Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.Compared to the stock bike the handling is very good, it feels taut and well balanced thanks to the extensive frame bracing, more modern running gear, lighter wheels, and more modern tyres…”īelow, we talk to Colin for the full details on his 421cc LC! Yamaha RDLC Hybrid: Builder Interview “Riding the bike is crazy - it doesn’t have power valves so the power delivery once you hit the powerband is such a rush - the power hits all at once. It’s been dynoed at 95 rwhp, and Colin says the non-YPVS power delivery gives the adrenal glands a serious squeeze: The engine is now a 421cc with a TSS crank, Cheetah Cub barrels, Air Stryker carbs, hydraulic clutch, and pipes handmade by Mark Dent of Performance Fabrications. Highlights include the one-piece tail unit and solo seat made to his design, bespoke subframe and braced chassis, Ducati 916 forks with custom yokes, 320mm discs with six-pot calipers, Dymag magnesium wheels, Spondon swingarm, and titanium fasteners throughout. It took him years to assemble all of the parts he wanted. “I wanted to build a single-minded high performance road bike, and as it’s such a commonly built bike in the UK, I wanted to try to do something that didn’t look the same as anyone else’s bike, I wanted to try to do a few bits that no-one else had!” Colin’s LC hanging with a Langen! There are a lot of hybrid RD specials in the UK - the Hybrid Club is dedicated to them - but Colin wanted a bike that would stand out from the crowd: “It’s only the fourth bike I’ve owned - the other three were also Yamaha RD’s (two 125’s and another 350 before this one), so it’s fair to say I’m a Yamaha 2-stroke fan!” Today’s hybrid comes our way from Colin White of the UK, who’s owned the bike for 26 years! Similar to what we think of today as restomods, but highly focused. However, as two-stroke street bikes died off in the years to come, a growing contingent of shed builders and tuners began developing “ hybrids” - Yamaha RD specials that melded the nostalgic sound, scent, and power of a modified two-stroke engine with updated suspension, brakes, wheels, and more. Legend has it, the riotous RD250LC single-handedly spurred new legislation that limited UK learners to 125cc machines from 1983 onward! “Arguably the most loved and inspirational Japanese bike of all – Yamaha’s RD350LC – went on sale for the first time 40 years ago…the abilities of the 47bhp stroker twin are now the stuff of legend…” – MCN, 2020 Source: In 2020, MCN published their own retrospective on the beloved LC: With a 110mph top speed, wheelie-popping acceleration and racetrack credibility, the “Elsie”…was the bike of a speed-crazed teenager’s dreams.” -Roland Brown, Hagertys Source: “For riders looking for high performance on a low budget, no other bike came close. The “Elsie” quickly became a favorite of power-hungry tuners and two-stroke aficionados: In 1980, Yamaha introduced the RD350LC ( Liquid Cooled) as the successor to the air-cooled RD400, along with a 250cc version aimed at the British learners’ market.
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