Yamaha RZ350

The Yamaha RZ350 is a two-stroke road motorcycle that Yamaha produced between 1983 and 1996, sold in the United States from 1983 to 1985, in Canada until 1990 and in Brazil until 1996. It was the last evolution of the RD series, and so is also called the RD350LC II or RD350 YPVS in markets that kept the RD name. Its liquid-cooled 347 cc parallel-twin engine used reed valve induction and was the first in the RD line to get the Yamaha Power Valve System, which varied exhaust port height for torque at low revs and power at high revs. A version of the engine without the power valve went into the Banshee 350 ATV. In the United States it carried catalytic converters to meet emission rules and was the first motorcycle sold with them, but US sales ended after 1986 because Yamaha preferred to protect its fleet emissions quota. The 1983 to 1985 models are the most collectible, and the bike is raced in vintage classes and one-make RZ cups.