2013 Yamaha V Star Custom on 2040-motos

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Moto blog

Filling a void with an RD350LC

Last winter I managed to fill a void in my life when I stumbled on a very reasonably priced Yamaha RD350LC.  It was a tad scruffy, had the wrong exhausts but most importantly it was blue and white with all numbers matching.  I had the usual euphoria when the deal was done but I underestimated how much pleasure this particular purchase would continue to deliver another eight months down the line. The difference with this old bike is, instead of just taking it for the occasional ride I was talked into doing a full nut and bolt restoration.  Having never taking a bike apart completely before, initially it was quite daunting but I soon found the RD is easy to work on so it turned into a truly satisfying experience.  I’ve had some help from LC enthusiasts with the rebuild, however, the stripping, sourcing and organising was a total labour of love.  And call me sad but it has made me bond with this bike like no other which only adds to the feel good factor.  The bike cost £1800 and I’ve spent around £1000 but I reckon my mint Elsie is now worth a fair bit more.   I fancy rejuvenating a Fizzy  next time but there’s lots of other cheap 70’s and 80’s winter projects  out there so why not have a go yourself?

Jeremy Burgess Out and Silvano Galbusera In as Valentino Rossi’s Crew Chief

Valentino Rossi has parted ways with longtime crew chief Jeremey Burgess, ending a partnership that extended across 14 years and three different manufacturers while capturing seven MotoGP and 500cc Grand Prix World Championships. Burgess will be replaced by Louis CK lookalike Silvano Galbusera, a veteran crew chief and mechanic whose most extensive experience comes from World Superbike and Supersport racing. As crew chief and/or technical director, Galbusera has worked with an impressive roster of riders including Troy Corser, Noriyuki Haga, Cal Crutchlow and Ben Spies.

Yamaha Focusing on Developing Model Platforms

Following the success of its MT platform, Yamaha says it will continue to develop new models based on shared platforms, allowing for a choice of multiple models while reducing overall costs. Speaking in a presentation on the company’s business operation, Yamaha Motor President Hiroyuki Yanagi reiterated the strategy of developing multiple models sharing the same engine and frame. Honda has followed a similar strategy with its NC models, seeing the platform evolve to include the CTX700 and NM4.