2009 Yamaha Raider S on 2040-motos

Moto blog

A MotoGP rep for under £100?

OK, so it's only for kids, but the new Yamaha M1 WGP 50th Anniversary Balance Bike is still quite cool. Aimed at kids between 2 and 6 years old, it's the same Kiddimoto superbike design that's been around for a few years, and costs the same as the standard Kiddimoto. Which means you effectively get the special graphics and Yamaha branding free of charge.

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?

Scream if you want to go faster

FANCY AN ex-Carl Fogarty Harris Yamaha YZR500? A rare chance to acquire the machine ridden by King Carl in the 1992 British Grand Prix has come up on eBay. It's a V4 screamer, recently restored by 500cc guru Nigel Everett and features a host of top notch accessories, including Marchesini wheels, 320mm carbon discs and AP six-pot calipers, to name just a few.