Rare 2-Stroke Motorcycle Sat 20 Years In a Barn

[@cayminlast]

Very cool little bike, that twin cylinder exhaust sound brings back lots of good memories, I was the proud owner of a 1975 Yamaha125 RD, it took me two years to pay it off on an apprentices pay.

[@nottsdez]

I had the next gen the tzr 125 yvps that I loved and went though about 5 top end rebuilds😂

[@mattpedersen6178]

That is one of the cleanest bikes I’ve seen come out of a garage after 20 years

[@speedfreak8200]

Barn

[@JOHANFAGERSTA]

Looks terrible to me.

[@revstar3165]

I have a rd350 that doesnt have rust or any dust on it and its been sitting in a garage for at least 20 years

[@davebarrowcliffe1289]

Still needs a wash before starting work on it though...

[@m.o.f9802]

I got a suzuki gt 250 that sat since 2001, it looks brand new, just the rust in the tank 😢

[@bryankerr69]

Nice find. The old Yamaha 2 strokes were bulletproof. Thanks for sharing.

[@bobl5182]

The oil is clean because it's transmission oil, it is not contaminated by combustion. The 2-stroke oil keeps the crank alive.

[@duskintheforest584]

Those 70s two stroke small displacement street bikes were soooo much fun! Affordable, fast enough to scare yourself with. I had a Suzuki GT185. Sweet!

[@ronalddaub9740]

I work at the movie shop that year and bought a 185 before the gs750 the little 185 was quick

[@jeffdeppe5504]

My first street bike was a RD350 That I found in a chicken coop and bought for $50. It took me all winter to get it fixed up and running.

[@bananabrooks3836]

It's a Yamaha that hasn't been messed with, great find. It should produce more power with just fuel in the tank. There is a felt pad to absorb a few drops of light oil periodically applied, to lube the points cam.

[@davidheimburg9950]

Haters hate. That’s what they do. Just ignore them Joe. How many 2 stroke engines have you “blown up” revving them? Not a single one, l’d wager. The sanctimonious commenters are what drives me nuts.

[@gardeningfishingjimw9364]

That sound takes me way way back in time; love the sound of a 2 stroke and the smell........

[@johnb5519]

I have an RZ350, and the oil pump is pretty well the same as the one on that bike. Sounds the same too. It's always a good idea to lube the petcock if it is completely dry for a long time, before turning it. Gives the seals a chance to swell a bit and not get damaged.

[@passenger6735]

The NGK B7HS were the standard plugs in the RD200. As far as rpm is concerned I seem to remember 1600 being good. At 1500 rpm the machine thinks its a starter not a gennie. They were super little bikes and with a bit of tank work its as good as new. What a great find but why you don't pressure wash them first is a mystery.

[@ronalddaub9740]

Yeah but you just confused the hell out of him😂

[@ronalddaub9740]

He definitely has a messed-up way of working on stuff although he can do it he just goes about it in a way that he does things that don't need to be done he takes things apart that he knows is okay just to take it apart if that's for viewer content I get it but I wouldn't let him work on my lawn mower

[@ronalddaub9740]

Anybody that has a fake really deep voice when they wanted is something wrong

[@ronalddaub9740]

The oil on the injection tank came from people that are in a hurry and they spill a little bit of oil over the years on the tank and don't wipe it off all the time

[@philtwowheels]

I guess a lot of younger guys wouldn't know how well these little bikes go, a 200cc doesn't sound like it has much power but they are light and two stroke engines put out a lot more power than a four stroke. Nice work restoring these old treasures. One of my first bikes was a Suzuki X7 250 two stroke, it was quicker than most of the cars on the road at the time, mid 1980's. Just curious why you don't wash down the bike before starting the tear down process? I've always washed an engine before working on it, that's how I was taught.

[@ronalddaub9740]

This guy has no respect no patience, . Never uses assembly lube.. and I wouldn't let him work on my lawn mower

[@GrassGuruGarage4008]

@@ronalddaub9740yet he has hundreds of thousands of people who like his work and has worked on and completed many projects fine which is something neither me or you would ever do.

