Classic Yamaha Two Stroke Buying Guide and Motorbikes For Sale (UK)

To buy genuine Yamaha spares online for any of the following models including difficult to get hold of parts visitCMS. This is a great online store for motorcycle spares from all the big four Japanese manufacturers and for all models. Many parts are in stock but if the part you need is not in stock it will be automatically ordered from Japan. The service from CMS is excellent and prices are OK. Note that CMS is located in the Netherlands which means two things: although shipping costs are reasonable, you should try to group parts together in single shipments to save delivery costs and prices quoted are in Euros. As the £ pound has strengthened in recent weeks this is not a bad thing: divide the proces shown by 1.15 and you will get the approximate price in £ pounds. I get most of my genuine parts from CMS and highly recommend it.

YAMAHA RD250: AIR-COOLED 250 cc PARRALEL TWIN

PERFORMANCE & SPECIFICATION: Max Power: 27 bhp @ 7200 rpm, Max Torque: 3 m/kg @ 7000 rpm, Dry Weight: 150 kg.

Yamaha's famous Air-Cooled 250CC Twin Cylinder RD250 is the first of the classic Yamaha's I'll review. This was Yamaha's first big selling 250cc two-stroke sports bike. The first RD250 was launched in 1973 and became one of the top selling 250's on the market (in the UK at least). It is an established and recognised Classic Bike and prices for these bikes are already strong and are only likely to keep rising.

The first RD250 from 1973 was in fact based on the similar YDS7 model built from 1971-72 and featured wire-spoked wheels and drum brakes. The 1974 RD250A was updated with a front disc brake. The RD250B model was tha last with the old sytle rounded tank which was replaced with an updated distintive 'Coffin' shaped tank which is usually associated with this model on the RD250C. The RD250D was the first to be fitted with disc brakes front and rear and featured Cast Alloy wheels as an optional extra. Then, the E and F models continued this theme with the Cast Alloy wheels as standard. A 'Daytona' model was released in the later years in small numbers with fuel tank similar to the next Liquid Cooled model RD250LC but is rare and expensive in Europe.

Availability is very good, particularly for the later models, as so many were sold and it is quite a robust motorbike, the engine being quite strong and reliable for a 250cc 2-stroke. Given it's popularity in its day and availability today you can generally find one to suit your budget whether it be a fairly rough example (probably without MOT or tax) for less than £ 500 or a good original condition one for up to £ 1500 or an immaculate restored example for anything up to £2000 and beyond. The fitment of non-original exhaust pipes like Microns is a popular modification and not undesirable but check that it hasn't resulted in a too-weak mixture. Being an air-cooled, 2-stroke twin it is a very simple and easy engine to work on and engine rebuild, re-bores and crankshaft reconditioning services are readily available and relatively inexpensive. Parts are also in good supply both new and second hand, with a number of specialists around the UK and Europe. There is also a healthy Yamaha air-cooled club in the UK. For all these reasons this is a great choice of Classic Bike for both the beginner and experienced classic owner and highly recommended.

To buy new genuine Yamaha spares online for the RD250 visit CMS.

To find new and used parts for sale on Ebay for the air-cooled Yamaha RD250, click on this link: RD250 Spares

See listings below of RD250's for Sale on Ebay in the UK right now:

YAMAHA RD400: AIR-COOLED 398 cc PARRALEL TWIN

PERFORMANCE & SPECIFICATION: Max Power: 35 - 44 bhp @ 7000 rpm, Max Torque: 3.8 m/kg @ 7500 rpm, Wet Weight: 171 kg. Top Speed 105 - 110 mph, Standing 1/4 mile: 14.15 seconds at 90 mph terminal speed.

To buy new genuine Yamaha spares online for the RD400 visit CMS.

To find new and used parts for sale on Ebay for the air-cooled Yamaha RD400, click on this link: Yamaha RD400 Spares

As always, Ebay is a good place to find these bikes as most for sale in the UK will be listed there. Any for sale on Ebay UK right now will be listed below.

YAMAHA RD250LC: WATER-COOLED 250 cc PARRALEL TWIN

PERFORMANCE & SPECIFICATION: Max Power: 35 bhp @ 8000 rpm, Max Torque: 3 m/kg @ 8000 rpm, Dry Weight: 139 kg, Top Speed: 98 mph, Standing 1/4 mile: 14.6 seconds.

The success of Yamaha's air-cooled RD250 was followed by it's replacement, the legendary RD250LC. For anyone that doesn't know what LC stands for it is "Liquid Cooled" meaning this bike was Water-cooled. Incidentally the RD stands for "Racing Development". So Yamaha's RD250LC that replaced the air-cooled model above gave the bike 1980's technology with a water-cooled. engine, a Mono-shock (single shock absorber) rear suspension and racier looks.

