Iam one of the few lucky "fossils" who was fortunate enough to buy an RD ( FIRST HAND ! ) back in 1987. Contrary to what you see on the few remaining restored RDs today , the originals never had "Yamaha" stickers on their fuel tanks .. it was always "RAJDOOT" .. one could see YAMAHA only on the alternator cover and the "7 port Torque Induction" on the side panels. I still have the RD with me today which Iam painstakingly restoring myself . I see questions like "how bad was the fuel efficiency of the RD" .. well I used to get around 20 KPL in the city ( New Delhi ) and around 22 KPL on the highway ( 90 - 100 km/hr ). Infact on a trip from Delhi to Dehradun where I was riding with my friend who was on an Ind-Suzuki AX 100 with brand new pistons , the RD gave me a downright shock by returning 32 km/litre because we were driving sedately at 60 km/hr to allow the AX-100's pistons to run in ..proves that when ridden sanely, it could return a very decent fuel average, but who the hell bought an RD to ride sanely ? It was the epitome of insane back then and the fastest vehicle on Indian roads two wheels or four ( The Maruti 800 was believe it or not the fastest 4-wheeler then and the RD would run rings around it : - ) the contessa classic came later but at the most it could match the RD only in the top speed stakes .. ). The RD back then was also let down by a bad service network .. most mechanics were unused to balancing twin carburetors ( though it is actually a very simple procedure ) and this combined with the breaker point ignition made the RD rather unreliable with the sparkplugs giving up the ghost in the middle of nowhere because of fouling. Once you got around to dealing with balancing the twin carbs and setting up the ignition timing she was one hell of a mover and boy that burble at idle and the twin cylinder muted howl when revved was "audioholic" ( .4 mm gap between the points when fully open and timing set to 2.5 mm BTDC works fantastic on an LT , the HT had less advance .. 2.2 mm I think .. in any case there are timing marks easily accessible on the left side on opening the alternator cover ..). Even in its heydays RDs were relatively rare and in the countryside during my innumerable chai halts enroute Ladakh and Arunachal, people would gather around it , shake their heads and after a major discussion among themselves , would come back to me asking "yeh bike kya bullet hai , isme do engine kyon hai " ? and I would give them a story that the bike was a modified Bullet and had two bullet engines on it .. Bullet those days was respect and two bullets in one meant respect * 2 or more like respect squared : - ). Escorts did not make things easier for RD customers and spare parts outside major cities were difficult to procure. On long rides, I used to carry a set of cables, breaker points, ignition coil , condenser , spark plugs ( MICO W5BC or NGK BP7HS ), set of bulbs and even a chain sprocket set ( which actually came in handy when my chain broke on the way to Padum from Kargil . All in all it was a bike that came waaaaay before its time. India was just not ready for it back then, but I for one am glad that such a providential fluke did happen !
I own a 1976 RD400 here in the Philippines. Probably the only one running here because I can't find other owners for years. I will always have respect for Indian owners who still have these bikes in really good conditions. 👍
Official Yamaha service centres no more are servicing these bikes nor stocking spares…but luckily in India we still have specialist mechanics who service and restore these bikes..
so the Yamaha wasn't doing well with the rd350 and so they were like 'what do we do now?' They observed, they learned that Honda's CD 100 was being liked by many, so they kept the 100cc in mind and made a 2 stroke, and hence the rx100 was born.
i own both RX100 and CD100. Don't you dare call CD 100 a shitty bike. i agree CD 100 was introduced after Rx but can a RX do 80Kmpl?? Learn to respect all bikes bro.
This machine has done much history around the world... I have a RD 350 in Brazil, but my motorcycle is YPVS Liquid Cooler model (1987), I love two stroke. Congratulations to video, very cool. = )
I got emotional and had goosebumps and tears in my eyes after seeing this video. I had one bike . I drove it for 10 years and sold it because of spares problem. But till date there's no other bike which can give that much drive pleasure . Thanks for sharing this tribute to the legend.
When you smell 2T, listen 2 stroke you feel like gasoline is fuelled in your body and you just want to drop a gear and disappear. The one who owns 2 stroke is emotionally connected with their vehicle.
The growl the blue smoke the smell of burnt oil wow it's been a few years about 11 to be precise that I last rode one but I feel so nostalgic watching this video I miss the RD what a bike it was !!
Thanks for featuring the legend guys! Honestly, in this day and age, people compare the rd350 to the dukes, but I feel in that context this needs to be said- the rd350 WAS the Duke 390 of its day, a small bike that could kill even 750cc inline fours. It truly was a giant killer and now even when I have bigger, faster machines my RD still scares the s***t out of me when the power and hits. Truly a larger than life machine.
