YAMAHA RD350LC PRO - AM Race Series - Donington Park 1983.
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- čas přidán 17. 08. 2013
- YAMAHA RD350LC PRO - AM Race Series - Donington Park 1983. See Alan Carter Race the Later RD350LC YPVS Model Here - • YAMAHA RD350LC YPVS - ...
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Those were the days, I miss it so much!
30 nutters on identical bikes. What could go wrong. I loved watching the Pro-Am.
Nowt goes wrong it's even fun when you cock up done it only broke lever and my wrist.havnt raced in years but still ride like a loon 👍
❤🇬🇧😁To be honest. Who can use a modern superbike properly on local derbyshire roads? A little beauty like that you could just pin it and all the shakes, wallows, bottoming out and pipe grinding all added to the fun. Proper clutchy monos too. And cos it was all you knew and none of your mates could afford exotica; it felt proper fast. It was fast. It's like velocity is relative, man🌼boomshanka!
May the seed of your loins be fruitful in the belly of your woman:Neil.
@@andr3wbr1dg3s boomshanka♥️🇬🇧😁
You make it sound slow man,RD 350 was like first gear second thir..whoooa braking,i mean if you pinned it you had over 125kmh(65/70mph)when you clanked it in third.
My mate had one, allspeed pipes etc.. proper fun bike.
If motor racing was this good, I would still watch it.
The phrase "Niall Mackenzie, the Scottish boy" That ages me!
Great video.
Loved my Rd350Lc Kenny Roberts,great memories
I can literally smell the Castrol R from here. 👍 🏁
Not literally, no.
Lol I was going to post that watching the video ! Although I always used Ricinus oil in mine .
Castrol R in a two stroke?
You could always smell it when you turned up at a track before you got through the entrance. Great memories.
More like Bel-Ray Si7...Castor oil cannot be used in oil injected RD250 and 350LCs with autolube system still connected.
My very first job when I started in the motorcycle trade was to unbox, assemble and pdi half a dozen LCs, 250s and 350s. They were amazing little machines. I think I have more daft stories about these bikes that any other bikes we sold.
Loved mine. Bloody bonkers ride.
I was 20 when this was on. My friend had a RD250LC and I had a Suzuki RG250WD when they first came out. They were wonderful machines, far more sport orientated than anything before it. The crackle, and smell, of a well tuned 2 stroke starting up sent the hairs on the back of your neck up. Soon after came the first GSXR750s and the superbike era was born. Wonderful times.
Those 750’s, mono-ing like an mx bike (in 3rd), was something new.
barry sheene me and a few others for a laugh at the isle of man TT decided to try and bore a engine fin and engine cooling block/fairing to give a "water gallery" using a mini's water pump and oil radiator from an aston martin to provide the water movement/cooling. before the end of the isle of man that year, we had developed the "liquid cooled" motorcycle. not many people knew this.He taught me to ride (barry) it was lovely to hear his voice again. (yes yamaha had already done it).
Of course !
Alan Carter's save was amazing. I raced for 11 years and have never seen a comeback quite so incredible with perhaps the exception of Randy Mamola's high side where he held onto the Yamaha "side-saddle" after smashing the windscreen.
Truly incredible stuff by both.
What a close race, and what an incredible save from Alan Carter.
Best era of 2 stroke racing.👍👍
NSR500s thanks.
@@forddriver8827 this one is correct
I bought a 350LC from a guy in San Francisco who spent untold sums of money building it into seriously fast road bike. Unfortunately he'd never riden a 2 stroke before and ran it into the back of a car the first time it came onto it's pipes. I got it for $500, put another $125 replacing the forks, and had the time of my life taring up the back roads of Northern California.
A 1974 RD350 was my only transportation in the mid '70s. Loved that bike. Put chambers, Dunlop K-81s, and a quarter-faring with low handlebars on her. THE Best "Cafe Racer" Ever!? I think so
I was lucky enough to cut my teeth on these rockets, The RD series of bikes were just awesome!!!!
Same,, was my first real bike,, threw on some RZ-R fairing on it and BAM I was a racer!! haha
I was a 350lc man, loved em had a quite a few of em, used to go out with me mates who had stuff like exup 1000, zxr750, gsxr's etc and on a good bit of twistys, none could keep up with my LC. My dad had a 350LC with a stage 3 stan stephens tune, it was impossible to keep the front wheel down, wish i had kept them, worth a fortune these days.
