Yamaha RD350/RD400 race bike, $3.5K - CL - Long Beach, CA

[SoCal250]

(not mine)

https://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/mcy/d/signal-hill-yamaha-rd350-rd400-race-bike/6829192960.html
Yamha Rd 350 /400 road race bike.

It is really unique as it has been reversed cylinder and the exhaust and carburetor positions have been switiched. Exahust is coming out where the carbs used to go and carbs are out front.
The expansion chambers are tunable in that they can be lengthened and shortened to suit track conditions.

It has an ultra rare Yamaha TZ Dry clutch and mono shock conversion. No kick stater here- race only stuff.

Tons of extra parts- boxes and boxes worth- extra engine- tons of cylinder heads- cases of original castor racing oil, different count sprockets -both rear and counter shaft. Full fairings. Total package for a vintage roadracer to get started.

[IR8D8R]

OK. Just an idea... So they had problems with the airstream into the carbs changing the A/F ratio with speed and put an airbox over the carbs. Then the airbox was blocking the air to the cooling fins so they added a shroud with ram intake to cool the cylinders?

Does that make sense? But there doesn't seem to be a very large exit for the cooling air. Just some openings around the pipes. A couple of K&N pods or Unis would have probably worked. Or even just intake tubes with a remote filter that didn't grab air.

IR8D8R

[Jspooner]

A couple of K&N pods or Unis would have probably worked. Or even just intake tubes with a remote filter that didn't grab air.

IR8D8R

Or, just run it the way it was designed to run..................................    Carbs in rear, pipes in front.

[oxford]

Still seems like a better deal than that "TZ" in the other Craigslist ad.

[m in sc]

thats really interesting home brewed stuff .

and yeah, id rather have that than the 'tz' in the other ad.

[IR8D8R]

I do get the idea. If you move the pipes under the seat you get a lot of ground clearance. I myself probably couldn't drag my chambers on the ground unless it was immediately followed by a low-side washout. But I have seen plenty of race photos with insane lean angles. And plenty of scraped chambers.

The grinds on my kickstand probably have more to do with the overweight of the rider than actually being low... But let me keep my fantasy.

IR8D8R

[m in sc]

it also allows you to lower the bike some, which gives lower c of g, which always helps. 

[Clem]

What frame is that? Is it a TZ?

[Greaser Greg]

thats really interesting home brewed stuff .

and yeah, id rather have that than the 'tz' in the other ad.

Lol good one, home brewed.
Reminds me of the plastic juice bottle I used on a ttr before the repop gas tanks became reasonably priced.  At first I had it just bungeed to the frame, then cut out the top of the tank and stuffed a smaller one down in there and fed the line through where the petcock was. Melted a hole in the bottom with a hot screwdriver and squished the line in; didn't leak. My kid and his friend did flood the crankcase cuz he didn't run it dry every time like I said to. Lucky for me it was hard to start after that or they'd (I'd) have fried my new top end!  Maybe I'll start racing

Why is that bike priced so high? Looks kinda crusty. Maybe all the included parts?