❤🇬🇧😁To be honest. Who can use a modern superbike properly on local derbyshire roads? A little beauty like that you could just pin it and all the shakes, wallows, bottoming out and pipe grinding all added to the fun. Proper clutchy monos too. And cos it was all you knew and none of your mates could afford exotica; it felt proper fast. It was fast. It's like velocity is relative, man🌼boomshanka!
You make it sound slow man,RD 350 was like first gear second thir..whoooa braking,i mean if you pinned it you had over 125kmh(65/70mph)when you clanked it in third.
My very first job when I started in the motorcycle trade was to unbox, assemble and pdi half a dozen LCs, 250s and 350s. They were amazing little machines. I think I have more daft stories about these bikes that any other bikes we sold.
Alan Carter's save was amazing. I raced for 11 years and have never seen a comeback quite so incredible with perhaps the exception of Randy Mamola's high side where he held onto the Yamaha "side-saddle" after smashing the windscreen. Truly incredible stuff by both.
I was 20 when this was on. My friend had a RD250LC and I had a Suzuki RG250WD when they first came out. They were wonderful machines, far more sport orientated than anything before it. The crackle, and smell, of a well tuned 2 stroke starting up sent the hairs on the back of your neck up. Soon after came the first GSXR750s and the superbike era was born. Wonderful times.
barry sheene me and a few others for a laugh at the isle of man TT decided to try and bore a engine fin and engine cooling block/fairing to give a "water gallery" using a mini's water pump and oil radiator from an aston martin to provide the water movement/cooling. before the end of the isle of man that year, we had developed the "liquid cooled" motorcycle. not many people knew this.He taught me to ride (barry) it was lovely to hear his voice again. (yes yamaha had already done it).
A 1974 RD350 was my only transportation in the mid '70s. Loved that bike. Put chambers, Dunlop K-81s, and a quarter-faring with low handlebars on her. THE Best "Cafe Racer" Ever!? I think so
I bought a 350LC from a guy in San Francisco who spent untold sums of money building it into seriously fast road bike. Unfortunately he'd never riden a 2 stroke before and ran it into the back of a car the first time it came onto it's pipes. I got it for $500, put another $125 replacing the forks, and had the time of my life taring up the back roads of Northern California.
I am so happy to see this. I have a RD350LC track bike sitting in the back corner of my shop. Engine is ported, carbs modified, welded crankshaft but the best part is I have a set of Yamaha factory TZ. crossover pipes on it. Ping pa ping ping ping. This just inspired me to pull it out and start a freshen up on it. Epic bikes thanks so much for posting this. I will do some clips of it finished and put the link here in the future.
If you decide to sort it out ready for the road I have seen a local dealer near me who is selling a 350 LC for nearly 13 grand. Might be worth considering selling if you decide to hang up your leathers. Rare as hen's teeth these days. Not seen one on the road unfortunately for at least 10 years.
@@topcat4759 Its up and running I need to go through everything but I took it out for a quick spin, really excited to get it on the road. We have many fabulous bike roads and highways in Western Canada where I live.
I just stumbled into this amazing RU-vid Video and literally brought me to tears as I once raced AFM & ARRA 350/400cc production in California back in the late 70s early 80s. I was in the top 3 and my secret (besides going crazy fast), is I was running tubeless and I discovered how to balance my wheels with out adding heavy lead weights. At the time Ed Tummy, Pat Eggan, Danny Coe & my self were the top contenders in the hardest and most popular class in all motorcycle racing. It was so popular that we were given the honor to be the last motor racing event of the 1979 decade at the Riverside race way. I was On my way to taking 2nd when my engine stuck through the famed WEre on the last lap... That's history. And it was fun!!!
@@Google_Does_Evil_Now Two ways I remember back then: Some of the "gorilla snot" type sealer inside, finds it's spot, and balances the rotating assembly. Also, powder type filler does the same thing. It doesn't take much on a bike wheel. Giant truck tires only use a bag half the size of a bag of sugar sometimes.
I went through at least 5 or 6 LC 250 and 350s in the 80s. Loved them, although the rear shock was always too soft as standard. Allspeeds or Marvicks they sounded and went great. I moved on to racing a Stan Steven's tuned KR1S, from 91 - 94 in SS400, then a TZ350. Gave up racing in 95 when kids arrived and just stuck to fun on the roads with a few mates. My SRAD 750 is now my pride and joy, kept it since 2003 and went through R1, Fireblade and ZX10, but still have my SRAD. 🙂 LC's will always have a soft spot in my heart though. 👍
Stan Stevens! I had my RD250 and 400 tuned by Stan Stevens in the late 70's early 80's! I took my VFR 400 NC30 to Stan Stevens for de-restricting and tuning in the 90's. The VFR was a great bike.
