Interesting to note that even though the TZR that came out in 85 and sold 20,000 bikes in a matter of months after it’s launch, which is a superior bike, and was to replace the 350YPVS  was discontinued well befor the (R) model was. How many bikes can say that they out lasted there replacement.


Click for blow up image.

RD 2/350LC

FII YPVS

   The FII & NII had different wheels, forks,tank,seat,placticts, footpegs & hangers, electrics. They had power jet carbs, better looking expansions and a more sporty looking set of clocks. Although the CDI and stator restricted the revs and pick up a little, unlike the  earlier models witch gave 500rpm more the FII had more BHP at the back wheel 62BHP compared to the 59BHP of the earler models. If you have a FII or NII and want a few more revs out of it a simpler mod then chanjung the stator and CDI is to get a lightend fly wheel, this gives you the extra 500 rpm but the pickup is faster and you get les pull on the crank. Its a far better mod and cheeper.

RD 350YPVS

  The new bike of 83 was obviously a massive success kicking ass up and down the country. However In 85 two new models were introduced the N1 & F1, basically the same as the LCII, but without the nose cone or with a full fairing. There were a number of small changes to the electrics, expansions,etcand the front calipers had aposed pistons, but no substantial changers.

FI YPVS


This image has a nice (X) ray view of the 250LC click to see the blow up image.

NI YPVS

   With Suzuki’s new RG250 Gamma starting to steal sales, Yamaha took the sting out of the Gamma by completely revamping the LC producing the RD 350 YPVS { LCII }  There was a new frame, twin front slotted discs, a rear disc and a  true mono shock rear suspension, and of course the infamous YPVS (Yamaha power-valve system). So in April 1983 The power valve was born.

NII YPVS

This year saw the introduction of the limited edition model, with a pro-am fairing and bellypan as standard, and two new new colours the rear red and the traditional black with the red/grey stripe .

No major changes to the 250lc or the 350. But the 350 having twin discs up front and a cush drive rear wheel it gave a lot bigger punch than the 250 and at only £100 more and with the new 125cc learner limet coming in it virtually killed the 250 sales. The LC was still the only stroker worth looking at 1000s were selling .

  RD 125LC's

The RD 80LC was the baby of the family, a bit cheeper to insure falling in to the sub 100cc group. It sold for just 2 years, It was not that popular a little spindely and when you could have the 125 for not a lot more wich had a big bike feel about it why go for the 80lc. Still quight a few did get sold and now days they are very rare to find and when you do come across one its usualy a shed. They had a iron barrel not an alloy one like the rest of the family. Quight a few people put a 125lc lump in to the frame and theys realy did fly. I had a frend who did this after crashing his 125lc and picking up a shed 80lc for £100 he ezaly fitted the lump and everything over the weekend. It was so fast it left my MK2 125lc standing.

The whole screamin' cremin' head banger 250 two-stroke scene in the UK was initiated by YAMAHA and its RD250LC. In Jap land it was known as the RZ as was the YPVS models that followed. YAMAHA'S RDLCs ruled the roost for a good few years, but were eventually overcome by the opposition, answering back with the all-conquering TZR 250. From its beginning as king of the heap, though its less than remarkable Reverse Cylinder to the top notch V-twin. But whatever of the competition the LC and VPVS always had its following. This page is all about the family from the baby RD 80lc to the 350 YPVS.

RD 80LC
These have blow ups click to see.

Click ether pic for there page

Yamahas next model the RDZ125 MK3 was unvaled in 1987. This model was under a lot of compertishon from the aformentioned bikes and was basacaly just a stop gap while the TZR125 was being finished of. The emphasis was on the motor with no real changes to the bike its self. It was fitted with a YPVS engine simuler to the one being used on yams DTR125. It had a very nice looking exhourst resembeling the F2 350 YPVS pipe and the pipe fited to the still to come TZR125. The powervalve was blanked of for the UK lerner market, but you could get a powervalve kit to get it runing, if you did boy did they fly. I sell loads of theys kits for MK3 125's and TZR's you get all the bottom end with all the top end to as the valve opens up and you get the full BHP to the back wheel. In Europ this model was known as the Mk2 LC2 not the Mk3 There bikes had a working YPVS