[@GrassGuruGarage4008]

@@ronalddaub9740also if you hate him so much why do you still watch him? Just asking

[@patbriggsmbr]

Couldn’t believe you turned it over before checking for mice etc. the bike is worth a small fortune over here.

[@kernelbadness]

He forgets often

[@al4904]

I couldn't believe it either, I was literally yelling at the screen for him to check the air box! Love his enthusiasm though.

[@ronalddaub9740]

He's a newbie know-it-all amateur with more money than brains that's all there is to it

[@joshhutchison9447]

I wud so love to have this Rd 200 .. my dad had a RD 250 .. brings back a lot of memorys my friend .. i love it .. 😊

[@woodylittle9816]

These were the best bikes of the era once of simple low cost motorcycles...

[@James-k4v4f]

I just watched and enjoyed your video on the RD200. 70s Japanese bikes with drum brakes used alloy shoes with bonded linings. If they are stored for years especially in damp conditions, the shoes corrode causing the linings to break away after a few applications of the brakes. Very scary especially if the front hub locks

[@quicksilver8180]

Right, then add ripping it up without a helmet and you can end a video by smashing your brains on the asphalt!

[@Eric--zs6um]

At 54 I remember alot of these old Yamaha 2 strokes as well as the other makes. Rd's IT'S DT's YZ's were very common where I grew up. Our neighbor had the RD 100 painted the same as the 200.

[@ar2043]

That's it… First cold start in 20 years and just "death rev" it!!! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼😂😂😂 Good job as always Joe!!! And I mean that sincerely.

[@allanfoster5418]

Reving a cold engine sure way to kill it 🤔🤔🤔🫢😂🤣😅😅😅😅🤣🤣😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

[@ronalddaub9740]

Don't death rev as you call it any engine that is cold that's just a ignorant move

[@ronalddaub9740]

​​@@allanfoster5418there's a couple on every thread they don't understand metallurgy Expansion or even caring about a machine..

[@ronalddaub9740]

I want to see the transmission apart on that moped

[@allanfoster5418]

@ronalddaub9740 wasn't slagging you off just noticed engine was cold. with my suzuki m1800rz I just wait 30 seconds before I pull away when cold with low revs

[@azzir325]

"Doesn't look TOO bad." I think it looks really really good for such an oldie!

[@Jdwescott]

That is a neat little bike,thanks for saving these old gems and letting us watch.

[@slotty15]

I had that model back in 1974 in purple. I think it was called a ycs5e. Great ride but only did 40 miles per British gallon.

[@TheTimutube]

Me to it was an l reg purple and white.loved the thing to bits.tim in uk

[@mohawkdriver4155]

That would be a really good restoration project, as clean as it is. Nice job!

[@mikerafonemusic6177]

a wash on it would be considered a restore hah its nice already..

[@toddanderson7942]

I was so glad you kept all the dirt and raved up the engine as soon as it started.

[@ronalddaub9740]

Yeah he does that he's always good on breaking in stuff. Using assembly lube yeah he really likes to let them warm up before he rips on it😂

[@ronalddaub9740]

Maybe if you clocked the spark plug 180° is might fire🎉

[@ronalddaub9740]

Yeah that's called a Dynamo

[@ronalddaub9740]

A good mechanic on that engine would use a dial indicator to set the points you know what a dial indicator is and how it work right? Using the light bulb or a buzzer

[@stephenpublicover8818]

Hey my young friend,I used to have a 1976 Rd 400, and a 1988 RZ 350, Great Bike, good video, Keep them coming!

[@Tron1731]

Best way to unstuck rings remove exhaust get piston visible in exhaust put can of pb blaster in freezer heat piston with torch 3 mins spray cold pb on top of piston you can actually hear the rings unstick great video good find 😀

[@garydunn3037]

I had one of these in the UK from new, and it was a candy gold colour. And had electric start, and toque induction, which simply mean't reed valves to the cylinders, to help prevent blowback on induction. Mine would run all day happily cruising between 50=60mph/ O had it 3 years, and covered just under 18000 miles on it. Great times.

[@bruceparfitt3639]

yep great little bike ,i also had a candy gold one ,first bike after my fsie ,road it down to cornwall fantastic time.

[@johnhicks735]

A tip trick on that points cover seal to stay water tight Joe. You can use some Marine grease lightly smeared around the rubber seal for moisture seal blockage control when you put the cover back on it to.

