The cult of Elsie!

You can’t help but notice that we have a certain theme running through parts of this issue.

If you’re of a certain age, ride bikes (we guess you do) and went through puberty in the late 1970s, you’ll recognise our cover star as up there with Debbie Harry in the lust-worthy stakes.

Yamaha’s RD350LC and subsequent models/ family members really did change the face of motorcycling forever. It’s why we’ve got a road test of Niall Mackenzie’s Elsie, a feature on the Pro-am race series, news on the marketplace for LCS, a refreshed version of our most popular Retro Reboot, part five of Jeff Ware’s RZV500R resto, and the introduction of the most racy ‘LC’ ever – Yamaha’s YZR500 grand prix bike. Yes, Niall’s 1991 racer will be restored to its former glory in these pages and we get to ride it in 2020. He did promise me a ride on it back in 2003 at Donington, but the radiator sprung a mysterious leak before I got a chance…

Me? I was a couple of years too young for the original heady days of LC hooliganism, but instead fully bought into the YPVS scene: I still wish I had my F2. I sold it about 15 years ago for £450. I’d have to spend four times that amount to get a rougher one…

This issue has reminded me why I need a two-stroke back in my life… more so when my mate in December dropped a bike off he’d bought for his son for Christmas Day. A Yamaha TDR-R; a 125cc machine made by Belgarda Yamaha in Italy. He kicked it over and got it going and we both breathed in the blue smoke. Magic!