MK1 125LC
MK2 125LC
MK3 125LC
In the summer of 1982 the RD 125LC was unleashed on the UK learner market. It was the successor to the Air coold RD125 twin. They put a sporty bikini faring and bellypan on it as standard. Even though this 125 was restricted to 12 bhp and 75 mph with a micron or allspeed (the pipes of choice at that time) it could see just over 100mph on the clock down a good hill. With a cantilever mono-shock swining arm italic style wheels It addopted from its big brother the 250lc and a single cylinder water coold engine it realy did look the biz. They just flew out the dealers shops.
In 1985 yam updated the 125LC with the MK2. Theys had rounded clocks replacing the dated rectangular ones of the MK1. It had better thiker forks, clipons with bare ends. Gone where the famous itilic wheels swoped for straight spokes, puting 16 inch front wheel on it with and a braced front mud guard and a diferent disk and an aposed piston brake caliper, this improved the stability and handeling and braking. The wheels looking very simuler to the 350YPVS now on the market. At this time there were quite a few 125's chomping at the lc crown the RG, NS, MBX, MTX , KMX, AR and yams own DT all sharing the sales.

The RD was replaced with the TZR 125 in 1987 witch used the MK3 forks wheels clipons clocks and caliper. The MK3 did not sell as well as the MK1 and MK2 due to the other bikes allso avalible at that time ( its hard at the top.) The MK3 is the rarest of all the RD 125LC's.

In there hay day there where loads of mods and trick bits avalible for the 125lc. You could get a full faring there where 2 types a TZ stile one and the more popular TZR125 type as seen on my MK1 in the gallery. You could get a 170cc big bore kit, theys gave a load more power but unfortunatley people did'nt bother modifying the heads and often used the standard head gasket and they blew up a lot . Young 17 year olds just wanted to bolt on and thrash, and thrash we did all day and all night. This was half the problem with them they where all thrashed to death.

Most of them even back in the day had several owners people kept them for 6 months a year and sold them. many of them have owners in the 20's and 30's . Finding a good one is hard now is geting hard, and if you do come across a retored 125lc you will pay as much for it as a 350lc. A real nice restored one will fetch around £1000, and a resonable one will fetch £600, Witch as it hapend is what i payed for my mint as new MK2 back in 1986 when i was 17.

Parts are hard to find for them theys days and good parts are even harder. What do you think the hardest part is to find is for any of the lc's 125's 350's or YPVS's ? its a 125 lc knose cone, becourse all us lads took them of and put them in the garage and sold the bike then found the knose cone years later and threw it and thows that wher kept on got smashed when the bikes got droped and they all got droped so they ended up in the bin.

All 4 on the out side link to the same page Click to see blow ups. There is text as well as pics with the blow up's .

Introduced: May 1980 250lc & June 1980 350lc
Discontinued: May 1983 250lc & April 1983
Frame/engine nos: On extra info page
Colours: 1980 - white with 2tone blue & white with 2tone red. black with 2 tone red. 1981 - black or candy blue. 1982 - red
Bore and stroke: 54mm x 54mm 250lc & 64mm x 54mm 350lc
Capacity: 247cc 250lc & 347cc 350lc
Max power: 35BHP 250lc & 45BHP 350lc
Gears: 6
Wheels: 18-inch front and rear
Fuel capacity: 3.63 gallons
Performance: 100ish 250lc & 115ish 350lc
Weight: 3061bs 250lc & 3151bs 350lc
MPG: 40mpg 250lc and 35mpg 350lc . Hi 20's with race pipes on


MK2&3 125lc dash

MK2/3 125lc yoke
Most 125's have been mesed around with a lot theys days. I have found a lot of people dont know what model they have or have bits from both MK1 and MK2on there bikes. So here are a few things that you may find helpfull when identefying parts on your bike that arn't visable from the pics above.