[@MrMotionmac]

It's just like what I had happen. Barn find of a 1973 RD350. About the same shape and miles. Replaced a crank seal but other than that everything was working fine. Had the stock sissy bar on it and in the tool box it had the Yamaha points wrench with 2 feeler guages attached. Thing is fast!

[@tigeryoung8611]

I had one of these newun the early 70's. My neighbours weren't so fond of it as I rin tinned up and down the street just like you. 😂 that sound was perfect really brings back the memories.

[@keithcrampton1438]

WE HAVE HAD SO MUCH FUN ON SOME OF THESE BIKES ED AND I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH

[@paulnewsome6289]

I had one of those in the 1970s. Very fast for its engine size. Great handling and acceleration. Unfortunately the armature burned out and I couldn't get a replacement. Look after it. No more tearing across fields. That's a great little road bike.

[@bewilderment9268]

I got an XT500 that sat in the open desert for 12+ years. Took 2 days of soaking the carb slide with PB before l could get it to move freely. Now, with a new carb, that bike runs great.

[@craigmurphy2046]

I love those old twin two strokes. I was 14 when that was new. Great video !

[@AbcDef-iq4no]

That is a cool, vintage bike. A good product for conditioning dried out bike seats is mink oil paste, which I can usually find at my local farm and feed store.

[@marcustaylor9210]

Nice bike, can you imagine someone in 1975 walking into a show room and seeing that lovely bike,

[@RC-fu6hg]

Wow! Such an amazing find and it sounds so good for being left in a barn for decades. It looks so sharp I can see someone will in the future probably do a full restoration on this one.

[@deebee3901]

Please show us this bike properly cleaned up. I'd love to see it. A bit of PDR on that gas tank would also help make this bike look schmick!

[@M.TTT.]

yessir and a lil shine juice on it, bring out the patina

[@ryanjohnson1814]

That's wild, seat not ripped or coming apart, tires held air and did crqck apart on riding, usually the brakes are locked up. Or chain not moveable. Impressive condition.

[@jetstreek17]

once again great camera awareness and care for what we are seeing. I love coming along with the builds/projects. Love the channel.

[@steveh7823]

Dual air filters! That was a first for me. You can make replacements with a piece of of foam of the right thickness and glue that won't melt the foam or become unstuck when you oil the foam (maybe wood glue). Amazing how the bike came back to life.

[@keithhampton9700]

Never had luck trying to get the right foam.

[@steveh7823]

I found the right stuff at an auto spares shop, 15mm thick. Normally it's a dark grey. It's sold in A4 size sheets and guys make air filters for bikes, lawn mowers etc with it. Don't use the yellow low-density foam found in fabric shops. But looks like these filters need to be sleeve shaped@@keithhampton9700

[@andrewslagle1974]

Buy the correct filters rather than destroy a great running engine!

[@ronalddaub9740]

Just generally best to have a air filter for each carburetor

[@ronalddaub9740]

​@@andrewslagle1974the way he revs up a cold older engine that's s been sitting I don't trust him as a mechanic. just that right there he doesn't understand the metallurgy and heat. Yes the man can work on stuff I would hire him as a bolt Turner any day but when he works on a transmission he doesn't put lube on it or when he rebuild an engine I have never seen him put prelude on it or even prelube the engine he just revs it up Way more than necessary and anybody that uses a Kickstarter should engage The pawl before hitting it with all of your strength and weight.

[@dieterich6533]

I learned so much from watching your channel. It never gets boring. Good job 👍

[@micclay]

Me too.

[@allan9603]

​@@micclay, totally agree; Joe's videos have saved me a lot of time and money while troubleshooting the small engines on my farm machines!

[@darrylpatterson7365]

I had a couple 350 versions of this bike when I was a kid in the late 70s also had a Kawasaki 400 triple 2 stroke plus a bunch of other bikes growing up.

[@SuEnRoD]

I rode an RD200 while I was in the military in the 80's. NICE!!

[@okckent]

I love the sound of a two stroke getting wrung out 2 seconds after startup!! 😢

[@ronalddaub9740]

He doesn't think a thing about it doesn't even know what it's hurting or how

[@jamesgibson5876]

@@ronalddaub9740 lmao yup..not a clue..