@@cbrboy76 that’s true, I had a bunch of bikes mostly Yamaha’s and miss them all.
@@deborahchesser7375 they were cracking bikes, once you get the smell of 2 stroke in you, and the ring a ding sound, you cant get rid of it. All my 2 strokes were yams, ended up with a very tidy TDR250, put TZR250 wheels and suspension on it, super motard before they were fashionable. Could you imagine 2 strokes in this world of green greta and her mad mates, you would get hung from the nearest lampost.
Still have my first bike, 71 rd 350 , in the back yard.
I’ve had many bikes over the years but my old LC gave me more pure fun and insane memories than any other
I went through at least 5 or 6 LC 250 and 350s in the 80s. Loved them, although the rear shock was always too soft as standard.
Allspeeds or Marvicks they sounded and went great.
I moved on to racing a Stan Steven's tuned KR1S, from 91 - 94 in SS400, then a TZ350. Gave up racing in 95 when kids arrived and just stuck to fun on the roads with a few mates. My SRAD 750 is now my pride and joy, kept it since 2003 and went through R1, Fireblade and ZX10, but still have my SRAD. 🙂
LC's will always have a soft spot in my heart though. 👍
Stan Stevens! I had my RD250 and 400 tuned by Stan Stevens in the late 70's early 80's! I took my VFR 400 NC30 to Stan Stevens for de-restricting and tuning in the 90's. The VFR was a great bike.
@@pauld7827
My wife had an NC30 in Repsol colours, after her RS125.....great handling wee bike. 👍
@@Drifty40 the KR1S was beautiful. Loved the square block styled black and green. The green, white and blue looked good too. The RGV250 looked more modern. But the KR1S looked purposeful and ready to race.
50-60 bhp from 250s, they only make 1/2 that these days.
@@Google_Does_Evil_Now
The reverse cylinder TZR250 and the NSR250 with the dry clutch was lovely back then aswell.
I always hankered after an NSR but never owned one.
I just stumbled into this amazing CZcams Video and literally brought me to tears as I once raced AFM
& ARRA 350/400cc production in California back in the late 70s early 80s. I was in the top 3 and my secret (besides going crazy fast), is I was running tubeless and I discovered how to balance my wheels with out adding heavy lead weights. At the time Ed Tummy, Pat Eggan, Danny Coe & my self were the top contenders in the hardest and most popular class in all motorcycle racing. It was so popular that we were given the honor to be the last motor racing event of the 1979 decade at the Riverside race way. I was On my way to taking 2nd when my engine stuck through the famed WEre on the last lap... That's history. And it was fun!!!
Awesome! ❤️❤️I tried to start on an lc350 but never completed my provisional count as I wrote it off down in Cornwall while running it in after a bore
How did you balance the wheels without lead weights?
@@Google_Does_Evil_Now, shaved weight off the wheel?
@@Google_Does_Evil_Now yea I'd like to know too lol
@@Google_Does_Evil_Now Two ways I remember back then: Some of the "gorilla snot" type sealer inside, finds it's spot, and balances the rotating assembly. Also, powder type filler does the same thing. It doesn't take much on a bike wheel. Giant truck tires only use a bag half the size of a bag of sugar sometimes.
“Niall McKenzie the young Scottish boy”. It’s been a long time since that was true!
The next generation are pretty quick!
Just watched a Taylor Mac video earlier and Neill looked like his grammar in it lol
My first real ROAD BIKE was a '73 RD350 and was my only transportation for a few years...even Winter. MAN-O-MAN that was a trip to ride. It was so sporty and I had so much fun on that thing. The front end was light and liked to come up if you didn't watch the RPM's and shift just right. If you just gassed it then the front would let you know you were on some power...seen a few newbies get a quick lesson and go over backwards. I was never near enough to any tracks so never raced but IT was a kick in the ass to ride for sure.
I broke so many CHAINS on that Bike I had to carry a spare with me at all times. Blew the Front tire once at low speed (20mph) in a City Park and went down pretty soft but still put a small dent the gas tank with a handle bar but other than that it was the only time it went down.
I could out run the Kawi triples in the twisties but on the straights they could pull me.
This was a TOTAL BLAST to watch and sure brought back some great memories on the RD350.
Thanks for sharing a CLEAN RACE on a GREAT BIKE.
