Back in Black… and Yellow: 1984 Yamaha RZ350

Since the world appears to be going crazy with collector prices on RZ350s these days, let’s take a look at another candidate to see what is available in the market right now. The emphasis being what is in the market right now, as in what the current market will bear. And that is the maddening world of collector bikes; it makes no difference that you couldn’t give away an RZ 10 or 15 years ago, or that you could scoop up a top condition bike for under $5k. Today the market on RZ350s is pretty strong, and sellers are expecting more of the same. Thus, for your perusal, a very clean and relatively low mileage example of a 1984 RZ350, mostly unmolested save for some aftermarket Allspeed chambers (which surprisingly appear similar to the stock cans in silhouette).

1984 Yamaha RZ350 for sale on eBay

From the seller:
This is a NO Hidden Reserve Auction… highest bidder will Win!

For sale from my collection is one of my most prize possessions… a 1984 Kenny Roberts Edition RZ350L with 6,134 miles! Downsizing is my motivation and if this doesn’t sell, it won’t break my heart… I know I can’t replace it as these low mile bikes are gobbled up by collectors as one of their most prize possessions.

I purchased this bike out of state in Nov.2005. Even then, low mileage bikes were hard to find. The seller said it was stored and not ridden for almost 15 years and that it was then “refreshed” at a Yamaha Dealership with the request to make it “Run Like New” (as listed on the service order). The service bill was over $1,100 and included coolant system service, carbs, brakes, fluids and complete factory adjustments and lubrication. Some of the parts included 2 new Bridgestone Battlax BT45 tires, brake parts and pads for re-build, Air Filter, Spark Plugs, Carb parts, cables and oil.

More from the seller:
Since purchase, I barely rode the bike but it rode and ran fantastic. Incredible power, handling, braking and simply crisp. Pipe is not super loud and sounds really nice. That was a very busy time for me and it wasn’t long after that I removed the tank and prepped it for storage in my climate controlled garage along with my other bikes. I have not started or rode it in years so it will need to be gone through again should the buyer decide to ride it.

The bike is completely stock with exception of the Vintage Allspeed expansion chambers, New Bridgestone tires (at the time I purchased) and brake pads.

I hope the photos speak for themselves but I think the bike is in Excellent / Very good condition for a bike of this age. There are a couple of blemishes on the tank you can see in the photos but no major dents. The blemishes are just scratches and the previous owner used touch-up paint to repair. I believe you can take this to a professional and greatly improve the appearance. The one close-up photo is the worst spot with a small nick and is ever so slightly dented about 1/16” deep not quite the size of a dime. Underside of the tank is super nice & inside of the tank is also really nice. Just flash surface rust but it has been sealed and stored empty all these years. Overall paint on the Bike is also very nice with only minor imperfections you can see in the photos. Chin spoiler has no cracks and also really nice. I included a close-up of the front fork seal areas which look like new… no nicks or corrosion and I did not notice the seals leaking any fork oil. Brakes still seem to work fine and did not stick while I moved the bike but the fluid should be replaced again. Pipes still have the original paint and there is a shallow dent in the lower part of the pipe near the foot peg you can see in the photo (pic #9).

More from the seller:
I’ve tried to show as many photos as possible even with the tank & seat removed and underside. The seat by the way is in mint condition, soft and absolutely no cracks or tears. Chrome on the rear grab bar is smooth & great.

The bike comes with the original owner’s manual, original key and a copy of the service order the previous owner gave me. It still has the original Tool Kit. No battery as it was removed for storage and gave up the ghost long ago.

If the winning bidder is interested, I have an original vintage set of Toomey Pipes in near mint condition and a very nice Black / Yellow Corbin “Gunfighter ” Seat I will offer for purchase after the sale. I prefer to keep them both but will offer only if the Winning Bidder is interested.

The pictures show a very clean example of the RZ; used for 6,000 miles and change, but certainly does not appear abused. Corrosion and weathering is minimal, and while there is the noted mar on the tank, the rest of the bike looks to be much like it came from the showroom. This No Reserve auction has a starting price of $12,500 – which is actually pretty reasonable given the condition and market craziness. The last RZ we posted (here) has been bid up to just under $12k at time of writing, with a BIN of $18,500. This bike starts at $12,500 with no reserve, and $15k is very likely given recent pricing trends. You don’t have to love the bull market if you are a buyer, but what do you think of the bike? Check out all of the details here, and Good Luck!!

MI