Craigslist Quickie
1984 Yamaha RZ350
Miles: 16,436
Second Owner
$7,500
Turner Falls, MA
“There is a certain joy to unrefined fast.”
So said Dan, our founder, in 2019 while writing about the RZ350 on RSBFS. “Built as emissions were about to kill street two strokes in this country, the RZ350 wasn’t as simple as its earlier counterparts, with powervalves to ease the two-stroke hit and catalytic converters to calm the EPA, but it was still a deadly simple and effective package. With just 331 pounds pushed around by 50-ish horsepower and roadracer handling, there was little not to like about the bumble-bee liveried machines. Sure, there were simpler ways to go fast, but there’s a certain joy to unrefined fast.”
SELLER
Very clean, runs great, original and not restored. 16,436 miles. I bought this in 2015 from the original owner. It has some small dings in the tank and minor chips in the fiberglass as this bike is 40 years old and has never been painted. I believe this price is extremely fair on my part considering how nice this bike is, and rare. I can Email more photos upon request
RSBFS
For. many reasons, this bike has been well received on the site. Tad posted a fully restored RZ350 back in 2017, giving us some background info. “Produced for a very short period between 1984 and 1985, the RZ350 was a follow up to Yamaha’s RD bikes. It was powered by a 347cc two-stroke parallel-twin that added liquid-cooling to the successful formula, along with the “Yamaha Power Valve System” or “YPVS.” Powerband is typically two-stroke-y, even with the benefit of the YPVS power-valve, but the additional displacement helps some, compared to the all-or-nothing 250s. Weighing in at just 370 pounds or so with gas in the tank, it will still shake a leg on spirited backroad rides and can surprise modern machines, although tire choices for the skinny 18″ wheels will limit ultimate grip…
Well-reviewed when new and very popular now, the RZ350 neatly straddles the modern and classic eras, with clearly vintage sportbike style, light weight, and a liquid-cooled two-stroke punch. If you’re looking for US-legal two-stroke performance, this is just about the only game in town,”
Good luck to the buyer and seller!
2 strokes were not killed in the USA because of emissions it was because of low sales. Lots of new RZ350’s took years to sell. You can still buy street legal 2 stokes in the USA, I have a Derbi 50cc made in 2006 and sold new in New York.
O.K.