Kenny Roberts - RD350LC Decals

[AlexBB]

Hiya Guys n Gals,
Does anyone know of any decals for the Tamiya RZ350 Kit 14004 so I can paint it in the UK Kenny Roberts RD350LC colours?

I would love to do this as a tribute to a long past mate from the 80's...

I had one of these in 1984 and quickly moved on to a 750 Kawasaki...

This was (nearly) the stock RD350LC KR version...



This was the modified as ridden version.....



My mate had a cross between the 2, tanks as the first one and side panels with the eagles....

please excuse robbing of the pics....

[Kevthemodeller]

I doubt it mate. Kenny Roberts livery was never available in the LC model, it was YPVS 84 - 85 and US only unless privately imported. That bike is a LC 80 could be a 4LO see here https://silodrome.com/yamaha-rd350lc/ but made to look like a Kenny Roberts RZ350.

[AlexBB]

This is the kit I want to do in the Kenny Roberts livery, my mate had one early 80's which had the KR paint scheme, it wasn't a factory scheme as far as I know, I think it may have been done by Dream Machine in Nottingham as many bikes in the Midlands were at that time. I know the actual bike was bought from a dealers on the A5 near to Tamworth.



This is a similar paint scheme done by Dream Machine, this looks to be for the RD125LC...



Back in the day there were many KR clone bikes racing around the Midlands, 250's, 350's and the scary RD500LC's.....

I lived in Bloxwich then but hung around in Pelsall Village, there was a large contingent of bikers who met in the Village and when old enough drank in the Queens pub.... 1982/83 there was often over 50 bikes parked up in the village. Several of the lads had LC's and in the KR colours, some proper paint jobs others just stickers, a very close friend of mine who is no longer with us had an RD350LC which had the KR livery and had been "Tuned" to hell.... was a super scary bike to ride :week:

A couple of the guys from back then still ride and restore the old Yamaha 2 strokes, the 1:1 scale ones and some fetch a very tidy penny now!!

[Kevthemodeller]

Yes, I remember Dream Machine used them many times when they first started to spray up my race firings, then they got popular due to the bike press at the time and prices rocketed! That body work does indeed look like a 125, there were many 'Speed Block' to give it it's proper name, Kenny replicas in the mid 80's.

This livery is a throw back to the air cooled RD's of the late 70's early 80's the most sort after was the yellow and the later white, I had a 'White Heat' version RD (F). I had it for about 3 months and my then mate who owned a bike dealers showed me the RD350LC, I had one of the first registered could have even been the first. Mine was a 4LO, it had to have the carbs modified and replacement exhausts fitted with thinker exhaust flanges as they cracked due to excessive flex in the engine mounts, it was only solved by fitting tie rods under the engine.

Cracking bike I loved mine, fitted Stan Stevens expansion chambers, Boyesen Reeds, up jetted and K & N. If you started porting it made them a pig to ride on the road as you say "scary" as all 2 strokes were once ported for top end power. A mate of mine had the RD500LC which although great looking and stuffed with GP tech was a real disappointment and required serious work to unleash the power, no such problems with RG500, now that was an experience even out of the crate, tune them and oh boy!

Good luck with the build mate, I'll be keenly following if you post the build.

[SteelScooter]

The original "Speed Block" <3

[Kevthemodeller]

The original "Speed Block" <3

That looks like a D model with opposed piston calipers and rear disc

When they brought out the E models they went over the the single piston calipers really lack feel and power of the earlier D model, but the E's got alloy wheels, electronic ignition, dogleg levers and cool yellow/black speed black. Although the yellow/black was available in the 400 for a few years I think it wasn't for UK 250's, I certainly don't remember seeing any until the E's arrived.