2003 Yamaha Xvs650 Custom Cruiser on 2040-motos

Yamaha Other tech info

Type:Cruiser Stock Number:31035 Phone:8773860224

Moto blog

Hipsters: How not to live your life

I have to start this piece by stating that I'm not from London. I may work here but I grew up in a remote North Western market town where people were (rightly) suspicious of anything or anybody new. Back to London.

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?

Recall for 2006-2009 Yamaha FJR1300

Yamaha is recalling certain 2006-2009 FJR1300 sport-tourers due to a problem with the electrical system. According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the ground joint connector of the wire harness on some Yamaha FJR1300 models may overheat and become deformed. If the electrical system is not properly grounded, the motorcycle’s electric components including the ignition system may malfunction, potentially causing the engine to stall.