[@dalemiller4503]

Yea it made me cry too.

[@metoon3092]

*A Motorcycle* 2 wheels! Mixing up the projects is fantastic! Quad after Quad is just mind numbing, my opinion. BTW, sell those past projects in your front yard need to go. You have what some of us get, keepitis😆 Great channel!

[@bighomieJ5X]

You find some rare gems ,thats awesome 😁

[@thebigguy8306]

Wow, that is vintage 1975, do not see many 2-strokes around anymore. Great find, great buy, keep up the hard work

[@lwplwp]

I had an RD 400. Great bike. A 200 sure doesn't need an electric start. I could start my 400 with one hand easily. 😊

[@David-oi7im]

...and there he was at the isle of man TT going over the bridge and his heroic effort to cut into his protagonist time... just like I would do when I was but a fourteen year old...fond memories!!!

[@keithcrampton1438]

THE FACT IS VINTAGE GUY I LOVE YOUR BIKES AND I LOVE YOUR LIFE AND I LOVE YOUR LAND AND I WISH I COULD BE YOU

[@toby1kenobi493]

What a score! Those bikes are awesome. I’ve always wanted one of those bad boys. Wish we could still buy something like this new.

[@keithcrampton1438]

I FORGOT THAT EDDIE VEDDER WAS THE GUITARIST FOR THE BEACH BOYS BUT YOU ARE THE MECHANIC SUPERSTAR FOR THE STARSHIP TROOPERS

[@brunolagace1135]

Graduate in 1972 when to work and I bought my first bike that summer it was a new Yamaha 200 electric. Had a lot fun with it!

[@johnhicks735]

On That it's the petcock shut-off valve rubber inside of that it's called A rubber diaphragm and seal. That most likely deteriorated and dried out over the years of setting up And split cracked it. From not being used regularly all that time of just setting not in use.

[@friguy4444]

Man that Two Stroke Torque is something I've always loved! Even a little 200 can surprise you if it's a two stroke!

[@mattyleahy6356]

Great job on the revival Joe, love your channel. Can I have one criticism, adding a premix 2 stroke oil to the fuel tank while you are still running the auto lube pump is actually leaning out your fuel/air mixture. Sure you're getting more oil but the oil is displacing the fuel so you're getting more air to fuel, not an issue for start up but out on the road could cause overheating or a holed piston. I have a similar issue with people who disconnect their auto lube pump for premix and don't change their carb jetting.

[@fastdadd1958]

Great videos the only thing is to check that is at wide open throttle you check that both throttle slides are seated up which you adjust with the cables, then you can adjust needles, air, and fuel on each side good luck young feller you are on the right track and this is coming from an old geezer who loves two strokes.

[@kennethmackeprang741]

my friend had a YAMAHA 200 back in the late 70 & it was a great bike.

[@dogtownbrogers2796]

Very cool bike. When I find those around here in that shape they want 12-1500. Don’t rely on that oil pump, pre mix won’t let you down.

[@kernelbadness]

With proper maintenance the pump will be reliable and deliver the proper amount of oil. I will say however he did the very minimum.

[@JimMc-o2p]

Don’t ever pre mix a cci bike.some Suzuki bike are cci gt 380 500 but this is a yam on the Suzuki the crank is in cased so pre mix won’t reach the crank berrings cci injection strait to crank…….

[@daveco1270]

I've learned a lot watching you get these old bikes (and other vehicles) up and running. One good thing about the carb slides being stuck closed, you didn't suck any of that second mouse nest into the cylinder.

[@ronalddaub9740]

Never stick a damn screwdriver in the mouth of the carburetor to free a slide you might as well be working on a garbage truck that's just bad work ethic.

[@Ghostdog4]

Excellent video! I pulled an RD400 out of a shed in Vermont last fall. A little rough on the eyes but it turns over and everything is there. It will be on the lift in a couple of weeks

[@DM-uj1rb]

Man Yamaha made some nice looking bikes back in the day. I love the color combo on this one. I have a '79 DT that I absolutely love, wouldn't mind having a nice looking machine like this as well.

