A rare sight here in the US, today’s Yamaha RD350LC is a lightweight, performance two-stroke the likes of which haven’t been seen here in a long time, as emissions legislation effectively killed off road-going “smokers” in the 1980s. It’s a shame, as two-strokes are naturally lighter than four-strokes of equivalent power, and are mechanically much simpler, with no cams or poppet valves. The downsides are significantly increased emissions, as a two-stroke requires lubricating oil to be premixed or injected into the fuel-air mixture, and two-stroke engines have increased maintenance requirements. Basically, a two-stroke motorcycle is a performance-junky’s dream: powerbands are typically very peaky, requiring dedication to get the most out of them, and the bikes are light, improving handling potential.
The Yamaha RD350LC was a middle child in the development of Yamaha’s two-stroke lineup of the late 70s and early 80s. It followed on the heels of the RD400, a classically 1970s bike with prominent cooling fins and a snazzy polished front fender. At 347cc, displacement of the RD350LC was actually smaller than that of the RD400, but power and refinement were significantly increased with the addition of the liquid-cooling indicated by the “LC” in the name. Styling of the new bike was more modern, although still traditional: the bike had handle bars instead of clip-ons, along with a fairly upright riding position. But the overall package and performance were much improved: the frame was a monoshock setup and a pair of disc brakes up front helped the bike stop well.
Produced between 1980 and 1983, the RD350LC was never officially sold in the US, although it was sold in Canada, and a few have made their way south, making the bike extremely rare here. The LC was followed by the revised and YPVS-equipped RZ350 in 1983 that was available in the US and is naturally more familiar to buyers here. Today’s example is one of those Canadian imports, although with so few miles on it, it probably wasn’t actually ridden all the way here…
1981 Yamaha RD350LC
2 Stroke
2259 miles
Canadian bike. Clean, clear AZ title.
Partially restored. Tank, side covers, front fender and rear cowl have all been professionally painted, striped, decals and cleared.
Carbs were just torn down, cleaned and rebuilt. New oil lines to carbs.
Bike starts on first kick.
Front brake calipers and master cylinder just rebuilt.
New plugs, coolant, brake fluid and gear box oil.
Believed to still have the original tires (they do show some dry rotting/cracking)
Right side mirror missing.
Original owners manual and tool kit present.
Bike is located near Phoenix, AZ.
No price discussion without seeing the bike first.
$15,000 USD
Cash only, no trades.
The Yamaha RD350LC is a very desirable and collectible motorcycle, one of the last street-legal two stroke sportbikes available in North America. This example has just 2,259 miles on the odometer, is very clean, and is claimed to be in excellent mechanical shape, with significant recent servicing to make sure the bike is in running condition. $15,000 is strong money for one of these, but I doubt you’ll find one in the US that is nicer, or more original, with mileage this low. Just add fresh tires.
-tad
