2003 Yamaha Vmax - Exceptional (sterling) on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Filling a void with an RD350LC

Last winter I managed to fill a void in my life when I stumbled on a very reasonably priced Yamaha RD350LC.  It was a tad scruffy, had the wrong exhausts but most importantly it was blue and white with all numbers matching.  I had the usual euphoria when the deal was done but I underestimated how much pleasure this particular purchase would continue to deliver another eight months down the line. The difference with this old bike is, instead of just taking it for the occasional ride I was talked into doing a full nut and bolt restoration.  Having never taking a bike apart completely before, initially it was quite daunting but I soon found the RD is easy to work on so it turned into a truly satisfying experience.  I’ve had some help from LC enthusiasts with the rebuild, however, the stripping, sourcing and organising was a total labour of love.  And call me sad but it has made me bond with this bike like no other which only adds to the feel good factor.  The bike cost £1800 and I’ve spent around £1000 but I reckon my mint Elsie is now worth a fair bit more.   I fancy rejuvenating a Fizzy  next time but there’s lots of other cheap 70’s and 80’s winter projects  out there so why not have a go yourself?

Haga Signs with Swan Yamaha to Race in 2012 British Superbike Championship

Noriyuki Haga is headed for the British Superbike Championship after signing on with the Swan Yamaha team to replace the injured Ian Hutchinson. Haga had been a mainstay on the World Superbike circuit for over a decade but after being unable to find a team for this season, the 36-year-old veteran will be plying his trade in the U.K. Haga will ride the Yamaha R1 alongside teammate and defending BSB Champion Tommy Hill.

Yamaha Reports Q2 2013 Sales Results

Yamaha bounced back from a poor first quarter with sales of 1.530 million motorcycles over the second quarter ended June 30, 2013. The results represent a 1.5% increase from the 1.507 million motorcycles sold in the same quarter last year. Still, Yamaha’s first half motorcycle sales total of 3.0 million units remains behind last year’s tally of 3.1 million units because of the weak first quarter sales.