When i saw the bikes of new generation i mean gixxer and ktm i feel like This bike just cant give the feeling .. the passion which was given by Yezdi and RD .. thanks powerdrift #powerdrift
the golden years of Yamaha bikes .....bro 2 stroke rules even now and that 60BHP.....that bike can make talk the clouds also ...respect ....always love the old school Yamaha ....
Thank you so much. We'll try to make some more then! P.S. What do you think about this one- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-B-fppUy3YyQ.html ? :)
I can see true emotions in ur eyes bro.Thats why yamaha is legend.when i see a broken 2 stroke yami.my heart cries far from the mind.emotional stuff for 2 strokers like us.bro.well done.
when he asked "how much power does it make right now ? " they answered "177". i literally had my mouth wide open and then they say top speed ! what a troll hahaha
Thanks for this. I had one of these back in my youth in Durban, South Africa, and although many bikes have come and gone since then, that one has never been forgotten.
This bike is way better than the crap RE 350s that are being sold today. RE should make OHC engines like the one on Himalayan and let it rev upto 9000-10000rpm The crap OHV engines on the present REs start vibrating horribly upwards of 3000rpm itself. I own RE C350 2015 model and am literally fed up of that underpowered pig. Only the instant torque is appreciable, but the vibrations kill even that joy
My friend, a sincere advice to you :-) NEVER EVER mention RD 350 in same sentence as anything from Royal Enfield stable. NEVER EVER! Matter closed!! PLEEEAAAASSSEEEEE!!
Every Proud owner of a RD 350 will truly enjoy this Video and the legacy it has been through all these years... My eyes were totally filled with joyful tears when I felt the same feeling the pilot in the show speaks..... Hail RD 350..... Thanks once again Powerdrift for such a beautiful clip. I hope you should have used a scratch less RD for your show rather than the one you guys showed, Never the less RD is a RD....
I'm a huge fan of the classics and this video only fortified my respect . It feels good to know that the oldies still hold their heads high alongside the newcomers . awesome video PD , purely awesome.
I have a '74 RD350 I bought new when I was 19 years old. I am currently ressurecting it after sitting idle for some 33 years. I can tell you that for a small bike, the performance of that 2-stroke was, and will be again, UNBELIEVABLE. I used to pick on the bigger bikes-Honda 500's, 550's, even 750's, and a Harley or 2. NONE of them could out-run me. The 750's gave me a run for the money, but I could still out-run 'em. Most of the competitor's 2-strokes couldn't outrun me, either.The Suzuki 380 was a slug compared to my RD. The only 2-strokes that I had trouble with were the Kawasakis. Their 350 I could run with, but the 500 kicked MY butt. Yessir, that little RD350 was, and still is, a phenominal machine. Bone stock-39 HP @ 6500 RPM. When I'm done with mine (I bought DG Exhaust tuners) , and boring the carbs, she'll be pukping out close to 55 HP. Can hardly wait !!!
Cool video. I had a Yamaha RZ350 years ago and although I have owned far 'superior' motorcycles riding the RZ350 remains the most fun I have ever had on a street bike. Cornering was insanely easy on such a light motorcycle.
I fully agree with you, the RZ350 is a classic. I have owned the Kenny Roberts Special since 1984! It can still hold its own with the big boys as long as there are curves and mountains!
azuki I'm jealous! The closest thing I have owned to an RZ350 was a 2013 Ninja 300... until some lady backed over it in a parking lot. I upgraded to something bigger afterward but I frequently miss the flickable 300. Cornering is a lot more fun than flat out acceleration.
Yes, cornering is a lot more fun, but its also the acceleration and the high pitched whine of the two stroke that is music to my ears! Not bragging, but I actually have two RZ350's, the second one is an 1985 in the Red and White. I also have an Honda MC21, a V-Twin 250cc which is also a lot of fun! This is a Japan only model as it has an aluminium frame and the bike weighs a mere 136 kg! This bike can really zoom!
RD 350, the vintage motorcycle loved by true riders of all era. This machine got its tribute from all bike lovers through Power Drift ........ Awesome Sagar Sir!!!
Guys u r doing something no one dares to do that's why u stand out !!! Hats off to u r thought process for channel. This episode made me fall in love for RD once again!!! Salute!!!!
Same. My uncle owned an RD but he sold it in 97 for just 6 or 7k. I go numb whenever I hear him talking about it, because I can't help but wonder what my life would be like if he still had it.
Thanks Powerdrift. Thanks a lot. Goosebmps. Tears of joy and excitement. Now the crew t shirt means about 1000 times more to me, as u guys mentioned it in the teaser for the RD. Thanks guys. Really. Sarge, great job man. I'm really very emotional right now. This is just amazing. Such a legend. Very drag. UNLIMITED wow.