Water-cooling allows higher compression and higher rev's which means more power and the RD250LC had a compression ratio of 6.9:1 and made 38 bhp at 8500rpm (about 6 bhp more than its predecessor at 500 rpm higher revs). With a Wet weight of 158kg this gave the bike a top speed of 101mph making it the fastest 250cc motorbike of the time.

The Yamaha RD250LC is now a well established Classic Motorbike and highly collectable and valued. Prices have been rising steadily over the last 10 years so getting one of these in good condition will not be cheap - budget at least £ 1500 for a good one. However, serious classic status is secured and the value of this model is very unlikely to do anything but rise. The LC (affectionately known as elsie) is more highly valued than its air-cooled predecessor and is probably the cheapest entry-level Japanese Classic Bike of such high regard - a true legend. As well as having class-leading performance and innovation at the time, the RD250LC was a beautiful looking motorbike - a real icon of 1980's automotive design. The Yamaha RD250LC has a very strong following in the UK and Europe which means parts availability, servicing and members clubs are plentiful. The water-cooling adds little complexity to its air-cooled predecessor so the engine is still simple and easy to work on. When buying, check that Engine and Frame numbers match those shown on the logbook. If not, find another one or understand that the value of the bike is reduced and get evidence that the replacement frame or engine are from a legitimate source. The greatness of this motorbike was reflected in the fact that this was the most stolen model of its time so there are a lot of illegitimate examples about.

To buy new genuine Yamaha spares online for the RD250LC visit CMS.

To find new and used parts for sale on Ebay for the Yamaha RD250LC, click on this link: Yamaha RD250LC Spares

See listings below for RD250LC's for sale right now in the UK on Ebay. No where else in the UK is likely to have a better selection of machines. Be sensible, beware, check the logbook, make sure the seller is the owner and you can get yourself a great bike.

YAMAHA RD350LC: WATER-COOLED 350 cc PARRALEL TWIN

PERFORMANCE & SPECIFICATION: Max Power: 47 bhp @ 8500 rpm, Max Torque: 3.8 m/kg @ 8000 rpm, Dry Weight: 149 kg, Top Speed: 114 mph, Standing 1/4 mile: 13.8 seconds / 97.2 mph terminal.

The Yamaha RD350LC was everything the 250 model was and just a bit more. The 350 version only weighed 10 kg more than the 250 and with the additional 100cc the bike made about 47 bhp, giving a top speed of over 110mph and much better acceleration. Perhaps the most important difference was that the 350 was not legal for learner riders (the RD250LC was the last learner legal 250) so didn't suffer quite so much abuse or neglect as the 250cc version, being bought by riders with a full license and a little more mechanical knowledge in respect to servicing and maintenance. However, beware the fact that the 350 was also a popular race bike so there will be plenty of examples that have spent a significant amount of time on a racetrack. Nevertheless, with a little care when purchasing you should be able to find a good example that has matching engine and frame numbers to those in the documents and has had a decent engineer rebuild done to address any problems caused by racing or use/age. As with the 250LC above, parts and specialist engine work and servicing are readily available. Prices are rightly higher than for the 250 version but this bike is a serious legend and classic - certainly in the top 10 all-time Japanese Classic Motorbikes.

I would highly recommend this bike for someone looking for a classic motorbike. There is something very beautiful about these models, they are great fund to ride and still quite simple machines to work on and rebuild. While prices are strong, having been rising steadily for the last 10 years, they have definitely not peaked so ownership could be a good investment. Buy as good a quality one that you can and look for engine and chassis (frame) numbers that haven't been tampered with and match those on the registration documents.

To buy new genuine Yamaha spares online for the RD350LC visit CMS.

To find new and used parts for sale and Ebay for the Yamaha RD350LC, click on this link: Yamaha RD350LC Spares

See listings below for complete RD350LC's for sale on Ebay UK right now.

YAMAHA RD350LC YPVS: WATER-COOLED 350 cc PARRALEL TWIN

PERFORMANCE & SPECIFICATION: Max Power: 56 bhp @ 9000 rpm, Max Torque: 4.2 m/kg @ 8800 rpm, Dry Weight: 142 kg, Top Speed: 120 mph, Standing 1/4 mile: 12.4 seconds / 100 mph terminal.

