The RD350 is a
two-stroke
A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a Thermodynamic power cycle, power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being comple ...
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...
produced by
Yamaha Yamaha may refer to:
* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services, established in 1887. The company is the largest shareholder of Yamaha Motor Company (below).
** Yamaha Music Foundation, an organization estab ...
from 1973 to 1975.
It evolved directly from the piston port (pre-reed valve intake tract), front
drum-braked, five-speed Yamaha 350 cc "R5".
The engine is an
air-cooled
Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over heat dissipation fins or hot areas of the engine to cool them in order to keep the engine within operating temperatures. In all combustion engines, a great percentage of the heat ge ...
,
parallel twin
A straight-twin engine, also known as an inline-twin, vertical-twin, or parallel-twin, is a two-cylinder piston engine whose cylinders are arranged in a line along a common crankshaft.
Straight-twin engines are primarily used in motorcycles; ot ...
, six-speed (in some markets, such as the UK, the first model was sold in five-speed form),
reed valve
Reed valves are a type of check valve which restrict the flow of fluids to a single direction, opening and closing under changing pressure on each face. Modern versions often consist of flexible metal or composite materials (fiberglass or carbon f ...
-equipped intake tract
two-stroke engine
A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being completed in one revolution of t ...
. The bike is usually referred to as a sport bike.
All models were equipped with "Autolube" automatic oil injection, relieving the user from the need to mix gasoline and
two-stroke oil
Two-stroke oil (also referred to as two-cycle oil, 2-cycle oil, 2T oil, or 2-stroke oil) is a special type of motor oil intended for use in crankcase compression two-stroke engines, typical of small gasoline-powered engines.
Use
Unlike a four-s ...
.
[
Rim sizes are 18" WM2 (1.85") front and 18" WM3 (2.15") rear, both being of chromed, wire spoked steel construction. In the UK, rim sizes were 1.60 front and 1.85 rear.
Brakes are: single front ]disc brake
A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hol ...
and a rear drum brake, a combination described by ''Cycle Magazine'' as the best in its class.
The frame dimensions of the street ''350'' are very similar to the Yamaha TZ 250
The Yamaha TZ 250 was a commercially available racing motorcycle with a watercooled, two-stroke, 250 cc engine produced by the Japanese manufacturer Yamaha.
The basis of the production-volume racer was the OW17 factory machine from Yamaha ...
and TZ 350 series factory road race bikes, differing mainly in weight and front fork rake – the RD being ~27 degrees and the TZ being ~25 degrees. The frames appear similar, side by side, with the street frame adorned with many brackets for the street equipment. The weight difference is substantial though, with the street-going RD frame weighing almost twice as much as the "TZ" roadrace race frame.
The stock bike made ( at the back wheel) at 7500 rpm
The RD350B in India
A licensed version of the RD350B was assembled in India between 1983–1990 by Escorts group
Escorts Kubota Limited formerly Escorts Limited is an Indian multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate that operates in the sectors of agricultural machinery, construction machinery, material handling, and railway equipment. Its headq ...
under the brand name Rajdoot 350
The Rajdoot, also known as the RD, was a two-stroke Yamaha motorcycle made in India by Escorts group from 1983 to 1989. RD stands for 'Race derived' , in India promoted by Rajdoot in collaboration with Yamaha Japan.
It is a licensed copy of t ...
. It did not repeat the success of the RD350B in the Indian market, which some attribute to a high purchase price and poor fuel efficiency
Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier (fuel) into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, wh ...
. However, it established Rajdoot/Yamaha as a performance bike manufacturer in India. There were two models for the Rajdoot 350 - High Torque and Low Torque. Compared to the Yamaha RD350B that made at the crankshaft, the 'High Torque' version made and the later 'Low Torque' made only , the engine being detuned in the quest for better fuel economy. By the time the production ended in 1990, the bike was nearly 100% sourced in India, with very little Japanese parts content.
Brakes are: 180mm dia drum brakes front internal expansion (twin leading type) and rear single internal expansion.
The RD350 was the first sporting motorcycle built in India, and it still enjoys cult status, with many RD clubs around the country. Around 7000 were made at the end of 1990.
See also
*List of Yamaha motorcycles
List of motorcycles manufactured by Yamaha Motor Company.
First bikes
* YA-1 built August 1954, produced January 1955. The first bike manufactured by Yamaha was actually a copy of the German DKW RT 125; it had an air-cooled, two-stroke, single ...
*
The Yamaha RD History
References
External links
More about Yamaha RD350
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yamaha RD350
RD350
The RD350 is a two-stroke motorcycle produced by Yamaha from 1973 to 1975. It evolved directly from the piston port (pre-reed valve intake tract), front drum-braked, five-speed Yamaha 350 cc "R5".
The engine is an air-cooled, parallel twin, s ...
Motorcycles introduced in 1973
Standard motorcycles
Two-stroke motorcycles
Motorcycles powered by straight-twin engines