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1973 Yamaha RD350 - 4-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article

$ 6.84

Availability: 70 in stock
  • Make: Yamaha
  • Country/Region of Manufacture: United States

    Description

    1973 Yamaha RD350 - 4-Page Vintage Motorcycle Road Test Article
    Original, vintage magazine article
    Page Size: Approx. 8" x 11" (21 cm x 28 cm) each page
    Condition: Good
    THE NEW YAMAHA RD 350
    might well be termed the brother of
    the giant killer if it were compared
    to its stablemate, the TR3. Racing
    versions of the RD 350 have suc-
    cessfully trounced machines over
    twice their size in AMA Class C
    competition for the past several
    years with such regularity that you
    know it couldn’t be a mistake.
    Many features of the new RD
    350 have come as a direct result of Yamaha’s participation in
    road racing, both in the United States and abroad, proving that
    there is truth in the adage “racing improves the breed.”
    The RD 350 is a cafe racer’s delight with its slim, sleek
    styling, disc brake on the front wheel and a closely-spaced
    six-speed transmission. It also appeals to the daily commuter
    who rides his motorcycle back and forth to work. Its light
    weight and nimble handling characteristics make it an ideal
    vehicle for combating the traffic jams found in so many of
    today’s cities.
    Or take the RD 350 out on a favorite stretch of hilly,
    winding road where the six-speed transmission and powerful
    front disc brake can be used to their fullest and you’ll find a
    race-bred motorcycle in a street machine’s clothing.
    Here is where we find out what a motorcycle can do.
    Accelerate rapidly to a certain speed, decelerate by use of the
    brakes, swoop through a series of turns at a good angle of lean
    without dragging the side or center stand. This is where the
    RD 350 excels.
    High speed turns exhibited the bike’s near neutral handling
    characteristics with little tendency to oversteer when the
    power was applied. It had no tendency to plow or turn in on
    itself in slow turns. It felt as though the Yamaha was on rails,
    the rear wheel faithfully following the line taken by the front
    wheel. These are the same fine characteristics we found on the
    R5 that we tested a couple of years ago.
    Aside from the reed valve induction system and the
    six-speed transmission the RD 350 is almost a carbon copy of
    last year’s R5D. The narrow crankshaft assembly is supported
    by four hefty ball bearings and a labyrinth seal separates the
    two crank chambers. Roller bearings support the connecting
    rods at the bottom and needle bearings are employed at the
    small ends to carry the two-ring pistons.
    Like most Japanese two-stroke Twins, the RD 350 requires
    several kicks with the choke full on to get it running and then
    a minute or so warm-up before setting off on a ride. Snick the
    short-throw gear lever down into first gear, release the clutch
    and you’re off on a ride that closely approximates the ride on
    a road racing machine.
    Even though the new transmission has six speeds, first and
    sixth gears provide almost the same reductions as did the older
    first and fifth gears. The RD 350 pulls well from about 3500
    rpm to 8000 rpm which makes it seem unnecessary to have an
    extra gear. But the joy obtained from riding an RD 350 with
    its closely spaced gears is worth the extra trouble Yamaha
    went to. Shift lever throw is short and positive and the
    gearbox is very quiet in operation.
    Of special interest is the reed valve induction system, called
    Torque Induction by Yamaha. In this system an additional
    seventh port is present and is really just an upward extension
    of the inlet port. The reed valve unit is located in the original
    inlet tract and opens as long as there is a demand for a fresh
    fuel/air charge, hence there is less chance of fuel being wasted
    by too great a throttle opening in relation to the engine’s rpm
    or from blow-back through the carburetor because of too low ...
    12661-7302-08 mb2128-74RTA-08