Katana Owners Club U.K.

Anyone know someone who knows about RD350LCs (4L0)? I've seen a bike in Holland that looks good from a dealer, but I don't know enough about them to know what is proper on it and what isn't. I know I should resist the 2 stroke urge again (after the fun with my X5 (now all sorted) but I don't think I can... I need a bigger power band

Searching for a LC forum I realise how friendly this forum is for new people or those just wanting to stop by. One LC forum isn't open to non members at all (so how can you get advice before buying?) and others didn't seem that clear. The GT forum (for the X5 / X7) is pretty dead.

Anyway if you know anyone I can send some images.

Cheers

Rob

hi, its not that easy identifying Japanese bikes that were sold all over Europe, each market had its own specs and variations, there seem to be a lot of elsies for sale in Holland and Germany at the moment, maybe their popularity has dropped, as with any bike check that the frame and engine numbers match and try to get as much history on it as you can, even old photos and service receipts help, and never resist the two stroke urge !

if you don't know what you're looking at then imo the best bet would be to get as many pics as possible from the seller and ask around when you have them... that way non-std or 250 bits can be identified if on the bike. they had loads of bits swapped on them between 250 and 350 so if you don't know what is what it's a minefield that you could quite easily lose out on ... not to mention most were modified in their day with the spotty yoof...

good luck... i don't envy your search

My cravings for a smokin stoker have never subsided in 30 years so i know the urge is strong.

I agree with pookie and sparki, be very sure of what you are buying. It will be almost certain that the bike would have been "modified" in the past 30 years. Perhaps it would be better to buy a uk bike where its history and specs better are known. It may be more expensive to buy one here but you would save shipping/restoration costs and gain piece of mind in doing so.

I dare say if you signed up to the lc forum there would be a for sale section. Most bikes on there would be of a known quantity that would have been owned by an enthusiast.

Good luck in your search.

Thanks for all advice so far. I know I should look before buying but being in East Anglia nearly all bikes I like are remote. My main concerns were what Sparki was saying about 250 bits and also later 350 bits. I got a tad bitten by the X5 last year (new seals needed plus pistons when the engine was supposedly rebuilt).

This is the bike: Which looks pretty good. The 3 points I noted were that with it being quite standard and 11k miles it's missing the chain guard and centre stand and replacement indicators which seems strange. Only £2K though, so possibly worth a punt given UK prices. My 80's bikes were mainly RD250E's and RD200's.

I'll email the dealer and see what they say.

Cheers

Looks OK.....apart from the side stand bracket looks like its been welded by my 9 year old son......

I also love my 2 smokes. I still own the same GT250 which I bought back in 1983. Its now almost too nice to ride, as I have restored it to almost mint stnd condition.

It also appears a lot slower than it was 31 years ago! Rose tinted glasses spring to mind!

bobster wrote:It also appears a lot slower than it was 31 years ago! Rose tinted glasses spring to mind!

Looks very nice.

Well spotted re that welding. I think there's probably something not quite right with it (given no centre stand and welded on side it might have been raced at some point) which are the ones that probably shouldn't be bought unviewed.

tbh every lc in the world has probably been nicked crashed seized blown up, and rebuilt multiple times. from my lc owning days, check that if its a 250 with a 350 top end that its got the 350 oil pump. check if its got the tie bars under the engine that stop exhausts from cracking, see how it runs and then make your mind up.
lc's are a bit different to most bikes, theyve all been apart, and id consider one which was claimed not to have been with suspicion. condition is everything with them, check its got compression, check its not had its numbers ground and re stamped, check its still got its stock pipes, check the rear shock isnt too bouncy. but really, you need to go look at it. i wouldnt be too concerned its sidestand has been welded on, i wouldnt even be too bothered if it had been raced, lets face it, the guys racing them spent money on the motors and ran good oil, whats not to like, id rather have a former race bike than one which has been commuted and never thrashed. i loved mine and its one of the bikes i wished id never sold (incidentally one of the others was my gt200x5) it seems very cheap. perhaps the lc scene wasnt as big there as here.

The first thing I noticed is the graphics in the first pic are different to the ones in the other pics!
Same bike?

Katman wrote:The first thing I noticed is the graphics in the first pic are different to the ones in the other pics!
Same bike?

Thats just the full on white wall playing tricks with the camera , if you look at base of wall and brick path same place