getting me pulled over by the coppers.

I had one in 1985, Microns and Pirelli phantoms, it would wheely everywhere on the throttle, Mars bar colours, 2.5 K on the clock £800 a bargain.

Hi great bike can I ask where you got the seat from please and who did the paint work and power coating I am just starting one thanks

thats really a 70's 2 stroke with a face lift

Yep I had one in the late 1990s b4 prices got silly

These machines didn't have a "power band" they had a "vertical step." If back in the day you rode and passed your test on a mundane 250cc bike (not a RD20LC or a Suzuki GT 250 X7) and decided to get one of these, it was a very steep learning curve.

Used to go with the Witham lads on their Elsies to Chelsea Bridge in the 80's

Close your eyes I'm 18 again Minta Mate

Not the first hooligan bike, the early Yam 250s were pretty fast. YDS7 was lethal. Probably a bit heavy but it really went. Wasp paintwork. Brilliant.

LOL when the old guy approaches. Every time I ride my dads old RD I get old guys approaching me. When I first got my license I thought I'd impress women with it. Nope I impress old guys.

Stunner of a bike, just treated myself to a Velocity-Moto 900LC......

What bike did the garage attendant say he had @5:04? At the lights on your LC in 1985 thinking you're the dog's bollocks and then matey on the new V-Max pulls up alongside you.

Have one being done up/rebuilt at the moment ...had a few LCs and a few Power valves they are great bike arguable the YPVS is a wee bit better than the LC .....with disc rear brakes better frame forks and Motor isn't as raw ......both nice bikes though

My dream as a teenager but didnt have money for one new.I could easily buy one now but dont think its a good idea. If you gave me a Lamborghini to drive or the RD I would choose the RD.

47 HP. Two of those engines siamised makes a TZ750 essentially. Did anyone ever run a TZ 750 in the Isle Of Mann T.T. ?

Beautiful 🤪😍❤🙂

🏍👍