1978 Yamaha Xs 650 Special (lake Villa) on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Infamous Canadian Motorcyclist Found Not Guilty in 186-mph Highway Stunt

We don’t know if this is a case of a guilty man going free or of a braggart facing trial for something he didn’t do. Either way, Randy Scott, 26, was found not guilty of a Trans-Canada Highway run at 299 km/h in April 2012. The viral YouTube video of a Yamaha R1 rider weaving in and out of traffic was used by police to track down Scott with the help of a concerned neighbor’s tip.

Snow riding and my new LC

I reckon the only thing to do when the snow comes is to get on a bike and my weapon of choice is usually a Yamaha TTR 125. I’ve had TTRs in the garage now for around eight years after Raceways Yamaha in Fleetwood put some on offer for just £900 and apart from a few broken spokes and worn out gearbox sprockets they have been indestructible. One of the two has an electric start and incredibly starts as easily as the day I took delivery.

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?