At least in the USA, the two-stroke engine was winding down in the mid-1980’s, as the State of California ratcheted down emissions, and the Federal Government applied the fleet concept to motor vehicle manufacturer’s emissions. The final few years were a hodgepodge of catalysts and evaporative emissions canisters, but the sweet handling bikes were quite…
These days, it’s longer to tell what’s not onboard the RZ-350 than what is. One of the last two-strokes in the U.S. market, there is no ECU, no 3-way adjustable dampers, no anti-dive, no traction control, no speed shifter, no fuel injection, no anti-lock brakes, etc., etc. Just 375 lbs., 50 ponies, and maybe you.…
While many motorcycle fans are sticklers for originality, I take a more flexible view: basically, if you make changes, even significant ones to the bike, but manage to maintain the spirit of the original, I’m probably on board. And while this Yamaha RZ350 isn’t quite stock, the seller obviously wanted to stay close to the…
Yamaha made a name for itself in the US building giant-killing two-stroke parallel twins that powered the RD and later RZ models like this 1985 RZ350. The 347cc engine reatured liquid-cooling and made over 40hp stock, with plenty more available with careful tuning. While Honda largely focused on their heavy, but very sophisticated two and…
We just saw a very nice NS400R and now we have this immaculate RZ350 with just 10 miles on the clocks. It wasn’t a powerhouse, but Yamaha’s claimed 55hp combined with a dry weight of just 305lbs made for a very engaging riding experience. As long as you keep the revs and corner speed up,…
When it comes to the RZ350, examples fall into three basic groups: Stone stock (the most rare), nicely modified models with tasty pipes and suspension, and rat bikes thrashed within an inch of their poor parallel twin lives and then tarted up for a quick sale (most common). While RZs are climbing in value overall,…
The last of the factory two strokes to be imported into the United States (and even California!), the RZ350 continues to be a fan favorite despite the relative lack of rarity. A decent RZ can be found pretty much any day of the week in the US or just across the border in Canada. The…
Touted as a museum quality example of the breed, this 1985 Yamaha RZ350 has just over 16,000 miles and still sports the original exhaust and all plastics intact. From the number and quality of the pictures, this looks to be a fine ride indeed! If you’ve been watching RZs and see them float by in…