For the love of Elsie!

If there’s been a bike that’s touched more hearts, minds and stretched the wallet further than the Yamaha RD350LC, then I’ve yet to ride it. It’s strange to realise that 2020 marks the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the 250 and 350LCs, and you can bet we here at Classic Motorcycle Mechanics won’t be the only ones to celebrate. To do that, we sent Jon Bentman along to ride Niall Mackenzie’s mint 350LC. Niall – of course – has a long and special relationship with LCs. He had one on the road and this led him to race it – the rest is history, as they say.

Me? I was a bit too young to get caught up in the blue smoke haze at the time, I was more into Pac-Man than motorcycles, but that soon changed and by the time I was 15, I knew that I wanted an LC or a Powervalve more than anything else in the world. It did take me a while, but eventually I was the proud owner of a YPVS F2 350. I bought it for all of £400 and it was in pretty good order. Gawd knows what it would fetch in similar condition now, probably a couple of grand.

‘‘ The LC is once again one of the most popular twowheeled classics

But the originals are where the money is today and – while Niall spent just £1800 buying his back in 2013 – you can bet your bottom dollar it’s insured for nearer £8000. Amazing to think you could pick them up for next to nowt in the late 1980s and early 1990s when they’d fallen so far out of fashion.

Today the LC is back where it belongs – up there as one of the most popular two-wheeled classics in the UK. A whole generation of biker is rekindling their love of Elsie the second time around. And long may it continue – hopefully for another 40 years…