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Opinions on the RD350

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  • Opinions on the RD350

    I found one for sale and am looking for a bike for SWMBO. Is it a good bike? Did it have cv carbs (after working on my buddies 77kz1000, I won't ever own anything with old smoothbores).
    '81 XS1100 SH

    Melted to the ground during The Valley Fire

    Sep. 12th 2015

    RIP

  • #2
    I had one, can't answer the question about the carbs cuase I just wasn't that savy about wrenching 28 years ago. It was FASSSTTT for a little displacement bike, but not overly reliable. I traded it for a Honda XL 250. I needed a bike that would get from point A to point B without having the Triple A card handy.
    Papa Gino

    79 and something XS 1100 Special "Battle Cruiser"
    78 XT 500 "Old Shaky"
    02 Kawasaki Concours "Connie"

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    • #3
      Rd 350

      You best test drive it before the wife , Front end is way light it will wheelie in 4 gears very very fast in the 8th mile drags, not a beginners bike. Unless....shes got lots of life insurance Good Luck
      Doug
      Doug Mitchell
      82 XJ1100 sold
      2006 Suzuki C90 SE 1500 CC Cruiser sold
      2007 Stratoliner 1900 sold
      1999 Honda Valkyrie interstate
      47 years riding and still learning, does that make me a slow learner?

      Comment


      • #4
        My only experience with them is they were what I had to race against back in the day. I had my Honda Hawk and I was surrounded by RD 350 and 400's.
        Being a 2 stroke they have a very narrow powerband. The throttle is more like an 'on - off' switch. They're a slug until 7000 RPM then they open the floodgates of "oh $h*^!!!".
        They do handle quite well, like ice skating (a good thing).
        Pat Kelly
        <p-lkelly@sbcglobal.net>

        1978 XS1100E (The Force)
        1980 XS1100LG (The Dark Side)
        2007 Dodge Ram 2500 quad-cab long-bed (Wifes ride)
        1999 Suburban (The Ship)
        1994 Dodge Spirit (Son #1)
        1968 F100 (Valentine)

        "No one is totally useless. They can always be used as a bad example"

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        • #5
          Had an RD400, real fun bike, not for beginners or casual riding.

          RD = Race Developed

          This is the road version of the two stroke Daytona racer that dominated for so long.

          Steve
          80 XS1100G Standard - YammerHammer
          73 Yamaha DT3 - DirtyHairy
          62 Norton Atlas - AgileFragile (Dunstalled) waiting reassembly
          Norton Electra - future restore
          CZ 400 MX'er
          68 Ducati Scrambler
          RC Planes and Helis

          Comment


          • #6
            My neighbor had one for a while. It was Stupid Fast! You could pull the front wheel in 4 gears with just the throttle. He had expansion chambers on it and it would scramble your brains just from the noise.
            I am certain it had Mikuni smooth bores.
            I believe it was an early '70s model so the suspension and wheels/tires were scary.
            No, not a beginner bike.
            XS1100SF
            XS1100F

            Comment


            • #7
              ThanXS for the advice guys. I don't know the year, but it has the aluminum wheels. Sounds WAY too shifty for SWMBO's first bike, though. Too bad I couldn't get it for me .
              '81 XS1100 SH

              Melted to the ground during The Valley Fire

              Sep. 12th 2015

              RIP

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi XSproject,
                if SWMBO is an experienced rider who'd be happy riding a small nimble 2stroke that wheelies for a pastime, go for it. I discount the alleged reliability problems, nothing an experienced bike fixer can't cope with.
                OTOH, not the best for a beginner's ride.
                If that's the case, look for an XS400. Nice gentle ladies ride, no vices at all and a few parts in common with an XS1100.
                Fred Hill, S'toon
                XS11SG with Spirit of America sidecar
                "The Flying Pumpkin"

                Comment


                • #9
                  RD350--V--love

                  I had a 6 spd RD350 Nice fast little 2stroker twin.
                  the pipes allways oil'd up untill ya got er up ta Speed fer
                  a while. So I found the ol' lady a used 5speed early'r mo
                  RD 350 orange on white gorgeous 1st [starter bike].
                  and she fell in LOVE & got ried of meeeee..Thanks...
                  81XS1100sp full dresser.
                  79XS1100sp rat bike.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Back to the original Q, you won't want an RD as per your requirement - CV carbs don't work on 2 strokes, and RD's didn't have them. The vacuum pulses on 2 strokes are followed by pressure pulses, and basically a CV carb would not stay open long enough to work; the slide would act like a piston.

                    The back pressure effect is the reason the later RD's used reed valves; to stop the backflow of air through the carb (which in turn made them a little less peaky and run better at low RPM's). Minimal intake vacuum is the reason there has not been a successful demand-type Fuel Injection system for 2-stroke motors either.

                    On the flip side, and RD is a great little bike that is fast and fun, and easy to learn on; just sandwich a large flat washer with a 3/4 inch center under each exhaust pipe gasket to limit the horsepower for a couple weeks till she gets the hang of it. Then you won't have to buy the little lady a bigger bike in a month - she will be able to smoke off (and I do mean Smoke) anything under a 600!

                    Cheers,
                    Yamanatic
                    Sure it's gonna make some noise, there's GAS exploding in there!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Remember riding one back in the early '80s. Really liked it. Blew away a lot of the competition with more ccs. Mind you it was a lot bigger than my first real street ride....RD125. Awesome little bike, 125ccs twin, 2 stroke. Did 74 mph down a slight hill, on gravel, feet on tail lights, face on tach!

                      Ernie
                      Ernie
                      79XS1100SF (no longer naked, now a bagger)
                      (Improving with age, the bike that is)

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