• £10,000 restoration by Classic Bike Stables

 • Dry-stored

 • Historic status - road tax and MOT exempt

Some bikes do not require an introduction. Amongst them is Yamaha’s classic street fighter - the RD350, produced from 1973 to 1975. Renowned as a “giant killer” in its time, this engaging and very capable two-stroke sports bike has rightly earned itself iconic status as one of the greatest bikes of the 70s.

This bike was based in Florida for much of its life, so little is known of the history before it was imported in 2013. Since that time, it has had a couple of owners in the UK before the current owner purchased it in June 2017.

They soon decided to fully restore the bike to its original glory. So in late 2018 it was sent to Classic Bike Stables of Bridlington, for a full cosmetic and mechanical overhaul totalling nearly £10,000 (and completed in January 2019). Since the restoration it has not been used much at all, but has been kept dry-stored.

It should be noted that the reason for sale is that the owner has moved abroad, and so this bike is being sold on his behalf by a close friend who is resident in the UK.

As the bike was imported from the USA, no paperwork exists documenting its history prior to 2013. What is present in the file is the current V5, the numberplate authorisation certificate from the DVLA, the import documentation from DVLA and a copy of the ‘Certificate of Title’ from Florida.

Also included is the receipt for the restoration work carried out by Classic Bike Stables, totalling almost £10,000.

As this vehicle is more than 40 years old, it qualifies for ‘Historic’ status and is therefore road tax and MOT exempt.

Yamaha’s 1970s twin-stroke bikes have always been popular, and it’s easy to see why – they’re very pretty things. The proportions and styling are spot on, having an almost lean, athletic quality to them.

This bike has been restored to a very high standard, and finished in a glorious shade of purple that’s absolutely correct for the period. The quality of the paint finish is second-to-none, as is the condition of the brightwork, vinyl saddle, lights, controls etc. It’s clearly been gone over with a fine-toothed comb and looks every inch the showstopper.

It’s perhaps unsurprising that it’s in such good condition, as has been mentioned it has been dry-stored and barely used since the restoration in early 2019. So what you have here is, effectively, a new bike. A very purple, very lovely, new bike.

While the bike has been fully restored in 2019, due to the fact it has been dry-stored for the last two years and hardly used, we would recommend a light-touch recommissioning before venturing out onto the highway.

Mechanically, Yamaha’s parallel twin two-strokes have always been very robust and offered lots of punch for their size. The unit in the RD350 is no different. The 347cc air-cooled engine pushes out a healthy 39bhp and revs out to 7,500rpm. While this may not sound like much, due to the bike’s light weight it offers a very responsive and sporting ride that earned it its status as a “giant killer”.

One of the advantages of these bikes is that they feature the ‘Autolube’ automatic oil injection system, so you don’t need to worry about pre-mixing the fuel and oil. As far as we could see, all of the mechanical aspects of this bike appear to be in excellent condition, including the 6-speed transmission, front forks, rear swing arm, front disc brake and rear drum.

We are informed by the current keeper that the bike runs really well, everything functioning exactly as it should.

We’re sure you can already see the appeal of this wonderfully purple gem. With a recent £10,000 restoration by a certified specialist, what we have here must be one of the nicest RD350s in the country. Those looks twinned with Yamaha’s iconic 350 twin-stroke make for an intoxicating cocktail.

The fabulous looks are not let down by the performance either. The RD350’s iconic ‘giant-killer’ status was rightly earned. Renowned in its day for out-performing many a larger bike, it still offers an engaging and punchy ride – perfect for a regular B-road blast.

As mentioned, due to the fact it’s been dry-stored for two years, we recommend the new owner undertakes a light-touch recommissioning before taking it out on the road. But overall the bike really is in incredible condition. It’s the kind of machine anyone would be proud to stand beside at the regular Sunday morning café meet.