40 YEARS OF THE YAMAHA RDLC
Happy birthday to the ultimate ’80s two-stroke hooligan machines
For a pair of models that were only in production for three years, Yamaha’s RD250 and 350LCS have certainly made their mark. And nowhere more so than in the UK, where the 250 finally hit the showrooms in May 1980 (production issues at the factory meant the 350 was delayed till June). Both models were instant hits, with the 250 becoming the king of the learner-legal quarter-litre class, while the 350 established itself as the ultimate giant-killer for the cashstrapped street racer. Now, 40 years later, there’s still a cult following for the ‘Elsie,’ with a thriving owners’ club and prices still on a steady, upward trajectory. Here’s how the legend was created – and sustained for four decades...
At the end of the ’70s, Yamaha were on a roll. On the GP and club circuits, their two-stroke racers were all-conquering. Yamaha riders had dominated the 500 GP class – apart from a two-season hiatus caused by Barry Sheene and his works Suzuki – since 1975 and the 350 class from 197477. They were on the way to notching up an astonishing 13 consecutive wins at the prestigious Daytona 200 (before the formula changed to a four-stroke format). ‘King’ Kenny Roberts had become the poster boy for Yamaha and they were the undisputed masters of the racing scene. But, as the ’70s drew to a close, Yamaha’s road bike range was starting to look a little distant from the works OWS and the over-the-counter TZ racers. It was time to close that gap. Top of the range were the RD250 and RD350 – with the RD400 replacing the 350 in 1976. But, good as the aircooled RDS were, they didn’t quite mirror the development of the TZ racers. Sales of the RD range had slowed and Yamaha needed to up their game. The way to do that seemed obvious – build a TZ for the road.
With the US market effectively closing to road-going two-strokes due to ever-tightening emissions controls, it made sense for Yamaha to develop a new RD with the European market as its primary focus. To that end, Yamaha Europe’s HQ in Amsterdam was chosen as the base for development of the new model. And the brief for the next generation of RD was as simple as it was clear – build a bike that put the technology of the ultra-successful TZ350 into an exciting road-legal package.
In reality, though, the engine of the RD350LC that finally hit the streets owed as much to the old air-cooled RD series as it did to the TZ race engine – and maybe more. But the most obvious crossover between the LC and the TZ was the switch to liquid cooling for the road bike. True, the LC’S barrels were separate (TZ350 barrels are one-piece), had iron liners and the porting was far less radical than the racer’s. But the fundamental advantages of water cooling stayed the same. By keeping the engine at near-optimal temperature, tolerances could be kept tighter, risk of detonation was reduced, and it was possible to safely run a leaner mixture than would have been possible with air cooling. As a bonus, the water jackets meant the engine was quieter, too.
Of course, the new LC was a road bike, not a racer. That meant piston changes at 250 miles and a crankshaft life of 500 miles weren’t acceptable. So the LC’S engine was in a much lower
state of tune than the TZ unit. Port area was significantly less, reducing wear on the pistons. Reed-valve induction gave the LC engine a degree of flexibility entirely lacking in the racers. And the LC carbs – 26mm instruments on both the 250 and 350 – provided more urge at lower revs than the 34mm and 38mm carbs on the TZ250 and 350s.
The result was an engine that was significantly more powerful at a claimed 47bhp for the 350 (36bhp for the RD250LC) than the old RD400 it replaced, yet that remained tractable, reliable and durable enough for the road. It might have been a fair way short of the TZ350G’S claimed 72bhp, but it was quite enough to provide a generation of riders with all the excitement they needed on the street.
