From: RosemontCrest on
On Jul 25, 4:41 pm, RosemontCrest <rosemontcr...(a)yahoo.com> wrote:
> I used to own a 1974 Yamaha RD350A in the condition similar to what is
> depicted by this ad:
>
> http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/mcy/1860430082.html
>
> It was my first street-bike. Mine was in nearly pristine condition
> when I owned it from 1977 to 1987 until it was totaled when I got
> taken off of it by a backhoe; yes, a backhoe of all things. I loved
> that bike; it was tame while commuting in the city, but nimble and a
> lot of fun on the open road.
>
> I now have a ST1300 and I don’t really need small crotch-rocket, but
> nostalgia is threatening to get the better of me. Will somebody please
> talk me out of buying this bike?

I took the ST for the 200 mile trek to see the RD today. While it is
in pretty nice shape for a 36 year-old bike, it's not as clean as the
pictures in the ad may suggest. The tank and side covers are original
and in nice shape, but there's quite a bit of rust on the frame and
other parts, and it's not as original as it may appear in the ad. I
wouldn't even come close to paying the seller's asking price for a
bike that I would want to tear down to the bones to make it what I
wanted. Beside that, when I rode it, I felt like my knees were going
to hit my chin; It's hard for me to imagine now how much I loved that
bike during my teens and twenties; I'm not any taller now than I was
then. Anyway, it was a lot of fun to once again ride a little two-
stroke screamer for a while, but I think I'll pass on this one.

I'd like to thank all those who tried to talk me out of buying this
bike, but nobody did. So, I'll just thank you all for reminiscing with
me. I've quenched my thirst for nostalgia regarding these little RDs.

For those that didn't see the ad from my original post, here's a link
to the seller's most recent ad:

http://seattle.craigslist.org/oly/mcy/1874034839.html