MK1 125lc top yoke

TZR 125 disk. This is often fitted to the MK2/3 becourse it looks better and offers a little better braking.

MK2&3 casing. The oil/water pump cover is diferent and the clutch cover part is smooth, this is the same as on the DTR 125lc.

MK2 flywheel

MK1 stator . This has a black box pic up on the out side of the coils.

MK2 stator. Ther is an extra 2 wires coming from the pic up on the out side of the coils.

MK1 flywheel

CDI's MK2 on left MK1 on right.

Mk1 cacing, Known as the telephone dyling casing becourse of the circals in it.
The 2 flywheels look very diferent and will not work on the wrong stator, The mk2 looks just like a TZR 125 one.

MK1 125lc dash
The YEIS (Yamaha Energy Induction System).
Yamaha's engineers incorporated an air chamber into the inlet tract, which smoothed out the flow of fuel vapour and widend the engine's power band.
The YEIS achieves this without affecting peak power or fuel consumpshon.

You can still race an LC with clubs up and down the country although you tend to be put in with other classes to make up the numbers but we are still out there and I can tell you still kicking ass of bikes much bigger newer and faster. It may just be type of rider that ride's the LC but whether it be on the road or on the track the old LC can still hold its own against the odds. The handling by today's standard has something to be desired but with a few mods to the forks and a longer shock at the back they can handle very well indeed. A lot of people theys days put deferent front and rear ends on their bikes to improve their looks handling and braking, some of theys you can see in the specials gallery. I like to see the old LC done up like this. There OK standard but give me a trick LC any day .

Its worth a mention that there are more standard LC's on the road today then there where 5 years a go or for that mater 10 years ago. The new trend to restore to standard. LC owners of today have moved from young 18 to 20 year olds lads out for a thrash to 30 to 40 year olds wanting the bike of their youth. Most have a big 4 in the stable as well and use the lc on the odd day out. Not all not by a long shot. I know loads of young hooligans thrashes but the general ownership has shifted a lot over the last several years.

With a change in the law bringing the engine limit down to 125cc for the learner market the sales of the 250 slowed to a dribble. However all was not lost. Once you had passed your test the 350LC was an option for you, with 45BHP a kick ass powerband at 6 grand 115 to 120 mph and a good wheele bike to boot this was the hooligans bike of choice in the 80's . The LC only rained supreme for 3 short years and was replaced by The LC2 YPVS in may 1980. {RIP LC} The powervale was born.

Well not quite, as we all know the LC has a massive cult following and is still going strong today. You can contact the LC club on 07000 52258 or mail us lc nutters at membership@lcclub.co.uk if you want to join up.

The launch of the RD250LC saw the emergence of the quarter-litre water-cooled screamers and would put yamaha back at the top of the pile. In Jap land and the U.S it was known as the RZ as was the YPVS models that followed. The LC would play a major part at the home and in the jap market right up to the present day. At that time the Suzuki X7 having given the ageing A/C RD a good wuping something new was desperately needed by Yamaha. As a replacement for the ageing and heavy air-cooled RD series, which had been around since the dawn of time. The LC as it became known was the instant and unchallenged top dog. Best of all back then you could ride it on "L" plates. The new mono shock suspension and up dated TZ derived frame provided a stable ride with improved handling over the earlier A/C RD's. Witch shows how bad the old twin shock Rd's are cos we all know a standard LC an't no bed of roses to ride fast.

