Yamaha R5-C 350

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Yamaha R5 72 02.jpg
Yamaha R5-C 350
Manufacturer
Production 1972
Engine
Piston port two stroke, parallel twin cylinder.
Compression ratio 6.9:1
Top Speed 160 km/h / 100 mph
Ignition Battery, dual coils, breaker points
Transmission 5 Speed
Frame Duplex cradle frame
Suspension Front: Telescopic fork
Rear: Swingarm
Brakes Front: Drum, twin leading shoe
Rear: Drum, single leading shoe
Front Tire 3.00-18
Rear Tire 3.50-18
Wheelbase 1320 mm / 52.0"
Weight 141 kg / 311 lbs (dry), 155 kg / 343 lbs (wet)
Oil Capacity 2.0 L / 4.2 US pts
Recommended Oil Yamalube 10w-40
Fuel Capacity 12 L / 3.2 US gal
Manuals Service Manual


It could reach a top speed of 160 km/h / 100 mph.

Engine[edit | edit source]

The engine was a Air cooled cooled Piston port two stroke, parallel twin cylinder.. The engine featured a 6.9:1 compression ratio.

Drive[edit | edit source]

Power was moderated via the Multi-plate, wet.

Chassis[edit | edit source]

It came with a 3.00-18 front tire and a 3.50-18 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via Drum, twin leading shoe in the front and a Drum, single leading shoe in the rear. The front suspension was a Telescopic fork while the rear was equipped with a Swingarm. The R5-C 350 was fitted with a 12 L / 3.2 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 141 kg / 311 lbs. The wheelbase was 1320 mm / 52.0" long.

Photos[edit | edit source]

Yamaha R5-C 350 Yamaha R5-C 350 Yamaha R5-C 350 Yamaha R5-C 350

Overview[edit | edit source]

Yamaha R5-C 350









Try to find a 350cc or smaller streetbike today like the Yamaha R5 350 Twin and you’ll discover the pickin’s are slim. Honda has only one, the 234cc Nighthawk; Kawasaki two, the 124cc Eliminator 125 and the 249cc Ninja 250R; Suzuki two, the 249cc retro-style TU250X and cruiser-styled GZ250. And Yamaha? Ignoring the 249cc V-twin cruiser in its new Star Motorcycle line, you won’t find a single 350cc or smaller machine carrying the Tuning Fork logo. The 21-inchers

That wasn’t the case back in the early 1970s, when small-bore bikes still ruled and the so-called 21-inchers (350cc = 21.35ci, hence the 21-inchers moniker) were among the hottest contenders for the motorcyclist’s dollar. Besides a smorgasbord of small-bore bikes from Italy, England and Germany, there was a full plate of small bikes available from Japan, including Yamaha.

By 1970, Yamaha had emerged as one of the leading Japanese motorcycle makers, behind Honda but ahead of Kawasaki and Suzuki. While Honda continued to embrace the 4-stroke ideal, Yamaha, like its other Rising Sun rivals, was still putting most of its faith in 2-stroke technology.

Despite the introduction of its first-ever 4-stroke, the 650cc parallel twin Yamaha XS-1, Yamaha wasn’t about to walk away from its 2-stroke twins and singles, which had brought Yamaha success in the consumer marketplace and on the track, and Yamaha knew there was still a lot of performance — and dollars — to wring out of its smaller bikes.

Yamaha had introduced its first “big” 2-stroke, the 305cc Big Bear, in 1966. That was followed a year later with the all new YR1 Grand Prix, whose short-stroke 348cc twin benefited heavily from lessons learned on the track, and finally, in 1970, the YR5, or the Yamaha R5 350 as it was known in the states.

The Yamaha R5 350 was in many respects the crown jewel of Yamaha’s continuing 2-stroke program. While it put out the same 36hp as the previous year’s twin, an increase in torque and other refinements meant it easily boasted the best performance of any 2-stroke Yamaha had ever made.

Where previous Yamaha 2-stroke twins had been very peaky, with a narrow power band ushering in a rush of acceleration at high revs but leaving engine response flat at lower engine speeds, the R5 could deliver usable power from as low as 3,000rpm, with peak torque of 28ft/lb developed at 6,500rpm. For the average rider, this was a huge improvement. Gone were the days of having to rev the engine to a scream before slipping the clutch to achieve any sort of smooth, low-speed take-off — or to pull cleanly once on the move. “The R5 pulls like a 500 when you twist the grip in fifth,” said Cycle World in appreciation of the R5’s low-speed engine performance.




Make Model Yamaha R5-C 350
Year 1972
Engine/frame Numbers R5-100101 - 130606
Engine Type Piston port two stroke, parallel twin cylinder.
Displacement 347 cc / 21.2 cu in
Bore X Stroke 64 х 54 mm
Compression 6.9:1
Cooling System Air cooled
Oil System Oil injection
Induction 2 x Mikuni VM28 SC carburetors
Ignition Battery, dual coils, breaker points
Starting Kick
Max Power 26.8 kW / 36 hp @ 7000 rpm
Max Torque 37.9 Nm / 3.87 kgf-m / 28 ft-lb @ 6500 rpm
Clutch Multi-plate, wet
Transmission 5 Speed
Final Drive Chain
Gear Ratios 1st 18.37 / 2nd 11.40 / 3rd 8.55 / 4th 6.92 / 5th 5.78:1
Frame Duplex cradle frame
Front Suspension Telescopic fork
Rear Suspension Swingarm
Front Brakes Drum, twin leading shoe
Rear Brakes Drum, single leading shoe
Front Tire 3.00-18
Rear Tire 3.50-18
Dimensions Length: 2040 mm / 80.3" Width: 835 mm / 32.9" Height: 1085 mm / 42.7"
Wheelbase 1320 mm / 52.0"
Ground Clearance 155 mm / 6.1"
Dry Weight 141 kg / 311 lbs
Wet Weight 155 kg / 343 lbs
Oil Capacity 2.0 L / 4.2 US pts
Fuel Capacity 12 L / 3.2 US gal
Average Fuel Consumption 6.7 L/100 km / 14.9 km/l / 35 US mpg
Braking 50 Km/h / 31 Mph - 0 14 m / 46 ft
Standing ¼ Mile 13.8 sec
Top Speed 160 km/h / 100 mph
Source Motorcycle Classics

External Links[edit | edit source]