I am so happy to see this. I have a RD350LC track bike sitting in the back corner of my shop. Engine is ported, carbs modified, welded crankshaft but the best part is I have a set of Yamaha factory TZ. crossover pipes on it. Ping pa ping ping ping.
This just inspired me to pull it out and start a freshen up on it.
Epic bikes thanks so much for posting this.
I will do some clips of it finished and put the link here in the future.
If you decide to sort it out ready for the road I have seen a local dealer near me who is selling a 350 LC for nearly 13 grand. Might be worth considering selling if you decide to hang up your leathers. Rare as hen's teeth these days. Not seen one on the road unfortunately for at least 10 years.
@@topcat4759 Its up and running I need to go through everything but I took it out for a quick spin, really excited to get it on the road. We have many fabulous bike roads and highways in Western Canada where I live.
God I was 17 years old when I watched this live.Loved Barry Sheene and the RD, what a commentary, great to see that again....thanks
RD LC 350 unforggetable motorcycle.
I do not remember it.
I had the smaller 250
@@RUMad3 if you are from USA you can't remember.they never sold in the US.
Exactly. There are few with CA plate imported from Canada,and RZ was the version for US.
@@RUMad3 I think it's called the RZ350 in the US
Barry Sheene, my childhood hero. I remember as a kid walking around the paddock one Friday afternoon with my dad and there in front of us stood Barry putting up the awning on the side of the team van! How times have changed. The only thing I had for him to sign was the back of my school jacket, which he did.
Barry Sheene always had time for his fans, he was a great sportsman.
Barry reminds me of allen Millyard
What a video...two of my favourite things from my youth,Barry Sheene and Yamaha rd 350 lc's..remember picking my brand new 350 up in 1984 from padjetts...2 weeks later it had a set of microns, rear sets, and a set of clip on's, I thought I was Barry Sheene 😃👍
Good memories, indeed, I still have my 350 YPVS from 1988 in the garage (red white). I still remember the first time I saw an RD accelerating in our village, I was blown away and fell in love forever (the sound, the smell, the look, the agility, the whole spirit of the RD´s).....
I got my first bike in 1985. A Kawasaki AE 80. Superb little bike.
At that time, that's what a sport bike looked like. The RD350LC was a reference. Love this video. Thank you for publishing this kind of content.
Excellent bikes, I miss these days. Back in the 80s we all had 70s 2strokes, and these 350 beauties were the futuristic modern ones none of us could afford. Had great fun with the 250 version air cooled though!
Awh! brings back memories! I used to work at Mitsui Yamaha in Chessington, Surrey in the UK and part of what I did was load and unload the bikes AND bits off and on the lorry for each race meeting. I'd lend a hand finding and fixing on parts to get them ready. The series leader rode the Wrangler sponsored bike in a nice blue and yellow colour scheme. Great times.
Amazing race. Thanks for uploading!
I happened to be living in Europe and the UK in 1983/1984. I thought this was the Wrangler series. I did see several races throughout the UK. One of the best spec road race series in history. Awesome racing competition on awesome production motorcycles!!
Jesus christ, this is my era..bit of a blast from the past with the Alan Carter chat at the start, I had an X7 at this time... cheers for the upload.
Used to go to every meeting at Donington in those days as it was my local track. Watched every other round of this series on tv as well. The most exciting racing of that era, and the best and most skillful riders rose to the top as they were all on equal bikes with the same tyres, drifting on those tyres incredible to watch.Took a photo of the later YPVS models lined up in pit lane at Donington in 1984 with the series leader's bike in Wrangler colours. Great idea which they should consider introducing again as we have a lack of top riders at moto gp level.They tried again with the R6 cup back in 2003 but not the same as the pro am series. Rode RD350LC's back in the mid '80's, the most exciting bikes I ever rode including all the larger engined bikes I owned afterwards.
Loved those bikes, always had one, even when I had superbikes in the garage. Had a tuned F2 engine in the LC making 70 odd bhp, the smell, the crankshafts, the seizures 😁.
Trying to lean it out for more power while trying not to lock it up, I remember it well. Bounced down the road a few times because of it....
I rode one again a couple of years ago, it isn't just nostalgia , they're still amazing. On a tight bit of road they'd still be difficult to get past.
