Great, I thought, I've passed my bike test, but what bike to buy now? My fevered mind had no problems coming up with an answer and in company with my wallet it decided a 350 would be best for me. After scraping up the cash for the bike (and the phenomenal insurance premium) I was the proud owner of a 1986 YPVS with 16000 miles on the clock. Due to the dealer's delivery date being well optimistic I had a mere 24 hours to get used to the bike before an arranged 1000 mile round trip from Humberside to Potters Bar.
The dealer had fitted a new rear tyre and powervalve seals, as well as doing the normal service. The seals seemed okay but the rear tyre was a tubed item and the bike weaved badly around fast corners. I later fitted a Metz to match the front and all was fine after that. The trip down the A1 to London went well, the screen was disappointing, directing wind straight at my helmet, making cruising above 90mph for any length of time extremely uncomfortable indeed. After arrival at my friends, I then found I had to ride into the centre of London on a bike I'd only owned for 24 hours and leave it alone all day without a lock!
Thus did I find that a 350 hates traffic, the gap between first and second being too large for my tastes and after a fast run on the dreaded M25 the motor soon started to overheat, the gauge nudging the redline all the way in. I was apprehensive to say the least about leaving the bike unlocked for the day, but it was still there when I returned so all my sweating was for nothing. The trip out of the capital at night was worse. Up here, in the quiet north, I'm not used to taxis and everyone else being so unfriendly (to put it mildly). The bike was a pig in traffic and I do my best to avoid busy town centres even now that I'm used to the Yamaha. Why a watercooled twin with the much heralded benefits of powervalves should prove so nasty in traffic is beyond comprehension.
The ride back north still rates as one of my favourites, the weather was perfect and the bike behaved impeccably, even though it was gulping two stroke oil faster than I was used to. 400 miles to a litre still seems excessive to me.
Through the summer of 1990 I had a great time blasting around everywhere with the motor showing no signs of abuse at all and carrying on with just a rear tyre every 4000 miles and little else. It was not until October that the troubles started. I'd covered 15000 miles before the powervalve seals started to blow, and since this affected power quite considerably, I bought new seals and was going to fit them one weekend when two days before the engine seized solid.
I stripped it down to find horrendous amounts of damage. The powervalves were twisted, the left-hand piston had virtually disintegrated, the crank bearings had seized and the head was damaged. I was not best pleased but I sold my other bike, a Triumph Tiger Cub, to pay for the new bits and eventually got the thing running again.
400 miles later it happened again, the centre bearings in the crank seizing before any more damage could be done. This time I could find the source of the problem - the oil pump which although delivering to both carbs wasn't supplying enough to the left-hand side. Luckily, for me, my dealer managed to wrangle a new crank out of Yamaha, and this was fitted together with a new oil pump. I put the engine back together but when I filled it up with coolant the head gasket, a new pattern one, decided to fail and dump half a pint of the stuff into the crankcases. A genuine gasket solved the problem and the engine ran very smoothly once run in. Well, it did for a while, anyway.
Meanwhile, other things had decided to give up as well. While it was stood over the winter waiting for engine bits, I figured the front calipers must have seized, judging from the noise emanating from the front end. I duly stripped and cleaned them, not my favourite job, but this didn't make any
difference. It wasn't until the speedo cable seized and I had to fit a new one that the noises went away......boy, I was pissed off! Next, was a leaking fork seal, easy enough except the bottom bush pulled through the top one when I separated the fork leg. Also, the pattern seal I fitted leaked. One new set of bushes and genuine fork seal later, it was okay and the other side has stayed sound too.
Then I got a misfire and a loss of power complete with oil being forced out of the clutch case. I thought a crank seal had blown but when I fitted new ones it didn't cure the misfire. So, I checked the electrics out - all okay except for the coil and maybe the CDI which Yamaha haven't been kind enough to release any data on. I fitted a secondhand coil and it lasted 500 miles. Now, that's up to date and I'm pondering whether to buy a new coil or trust
to another used one again....
Well, I've done 18000 miles on the bike and generally I've been happy with it, if the coil and oil pump hadn't decided to give up I would be happier, but I guess that's life. I've fitted one heavy duty chain which has been excellent. The sprockets are okay, too. The only thing I've bought of note
is a clutch lever, a result of leaving the bike on the sidestand facing slightly downhill.
As for performance, it may not live up to the latest 250 strokers, but I think I can live with that......it's brilliant round corners and I've kept up with everything I've had dices with so far. Indeed, I've had to take the centrestand off because of it grounding round the corners, the footrests are the next to hit the deck and that's quite far enough for me.
The LC is comfortable on long journeys and even with a full tank bag and a pillion on board, will cruise at 95mph with a bit in hand. The front brakes are a little spongy but some Goodridge should cure that. I reckon the clutch will be the next to go in a couple of thousand miles - the springs feel weak but it's still very smooth so I'm leaving it alone until it starts becoming grabby. One nuisance is the useless plastic holders for the two rear bulbs - they either vibrate out of the light or blow the bulb at the rate of one about every 500 miles. The front light is good at night and the bulbs have proved sound so far.
These Yamahas tend to attract owners who neglect and thrash them, so buying a secondhand one is full of pitfalls. Some have done high mileages, others end up in breakers with less than 20,000 miles on the clock - this is good from the spares point of view, I suppose, but not too comforting for long term peace of mind.
I seriously doubt whether I would buy another, the powervalves themselves proving to be more trouble than they are worth. With insurance being what it is I would be limited to a 400cc bike and if I sell this I would probably buy an older 350LC in need of cosmetic treatment.