The Yamaha RD350 LC YPVS was a development of the 350LC model above. Launched in 1983, the letters YPVS in the model name are all important. These stand for Yamaha Power-valve System. This was a valve (or cylinder) positioned just outside the exhaust ports and activated by an electric motor in conjunction with different engine speeds. This exhaust valve altered the shape of the exhaust port to optimise both mid-range and top-end power. Before exhaust valves such as this, two-stroke motorbikes could either be tuned for optimum mid-range or top-end but not both. Variable exhaust valves changed all this and delivered far more flexible motors that still delivered the expected top-end rush in the power-band of a two-stroke. The Yamaha 350 YPVS was the first production bike with this technology and it helped to transform the motorbike, taking power to about 59 bhp with a top speed of nearly 120 mph whilst also delivering a worthwhile improvement in midrange compared to the previous models.

There were a number of YPVS model types and updates. The picture above left is the first model which can be distinguished by its round headlamp and 'bikini' fairing, matching 'belly-pan' and cone type black exhausts. The later FII (or F2) model seen below right had a full fairing, square headlamp and exhausts featuring distinct expansion chambers with silencer cans ('stingers') on the end. While the later models were a little more civilized it is probably the earlier ones that are more collectable. There was also an RD350N model with no fairing or 'belly-pan' at all. This is a very nice looking version and less common than the faired bikes. Finally, when production of the Power-valve finished in Japan, production tooling went to Brazil for production to continue there for a few years. This last, Brazilian, model had a bigger more enveloping fairing twin round headlights. Build quality was not as high as the Japanese models and the bike lost a lot of its good looks. It was also more heavily restricted as a result of emissions controls and so was not as quick or sharp as the previous models. For all of these reasons it has not really attained classic status, is not very desirable and consequently can not justify as high prices as the Japanese built models. I would personally avoid the Brazilian and go for one of the earlier F1 or N models with round headlamp.

To buy new genuine Yamaha spares online for the RD350YPVS visit CMS.

To find new and used parts for sale on Ebay for the Yamaha RD350YPVS, click on this link: Yamaha RD350 YPVS Spares

See listings below for complete RD350YPVS models for sale on Ebay UK right now.

YAMAHA TZR250: WATER-COOLED 250 cc PARRALEL TWIN (Later models are V-twin)

PERFORMANCE & SPECIFICATION: Max Power: 50 bhp @ 10000 rpm, Max Torque: 35.5 Nm @ 9750 rpm, Dry Weight: 128 kg, Top Speed: 114 mph, Standing 1/4 mile: 13.8 seconds / 97.2 mph terminal.

Yamaha's replacement for the 350 Power-valve (RD350YPVS) was surprisingly the TZR250. I say surprisingly because they stuck with the established market category of 250cc capacity rather than continue the theme of a 350cc twin. The 250 cc format for the TZR was probably chosen as 250's had become a hotly contested category in the mid 1980's amongst the Japanese manufacturers and it was also an established racing category around the world whereas the 350cc had long gone from grand-prix and all classes that filter down from the elite class. However, while the outgoing RD350YPS had nearly 60 bhp the new TZR250 had only around 45 bhp. With significantly lighter weight than the RD however it still managed to be a faster bike in pure performance terms and much faster on the road thanks to the lightweight and huge development step in chassis design. Gone was the old tubular steel frame of the RD and in was Yamaha's first aluminum "Deltabox" beam frames developed from GP racing.

The TZR famously became the first production 250 cc motorbike to lap the Isle of Man at an average speed of 100mph in the 250cc 'prody' race in the hands of Mat Oxley in 1987. Unfortunately for the TZR250, sales in Europe were ultimately limited as 250cc motorbikes were no longer legal for leaner riders and the bike was just a bit too small for those with a full licence and the opportunity to get on a 600cc four stroke. Also, while the TZR eclipsed Suzuki's RG250 Mk3 to become the best 250cc sports bike in the UK (Honda did not officially import their NSR250) Suzuki came back in 1988 with their much improved RGV250 with all new V-twin motor derived from 250 GP racing. Kawasaki's bonkers KR1 followed in 1989 and the TZR suddenly looked out of date and was well behind in performance. Consequently the TZR250 didn't sell in really big numbers and has not (yet) reached classic status. However, TZR250's in general do seem to have been looked after better than the RG/RGV and KR1/KR1s and they also have good build quality (probably better than the other bikes). These factors along with the fact that the bike has not yet taken on classic status make it an insightful and attractive buy today in 2009. This is a great bike to ride, extremely lightweight with excellent fast handling and adequate power with an exiting power-band A good TZR250 will cost you less than any of the aforementioned RD models in similar condition and is probably my pick of the bunch as an exiting bike to ride with 'future classic' written all over it. The two-strokes from the 70's and early 80's have all achieved the classic status and prices have been rising steadily. The models from the late 80's/early 90's are the next in line to do the same. Get one while they are cheap !

