I sold my RZ four years ago. I have owned and ridden many bikes since then. I want to take this time to write my story with the RZ350 and tell you how much I miss it.

I bought my RZ350 back in 2002. Like many experience with motorcycles, it was fate that led me to it. You see when I was 16 my first motorcycle was a 1972 R5 350 piston port. For History's sake let's just say it was the reed valve RD350. (wishful thinking back then). The guy I often skipped school with in my senior year of high school owned a green Kawasaki KH400 triple. The R5 would smoke his bike every time. We often traded bikes and I could not beat the R5 riding his bike. Anyway, this what led me to look for an RZ350 16X2 years later.

Fate led me to my RZ350 by a phone call and a bit of chance luck. I was calling motorcycle dealers in Omaha Nebraska asking them "hey you got any old two stroke street bikes in stock". I must have called ten places. On the last place I called I gave them the same routine. They replied "Nope". While thanking them and just about to hang up someone said "Wait!". I heard someone muttering in the background "what about that old Eddie Lawson Bike". Eddie Lawson? I immediately thought he was talking about a Z1R. Next thing you know sales guy gets on the phone and says "Ya there is an old RZ350 eddie lawson bike here". I then told the guy "I'll see you in less than an hour". An hour later I was the new pilot of an 84 RZ350 street/track bike. The engine was race wired, had some expensive port work and was fast as hell. I also had the pleasure of riding with someone on a stock rz350 without porting. After a couple sprints and some wheelies from my rz this guy quickly realized my RZ was at least twice as fast as his. Night and day.

By the time i sold my RZ it was on a 2mm OS, 275 pounds and butchered to the max. It was insane. I often wondered if other rz owners knew their bikes were slow compared to the one I had. Besides being 50+ pounds lighter the porting was truly the secret to the bikes vast performance. Pretty decent midrange too.
Why did I sell the RZ350? I sold it in an attempt to calm down. To try to quit going fast. The two stroke rage is highly addictive. Just go to any RZ350 forum and you will see how everyone there is insane or slowly going insane. They spend countless hours fighting with each other about oil and spark plugs. The hair splitting gets so bad some times that people will make threats of violence on and off the internet.

What have I been doing in the four years since I sold my RZ to a fella in California? Well I used the RZ money to restore that 1969 Kawasaki A7SS Avenger. I rebuilt the engine with new pistons, a 900 mile crankshaft and 900 mile transmission. Very close to a brand new engine. I thought that bike was the last bike I would ever need. It was fast, but, I felt bad every time I twisted the throttle. Why spend all that effort to rebuild a classic just to thrash around on it. On top of that, I could not park the bike anywhere without enough people coming around to equal a small garage sale. Anytime I put the bike in the driveway people would drive by and want to chat up the bike and tell old stories. "I used to have a Kawasaki triple" or "that's an old avenger". People would come to look in droves. That reminds me, I sold the kawasaki Avenger like 2 years ago. last week some guy came over saying "don't you have a Kawasaki A7SS for sale". I tell him, "sorry I sold that 2 years ago". "OK, Thanks". Just the memory of it is still ringing in people's heads.

I sold the A7SS 350 Avenger to get a minty low mileage 2005 black Ninja 250. Now there is a fun bike. The little ninja was like a rz350 on downer pills. The 250 was so fun that my riding buddy with a Hayabusa always demanded we switch bike. I was always stuck riding the Hayabusa while he had the time of his life on the Ninja 250. one day he asked to switch bikes and I had to tell him no. Now if you think I am crazy to not want to ride a Busa to stay on the 250 you don't belong in the RZ350 Yamaha realm. Don't get me wrong, the Busa is fun to ride, I have done over 700 miles on the Busa the last couple seasons. I like to go around corners fast. The little ninja 250 was spanking on the Busa and the ZX-10 in the corners. It was so easy to scrape the pegs on that thing.

I then sold the Kawasaki Ninja 250 and bought a Silver 1986 Kawasaki Concours 1000. Yes, the ninja fortified touring bike. WOW! that bike was fast. I rode the Concours in a raging rain storm that was literally washing away small towns. I was riding the Concours through these small towns looking at the flood devastation while riding through 6-12 inches of water. It's as if I was above it all. It was like being mad max on the end of the world bike and riding a gold wing at the same time. I did an indicated 145mph on the Concours in 5th gear and it was not even close to redline. That bike must do a GPS indicated 150mph in top gear down hill with a tail wind. 100mph felt like you were going 45. Handling was acceptable and braking was barely satisfactory. For all out power and smoothness of power the bike easily scored a 10. The Concours could easily spank a slow 600 rocket like an old tired YZF or a well running FZR.
Once again I had to get rid of the bike. It was shameless for me to beat that thing the way I did. You see the Concours uses a radial tire. It squeals like a car when you peal out. I loved dumping the clutch on that bike and laying a squealing whole shot across parking lots. You would see smoke and smell burnt rubber too. Shameless.

I sold the 1986 Kawasaki Concours to get a Kawasaki ZX-7. It's not just any ZX750. I call it an RR wanna be. It's a 1993 ZX750L with 1996 bodywork and flatside carbs. It's more of a track bike. I call it an RR wanna be because of the bodywork changes and the flatside carbs. All CV carbed ZX-7 owners dream of the RR model as well as the keihin flatside carbs. They only made 500 RR models with the flatside carbs and adjustable "race suspension" upgrades. Compared to the CV carbs the flatsides turn the machine in to a raging monster. To compensate for the hellacious top end of these carbs the previous owner has installed a back sprocket 4 teeth bigger than stock. Yes, the bike is insane. It's one of the best handling bikes I have ever had the pleasure to pilot. While I was riding the Busa I seen my buddy stand the ZX-7 up in second gear on the highway. It was an amazing sight to see someone ride the bike harder than I ever will. When I asked him how he stood the bike straight up in second he replied "All I did was power shift to second and the front wheel flew way up". Wow! it was amazing to see my bike riding down the highway on one wheel at those speeds.
Once again, I am always stuck riding the Busa. That is what I get for buying all the fun bikes.

What's Next. Well, The next upgrade will be to get a 600cc+ superbike with fuel injection. I really like the Honda 599 Hornet as well. Our selection of bikes in America is horrible. the bikes I really belong on are not available here. I really like the ZXR400 and other 400's in the class. Dream on. It's a pity that all of the bikes that are called "squid bikes" and "learner bikes" in other countries are treated as throw away disposable trash. In America a CBR250, ZXR400, or others like them would be cherished machines.

Who knows what will be my next bike. I believe it will be another act of fate like it's always been. Sometimes I just want to sell everything I own and build another rz350. get a frame on ebay for 100 bucks, build an engine from ebay parts, break an old fzr 600 for suspension and throw some mad money at it. Maybe some day.
One thing is for sure. The Yamaha RZ350 set the standard for all the bikes I have ridden since. Myself and the guy I ride with that has also thrashed my old RZ are always comparing everything to the thrill of the RZ. We will often rag on the Busa and the other bikes complaining "they just aren't as fun as the RZ was". Then again, the complaining is more of a joke than anything. I have enough sense to know a whole stable full of bikes would be where it's at. One for each mood. Sometimes I would rather beat on some moped rather than ride the Busa.

The RZ350 inspired the thrill meter that which all other bikes are judged. They better get back to the drawing board because 25 years later they still can't match the thrill of the RZ350. Long live the Yamaha RZ 350 YPVS