If the new LC engine looked the part – with performance to match – the rolling chassis was no less innovative. Yamaha had used cantilever single-shock rear suspension on their road racers (and motocrossers) for the best part of a decade by the time they launched the LC. But the new 250 and 350 models were the first Yamaha roadsters to feature it. It meant using a shorter shock than, perhaps, Yamaha’s design engineers would have liked – and it involved some creative solutions to the problem of where to put the air filter when the rear shock occupied its usual place – but it was an essential part of the visual link between LC and TZ. With the engine and suspension sorted (the front end was conventional enough, with rather spindly 32mm forks), it was down to the stylists to live up to the engineering promise of the latest engine from the illustrious RD bloodline. They didn’t disappoint. All-black engine, elegantly tipped-up reverse-cone silencers to match, and a sensuously-sculpted fuel tank were complemented by cast alloy wheels with gracefully curving dual spokes. Throw in a tastefully restrained white paint job – with either red or blue striping on the tank, side panels and tailpiece – and the result was a superb looking motorcycle. The UK was probably the biggest and most important market for 250cc machines at the time due to learners being allowed to ride up to 250cc bikes on L plates. It was vital for Yamaha that their new 250 hit the spot in Britain – and the much-anticipated RD250LC was an instant sensation.
There had been a 100mph production 250 before. Suzuki’s light and lively GT250 X7 had been flogged to a gnat’s whisker over the ton by former Classic Bike editor Brian Crichton in 1978. Mind you, he had to take the mirrors off and virtually bury himself in the tank before he could persuade the Suzuki through the timing lights at over the magic figure. But the RD250LC was different. For a start, it could manage over 100mph without all the drama of Brian’s top speed run. Just get on, wind it up, hunker down and genuine ton-plus speeds were (relatively) easily obtained. It looked the part, too. Monoshock suspension and water cooling were the stuff of fantasy for most road riders back then. The LC had both. It was a vision of the future. This vision was warmly embraced by legions of British learner riders – as well
‘THE NEW LC ENGINE LOOKED THE PART – WITH PERFORMANCE TO MATCH – AND THE CHASSIS WAS NO LESS INNOVATIVE’
as newly-qualified motorcyclists in Australia and Japanese learners, too. There was certainly no shame in rolling up anywhere on an LC – even if it was ‘only’ a 250. The bike won the 250cc class in the coveted MCN Machine of the Year awards in both 1980 and 1981. Surely things couldn’t get much better for the RD250LC...
They certainly couldn’t. In fact, they got a whole lot worse. In October 1982, the UK government dropped a bombshell when they announced a change in the learner laws, restricting provisional licence holders to 12bhp 125cc machines. At a stroke, the RD250LC – the best 250 of its generation – was dead in the water. Officially, at least, the 250LC limped on in Yamaha’s UK line-up until 1986 – four years longer than the 350. But no one was fooled. The bikes that remained on sale were just surplus stock left over after the law changed so suddenly. The alltoo-brief era of the ton-up learner bike was over.
Although the 250’s flame burned brightly but briefly, the RD350LC was forging a lasting legacy. When stocks of the eagerly-awaited 350 version of the LC finally arrived in the UK, it was a full nine months since Yamaha had displayed the production prototype at the Paris show. Some 10,000 deposits had been taken across Europe for the new model – and the UK importer even had to resort to providing a custom-painted Bell Star II helmet to customers affected by the delay. When the bikes finally hit the showrooms, there was a frenzy to get hold of one. The RD350LC was worth the wait, though – with or without a free helmet. Visually, the main differences between the 350 and its 250 stablemate were the twin front discs and dual horns. Less obvious was the 64mm bore of the 350, an anti-chatter O-ring on the primary gear, a different design of cush drive in the rear hub and a couple of teeth less on the rear sprocket. And, though 250 sales benefitted hugely because of the similarities to the bigger model, the 350 established its cult status by virtue of the differences.
The 250 was fast, but the 350 was something else. The extra 10mm on each bore and some adjustments to the jetting of the 26mm carbs gave it an extra 12bhp. Weighing just 4kg more than the 250, that translated into a top speed of almost 115mph – with a phenomenal rush of acceleration once the engine was spinning in the meat of its powerband. The 350LC rider couldn’t quite match the outright top speed of contemporary big-bore superbikes, but could more than make up for it by out-braking and out-handling the heavy four-stroke multis. It was a true giant-killer.