The original TZR250 2MA model is described above as this was the model imported by Yamaha Europe. This model was replaced by Yamaha but later models were not imported as new bikes by Yamaha Europe as they were expensive and not as practical as the 4-stroke 400cc bikes that had become the alternative.

These later TZR250 models did find their way into Europe via the grey market (non-official imports). There are two to look out for (or avoid), the first (3MA model) was still a parallel twin but had 'reversed cylinders' with the exhausts exiting the back of the cylinders directly to the back of the bike and the inlet tracts at the front of the cylinders. This posed two big problems: the bike had understandable cooling issues; With the exhaust down pipes directly behind the cylinders they were tucked away from the usual air flow that assists the cooling of conventional front-exiting exhausts. The second problem was the routing of the exhausts; exhaust length is particularly important for two strokes as back pressure created by the expansion chamber is essential for keeping the next inlet charge in the cylinder before it is compressed and burnt.

By having the exhausts exiting the back of the cylinders Yamaha gave themselves less room to get enough length so the pipes had to bend around. This exacerbated the overheating issue. While these models are particularly interesting and look great they are not very reliable, very rare and difficult to get parts for so I would avoid the reverse cylinder models.

A new V-twin (3XV) model replaced the V-twin and once again Yamaha had a 250cc two stroke comparable to the Suzuki RGV and Honda NSR, but as with the NSR, the V-twin TZR was not important into the UK by Yamaha so they remain rare and expensive as unofficial imports and are also restricted to 45bhp for the Japanese market. If you have plenty of cash these are delectable bikes but are quite a speciality.

Power outputs and performance did not change much through the three model versions as while the later reverse cylinder and V-twins versions had the potential to make more than the original they were restricted by Japanese home-market regulations and are difficult and expensive to de restrict.

To buy new genuine Yamaha spares online for the TZR250 visit CMS.

To find new and used parts for sale on Ebay for the Yamaha TZR250, click on this link: Yamaha TZR250 Spares

Any TZR250 models currently listed for sale in the UK on Ebay will be listed below. If none are shown it means that none are currently for sale.

YAMAHA RD500LC: WATER-COOLED 500 cc V-Four

PERFORMANCE & SPECIFICATION: Max Power: 88 bhp @ 9500 rpm, Max Torque: 67 Nm @ 8500 rpm, Dry Weight: 173 kg, Top Speed: 148 mph, Standing 1/4 mile: 11.7 seconds / 117 mph terminal.

This is the DADDY of Yamaha's two-stroke motorbike lineage - the big one. 500cc Two-stroke production road bikes from 1985 on are special as they have been rare inclusions in the manufacturer's line-ups. With exceptions for Bimota's failed and ultra rare V-due, the Yamaha RD500LC is one of only two in this exclusive club (the other being Suzuki's RG500). In the 1970's Kawasaki gave us KH500 air-cooled 500cc triples and Suzuki their GT500 air cooled twins but the RD500LC and RG500 are the only modern-era water-cooled four cylinder 500cc two-stroke road bikes built. They are made even more special by their different and unusual engine layouts. The Suzuki RG500 was a square-four whilst Yamaha's RD500LC was a V-four. Not considered a true V-four by purists or technically minded as it was a twin-crank engine effectively making it two parallel twins joined to a crank this doesn't matter as it is still the only V-four 500cc two-stroke you can get your hands on and is a special piece of automotive history as well as being a fantastic looking bike (in a 1980's way) with two of it's four exhaust pipes exiting from under the rear seat just like the GP bikes of Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey. The RD500LC model imported into Europe featured a square section mock-alloy frame and swing arm while the RZ500 version sold in other markets, primarily Japan, had a genuine alloy box-section frame.

While the brakes and chassis (largely due to 16" front and 18" rear wheel diameters) are woefully behind today's standards that's not the point and doesn't mean this bike is not great fun to ride and can't crack on at a good pace down a country road. The engine is still no slouch with a published power output of 88bhp (about 75 genuine) and Yamaha's YPVS power-valve system operating on all four cylinders. The RD500LC is a surprisingly practical motorbike with pretty good reliability and longevity. As with the TZR250 they tend not to have been thrashed quite as badly and consistently as the Suzuki counterpart and I still see a few about with some even being used to commute on.

The Yamaha RD500LC is quite rightly recognised as Yamaha's most special two-stroke and is as a consequence very highly valued and expensive to get hold of in good condition.

To buy new genuine Yamaha spares online for the RD500LC visit CMS.

To find new and used parts for sale on Ebay for the Yamaha RD500LC, click on this link: Yamaha RD500LC Spares

See listings below of any RD500LC's currently for sale in the UK on Ebay.