LC's are still racing 40 odd years on at many clubs.click for blow up.

click image above for blow up.
Its hard to beleve its been over 2 decades since the lc first hit the streets and turned the fantasy of riding a race machine on the road a reality for many 2 stroke junkie's. You have to remember that the competishon of the time was clocking up top 80's to 90mph so the 250lc putting out a good 100mph in standard trim and being around 30 pounds lighter than most of its immediate competition was a real brake threw in 1980.
Introduced : Mk1 August 1982 .......... MK2 June 1985 .......... MK3 March 1987
Discontinued : MK1 March 1986 .......... MK2 March 1987 .......... MK3 February 1989
Frame/ engine nos : Mk1 10W- 000***/ 1984 Then 12A 100*** 1986
Frame/ engine nos : Mk2 1GM -000***
Frame/ engine nos : Mk3 2HK 000***
Colours : Mk1 White with red decals, White with blue decals, Candy blue with grey decals and in 1984 Red with white decals.
Colours : Mk2 White with red decals, Black with red decals
Colours : Mk3 White with blue decals. Plus the 2 above.
Bore and stroke : 56mm X 50mm
Capacity :
123cc
Power : 12bhp standard restricted ......... 21bhp derestricted
Gears : 6
Wheels : MK1 18-inch front and rear.......... MK2&3 16-inch front 18-inch rear
fuel capacity : 2.86 gallons
Speed : 75 mph Standard .......... around 95 mph derestricted
Weight :
210 lbs
MPG : 65 standard down to 45/50 derestricted
Introduced : March 1982 Discontinued : July 1984
Frame/ engine nos : 11A-000101
Colours : White or candy blue
Bore and stroke : 49mm X 42mm
Capacity : 79cc
Power : 10bhp
Gears : 6
Wheels : 18-inch front and rear
fuel capacity : 2.2 gallons
Speed : 65ish mph Standard
Weight : 180 lbs
MPG : 65/75
1980
There where 3 colours available in 1980 when the LC was launced. click on each one to see there blow ups. All have just 2 stripes.
1981

Click on image for its blow up.
1982

Click on image for its blow up.
The LC did not start life as we see it today. Below are a few pics on how it got started. There is text on the blow up pages aswell.

Click for blow up image.

Click for blow up image.
Introduced: LC2 April 83 ~ NI March 85 ~ FI Feb 85 ~ NII March 86 ~ FII March 86 ~ R Jan 92
Discontinued: LC2 June 85 ~ NI March 86 ~ FI March 86 ~ NII July 87 ~ FII Dec 91 ~ R Dec 95
Frame/engine nos: LC2 31K 000101 ~ NI 31K 077101 ~ FI 31K 053101 ~ NII 1WT 005101 ~ FII 1WT 000101 & 015101 86 to 88 ~ R 9c64ce00n0000101, Engine 4ce6-0000101
Colours:
LC2 pearl White with red & Black with red
NI Clean white with red & new black with red
FI Silky white & stormy red or silky white and french blue
NII silky white and red & black & red
FII Red white & blue~ Blue & yellow ~black & gun met
R Red white & blue ~ Black onyx & purple
Bore and stroke: 64mm x 54mm
Capacity: 347cc
Max power: LC2, NI, FI, 59BHP ~ NII, FII 62BHP ~ R 59BHP
Gears: 6
Wheels: 18-inch front and rear
Fuel capacity: 4.4 gallons
Performance: LC2, NI 118 mph ~ FI, NII, FII 120 mph ~ R 115 mph
Weight: LC2 361 lbs ~ NI 355lbs ~ FI, 364lbs ~ NII 355lbs ~ FII 364lbas ~ R 365
MPG: 40 mpg


There are 2 nice images from this link Click to see them .

The RD 350RR was made in Brazil, practicaly the same as the FII different electric’s. Twin lights, miner mods all over, It suffed from pour build quality compared to FII. It still sold up to the very end of 1995. This was the slowest of the valves and prooved unpopular with the punters. Not realy suprizing when you look at the compertishon out at the time the 140 mph KR1S and the sleek looking USD RGV.The Brazilian 350 R had a compression ratio of 5:1 (instead of 6:1) like the others.

