The legendary status of Yamaha RD350 was raised by one more point when an owner named Jassi installed twin front disc brakes, one rear disc brake and single-channel ABS on his prized possession. The India-spec variant of RD350 was available with front and rear drum brakes, and this custom installation by the owner has ended this drawback. The single channel ABS unit has been sourced from a Suzuki motorcycle. Jassi plans to use a better dual channel unit on his RD350 in coming weeks.
The 1983 model seen here has no modifications to the engine, leaving everything in the stock condition for better overall value. The owner is an RD restorer and knows a lot about minor and major changes that can be made to the motorcycle. The front has Brembo brakes with Nissin Calipers, seen on the much more powerful CBR650F from Honda. The modification is such intense that brake cylinders have been used from Yamaha V-Max and hydraulic clutch from Suzuki Hayabusa. The motorcycle here is seen in the red shade with white highlights and chrome fenders.
Yamaha RD350 is powered by a 347cc, twin-cylinder, two-stroke engine, producing 30.5 BHP at 6750 rpm and 32.3 Nm at 6500 rpm. The engine comes mated to a 6-speed gearbox. The version that was sold in Japan comes with the same engine but, offers the rider with 39 BHP of maximum power and 37.2 Nm of torque. The overall output makes it more powerful than the current generation Yamaha R3. The 155 kg motorcycle is said to achieve a top speed in excess of 150 kph by many riders. Most experts call Yamaha RD350 the KTM 390 Duke of its time.