The RD350B was a proven giant-killer for quite a while. Given that the frame is virtually identical to the TZ race bikes, Don Vesco certainly made the 350B into top race bikes. The stock compression ratio was 6.8:1 and it was a shorter stroke than the RD400; so in reality the 350 and 400 engines aren't the same even though the architecture is similar. However, it doesn't take much to remove tin parts and add plastic ones; which would bring it in line with the LC which had more plastic than tin. So the weights were comparable if that was done. The biggest problem with the 350B is that much off the weight was on the rear wheel, so in first and second gear too big a handful of throttle would end up with you wearing the bike on your head. The first one I bought was as near as dammit new and on the day I picked it up, it was the first time I had ridden one.....having been used to a BSA Super Rocket and a Triumph Bonnie, I gave the damn thing a handful pulling away from the dealers and shot across the road on the rear wheel, nearly sticking it in a bus shelter. The highest performing Yam engines IIRC were the TZs, albeit very temperamental......we had two outfits with the 350TZ engines and the acceleration seemed to be very near to that of my ZZR1100 and that was with two people on the outfit. We did try a 500TZ but that was more than 'temperamental' - it was 'bloody mental'; worse than an LCR500.
Looks like a Guiliari cover conversion on a standard seat there. I'd remove it to trim the foam down and attain the original Guiliari banana seat look.
Liar, I asked everyone there and they said they hadn't seen you. They said you told everyone you put miles on bikes, but they never saw you out. I'm just repeating what they said, like.
Not familiar with Yamaha rd so I might be miles out. However, my rgv250 & rs250 have 4 nipples (2 for cylinders 2 for crank bearings) Therefore running premix only might shorten the crank bearing service intervals?
The autolube system was known to play up quite badly......One minute the bike was a real smoker, then next it was on the point of seizing.......that was on top of not knowing if you had enough oil in the autolube tank without stopping the bike and getting off to have a look. You could fill it up before a long trip and it could run out well before you expected it to, so you were always carrying a bottle of 2 stroke oil with you. I opted for pre-mix because of the above, but I honestly can't recall if it was 25:1 or 50:1 mix...... Because the autolube system always seemed to work fine under service test checks, but played up on a ride, I suspect it is why piston rings needed changing earlier than anticpated (based on the life of rings in things like BSA Bantams; Francis Barnetts; James; and Greeves engines (not just the Villiers ones). What I do recall is that the reed valves had to be cleaned or changed quite a lot.
