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RD 125
124cc 2-stroke twin. 16hp, 240lb, 70mpg, 75mph.
Pre 12hp restriction sporty 125. Bouncy handling and an apetite for plugs are
the bad bits, decent go is the good side. You'll pay about £400 for a good,
late (1981) model - if you can find one.
RD 125 LC
123cc l/c 2-stroke single. 12hp, 210lb, 70mpg, 70mph.
Sporty-looking learner special with similar performance to all the others.
Now getting long in the tooth and lacking the crucial street race cred of
the newer stuff. Liable to have been severely abused, check the rear suspension
for wear and the motor for alleged tuning.
Yamaha RD125LC Prices: Low £350, High £600
RD 250
247cc 2-stroke twin. 30hp, 330lb, 50mpg, 95mph.
Pre-liquid cooling sports 250 with fine performance if in very good condition.
High rates of engine wear can make this an unwise choice unless mileage is
very low and standard very high.
Yamaha RD250 Prices: Low £100, High £400
RD 250 LC
247cc 2-stroke twin. 35hp, 310lb, 40mpg, 100mph.
Faster and more reliable water-cooled offspring of the old RD250. May seem
irrelevant as the 350 is easily available, but still fun. Exhausts and carbs
can give rise to problems, and be very careful to avoid raced examples.
Yamaha RD250LC Prices: Low £350, High £750
RD 350 LC
347cc l/c 2-stroke twin. 45hp, 320lb, 35mpg, 110mph.
Just the same as the 250LC but with a bigger engine and a second front disc.
Same faults and similar performance, but with less stress. Very exciting to
ride and very popular with racers, street and track.
Yamaha RD350LC Prices: Low £650, High £1250
RD 350 F
347cc 2-stroke twin. 59hp, 320lb, 45mpg, 120mph
Thorough redesign of the earlier Elsie with an improved chassis and Power
Valve engine makes this the sports 350 to go for. Few problem areas as long
as raced examples are avoided. Absolute tops in the smiles per mile ratings
on twisty roads! No longer made and Mitsui have stopped importing the Brazil-built
RD350R. Price dependant on condition and lack of home tuner's attention.
Yamaha RD350F Prices: Low £900, High £2000
RD 400
398cc 2-stroke twin. 40hp, 365lb, 45mpg, 105mph
Quick pre-LC street racer. Fast enough for almost anyone with demon accelaration,
but weak brakes. Engine wear will be the big problem along with rising prices
caused by the Jap Classic brigade. Buy the final E-version with cast wheels
and electronic ignition. Original pipes totally unobtainable.
Yamaha RD400 Prices: Low £250, High £500
RD 500 LC
499cc l/c 2-stroke V4. 79hp, 392lb, 35mpg, 135mph.
First of the real racer reps with mucho performance and dead flash styling.
Excellent handling and brakes, allied to the racer bodywork make this the
ultimate LC. Looks a bit dated now and smokes a lot. Sound design but check
carefully for signs of crash damage. They never hacked it on the track so
unlikely to have been raced. Appreciating in value against equivalent NS and
RG simply because of Yamaha's 2-stroke heritage, not because it's the best
bike. Main bearings go AWOL at exactly 20,000 miles.
Yamaha RD500LC Prices: Low £1900, High £3000
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