Donington Park 1983 Round 3 Yamaha RD 350 PRO AM

Donington Park 1983 Round 3 Yamaha RD 350 PRO AM

[@mrdjangofreeman5560]

Beautiful and fair race, congrats guys, and thx for the good memories

[@Johnnywhamo]

I had a 79 RD 400 Daytona as well as an 83 350. Loved em both but my 400 will always be my favorite. This is great even, skilled, everyman's racing at its best. Brings back great memories of my youth. Two strokes for life baby, ride on!

[@kghwanadoo]

So good, Ken Irons was a good mate of mine and we drank at the same pub in Dunstable as Swanny, both sadly missed.

[@plantfeeder6677]

Had a '74 RD350 with chambers, Dunlop K-81s and a quarter fairing. I miss that bike to this day. Untouchable in the twistys.

[@plantfeeder6677]

Ken Irons needs to learn the first rule of Italian motor racing. Whats a behind me is not important.

[@seniorrider9337]

@@plantfeeder6677 I brought a new 75 Rd 350 in 1976 and almost immediately started making it as close to a race ready bike as I could. In three years I had alloy rims and SS spokes and Ciceroni ( sp ) real clip-ons with a quarter fairing. I fabricated up some rear sets myself and had a Don Vesco seat/tail section that replaced the stock seat. Don Vesco's ElCajon Yamaha shop did their magic on the barrels, heads, pistons, and read valves. I picked up a used TZ 350 cheap for the lower end crankshaft and the dual dics forks, plus expansion chambers and 36mm carbs . When I got it sorted out and jetted to perfection, that bike was a rocketship and with K81's it was a super good canyon bike. I never got passed in the twisties. Once while out riding, a brand new Ducati 750 tried to keep up, to no avail. I loved that bike. It had weak power below 6k RPM, but after that, hold on, shift at 12,500 and hold on again. I saw an honest 130 many times on flat roads. I am lucky it was a RD Yamaha, as they handled pretty good stock. Koni rear shocks and the TZ front forks made it even better handling. Many, many good memories.

[@iaindarling5959]

Loved that, but then I am getting on now! Had an RD250D, RD400C, RD350A then an RD250LC and I loved them all. So some years later I got a KH500, RG250 and another RD400C. Sadly when I parted from the OH my garage went and so did the bikes, but hopefully I'll be moving to somewhere with a garage soon! I may need to find a 350 Elsie. lol

[@therealslimshady4555]

I remember wheeling my rd350 and it came right back over I got my feet down and took the toes off my new adidas kicks about 70mph saved my pride and joy but sore toes for weeks them were the days 😂

[@leecoomber3877]

Always keep your foot at the back brake .🤣 Did it myself but on my knees , never ripped my Jean's but no skin on my knees and they leaked like egg yolk for afew weeks. All good stuff ,only broke a clutch lever and a rearset laying it down after been dragged on my knees for 30 yards. 😢😢😪👍

[@williamschroeder3070]

Bring back the RD !!!

[@leecoomber3877]

It wouldn't be the same they'd ruin it now adays.

[@evilelf5967]

had a barcol tuned 400 in a lightweight 250 frame,what a mental bike that was,you could hear that thing 2 miles away,and the coppers were always "having a word"....lol.......good ol days.

[@Jungleland33]

Fantastic race. No knee sliders and loads of 2 strokes... now we have the opposite.

[@mike300406]

These 350's all like to stick together all the same power this makes for good racing no 1 is out performed by machine just rider

[@cronauer1985]

looking forward to tomorrow

[@francisdsouza9499]

More race please...

[@Gambo916]

R.I.P commentator Chris Carter.

[@markward6076]

The disadvantage is , is the weight differences of the racers.

[@leighsheltonnoseypottercom]

the fairest race really

[@mike300406]

as the years went on fron 81-82 when the 1st rd's came over every year they changed things round head lites to square no fairing then full fairing ypvs was out in 83 88 they spiced up the carbs added a little bigger pipes on the back looked coolerby 88 they probably made the best rz yet 89 - 90 the same colour change from red to blue with black rims looked nice as well after that it was all over no more what a shame to say the least in 89 -90 the made a tdr 250 tzr motor basically retuned the made a little dt 200 as well single cyl endure with ypvs bullet proff little bike but like all the electronics with them power vavles had issues nothibg major you just had to keep yout battery nice n charged up maybe a rectifier would go or a cdi box I had a rectifier go but that was after 17- thou klm's on the bike so couldn't complain now to the bikes are so expensive I seen a drz 400 9 grand that's insane back in the 80's I could of bought an xt 600 and an rz 350 for that

[@markmezo]

Frozen keys? Ray Swann was such a nice guy, tragically lost in a car accident on the way home from a race.

[@guinnesslover2970]

Ok

[@leecoomber3877]

Rather listen to the sound of the bikes than there yapping

[@mike300406]

in 83 the came out with the ypvs I was just wondering if they were ripped out or they were being used

[@ColdSmokes]

I saw the round end cap on the barrels of several bikes which caps the end of the power valve. As long as they all have it, Id suspect they all used it.

[@ronantonio3631]

Is this class still being raced today?

[@evilelf5967]

it's been resurrected,just search pro am series....its on here.

[@ronantonio3631]

Is this class still raced being race?

[@MrTubbymarshall]

Ron Antonio no. But there has only recently been a revival including many of the old riders. Including racing a whole bunch of renovated Yamaha rd350lc. But the series is not being run any longer.

[@vonSnook]

Is any of them still alive ? I've never (almost) seen anyone try so hard to brake there necks . Damn good race . Poor ol " race one" , his tires must have turned liquid . he he heeeeee

[@kghwanadoo]

Both Ken Irons and Ray Swann were good mates of mine, I use to help Ken prep his TZ’s at home. Ken was killed in a freak accident at Caldwell Park and Swanny in a car crash the same year, still miss them both, great fun to be around just not on a race bike when they were VERY serious.

[@vonSnook]

@@kghwanadoo Was unaware , So sorry to have heard .

[@terryedgerton7513]

B