Click for blow up image.
Click on any pic for there blow ups. You can see some scetches on its development to your right and the first prototype with Air-cooled bits on to your left.
(N) stands for No faring and (F) stand for full faring.
The New LCll 350YPVS or "valve" as it is now known was another leap forward in two stroke technology. This 347cc twin cylinder was fitted with rotating valves in each exhaust port, which were able to vary the port height by opening up as the revs climed higher. This gave it stacks of bottom end without afecting its top end as the valves rotated to poen wide open giving a fantastic 58BHP at the back wheel. The new 350 YPVS could see 120mph. It was fitted with twin calipers at the front and had grown a 3ed disk on the back. It was fitted with air asisted variable damping in the forks wich had allso got a little befier. It was fitted with a new rising-rate mono-shock suspension. The bike was an instant best seller in its class.

Click for blow up image.

Click for blow up image.

Click for blow up image.
I do like the sharper angled seat on this drawing.
LCII YPVS

Click for blow up image.
The (F) sold in grater numbers then the (N). Other then the round headlight on the (N) the cage that holds the clocks and the rad cover they are the same bike. This model has the best timing curve of all the Valves, some people put the stator and CDI from this onto other valves to gane the extra 500 rpm you get from this mod.
Click on any F2 pic for there blow up image
The (NII) fell by the wayside in 87 but the (FII) soldiered on untill the end of 91 a good 4 years later. Many thought this was the end, but you cant keep a good bike down and in early 92 up poped the (R).

There are 2 nice images from this link Click to see them .
It had a choke on the inner faring conected to the carbs by a cable. The faring was enclosed like the old CBR600 with inspection hatches to get in for plug changes and the like.
350 (R) YPVS
This is a picture of a prototype LC2 YPVS. It has LC wheels and a few other oddments about it. Click on the pic for a blow up image.
A Prototype LC2 YPVS
Some Prototype LC's
Much the same as the 125lc after many years the bits on many valve models get changed and mesed around with. So as well as the pics on this page i have put together a few more below showing a few things that you cant realy see from the blow up images above. I hope they will help you identify the bits on your bike.

The 1UA for the FII

The 31K REC/REG has fins and can be used on all YPS's except the F" and R . It can allso be used on a 2/350 LC.

The FII REC/REG has no fins it is a small solid alloy block with black on 1 side with no wires just a plug at one end.

The 29K CDI for the LC2II

FII Powerjet on the left. 31K on the right. Note the pipe on the fII carb.

The FII and R model look like this. This runs with a 1ua or 2ua CDI

The 52Y CDI for the N1 & F1

The LCII stator has 2 collers ether side of a vey big coil. This rins with a 29K CDI

Carbs have an I.D on them high lighted above. The LC2, N & F1 will have 31K on them.The FII has 1ua and the R has 2ua .
LC2 front

F model clocks, with fome suroundind the Speedo and tacko.

31K rear light fitted to the LC2 N1 and F1

The N1 & F1 stators look like this with 2 larger coils together. This runs with a 52Y CDI

HT coils FII on the Left & 31K on the right . The 31K type can be used on the LC2 , N1 & F1 and the 2/350LC. The F2 only on the F2 or R

LC2 Clocks . Known as the kiddney been clocks for obviouse reasons.

FII and R model and 500V4 rear light.

N model clocks, same as 2ma TZR250.
The fly wheels are allso diferent The LC2 had a brake in the magnets as you can see the same as the N & F1 but if you look close on the botom left you will see ther is a black bit inside, It is in segmemts of 3 then a brake . The above N & F1has it constant all the way around. Ether one can be used on ether bike they are interchanable. The botom right is the F1 anf it is smooth with no brakes and can not be used on ether of the other 31K bikes only on the F1 or the R .
Theys 2 link to the same page Click ether pic for blow ups .
In 1988 2 new colours where added, blue/yellow & black and gun met." my favourate"

This red one has a page of its own

Click on image for its blow up.
The bike to your right is an import. I like it anyway so put a blow up image in but it was never an official UK bike.

FII on the keft 31K on the right.
The coad for all the CDI's is writon on the top as you can see. they must match the stator, But any cdi and stator together can be put on any YPVS so long as they are a pair as shown.
N & F1
LCII
FII

On the right is a F1 bar fitted to a bike and an fII held above for comparason

 

On the left is an RZ bar fited to a bike with a FII held above for conparason.