[@ballockybill2277]

I had a '79 DT 175 for my first bike , wish I still had it . I just got my RD350LC build taxed and on the road .

[@gdmfsob4424]

My 200 electric was pearl & lavender

[@charcoalcharizd]

this is an absolutely beautiful bike. but as a 300 pound man, i feel like i could never own something so amazing. i hope you enjoy riding it for me.

[@keithcrampton1438]

THAT IS A FANTASTIC BEAUTIFUL YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE AND WE ARE SO MUCH IN LOVE WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE MR VINTAGE

[@ruthbees7214]

I had one of these when i turned seventeen. Passed my test on it a year later. Rode it for two years until i passed my test in a car.❤Ruth

[@speedfreak8200]

An Old School trick if you need to check/set the timing on a bike with breaker points. Take an AM radio tune it between stations, so all you hear is static, when the points break, you will hear a distinct POP from the radio speaker. For air cleaner, I would run a couple pod filters.

[@ItsDaJax]

That's a dope trick.

[@keithcrampton1438]

I NEVER MEANT TO BOTHER YOU EDDIE VEDDER BECAUSE I KNOW HOW BUSY YOU ARE ON YOUR WORLD TOUR WITH Van Halen but you are a terrific

[@stkyfngrszmooth]

I've always had a soft spot for these old two-stroke street bikes. Plus, this one is super, super clean. Those dents in the tank are a damn shame. Hopefully, he tried the old freezing water trick. I've used it to remove dents in the expansion chambers of my old race bikes. No drilling or pulling just a nice clean push from the inside out.

[@jayaustin3096]

Nice to see a young guy into the old bikes. Very cool. Looks like a new driveway going in. That will be great in the winter. Love your channel.

[@matthewoloughlin9063]

17 and only had bikes that wore twice my age 😂 well better then all this new shitw

[@Bri-tg6xr]

The first thing I'd do is check the air filter. Simply checking for compression will suck in some crap from a critter nest. Nice find! Hey, dont pry up on the slide like that, you'll ding it up and cause issues. Just lube, lube and patience. Maybe try the heat gun too. Ive seen some severely dinged slides and I had to sand down the dings due to the burrs being so bad and causing them to seize up Is it titled? Sounds great!

[@ronalddaub9740]

He doesn't care

[@wesleyclemmens7612]

Love the old school RD’s wish I had deep pockets I currently ride a little Yamaha rxs 100 the sound and smell of 2 strokes makes me smile.

[@oargaoarga6018]

Can't believe you washed it AFTER you worked on it, the engine, and NOT BEFORE. You let 20 years' worth of dirt and dust get into the engine everywhere.

[@joshhutchison9447]

I had a RD 350 3 PISTON YAMAHA AS A KID .. I WUD LOVE ANOTHER ONE JUST FOR FUN .. u build alot of old 2strokes i love that.

[@dustinhall8445]

Love the vids dude you have inspired me to work on everything I own

[@dennisradle8663]

That bike was ready to come back to life.

[@kalaharimine]

Well done getting that classic gem running great again, you make it look easy.

[@michaelweilmuenster5754]

You found a real gem there, it's worthy of a full restoration. The 70s Yamaha's are my favorite, mainly XS650 and XS500. The 75 graphics are the coolest. I was cringing when you started reving it to the moon on the first start. Thought you were going to blow it up everytime you missed a shift. And jumping it? It's a street bike not a YZ! Be a little more gentle, she's old and just woke up from a long sleep.

[@bradley7723]

You got yourself a nice bike there. Good job on bringing it back to running. 1 thing I have done on oil injected bikes that have sat for a long time is once it's idling manually open the oil pump to the max, then after a bit give it gentle throttle blips while still holding oil pump on max. It will get the brgs lubed and seals softened to help prevent bad things. Keep it up :)

[@micksterboone4517]

I'd love to find one in that condition, bravo!

[@MikeRay1978]

Man you gotta come to vintage days at mid Ohio. You’d lose your mind.