@@Drifty40 the KR1S was beautiful. Loved the square block styled black and green. The green, white and blue looked good too. The RGV250 looked more modern. But the KR1S looked purposeful and ready to race. 50-60 bhp from 250s, they only make 1/2 that these days.
@@Google_Does_Evil_Now The reverse cylinder TZR250 and the NSR250 with the dry clutch was lovely back then aswell. I always hankered after an NSR but never owned one.
My first real ROAD BIKE was a '73 RD350 and was my only transportation for a few years...even Winter. MAN-O-MAN that was a trip to ride. It was so sporty and I had so much fun on that thing. The front end was light and liked to come up if you didn't watch the RPM's and shift just right. If you just gassed it then the front would let you know you were on some power...seen a few newbies get a quick lesson and go over backwards. I was never near enough to any tracks so never raced but IT was a kick in the ass to ride for sure. I broke so many CHAINS on that Bike I had to carry a spare with me at all times. Blew the Front tire once at low speed (20mph) in a City Park and went down pretty soft but still put a small dent the gas tank with a handle bar but other than that it was the only time it went down. I could out run the Kawi triples in the twisties but on the straights they could pull me. This was a TOTAL BLAST to watch and sure brought back some great memories on the RD350. Thanks for sharing a CLEAN RACE on a GREAT BIKE.
I was a 350lc man, loved em had a quite a few of em, used to go out with me mates who had stuff like exup 1000, zxr750, gsxr's etc and on a good bit of twistys, none could keep up with my LC. My dad had a 350LC with a stage 3 stan stephens tune, it was impossible to keep the front wheel down, wish i had kept them, worth a fortune these days.
@@deborahchesser7375 they were cracking bikes, once you get the smell of 2 stroke in you, and the ring a ding sound, you cant get rid of it. All my 2 strokes were yams, ended up with a very tidy TDR250, put TZR250 wheels and suspension on it, super motard before they were fashionable. Could you imagine 2 strokes in this world of green greta and her mad mates, you would get hung from the nearest lampost.
What a video...two of my favourite things from my youth,Barry Sheene and Yamaha rd 350 lc's..remember picking my brand new 350 up in 1984 from padjetts...2 weeks later it had a set of microns, rear sets, and a set of clip on's, I thought I was Barry Sheene 😃👍
Good memories, indeed, I still have my 350 YPVS from 1988 in the garage (red white). I still remember the first time I saw an RD accelerating in our village, I was blown away and fell in love forever (the sound, the smell, the look, the agility, the whole spirit of the RD´s).....
Awh! brings back memories! I used to work at Mitsui Yamaha in Chessington, Surrey in the UK and part of what I did was load and unload the bikes AND bits off and on the lorry for each race meeting. I'd lend a hand finding and fixing on parts to get them ready. The series leader rode the Wrangler sponsored bike in a nice blue and yellow colour scheme. Great times.
Loved those bikes, always had one, even when I had superbikes in the garage. Had a tuned F2 engine in the LC making 70 odd bhp, the smell, the crankshafts, the seizures 😁.
@@petrichor649 Not ridden one in years but, they were bloody good bikes. I think now with bikes having modern brakes, better tyres, far superior suspension and stiffer frames that they would be at a disadvantage on anything other that a really twisty road. It would be the same as another bike I owned, the Aprillia RS250, great fun and almost unbeatable on tight roads but, a competent rider on a CBR600R would blast past in any straight section. I wish I'd kept that bike, it was fantastic fun. Then again my old joints would likely disagree! I'll stick with my VFR800, easier on my knees.....
@@ohidontknow1061 I just love 2 strokes, also had a RGV and an RS in the late 90's, when they were just used bikes. You're right about CBR 600's, it blew my mind the first time I ride one, amazing chassis and the power of previous generation Superbikes. The maddest I rode was a Cagiva Mito 125 with 32 hp and a seven speed gearbox, I rode it from Bournemouth to Peterborough in one go, 10,000 rpm, all the way 😁. You could barely get the thing off the line, rev, clutch, bog, clutch, very high revs, slip, slip, and you're away, hilarious.
