Rajdoot 350

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1 Introduction
2 Models sold
3 Basic Specifications
4 The Other Side
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Introduction

Front View

The Yamaha RD 350, the first premier sports bike for India, started selling in the year 1983, which was when the original High Torque models were assembled in India from the period 1983-1985. It was the bike of its kind and a true 2 stroke, twin cylinder, parallel piston monster. Although it was dubbed as Rajdoot 350 it was technically sourced from Yamaha. The bike was introduced mainly to target the Bullet 350 market which was the prime competitor to Rajdoot which was selling 175cc bikes.

[edit] Models sold

Side View

For India, escorts in collaboration with Yamaha, brought in the RD350B, which produced 39 BHp in its original guise abroad, but like all performance oriented vehicles the Indian market has seen, this baby lost 8.5 BHp and was detuned to 30.5 BHp.

Individual Model Differences

HIGH TORQUE = 30.5 BHP,7 port reed valve, Auto-lube. This model included HIGH TORQUE exhausts too which have a flat looking ending at the exhaust tip.

LOW TORQUE = 28 BHP,7 port reed valve, Autolube with LOW torque Exhausts which have a conical ending at the exhaust tip and sounded "pitter-patter" at idle compared to the monstrous sound of the HT exhaust. Moreover if carefully observed they had smaller handle bars, even a slightly shorter wheel base and an overall mileage tuned engine.

[edit] Basic Specifications

The RD 350 produced 30.5 horses in a two-stroke, twin cylinder, 350cc engine (technically 30.5 bhp on a two stroke machine is equal to 61 on a four stroke one) and that’s not all, this bike had 6 gears and 2 carburetors which were the first of its kind in India.

1 Hp on a Two Stroke is the same as 1 HP on a four stroke.

There were no wheel base differences between HT and LT models.

In the US the RD350 was sold with a front disk brake. The RD250 used front drum brakes. In many ways the Indian RD350 was closer to the US RD250 in specifications. The primary difference between the US RD350 and 250's were:

1. Smaller bore
2. Taller first gear ratio on the 250.

It would be interesting to compare the gear ratios on the Indian 350 to the US 350/250.

[edit] The Other Side

There were some issues which greatly marred the sales of RD350 in India. Maintenance of an RD350 was not an easy task as Escorts service network was not so good in those days. Procuring Parts was difficult and expensive. Fuel consumption on HT was 22km/ltr (Urban)16 (Mixed) LT 26km/Ltr and that was considered quite an uphill task as most of the population was middle class and couldn't afford the running costs. There were not enough trained mechanics available who could handle its engine.

But in all, for a true Indian, this was the first adrenaline pumper a true achiever and a complete feel of a thrill and thats the reason the bike is so popular in India even today. In other words you can say it as "A Dead King". It has gone but still its absence is felt.