[@jamesball1456]

Ok I’ll start at the beginning in 1974-28-04 this was my first bike Had it 3 days I got ran over by a 30 ton truck I was 17 years old this was my b// day present form mum and dad I was in traction for almost 6 months but because of that I met my now wife so 48 years later she is 64 I’m 66 how lucky am I As always take care all xx from London ✌️

[@just_in_time5518]

Hey Joe! Just an idea.... If you still have any boats left before winter can you please do a good video on proper winter storage and winterization. Think it would be a good video and people might like it! There are ones out there but not that good and in detail...

[@stephen4600]

Wow I had one in the Roberts yellow true little gems ,nice

[@1geniusl]

I had the exact same bike. It was a fun little bike and I ended up selling it to a guys who was going to ride it across the country with a bunch of other RD200 owners.

[@neutonrenda2303]

How smooth was that, amazing how quickly it fired.👍

[@mitchp-x5x]

I am currently getting a Ycs1 c back on line. This is inspiring.

[@tonyaxeman4381]

Should not use sand paper on points. After getting it running do not rev up the rpms for a bit unless you want shattered rings and have to scrap the upper end of the engine. Just saying from experience.

[@Adamdub612]

itll be just fine bud. he gots it not to worries.

[@bobe3250]

I use sandpaper and rev it up. Definitely would replace the rings and points eventually but getting it running fast is the motivation 😊

[@martymcmannis6581]

Yeah I'm sure he never worked on a 2 stroke before

[@stkyfngrszmooth]

It's air-cooled so these don't really require a warm-up process like their liquid-cooled counterparts. Plus, they're meant to be revved, so I'm sure torching the cylinder is a longshot.

[@sixer9114]

Sand paper is fine and revving is fine bud.

[@robinbrowne5419]

It's an awesome little bike. It's like the RD350's little sister. 😀

[@Bunk599]

I bought a new 125 twin in 1968...might be my favorite bike ever.

[@keithcrampton1438]

WE BOTH LOVE YOU SO MUCH EDDIE VEDDER BECAUSE YOU DO SO FANTASTIC WORK ON ENGINES AND DUNE BUGGIES LOVER BOY!

[@jamessanders7408]

Good job Joe! Enjoy your videos

[@brianmooney7009]

Joe this video was very helpful to me. I just picked up a gemini sst 80. Clone to yamaha gt80 Got some good tips on this. Especially the oil bleeder screw. Thanks

[@Pittsburgh-412]

Joe.... the reason why you always shift into neutral by mistake is because your not shifting hard enough. You don't have to worry about the bike missing a gear that will not happen. It literally can't go from 1st to third by shifting too hard

[@ronalddaub9740]

He's got some messed-up ideas about the way things work

[@wags9777]

This must be how you fix low compression. Rev it 13 times right after start-up after sitting for 20 years. I'll have to try this technique... on someone else's stuff.

[@DavidGomez-es4zz]

You ever owned a 2t motor?

[@al4904]

​@@DavidGomez-es4zzI get your point but he does it with 4 stroke cold starts too. Makes me cringe every time.

[@ronalddaub9740]

This dude that's the messed up shit I hear it I guess trying to show off😂

[@ronalddaub9740]

​@@al4904it's the same thing you don't rev up any engine two-stroke or four-stroke from cold

[@MartinA-kp8xg]

I thought the same crazy to rev like that cold. But maybe it's been started already before the vid.

[@johnhicks735]

That was just fast and quick trick on that points cover to help keep out the moisture from getting inside of that cover casing. To help prevent water and moisture from messing up your points again to.

[@DirtyDiezel]

Watching the 2nd half of this video hours later and I walked off to do something in the kitchen when the engine started. SOUNDED LIKE 4 CHAINSAWS TOGETHER LOL!

[@willz1234]

handy tip, araldite the spark plug socket rubber inner to the socket, save a lot of frustration with it falling out each time , or bin the insert :)

[@MikeRay1978]

What a sweet little ride. If it were mine it may be a keeper.

[@iwantmyvanback]

Oh, nice. Those are really cool. Junkyard Digs did a video on one of these a while back and they really rip!

[@iwantmyvanback]

My bad. His was a Suzuki 185. But they look incredibly similar

[@DavidHurlbut]

I had a RZ 350 Kenny Roberts edition it very quick but not as quick as my H 1 500 Kawasaki I miss the days of two stroke power . You have a very cool bike !