@@petrichor649 I learned to ride on 2 strokes, they were bonkers when tuned up. I raced Karts many years ago, 210 Nationals with a 210cc Villiers 2 stroke engine from an invalid carriage (blue fibreglass three wheeler) and, like all 2 stokes had a power band an inch wide. The Cagiva sounds fun though, my first 2 stroke was a Bultaco 380. You were either clinging on for dear life or flat on your back thinking what the hell happened!
Excellent bikes, I miss these days. Back in the 80s we all had 70s 2strokes, and these 350 beauties were the futuristic modern ones none of us could afford. Had great fun with the 250 version air cooled though!
Used to go to every meeting at Donington in those days as it was my local track. Watched every other round of this series on tv as well. The most exciting racing of that era, and the best and most skillful riders rose to the top as they were all on equal bikes with the same tyres, drifting on those tyres incredible to watch.Took a photo of the later YPVS models lined up in pit lane at Donington in 1984 with the series leader's bike in Wrangler colours. Great idea which they should consider introducing again as we have a lack of top riders at moto gp level.They tried again with the R6 cup back in 2003 but not the same as the pro am series. Rode RD350LC's back in the mid '80's, the most exciting bikes I ever rode including all the larger engined bikes I owned afterwards.
Barry Sheene, my childhood hero. I remember as a kid walking around the paddock one Friday afternoon with my dad and there in front of us stood Barry putting up the awning on the side of the team van! How times have changed. The only thing I had for him to sign was the back of my school jacket, which he did.
i had quit racing in the mid 70's and had never heard of this series but obviously very close racing. The RD350 was a terrific scooter. I earned my AMA Pro/Expert Road Race license in '74 and raced in the '75 Daytona 200 on a privateer, but fully sponsored for me, TZ-350 (D). Fyi, Kenny won that year on the new TZ-750.
I happened to be living in Europe and the UK in 1983/1984. I thought this was the Wrangler series. I did see several races throughout the UK. One of the best spec road race series in history. Awesome racing competition on awesome production motorcycles!!
Bought a brand new 250LC, then all my mates went for the 350. To keep up I managed to get hold of a 350 engine tuned for hill climbs added the double discs on the front and an allspeed exhaust. The most exciting bike I owned by far and probably worth a mint now.
Great race. Thanks for uploading. Brings back memories for me. A 350LC was the first bike I raced, so easy to ride and a lot of fun. Moved up to a TZ350 after the LC.
The Pro-Ams were brilliant. Everybody was on the same machinery so you had to prove yourself. I remember Barry Sheene saying, 'l' m glad I'm not out there'.
Wow I grew up on the RD250 and RD350 air cooled. The LCs blew my mind the first time I saw one. Too bad Yamaha couldn’t have done a Barry Sheene replica to go along with the Kenny Roberts version.
I was at Donington for this race and at Le Mans for Alan Carters 250cc Moto GP Win. It was so cold at Le Mans that it snowed on the morning of the races!
Raced one in formula 2 in 1981 in Mondello Park, Ireland. Best of times. What a yoke they are. Mine was standard except geared down to get 6th on the straight.
My favourite sort of racing. No fancy factories with their big budgets. Everyone has an equal opportunity to come first. It’s all down to the best rider on the day.
Did I hear him mention Wranglers? He he ....A few years later only undercover cops wore them...We used to watch the lc's battling it out at Knockhill .Great times ..The noise and the smell of 2 stroke .Heaven.
The RD250 LC the RD350 brother, you could ride on L plates at 17. 100mph Crazy when you think about it and that bike probably changed the Law for 2 part test etc. Great video, thank you for uploading.
I'm so old I remember my RD400 & I was so upset when Yamaha dropped the cc to 350 until I rode one! Jesus! I can still remember that power band now! I thought I'd been rammed up the arse by a 3 litre capri cop car!
One issue on these was the rear shock hardly worked and overheated causing the wallowing of the rear in corners after some time. I got mine tested by a buddy who worked at Bilstien on their shock dyno and it failed miserably, he made up a Bilstien gas shock to fit and turned some circlip slots in the body of it to fit the spring collar and stock spring and it completely solved the wallowing problem in the rear during races, regardless of the tyre and temps on the day and I'm in Aus where it is hotter than UK year round.
