Would you pay $250 for a '67 R1 350?

hey all,
i've been offered the above bike. it appears to be original, non-running, but all parts are there. motor does turn over. this is a 2-stroke engine. just wondering if i should accept this new project or move on.
love the lines of the bike but not excited about the 2-stroke engine or that when it's up and running again, it's only a 350, not a lot of juice there.
what do you think?
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/flash ... to_03.html

 

You'd be foolish to pass it up. If complete it's worth 4X that as it sits, and running, about 10X that. Old Yamaha smokers are big bucks these days, if it's all there it's a rolling gold mine.

 

thanks a lot fitz! i didn't know anything about 'em (or even that they existed) until i found 1 in a field by a salvage yard in ft morgan, co.
didn't know anyone made a 2-stroker for the street ever.
not sure if i'll buy it and try to turn it around for a few bucks, get it running enough to tinker around the neighborhood with it, or restore and sell it.
i'll take a closer look at it now and update this thread with what i end up doing.
thanks again.

 

You're kidding, right?

Suzuki X6 Hustler, Suzuki GT550, GT750 (the Water Buffalo) Yamaha RD350 & RD350LC, RD400 Daytona Special, Kawasaki 500 Triple, 750 Triple just to skim the top.

Late '70s RDs are getting to be ridiculously valuable. The really early two-strokes are getting to be worth big bucks. Check eBay or Walneck's.

 

here are mine. You would never know the rd is the same bike anymore will reveal it in a few weeks. The gt750 is set for the next restore have a few things to do to my maxim x and honda first

 

in the UK the yamaha rd350lc is very big, very collectable and getting expensive in good nick,heres my project im doing, its a 81 350lc.and naturally heres a pic, its a bit further along than this but this gives you an ides


the blast from the powerband kicking in is stack of fun, the 1st time you really experience it,it gets tattoed in you memory, well it did for me anyway.

 

The demise of the street-going two stroke in this Country at the hands of the EPA was why Yamaha brought us the Seca 550.

That LC is gorgeous; I'm very jealous.

 

+1 $250 is nothing!

 

Us two stroke street fans can "thank" Joan Claybrooke who almost singlehandedly was responsible for the demise of street going two stroke bikes. Without the weight and complexity of valve trains, the fact that a two stroke makes a power stroke one every revolution, the lower center of gravity, the advantages are many. It's interesting to think how powerful they could have become with the same level of development as four stroke have been undergoing since the mid-seventies. At that time, 500cc engines were producing well over 120hp......ahh, what could have been.....

The R1 (original type) wasn't the best looking bike of the day and it doesn't have the same colllectability that many other bikes have but if you're skilled at restoring and as you mentioned, it appears that it's complete or nearly so, it wouldn't be a bad move. The parts aren't plentyful but they also aren't really expensive either. While it won't be worth what some of the more optimistic estimates are, it will still be a very nice piece of history to have. I have an all original 74 RD350 and I'm still waiting for it to appreciate to the same level as any of my Kaws but they seemed to have leveled off in the 2-3K range. Who knows what an additional ten years might do for it's value though.

Good luck and please post some pics if you do get it.

jeff

 

Get it! I have an RD250, RD350, GT380. I love them all. And 350cc two smoker has more power than you can imagine. Check into usa2strokers.com if you get it.

 

awesome feedback guys, i'm picking it up this week and will post pics soon after. thanks!

 

picked up the bike today and power washed it to get the field mud off of it. the bike has been sitting in a field for who knows how many years.
and no, the handlebars are not original to the bike.
anyways....here ya go. let me know if you still think it was a good deal.

speedo in great shape

internal dipstick in tank

reservoir for oil, the bike mixes it's own oil/gas for the 2-stroker

dual brake levers on front hub

original key, how cool is that?

 

more pics..
granturismo grips in great shape!

serial number R1-11082. engine has matching number.

front fender wasn't on the bike

rear shock

what an ugly rear end!

tank will look great with attention

i think the tires have 1 more season in them
seller gave me a NOS rear tailight lens. the bike has both center and side stands.
now for the bad news, my brother told me the engine turned when he cranked the starter with his hand. well, it ain't cranking for me no matter what i do. tranny in neutral, using extension on crank for better leverage but no go. i've sprayed pb blaster and oil in the plug holes.
we'll see....

 

I can't see the pics here at the office(big brother) but DON"T FORCE the crank!!!! We've got ways to break it loose without damaging it!!


BTW- Congratulations!!

I know that you're dying to hear it run but if it's been sitting in the weather, you're gonna have some work to do first. Remember, chances are, the cylinder walls are all rusted so you need to spray all the head bolts(they are actually nuts, connecting to studs coming up from the case on that engine) really well, then put a good amount of oil down each plug hole.

Also, grab yourself a manual for it online...search and you'll find it free. Then, once you've carefully removed the tank, pipes and carbs, it will be time to remove the cylinder heads to take a peek inside. Don't worry about the gaskets, remove the heads carefully and I'll tell you how to anneal them so you can reuse them. I did a write-up on removing stuck cylinders without damaging them a while back on another forum so if you run into them being stuck, I'll send it to you. You're going to want to get access to the crank galleries....if you can get it that far, you'll very, very likely, have a running motorcycle for less then 50 bucks....rush it and ruin the seals or rings....and you're off to the races and I won't won't be able to help you.

The crank seals are going to be in very fragile condition, you don't want to spin them before re-conditioning them or you WILL damage them enough to need to rebuild the crank (400-600). Rather then waste space here, PM me and I'll give you the "hot lick" for bringing them back from the brink without shredding them...