Wowwwww.....I stumbled upon this video rather late....But it gave me the goosebumps, butterflies and everything else in just few minutes! I had the legendary RD 350 for close to 3 years and had to sell it off with teary eyes when I had to be out of India for 1+ year and there was nobody to maintain it at home. I sold it off to - one PARSI senior man - as I was sure only he would take care of it for next few years like I took during my possession! RD was awesome and it felt just great to see the race prepped RD in this article! RD is a serious motorcycle even by today's standard if it is really prepped well by some tuner...Back in 1990s it developed reputation of being "YAM-DOOT" i.e. angel of death (name derived from Yamaha-Rajdoot combine that had launched this bike! Even in stock form, the bike was really fast and reached 150 kmph. Once the RPM went above 5500, it zoomed on like crazy - nothing else gives such quick kick to you except two strokers. I really wish somebody revives two stroke in future with cleaner emissions and who knows, we may get to see something like this yet again in future - a neo retro 2-stroke street racer!
Great video 👍 Thumbs up if you are still watching this video and riding a RD350 \m/ @Powedrift : Just a small correction, the brakes you mentioned on the RD 350 were actually "180mm" drum brakes front and rear instead of "150mm"..!! :) Been attached to the RD ever since i was born and riding it for almost 15 years, 33 years and still the best bike ever made !!
Dad's gonna shed a tear or two when I show this to him. He really loved his RD350, and the mods he'd make on them back in the day. You guys have any clues about where I could find out about some mods, or whether the NMW Racing RD350 is for sale?
This machine is truly a legend, my father used to tell me about this bike when I was a kid. Everything about this machine was way ahead of it's time, the engine, the power, the looks and the mesmerizing sound. I had a chance to witness one of these legend and truly guys, when you get to see one of these you would scratch your guys and look twice at it before you realise it's really an RD because it's so rare to spot one that you cannot believe that you are lucky enough just to see one. Though it has become a part of fables but it is getting the respect it deserves now. Great presentation guys \m/
The classic racing motorcycle! :D looking back over the internet, I was surprised to see the RD350 LC. It looked completely different and had a sweet sweet note that we all love of 2 strokes. A real legend in racing motorcycle. A good tribute to the legend! #PDArmy
+PowerDrift thank you! 😃 You guys pulled off an amazing video! Keep us fueled with more and more motoring delights 😊 love from all the way from the land of coconuts, where riding bikes is also a part of the culture! 😛 hope to see you guys in action here in kerala! We got some amazing bike routes (twisties) you guys will definitely love! Scary! But we are all riders after all! Kudoos to the team 👍🏼😎
please make yamaha rx100, rx135, rx135Tiger, RXG, Rx-Z 4&5speed also. waiting please. I have rxz 4&5speed for making the show. fingers crossed. thanku! and please take it into consideration. 😇
+PowerDrift respect u :D for making a video on this beauty and making our generation know why THE RD 350 is a legend . RD = RESPECT . would love to see it race with a 4 stroker . hidden request😆😄.
@@mohitbaid8148 ... Drag race between A well turned RD with these days fiber toys ?...haha..I just remember some old captions about RD on some auto magazine..."Don't feel bad..you're not the first 750 rider to get blown off by a RD 350.."".....
I'm rebuilding an RD250 into a 350 right now. The simplicity of the internals is just astounding, what a beautiful bike. Great video I'd like to know the specs of that RD there.
I hope there r many more such videos. Plenty of other bikes and cars that couldn't make it to the limelight due to stupid mentality of the masses. They need to be staged as well. Thanks again for making this video. Thanks a lot.
in a country where ppl slog to survive and get a meal a day we cannot expect a vehicle with such poor fuel economy , enthusiasts are a few privileged who can actually afford such a machine .
I love your reviews and i have only one suggestion - please do reduce the volume of the music. Can hardly hear much about what you have to say about the bike. Best regards
In my childhood days I have seen this bike and short form of RD(Rapid death)! was also accepted by many. But my first crush was definitely Rx100.Good video. One request is can we get some review on RX100.In my area people still love that.
PowerDrift Not really. I have a fully restored rx100 but i reside in Hyderabad. I am sure there are many restored Rx100s around the country now. Post this on your facebook page and someone will surely get you a mint condition rx100 :)
Very good video. Looks like you love them just like I do. I have bought, built and sold many of these bikes. I now have a 1975 rd350 that was gifted to me by my brother a few years back, this one I am keeping forever. Such a wonderful motor.
