A modified Yamaha RD350 from 1983 has received a 2018 upgrade. The legendary two-stroke gets twin disc brakes on the front wheel and a single disc at the rear instead of drum brakes that came from the factory. This unique Yamaha RD350 belongs to motorcycle enthusiast Jassiji from Delhi. This particular Yamaha RD350 was made in Japan and imported to India in 1983.
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Parts for this Yamaha have been sourced from some of the finest in the industry. The RD350 uses a single-channel ABS from Suzuki Intruder 150 and the system is working without any issues. However, Jassiji told IAB that a dual-channel system would be more effective and thus he is currently working on upgrading the setup. The dual-channel version should get ready before December 2018.
The front discs come from Brembo while the Nissin callipers have been sourced from the Honda CBR650F. The brake cylinder and clutch master cylinder come from a Yamaha V-Max while the slave cylinder has been taken from a Suzuki Hayabusa. For the rear, a Royal Enfield hub was modified and then installed with a Honda sourced disc brake (Nissin units).
The motorcycle has been restored to its glory, retaining its original charm. Up front, you would spot the spherical headlight with chrome ring. Conventional blinkers, which are placed in chrome housing and feature orange covers, accompany the headlight. A chrome front fender gives it a proper retro look. Behind the headlight is a twin-pod instrument console with telltale indicators in the centre. The console will get a digital upgrade in the future.
The fuel tank gets a dual-tone finish with Yamaha branding on the sides. The graphics and logos were painted using air-brush instead of using stickers, giving it a premium look. The fuel tank is followed by the stock seat. There is no grab rail for the passenger but a belt runs between the rider and the pillion seat. The rear gets chrome finished fender and housing for the blinkers. The RD350 continues to use the stock wire-spoke wheels that are wrapped in Michelin tyres.
The mechanicals have received an upgrade too as the RD350 gets a US spec cylinder kit. Thus, unlike the Indian spec models (Rajdoot) that were sold from 1983 and 1990, this particular RD350 makes 39 bhp of power. For reference, the High Torque version of the motorcycle made 30.5 bhp while the Low Torque variant churned out 27 bhp. A Yamaha RZ350 sourced carburetor with single wire operation was used for easy synchronization. Jassiji has also installed a Made-in-Japan Kokusan Denki CDI on his RD350.
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This is the only Yamaha RD350 with disc brakes on both ends and the safety net of ABS that we've come across yet. The current level of upgrades took Jassiji about a year to source parts and complete the setup. But he's not done yet. Jassiji has some more ideas for his RD350 that would be installed on the motorcycle in the future.
