Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125810
Q o ,.. m Z m ~ z o :c !ill ~ '" ~ .. '" Cl> '" by Dave Schoonmaker Oft times it seems like motorcycle newspaper journalists are the s_cum of the earth when receiving a test bike. The average customer in a bike shop wouldn't accept a bike in the condition they sometimes come to us. We can't help but onder what goes on with the company Yamaha hires to set up test bikes. Our RT-3 had the marks of neglig.ence written aU over it. The bars were bent and the forks slightly tweaked. The chain had been adjusted and lubed, but it seems with only one adjuster. The right adjuster was bent and the bike loved to turn right. The engine was "set up for journalists." That means it was sllper . lean in the mid-range (for wheelies) and rich on main jet (so as not to self-destruct). The turn indicators were cleverly wired so that they flashed: left rear-righ t fron t and left fron t-righ t rear. Interesting. At first, the transmission leaked oil profusely. Investigation showed that it was coming out the breather, because the trans was a full quart overfilled. Due to the overfilled transmission the clutch slipped until the oil Level Was corrected. Then the adjuster worked loose. A Saturday in the CN garage corrected most of these problems. The next day we took it out to a local cycle park to find out what else would happen. Happily it was a surprisingly anti-climactic day as the RT-3 settled into the pace. For the first time we began to get real impressions. I'm tall, and except for the bars, the bike fits me well. The seat is very tall and I couldn't sit flat footed on the .bike. Smaller people find it a bit overwhelming. The pegs also proved to be, a bit too far forward for smaller riders. When I stand on the pegs everything but the too low, too narrow bars and the kick starter poking in my calf seems right. Moving the starter back three splines solves all problems excep t getting it started. Moving the lever back provoked a monster. On the gas tank there is a little sticker which says, "Always be sure to engage decompression valve before kick starting." The RT-3 will bite you any chance it gets and it doesn't nibble. Moving the lever back makes the stroke slightly less effective and pLaces the lever so it gets a straight-on shot at your arch. If you're timid or wear anything but substantial boots, it will make your righ t leg a bunch shorter. Other than that it starts consistently on the third kick. The first it snaps back at you, the second it spits, and on the third it starts without ceremony. Once you get it started you'll feel righ t at home in a gaggle of mini-bikes with open exhausts. It will put them right down. Unfortunately it will drown them out too. Every time I started it at home I looked for neighbors with big sticks. Blat-blat-blat. Unfortunately our decibel tester was out of order. (Having just come back from a road race), so we had to let the LAPD do it for us. I got stopped for noise and I wasn't even getting it on. The officer was very understanding and I was at my most charming and fortunately no ticket was issued. On January I, when the 88 Db rule takes effect, I hope Yamaha is at least a quarter of a mile away, for their own sakes. The 351cc engine pumps out a lot of horsepower. Unless there is a good traction surface the power will be translated into wheelspin. It doesn't break loose madly as flywheel effect is very prominent. It justs builds in a surge, On pavement all this, of course, becomes a wheelie, but unfortunately getting the fron t end up is not so easy in the dirt. As the engine gets hot the sensation is like someone stole abou t 40cc. The bike is still fast but loses its edge. By fast I mean it compares favorably with most 400cC'1Dotocross machines. Trail riding means using first; second and third gears. The Yamaha has the power to pull long gearing and long gearing.it gets. All this means you don't shift much in the dirt. It doesn't seem to matter what gear you get, as long as it's fairly close to the righ tone. Coupling this to the usual Yamaba easy shifting makes riding the RT-3 easy. The low speed stability of the RT-3 is good, considering the length of the wheelbase. When cranking it in to a moderately slow tum the front end tries to wash out until the power is applied. Sliding seems almost -like a waste of time. The RT -3 likes to track in comers and has to be provoked to slide. When it does, it is controllable, but it's pretty futile. Picking a line through a comer and tracking steadily on it was no problem. After that brief period of dirt riding we headed South of the border for the Mexican 1000. We started down the pavemen t section. at abou t dusk and in troduced the Yamaha to touring. Cruising was pleasant. Fifth gear is a big jump above fourth and the bike is happy to cruise at 75 MPH. There is vibration bu t not of the irri tating sort. Rubber footpegs, hand grips, and a seat that fits the form isolate the vibration from the rider but didn't do much for the taillight. In 800 miles I fed it three new bulbs. Cruising along at 60 MPH would produce about 45 MPG on Mexican coal oil and 200 miles/quart of injector oil. The mileage is nice but the two gallon tank won't get you to San Felipe. Reserve proved to. last for exactly 18 miles in the desert, no more. Eighteen miles almost got me out of Nowhere, Barren Desert, Baja California, Mexico, but not quite. The Yamaha is happy to play around \ "Muffler" and kickstarter nuzzle waiting to pounce. DOLLARS FROM YOUR POCKET PRICE $999.00 HEADLIGHT (Sealed beam) 7.00 TAILLIGHT BULB ........................•.................49 TAILLIGHT LENS 4.96 TURN SIGNAL LENS : 49 LEVERS 2.90 CLUTCH CABLE -. ......•.............................. 3.38 ~irliTE'Ii :::::::::::::::::::::.: ::::::::::::::::::::::: tg6 BATTERY These prices are Yamaha Suggested Retail Prices. 4.95