@@petrichor649 Not ridden one in years but, they were bloody good bikes. I think now with bikes having modern brakes, better tyres, far superior suspension and stiffer frames that they would be at a disadvantage on anything other that a really twisty road.
It would be the same as another bike I owned, the Aprillia RS250, great fun and almost unbeatable on tight roads but, a competent rider on a CBR600R would blast past in any straight section. I wish I'd kept that bike, it was fantastic fun. Then again my old joints would likely disagree!
I'll stick with my VFR800, easier on my knees.....
@@ohidontknow1061 I just love 2 strokes, also had a RGV and an RS in the late 90's, when they were just used bikes.
You're right about CBR 600's, it blew my mind the first time I ride one, amazing chassis and the power of previous generation Superbikes.
The maddest I rode was a Cagiva Mito 125 with 32 hp and a seven speed gearbox, I rode it from Bournemouth to Peterborough in one go, 10,000 rpm, all the way 😁.
You could barely get the thing off the line, rev, clutch, bog, clutch, very high revs, slip, slip, and you're away, hilarious.
@@petrichor649 I learned to ride on 2 strokes, they were bonkers when tuned up. I raced Karts many years ago, 210 Nationals with a 210cc Villiers 2 stroke engine from an invalid carriage (blue fibreglass three wheeler) and, like all 2 stokes had a power band an inch wide.
The Cagiva sounds fun though, my first 2 stroke was a Bultaco 380. You were either clinging on for dear life or flat on your back thinking what the hell happened!
Thought I’d never see this race again ,fantastic racing ,close from start to Finnish if only all racing was this exciting.
I wish the smells would come out of my computer screen, I miss them aromas !
Ahhh.....Castrol...RRRR.......LOLoily.
@@arthurconrod9825 I’m glad I’m not the only one 😂😂👍
Can you smell that, lol
Caster 927 smells exactly the same 😁 2021 version of castrol R
@@500bht I run that in my weedwacker and chainsaw 😁
Great race. Thanks for uploading. Brings back memories for me. A 350LC was the first bike I raced, so easy to ride and a lot of fun. Moved up to a TZ350 after the LC.
i had quit racing in the mid 70's and had never heard of this series but obviously very close racing. The RD350 was a terrific scooter. I earned my AMA Pro/Expert Road Race license in '74 and raced in the '75 Daytona 200 on a privateer, but fully sponsored for me, TZ-350 (D). Fyi, Kenny won that year on the new TZ-750.
I loved my 1977 RD 400
That was an AWESOME Race! Thanks for Sharing!
What a nice racing to watch, even today, tks YT!
I'm just trying to imagine the utter carnage if they were all heading into the Melbourne loop every lap! 😳
Brilliant racing.
My first ever bike was a RZ350. After that I was hooked on Yamaha. Best bike ever. Ended up with a Thunder Ace 1000. Awesome bike! Nice video.
I was 2 years old when this was happening gutted I missed it 😢
My RD 350 Forever in my life!
I had a 83 rd350. What a great little machine! !!!!😄😄😄😄😄😎😎😎😎😎🍺🍺🍺🍺
Mine too, greatest little bride ever!
Bought a brand new 250LC, then all my mates went for the 350. To keep up I managed to get hold of a 350 engine tuned for hill climbs added the double discs on the front and an allspeed exhaust. The most exciting bike I owned by far and probably worth a mint now.
Brilliant race ❤ brought back memories of my rd350lc! 😊
Went to Flookburgh in the 80's to watch 350 LC's racing. What a day.
Ah the memories of my 350lc . Either vertical or bang lol . Simply a fun bit of kit . Really easy to work on too
Fantastic little bike, had to sell my 350LC due to being on strike for a year in 1984, otherwise I'd have kept it !!
Proper racing, level field with same bikes, down to skill not tech
Setting up a bike to go fast IS part of the skill of racing a motorcycle.
Having different bikes that have different performance envelopes makes for better racing.
Couldn't beat a race full of Bantams and Tiger Cubs :-)
I was at Donington for this race and at Le Mans for Alan Carters 250cc Moto GP Win. It was so cold at Le Mans that it snowed on the morning of the races!
I had a F2 with Micron pipes and Stan Stevens Stage 3 barrels and heads. I loved that bike.
that was great fun remember watching these the first time round . back when riders were up for anything like the transam
Thank you very much for your cool picture.
RD350 I'm homesick for a race.
No leg waving , love it!
When did that start?
