It has been sitting for nearly 30 years - brake master cylinder needs to be re-sealed. Oil pump has been disconnected. Some bulbs need to be replaced.
Will provide a detailed review once all of the work is done to bring this classic bike back to the shape it was in back in the 70's.
Held up well after being stored in a New England barn for nearly 30 years.
It starts first kick (No electric starter here). Runs well.
Planning to replace the tires, fork seals, and whatever else it will need.
These little two-stroke 250's weigh in at approximately 300lbs. They are rated at 30 hp, and top speed was listed in the 90's.
It's sibling, the RD 350, tops out at over 100mph and runs mid-14 second quarter miles.
I owned a new RD 350 back in the mid-70's, and wanted to pick up another one. I saw this little RD 250 with such low miles and just had to have it.
I love the white with red stripes paint scheme, as I also love the 350's orange with black.
Although the acceleration is quite good for
little bikes (even by today's standards, their handling is absolutely second to none.)
The RD 250 & 350 are simply the best handling bikes of their era, and of this era as well.
I also own a Yamaha XJ650, which is an absolute blast to ride. Smooth, comfortable & powerful.
I've never owned a Yamaha I didn't like.
The 1975 model year was the last for the RD250 in the USA.
The RD350 went on for a few more years as the redesigned RD400. (The RD250 continued a good run in Europe)
This was the time period when motorcycle manufacturers were phasing out 2 stroke street bikes for the US market.
Too bad, I miss the days of the $1000 new motorcycle that you could ride cross country if you were young & dumb enough!
Either of these bikes were capable of that (enough power for the highway) if your back & backside were.
Back then, you would even see 125cc "Enduro" bikes cruising down the highway. I know, I rode one!
The owner and restorer of the RD250, it is a credit to be privileged to own a bike like this. I wish I was fortunate to own one.
When I see an old RD250 or 350 on the road fully restored, it brings back wonderful memories of the past. Just to hear that lovely two-stroke sound gets my pulse racing.
It is a shame they don`t make them like this any more: Good to look at, a joy to ride, easy to maintain and the sound of that engine, better than any music.
Good luck with the restoration.
Thank you for the kind words regarding the RD 250.
I will indeed write an update when the restoration is completed. I've been busy searching for NOS parts & used
accessories in excellent condition. Soon I will be putting on the new tires & registering the RD.
I can't wait to take it for a nice long ride and relive the experiences I had riding my RD 350 some 30 years ago.
I'm finding that there are a lot of people out there who had RD's in their youth, that have done the same thing I'm doing.
Find a clean, unabused example, and make it "new" again.
You can still find them, if you look hard enough.
Even in a barn in New Hampshire!
Update - The little Yamaha's restoration is nearly complete.
Most of the mechanical work has been done.
I will be finishing the cosmetics over the next few months, while I ride this fun little bike to & from work.
I ended up re-jetting the carbs, rebuilding the forks, completely going over the brakes, put on new tires, and over-hauling the oil-injection system amongst other things.
Anything that needed to be addressed after sitting in a barn for over a quarter century was done.
As for the cosmetics - the bike looks fine as is, but with a little time & money, it could look showroom new.
I'm thinking of repainting the tank & side covers, new decals, and a front fender re-chrome. This certainly would bring this bike back to brand new condition. Will give an update once some miles are put on my RD!
An RD250 - my first bike and loads of fun. Now I'm 65 and what have I got? An '81 Yamaha XS1100H. An old article called it "King Kong In Tails" Subtle it isn't, but still lots and lots of fun. Still it would be kinda neat to have a little 250 again. :-)
I just bought an RD 250 for 50 bucks. I am putting points and condenser in it, rebuilt the carbs and cleaned it up. Although I have not got it all together yet, I love to sit on it; it is very comfortable. This is my first bike and I will be checking in on this site. Any info would be great.
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