[kurmist]

Imagine this....

You put the key in the ignition...switch it on....listen to the Yamaha Power Valve System activate with its unforgettable sound. Kick the starter and the 58 HP engine rumbles to life. At this stage its a slightly deep, uneven rumbling sound....snick the gear lever into 1st and start moving. Upto 3000 rpm things remain sedate, with only a mild inkling of the thrust to follow.

As you hit 3000 rpm, the first power band kicks in, giving you a broad smile. Move past 6000 rpm, and suddenly things start getting serious....the engine is now screaming its banshee wail....you hang on to the handlebars for dear life, and before you know it, you're way past the 100 km/hr mark.

Ok, Ok I know that with the advent of the new generation of hypersports machines, even a 400cc would "smoke" the RD.....will outhandle it and will be far more cost-effective to maintain. So whats my point here....

.....something like this....every one generation, there comes a bike that sets the benchmark that others strive to follow. The LC (liquid cooled) YPVS model was one such machine that brought so much fast and furious enjoyment, to so many people, at a price that the "average joe" could afford.

Though the max speed was only ~180 kmh, the way it got you there was either smile inducing or terrifying (depending on your viewpoint and position behind the handlebars or as a pillion). In the eighties, this was THE bike to have...raw 2-stroke power.

Some of my fondest memories are of my rides on this machine, which NEVER failed to cheer me up whenever I took her for a spin....no matter what my mood.

Why this rambling post?? I would love to own one again....after so many years, I am still confident that this would be one heckuva smile inducing machine (and sometimes gravel-rash too).

I have been thinking/planning on buying a bike for some time now, but budgetary constraints do not allow me to spend more than a couple of lakhs. To my mind, the RD would be amazing from budgetary perspective.

With all the hoopla nowadays about the R1's the Busas et al (and I am in no way denigrating these great machines), I have not come across a single person who remembers these awesome bikes.

So...to finally come to the point (and I apologise if I have bored you), if there is one available, pls pm me with the details.

[coolbuddy_anuj]

I have one RD 350 if u r interested then reply...

[the_trooper]

Bombay still has its fair share of liquid cooled two strokes. You are more likely to find one there than anywhere else. Lots of LCs keep passing around, but good condition YPVSs are hard to come by.

in the event that you do find one, go for it!