If and when you need to remove the pistons, we're going to do it in a way that hopefully, you will be able to reuse them so sliding them up and down in a rusty cylinder will be very counter-productive<LOL>....

jeff

 

Thorin, heed the advice of Mr. 2-Stroke, Jeff knows of what he speaks.

THAT sir, is one HECK of a score; incredibly clean for what it's been through and very complete.

Recommission it carefully and it won't be considered "restored" and therefore worth even more in the end. Even in juried shows, replacing/repairing a seat doesn't count. Besides tires and TLC, it looks to me like about all it needs is a seat (and maybe a set of tank badges.)

 

Yes, for a bike that is so old it looks in fantastic condition. I cannot understand why someone would want to fit a knobbly tyre to a lightweight street bike. perhaps it didnt handle very well and that is why it didnt get ridden for 30 years??!!

 

wow, thanks guys! fitz, i hadn't considered "recommissioning" it and i really like that idea. it gives me the option of putting her back in working order without all the pressure of finding the correct stainless steel washer on some whatchamacallit.
jeff, thanks so much for you offer of assistance. i'm excited to hear and follow your directions to get this bike running again.
now with that said, i'm having to shelve this project for a couple weeks as my wife and i take a trip that's been long planned. i want to get started on the bike but must keep swmbo happy!
if you'll allow me, i'll contact you when i return and we'll get started on the work.
thanks again guys!

 

Just dont be in a rush. Some parts will be hard to find but the will pop up on ebay from time to time. Looking at the pics i have a feeling what caused all of this to happen is looks like by they ran it out of injection oil which would have locked it up. Or someone drained it But they also could have disconnected it and ran pre mix. Looks like its all there which is a good thing. Hopefully your gonna get rid of the ape hangers they definitely don't belong on a 2 stroke lol

 

yeah, handlebars definitely have to go! the oil reservoir was full until the bike fell over (in the dirt) when the owner was trying to help. plenty of oil ran down the side of the bike so i know at least oil was present. whether it was getting where it needed to be i can't say.
i am curious about how the seat got damaged (it's pushed in from the back) but not a dent is present in the rear fender. the seat pan is pretty rusted so i'm not sure if there's enough to rebuild or if i should try and fashion a replacement pan to provide the base for a new seat.
as for the rear knobby tire, maybe the last owner was a numbskull like me and didn't know a 2-stroke was ever made for the street!
"recommission"....what a great word!
thanks guys!

 

I have mentioned this before on the site. The UK licencing laws, from the early 70's went like this: Age 16 learner - a 50cc moped. Had to have pedals but had unlimited power output. Age 17 learner 250cc. Of course, you tried to pass you test but the licence category spawned many 250cc 2 strokes with 100 mph ability. Two of the best were the Yamaha RD250lc and the Suzuki X7 250. the Yam was slightly faster but the Suzi lighter. I owned an air cooled RD250 which was not quite as fast but could crack 100 in favourable conditions.

The learner category was introduced when a British 250 could barely get to 70mph.

Faced with this our beloved government responded with a 125cc/12bhp limit for learners (Still stands today).

This really killed off 250/350 2 strokes because anyone passing their test wanted a 650.

They do live on though, and command high values, my dear old RD sold for only £200 - it would be worth around £2000 now.

 

I didn't make up "recommission" it's what happens to battleships when they pull them out of mothballs.

I first heard it used in reference to antique motorcycles at auction "some recommissioning needed" and it makes perfect sense to apply it to what a lot of us do: restore without "restoring." Use old, salvaged, NOS or replacement parts to put a machine back in service without doing a 100-point cosmetic job in the process. It's more than just a repair though, so...

Recommissioning. It just fits.

 

yeah, growing up in a military household i heard that word many times when it came to old warbirds and such but never thought to apply it to a project such as our bikes.
wonder how it'd look in military green? (kidding!)

 

Go enjoy your wife, and your trip....we'll be here when you get back. From the looks of the pics, it really looks like alomst everything can be restored and you probably won't have to actually replace very much at all. I'm sure with my library of contacts worldwide, we can find a seat cover so as long as the pan is intact, thats a easy one. The pics are excellent and it's in remarkable condition. I'm guessing about 160 hours for a full restoration including the engine, a third of that just to have a running machine to give you an idea of the time involved. I'd love that project. most of the nitty gritty time will be in reformaing the headlight ears, polishing the bolts/nuts/controls.....and then you have to make a decision about paint....I tend to try to leave original paint when I can because it's only original one time, once painted, that "originalness" is gone forever....and it looks to be in great shape...

go have fun....holler when you get back....

jeff

 

hey guys,
sorry for my absence for the last few months.
took a trip and returned to "life" with many issues awaiting. i have not been able to touch the bike and probably won't for a couple more months.
work has been spotty and am focusing on keeping the lights on.
expect better sailing in the spring and will reach out to those who offered advice on my "recommissioning" of the old girl.
don't count me out, just need a bit of breathing room before i tear into this project.
thanks.

 

Welcome back!

And don't worry, we're still here...we are a patient bunch lol

 

Glad you got the bike, glad you stopped in. Keep us posted once in awhile.

I picked up a 75 Water Buffalo a year and a half ago. Took me a year to chase the title, but now it is titled and registered to me. Next step is to start cleaning and restoring it. Currently in winter storage awaiting other projects to get finished and out of the way.

Dave F

 

Glad to hear that you weren't tempted to cash in your vintage bike to pay the bills. A lot of guys are doing exactly that these days. Get things right for your family and we'll hook you up once you're ready to get some old grease on your hands.

jeff

 

Why's it need tyres Fitz? - loads of tread left on them.

Nice find this one though, the chrome and alloy look surprisingly good.

 

Glad you're holding out on it and keeping it in the timeline - cant wait to see the transformation!!