There is a 1975 Yamaha RD250 with a RD350 motor in it for sale locally. Cosmetically it is a little rough, but according to the seller it runs very well (I haven't physically seen it yet).

I was thinking it might be a fun little project bike to have around and would be pretty unique as a two-stroke. But that is part of my concern, I know two-stroke dirt bikes require specific kind of maintenance to keep them running optimally and I don't have any experience with two-strokes at all. Would maintenance be similar on a two-stroke street bike? Is the maintenance something I should be worried about? Are there any other concerns with these bikes specifically from anyone who has had experience with them? I think I might get in over my head having no hands on knowledge of these kinds of engines, although it would also be a good learning experience. What do you guys think?

 

I'm sure there are going to be alot of people on here that will say 2-strokes need so much more maintenance, but they are idiots. the RD/RZ/Banshee motor family is awsome and if you take care of them, its as or more reliable than a 4-stroke. And plus if you gernade the motor, its costs less than $150 to rebuild the whole thing.

I would personally love an RZ350. Long live the 2-stroke

 

I had a 71 R5 for a little while which is basically the same as the RD350 and never had any engine problems but there were certainly issues with the components being 30+ years old. Wiring, fuses, fuel lines, etc. are going to be potential weak points so keep that in mind.

 

A family friend of mine has a '76(?) RD350 and he's been riding it for 20+ years. Fun little bike and fairly easy to maintain. Simple enough to be reliable.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Trickniner &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Would maintenance be similar on a two-stroke street bike? Is the maintenance something I should be worried about? Are there any other concerns with these bikes specifically from anyone who has had experience with them? I think I might get in over my head having no hands on knowledge of these kinds of engines, although it would also be a good learning experience. What do you guys think?</TD></TR></TABLE>

The Race Development line by Yamaha are very nice bikes... but like any bike geared more toward the pointy end of the performance curve, they require more TLC and care. If you are familiar with off road two strokes you will be okay with a OEM on road two stroke. there are many little nuances that you will have to learn if you want to try and extract more performance out of your motor, but that can be learned... Porting the cylinders and pistons etc.

I would not recommend a two stroke in modern times for a daily, but as a recreational bike, they are fine... as long as you have a calling card or cell phone, that's just reality. And don't plan on taking any really long trips on the bike, they are not made for that.

as talked about many times before... two stroke engines duty cycle is rated in hours not mileage, but the replacement parts are cheap and easy to install. you'll also be looking to replace and tune points and condensers, again not hard but troublesome if your looking for a daily ride. You can invest in electronic ignition for about $1000.

Overall, it's a great fun series of motorcycle... but be prepared for finikiness and never ending maintenence issues.

 

Thanks guys, yeah I think at the moment this might be out of the question for me. The seller isn't asking much but according to the ad there has been some work done to the top end along aftermarket expansion chamber pipes. Add to that the fact that the bike is a 250 frame with a 350 motor swapped and the "finikiness and never ending maintenance issues" mentioned would probably be even more prevalent.

 

Well to be honest, as long as the harness is sound and complete, you should be okay in that department. the whole line is very closely related and inter-swappable. Still, owning any 2 stroke requires a commitment beyond the normal 4 stroke motorcycle ownership

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MSchu &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Still, owning any 2 stroke requires a commitment beyond the normal 4 stroke motorcycle ownership</TD></TR></TABLE>

I disagree. Care to expand on why you feel that way?