Yamaha Planning RD350 Successor, To Be Named XSR300?

If a Japanese motorcycle magazine, YoungMachine, is to be believed, Yamaha is planning an all-new bike to revive the legacy created by the RD350. According to the source, the successor to the RD350 will be named XSR300, deriving the nomenclature from the company’s retro sports heritage bike range, the XSR900. The XSR900 is not offered in the country yet, however, going by the cult following of the RD350, Yamaha might offer the XSR300 here.

Every Indian biking enthusiast, at some point or the other, has heard about the RD350. The bike, that only made it to India in 1983, was first produced in 1973 in Japan and was discontinued in 1975 following its poor emission levels. In India, it was launched by Rajdoot, after its homologation to suit our conditions. Thanks to a 7-port twin-cylinder two-stroke engine, the RD is capable of doing 0-60kmph in under 4 seconds and hit a top speed of 169kmph. Boy, this is fast by even today's standards, let alone 1983. The bike, according to the time, was very technologically advanced, thanks to Yamaha’s Torque Induction System with reed valves, autolube system, 6-speed transmission, etc.

Coming back to the XSR300. What makes us think that this bike can match the legacy of the RD? For starters, it's the motor that is rumoured to power this bike. Observing the first image, we can easily deduce that it is a parallel-twin, liquid-cooled – judging by the radiator – and a stubby exhaust unit that resembles that of an MT-03. However, the difference could lie in the capacity of the beater, as it could be either a 249cc motor or a 321cc from the MT-03 (also available in the R3 in India). If it’s the latter, then the power and torque figures could be 42 PS and 29.6Nm, respectively, matching those of the R3. And, just for the record, these are similar to those of the RD. The bike may also retain the diamond frame chassis of the R3.

As for the 249cc parallel-twin unit, using it to power the XSR300 makes less sense, since the RD350 back in the day produced 39PS of power, which is 3PS more than the power produced by the 249cc motor. Nonetheless, Yamaha can still offer the 249cc version in certain markets such as Indonesia.

Aesthetically, the bike in the magazine carries few of the cues of the XSR900, whereas the paint job is reminiscent of the RD350 (see picture below). There’s no clear information on the launch or the production dates of the bike as of now. However, more information could surface in due time.