Not that the RD350LC was perfect from the outset. Early bikes suffered from midrange fuelling issues – caused by a combination of jetting and the reed-valves, but easily sorted under warranty. Vibration caused exhaust and exhaust stud fractures on early 1980 bikes, too. A revised and strengthened exhaust and tie-rods to restrict the engine unit’s side-to-side movement (the LC engine is rubber-mounted and can move about a bit) rectified that and made the 350LC ready to reach its full potential.
In its first year, the RD350LC took the top prize in the MCN Machine of the Year awards – and it repeated this feat the following year. The press loved the LC as much as the buying public, and the glowing road test reports translated into yet more sales for a delighted Yamaha.
This success was probably the reason why changes to the RD350LC were minimal during its short production life. Revisions to exhausts, engine mounts and carburettors, along with a few changes to colour schemes and graphics and the introduction of factory accessories like the Pro-am race series-inspired belly pan and fairing, were all it got. The LC was just about right first time.
In the end, the LC’S success probably hastened its own demise. Yamaha’s competitors were stung into action by the popularity of the LC – and both Honda and Suzuki were working on 250 sports bikes by the end of 1982. To keep ahead of the game, Yamaha would have to take the next step forward. They did – and the result was the RD3502. With its Yamaha Power Valve System (YPVS), beefed up forks, rising-rate rear suspension and 59bhp, the all-new model was a significant improvement over the RD350LC
it replaced. But somehow it couldn’t quite match the impact of the original. Forty years later, we’re still celebrating the LC as a landmark in motorcycling. When it was launched it was daring, different – and a little divisive. And it swiftly became one of the best loved machines of any era. While the LC may have only remained in production for three years, the enthusiasm for riding, restoring, racing and rebuilding them has never gone away. Nor does it show any sign of doing so. Inspired and inspiring, the RD250LC and RD350LC are true classics. Who’d bet against there being more than a few of them still around in another 40 years?
Proof of the pudding
Riding a well-sorted RD350LC remains a genuine pleasure and a memorable experience. From the moment you flip up the right-hand footrest and prod the kickstart, you know you’re in for a good time as the engine burbles into life. An LC in standard trim may be relatively quiet – but there’s still a purposeful edge to the exhaust note, even at idle. The good manners continue at low speeds. The reed-valve induction gives the LC acceptable manners in town and, while there’s not a lot of torque on tap, it’s perfectly possible to carve unobtrusively through traffic or potter through speed limits without fuss. But get out of town and the LC’S veneer of civility falls away as soon as you crack open the throttle and let the rev counter needle swing past the 6500rpm mark. Welcome to the pleasure zone – where you find out what all the fuss was about. The exhaust note hardens and the front wheel starts to feel light. Hang onto the throttle until the revs start to flatten at around 9500rpm, roll, off, hook up the next gear and pin it again. Repeat until you run out of gears for one of the most addictive experiences in motorcycling. The LC might not be a ‘proper’ racer, but it captures some of the TZ’S stardust. The bike can get a little unsettled if you’re pushing hard – a 40-year-old rear shock won’t help – but it’s light enough to muscle your way out of most situations, helped by the twin front discs being capable of scrubbing off a bit of speed fairly sharpish. Everything on the LC is just about up to everything else. Its 47bhp is not quite enough to totally overwhelm the chassis. It’s just enough to keep you sharp. It’s a great balance. Of course, there are faster bikes. And there are plenty that handle better, stop better and have better suspension. But that doesn’t seem to matter when you’re aboard a good LC. The bike’s minor imperfections seem to add to the riding experience – riding through the slightly soft fork action and lively handling is all part of the fun. If you’ve owned (or own) a 350LC, you’ll know the hype and hoopla back in the day was all about. If you haven’t, 40 years is a long time to wait to find out. There’s no time like the present...