@@aaroni5074 everyone copied Valentino
The Pro-Ams were brilliant. Everybody was on the same machinery so you had to prove yourself. I remember Barry Sheene saying, 'l' m glad I'm not out there'.
Class racing. Cheers for the upload👍
as an ole rd 1977 400 owner what a neat race concept
enjoyed very much
❤🇬🇧😁what a brilliant post. Cheers.
Takes me back to my youth.. fantastic
Raced one in formula 2 in 1981 in Mondello Park, Ireland.
Best of times.
What a yoke they are.
Mine was standard except geared down to get 6th on the straight.
What great racing - its all down to the rider, the bikes all seem to really be equal.
One off the best bikes ever made
1983, als die Welt noch in Ordnung war.
Ich hatte zu der Zeit eine Yamaha RD 250 LC,
und war ganz verrückt danach, mit ihr zu fahren.
Fun to see this race thanks.
Great race and memories , thx 😛
I had 2 RDs in the 70's and never knew there was a championship :).
legendary Barry Sheen commentary is worth the watch
Loved my 1980 RD 350 " Kenny Roberts " special "
Love these RDS with micron pipes they sound wonderful
Great race, great post.
Great era for two strokes I was 17 again happy days
Wow I grew up on the RD250 and RD350 air cooled. The LCs blew my mind the first time I saw one. Too bad Yamaha couldn’t have done a Barry Sheene replica to go along with the Kenny Roberts version.
I had a Stan Stevens tune on one I had, still have the smashed knee and metal plates in my arm lol Fast
LC's scratching and clawing, great entertainment !
Enjoyed that like aprilia super teens only using road RD350LC's classic 80's how are we still alive :)
Luck mostly!
I used to love watching these races especially considering the tyre technology of the day, I still regret selling my 350 YPVS
Did I hear him mention Wranglers? He he ....A few years later only undercover cops wore them...We used to watch the lc's battling it out at Knockhill .Great times ..The noise and the smell of 2 stroke .Heaven.
Motorcycling racing at its very best, this and scrambling…those were the days…..
Two legends commentating .
Utter nonsense motor mouth
Had a 77 RD400. My first road bike. Damn thing was loud as hell. Miss it tho.
Few crests thrown in the track would have made some interesting wheelies !! Great bike had several and few Powervalves too !!
A very enjoyable video. 👍
I had RZ350 at Japan 30years ago, it's my special.
One issue on these was the rear shock hardly worked and overheated causing the wallowing of the rear in corners after some time.
I got mine tested by a buddy who worked at Bilstien on their shock dyno and it failed miserably, he made up a Bilstien gas shock to fit and turned some circlip slots in the body of it to fit the spring collar and stock spring and it completely solved the wallowing problem in the rear during races, regardless of the tyre and temps on the day and I'm in Aus where it is hotter than UK year round.
The days of two stroke screamers, great days nice sound and the smell was great, bring them back, 👍
I used to race a 250 LC fond memories of Oliver's Mount and Carnaby 👍
My favourite sort of racing. No fancy factories with their big budgets. Everyone has an equal opportunity to come first. It’s all down to the best rider on the day.
Great save at the end!
I remember these bikes when I was at high school 48 years ago
I'm so old I remember my RD400 & I was so upset when Yamaha dropped the cc to 350 until I rode one! Jesus! I can still remember that power band now! I thought I'd been rammed up the arse by a 3 litre capri cop car!
Remember this series we’ll pick your key out of a pot and that’s the bike you ran with for the race. 2 Strokes gone but never forgotten. “Belray”
Hello, I had RD, 350 ypvs for 18 months. Then had RGV 250. WISH I HAD THEM STILL! Shame we saw the death of the two stoke.
Nostalgia makes me love the LC...but my god, that tubular frame and swingarm...the brakes! Engine was sweet though
FANTASTIC!
Fantastic! 🏍
More than a few famous racers came through the pro am series . Everyone who raced this got a custom made tee shirt. Need to bring back this type of racing as it cost next to nowt to go racing and be in with a chance to win.
LC's wheels are so beautiful, always will be
I have had 1 in the 80’s...black and red RD350LC YPVS.....
Spec racing is real racing. Setup and rider is what it’s about.
Had a YPVS F2 in Martini race livery in 1989..... along with many other “future classics” sold for peanuts 🥺
Superb racing !!!!!!