__
LC2
All others
You can clearly see that the later forks a little longer.Look cloce and you can see that the LC2 has a masheened in part starting a couple of inches down from the top. The LC2 has an angled air valve becourse the bars would get in the way if it was on top like the later clip on bars.
The fork bottoms changed aswell the left is LC2 the right is the later type.
LC2 back
N1, F1, F2 & R front and back
The LC 2 caliper is basicaly the same as the older 2?350LC caliper just with a steal carrier not an alloy one. It can be fitted to an LC as the bolt holes are the same. The LC2 Back can be fitted to any valve the bolt holls are the same . The front N & F caliper is the same front and back just the bleed nipes is on the other side .If you look you will see the LC2 back and the one on the far right have the nipel on the left.
The LC2 pipe at the top has no cut out . The N1 & F1 has a cut out to mis the spindel on the new swinging arm fitted to thows models.

Click on image for its blow up.
V4 500YPVS
Introduced : June 1984 ......... .... ............. .Discontinued : February 1987
Frame numberes : 84 onwords 47X-000101 Engine numberes : 85 onwards 1GE- 000101
Colours : Silky white & Stormy red
Bore and stroke : 56.6mm X 50mm
Engine type : V4 500
Power : 79bhp
Gears : 6
Wheels : 16-inch front and 18-inch rear
fuel capacity : 4.8 gallons
Speed : 135 mph
Weight : 392 lbs
MPG : 35 ish

The RD 500lc was the first real racer on the road. It debuted in june 84 and few people had seen anything like it, a V4 500 two stroke with 2 pipes coming out under the seat wow what a site it must have been at the time.

Built around a box-section steel frame "witch we in the UK were cond with as others had a nicer Alloy framed one". The bike had a horazontel shoker and operated via bell-crank. you can see this in the cut away blow up further below. Up front were slab yokes and anti-dive forks "whitch dont work very well at all as it turned out". Braking was by 3 solid faced but ventealated discs, " theys are the same fitmets as the 350ypvs and the same bolt hols, they can be inter changed". The brake callipers are the same as well, witch left it a litle laking in the stoping power. The 350 could do with a bit more so you can imagine what a 500 felt like with the same stopers. "Scary".

The expanshons ran the same as any others from the front pots but the rear chambers ran under the seat and side panels and exited either side of the tail light. This made the 500 instantly recognisable if you camr across one from behined.

Although short lived in the UK enough RD500's were sold to make them a reasonably common site on the roads at that time. The RG 500 stole the thunder out of the RD as it was imported with an alloy frame and was a little faster and a slightly better bike. But the brakes wre still crap and the Suz anti dive was just as slopy as the RD , so it realy all came down to looks, and the RD500YPVS wins hands down there.


click image above for blow up

click image above for blow up.

Ladies and gentlemen can I introduce the one, the only, the V4 RD500LC.

Beauty and the beast all in one powerband crazy bike.

This bike even looks SEXY in the dark .

I love the lower faring molded around the casings its sleek lines and the under the seat exiting pipes. Still a dam fine looking bike today.

I have ownly had 1 RD500 the black and red one. I have had an RG 500 as well. The RG was a better bike on the road i would have to admit, But i just didnt like it. The RD500 had the looks and presence. The V4RD would allways get people coming over for a look and given the opshon again i would go V4RD again. A grate bike to get your kney down on as well.

click image above for blow up.

click image above for blow up.

click image above for blow up.
The 500 was sprayed in many colours. this is the french gulwas blonds sceem Marlboro was a populer one as well. They didnt get sprayed as much as the smaller LC's or the 350YPVS. Nower days you will be hard pushed to fined a non standard RD500.
This is a very nice pic of the RD500 with a cut away view . It is quight a big picture in the link so you can see some detale. It shows the funny way the rear suspenshion looks underneth the bike and the under the seat pipes as well as the engine . I hope you like it.
For lots more RD500 Info join the RD500 forum http://www.rzrd500.com/500phpBB3/