Yamaha RD400 Is a Special Edition of a Special Motorcycle
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In the 1970s, the mid-size, 400-cc, two-stroke Yamaha RD400 Daytona Special, like the one recently sold on eBay in Livermore, Calif., was the bike to have. That was despite competition from big capacity, four-stroke machines from Japan.
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Going Out With a Bang
Yamaha’s two-stroke Grand Prix machines dominated the top of international prototype racing in the late ’70s. The RD400 applied that technical ability to the street. Even with stricter attitudes towards emissions around the corner, Yamaha wasn’t quite done with its RD400. It made 5,000 Daytona Specials for the public to fight over.
Ed Burke - opens in new window or tab., research and development manager (and AMA Hall of Famer), told Motorcylist in April 1979:
When we decided to do the Daytona, we knew it would likely be the last of the air-cooled RDs, as we had liquid-cooled designs in the pipeline. We knew we had to make it special, with added technology, power, functionality, styling, etc. We wanted the RD line to go out with a bang.
The Daytona Special isn’t just fancy wheels and paint. It has a ram-air cylinder head, new panels, higher compression, revised gearing, thicker forks, larger brakes, improved pistons and rings, and a pair of 28-mm slide-throttle Mikuni carburetors.
More Available Torque
Those changes barely improve peak power, but the new gearing makes better use of the engine’s performance. More of its torque is available at lower rpm. As a result, the Daytona Special was lauded as being easier to ride and even faster than the RD400.
Reviewers universally adored it. Cycle magazine stated:
Innocent-looking, trim, petite, quiet—all of it's a sham: the 400F encourages the unwary to go too fast, accelerate too briskly, stop too hard and wheelie too often. Anyone with the narrowest streak of antisocial behavior will find the RD the perfect conspirator. It is Dennis the Menace on Yokohama tires, and is the most fun street motorcycle currently available for sale.
Older Restoration
A previous owner restored this Yamaha before the seller bought it 11 years ago. It still looks sensational. The bodywork—new for the Daytona—appears in very good order. The Daytona Edition script and the bright red center stripe (borrowed from the fearsome TZ racers) are present and correct. The listing’s mention of Spec 2 parts was good news. The chromed expansion-style exhaust pipe looks the part.
That’s a benefit of an older restoration: The pieces are all there, it has been mildly tuned, the owner dialed it in and rode it for 11 years, and it still begs to be ridden.
This is a special version of a special bike in a condition that’s ideal for riding or being polished and put on display. Perhaps some vintage Yamaha leathers - opens in new window or tab. to accompany your RD?
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