Yamaha easy shifting makes rid-
ing the RT-3 easy."
When the cycle park fun was
over, the crew "headed south
of the border for the Mexican
1000." Today's saddle-sensitive
tenderfoots will chafe at the
mere suggestion of riding a two-
stroke single-play bike for 800
miles, but that's exactly what
the staff did with this Yamaha
360, cruising along at speeds
between 60 and 75 mph. One
quart of two-stroke injector oil
was good for about 200 miles,
and the bike delivered 45 miles
of travel per gal
-
lon of gasoline.
Other than noting
that "the 21-
inch front wheel
affirms its dirt
inclination," the
Yamaha proved to
be a worthy street
machine.
Back in the dirt, the Yamaha
was a solid performer in the
Baja. The bike was "straight line
stable" and the suspension "ate
up all but the worst of obsta
-
cles…the RT-3 isn't a desert sled
but subs for one very nicely in a
pinch."
No motorcycle is perfect. The
stock rear shocks, while pretty
darned good, weren't as good
as Koni models, which were the
standard-bearers of the day. The
front brake offered no adjust
-
ment at the hub, and the tail-
light burned through light bulbs
like Lucky Strikes from a jittery,
two-pack-a-day smoker. Also, the
Yamaha was loud! The "blat-blat-
blat" of the RT-3 drew the atten-
tion of the Los Angeles Police
Department, though an apparent-
ly charming staffer schmoozed
his way out of a citation.
The Yamaha RT-3 360 came
to the CN offices looking like it
had already gone through a good
beatdown. Undeterred, it handled
the dirt trails, a long street ride
and some of the meanest ter
-
rain of Baja. It passed all tests
and did many things very well,
earning a rep as one tough little
motorcycle.
Maybe the term "enduro"
wasn't such a misnomer after
all.
CN
VOLUME ISSUE SEPTEMBER , P149
Subscribe to nearly 60 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives
RT3 360
Cycle News deemed the RT-3 360
worthy of being called an "enduro."
(Below) Our test included taking
the RT-3 to Baja and racing it in
the Mexican 1000. Evidently, we
didn't take a camera.
