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RESTORED BY MY FRIEND KEVIN WHO IS A TIME SERVED TOOLMAKER WITH ACCESS TO THE BEST OF MACHINERY. KEVIN HAS TO HAVE A PROJECT ON THE GO AND HE BOUGHT THE BIKE SHORTLY AFTER IT WAS IMPORTED AND REGISTERED BY THE IMPORTER WHEN IT WAS 46 YEARS OLD (IN JANUARY 2019) AND IN REASONABLE CONDITION . LIKE MOST TOOLMAKERS I HAVE KNOWN KEVIN IS A PERFECTIONIST. HE STRIPPED THE BIKE DOWN COMPLETELY AND HAD THE FRAME CHECKED WHICH WAS FOUND TO BE IN GOOD ORDER BY ABBA ENGINEERING THE FRAME SPECIALISTS IN ESSEX. THE FORK LEGS WERE HARD CHROMED AND GROUND BY A. M. PHILPOTTS LTD. HE STRIPPED THE ENGINE AND HAD IT REBORED BY CHRIS APPLEBEE ENGINEERING +. 05 AND NEW MITAKA PISTONS WERE FITTED. THE CRANK WAS FITTED WITH NEW OUTER BEARINGS AND SEALS, ALL THER PARTS CHECKED TO BE GOOD AND REASSEMBLED. GEARBOX BEARINGS WERE RENEWED, NEW CLUTCH PLATES FITTED, CARBURETTORS STRIPPED AND CHECKED AND REBUILT, NEW CABLES FITTED, OIL PUMP OVERHAULED, STEERING HEAD BEARING CHECKED, FRONT BRAKE CALIPER OVERHAULED AND ALL OTHER MOVING AND WEARING PARTS WERE CHECKED AND REPLACED AS REQUIRED. LOTS OF SMALLPARTS LIKE OIL SEALS, PLUG LEADS, BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, CLUTCH PUSHROD BEARING, GROMMETS, FOOTREST RUBBERS, GEAR LEVER RUBBER, CARB. GASKETS, FUEL HOSE KIT, MIRRORS, FUEL TANK FILLER CAP SEAL KIT, AIR BOX STRAP, NEW NIKKO 12VOLT HORN, SIDE PANEL KIT , OIL TO TANK HOSE KIT, OIL TANK FILLER NECK KIT, CABLE ADJUSTER, KICKSTART RUBBER, BRAKE OPIPE FRONT UPPER, CARB TOP BOOT, INDICATOR TEARDROP WASHER KIT, BRAKE PIPE FRONT LOWER, HANDLEBAR WHITE CABLE TIES, BLACK DRAIN HOSE, BRAKE HOSE MOUNTING RUBBER, BRAKE HOSE FRONT UPPER AND LOWER, BRAKE HOSE BANJO BOLT IN STAINLESS STEEL, 2 BRAKE HOSE BANJO BOLTS, CLUTCH LEVER, BRAKE CALIPER BLEED NIPPLE, OIL LINE KIT, OIL PUMP LINE GROMMET, SILENCER MOUNTING GROMMET, TAIL LIGHT MOUNTING DAMPER, MAIN STAND BUFFER, 2 FUEL FILTERS, CLUTCH FRICTION PLATE KIT HEAVY DUTY, CLUTCH PUSH ROD OIL SEAL, 2 SPARK PLUG CAPS, HT SPARK PLUG LEAD, REAR BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. I HAVE WRITTEN THESE ITEMS KEVIN BOUGHT AND FITTED DOWN SO IT CAN BE SEEN THE EXTENT OF THE RESTORATION. EVERYTHING THAT WASNT AS GOOD AS NEW WAS REPLACED. THE BIKE IS AS GOOD AS A NEW BIKE IN MY OPINION. THE REAR LIGHT, DOWN PIPES AND GEAR CHANGE WERE RE CHROMED BY HOCKLEY ENTERPRISES IN SOUTHEND ON SEA. ALL THE OTHER CHROME IS ORIGINAL AS ARE THE WHEELS WHICH WERE RESPOKED BY WILLIS WHEELS IN NORTH WEALD, ESSEX AFTER NEW WHEEL BEARINGS, BRAKE PADS AND BRAKE LININGS ETC WERE FITTED. NEW TYRES AND INNER TUBES WERE FITTED AND THE WHEELS BALANCED, THE FRAME AND SWINGING ARM WERE BEADBLASTED AND ENAMLED IN BLACK. THE FUEL TANK, OIL TANK HEADLAMP AND OTHER PARTS WERE PAINTED AND THE REQUIRED TRANSFERS FITTED AND THEN PAINTED AGAIN WITH TWO PACK CLEAR LAQUER. I BOUGHT THE BIKE FROM KEVIN IN JULY 2022. THE BIKE IS A 1073 MODEL. THE ADVERT SHOWS SOMEWHERE ITS A 1974 BUT THIS IS A TYPO. THE MONEY I PAID ALLOWED KEVIN TO BUY AND RESTORE A 500CC SUZUKI TWO STROKE TWIN AS ANOTHER PROJECT WHICH HE REBUILT IN RACE TRIM SO HE COULD PARADE IT. I HAVE ADDED A PHOTO OF MY YDS3 IN CASE ANYONE IS INTERESTED. I BOUGHT THE RD350 AS I DREAMED OF OWNING A YAMAHA YDS3 IN MY YOUTH BACK IN 1964 AND COULD NOT AFFORD ONE SO I DECIDED TO BUY THE RD350 AS I COULD NOW AFFORD IT AND THE RD350 WAS A GOOD SUBSTITUTE. I KNEW IT WAS A GOOD BIKE BECAUSE OF KEVINS EXPERTESE IN ENGINEERING AND RESTORING TWO STROKES. THE BIKE WAS IMPORTED FROM THE USA IN 2018. I HAVE NOW BOUGHT A 1964 YDS3 SO THE RD350 IS TO BE SOLD. I HAVE DONE MY BEST TO EXPLAIN THE WORK DONE BY KEVIN IN RESTORING THE BIKE BUT KEVIN DID MUCH MORE TO THE BIKE THAN I HAVE WRITTEN DOWN.
