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1975 Yamaha RD350B
This is my second motorcycle, which I bought new from a Yamaha dealer in Iowa Park, Texas during my senior year in high school. I went on my first real motorcycle road trip on this one, traveling with my older brother to Mason, Del Rio, Ciudad Acuna, Big Bend National Park, Pecos, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
- 350 cc two-stroke, two-cylinder engine
- Purchased new in 1975 in Iowa Park, Texas
- A really fast bike when running well
- Used for everyday transportation, college, and my first-ever long road trip
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| Working on my 1975 Yamaha RD350B in the back yard of my brother's house on Mission Ridge in Austin, Texas, sometime in the late 1970s. Note the cool sissy bar with my shirt hanging on it. I appear to be doing something with the front disk caliper and instrument cluster. The right turn signal is missing, the tachometer is dangling, and perhaps the brake lever is bent. I did drop this bike once on a bitterly cold ride from Austin to Iowa Park when I hit a sandy patch on the highway near Jacksboro. This could have been the aftermath. |
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Original sales brochure (page 1) |
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Original sales brochure (page 2) |
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Original sales brochure (page 3) |
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Original sales brochure (page 4) |
Performance
| Max. speed range | 100 mph |
| Min. turning radius | 90.6 in. |
| Min. braking distance | 46 ft. @ 31 mph |
Engine and Transmission
| Type | 2-stroke, Torque Induction, Parallel Twin |
| Displacement | 347 cc (21.18 cu. in.) |
| Bore & Stroke | 2.520 x 2.126 in. (64 mm x 54 mm) |
| Compression ratio | 6.6:1 |
| Power | 30.5 bhp @ 6,750 rpm |
| Max. torque | 28.0 ft.-lb. @ 7,000 rpm |
| Carburetor | Twin Mikuni VM-28 |
| Lubrication system | Autolube |
| Starting system | Primary kick starter |
| Ignition system | Battery |
| Transmission | 6-speed gearbox |
| Primary ratio | 2.869:1 |
| Final drive ratio | 2.666:1 |
| Gears | 1st: 2.571; 2nd: 1.777; 3rd: 1.318; 4th: 1.040; 5th: 0.888; 6th: 0.785 |
| Transmission oil | SAE 10W/30SC, 1500 cc |
Dimensions
| Overall length | 80.3 in. |
| Overall width | 32.9 in. |
| Overall height | 43.7 in. |
| Wheelbase | 52.0 in. |
| Min. ground clearance | 6.1 in. |
Fuel Tank
| Capacity | 3.2 U.S. gal. |
Oil Tank
| Capacity | 2.1 U.S. qts. |
Tires
| Front | 3.00-18-4PR; radius 12 in., or (2 x 3.0 + 13)/2 |
| Rear | 3.50-18-4PR; radius 12.5 in., or (2 x 3.5 + 18)/2 |