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/1542014
VOLUME ISSUE DECEMBER , P209 cases, starter motorcycles were easier to ride than the advanced models, and in September of 1974, Cycle News road-tested what should've been a nifty bike for aspiring riders. It was the Ya - maha RD200, a two-stroke twin, and while the numbers say "be- ginner bike," the little Yamaham- mer would soon reveal a nasty side that shouted, "No newbies allowed." Right out of the chute, the RD200 was like a skittish stal - lion, with a finicky clutch that demanded a slow hand. "A beginner usually has problems with this simple-to-a-veteran operation," wrote CN, "and can be expected to blow it. What's the next step for our beginner? Grab a handful and dump the clutch. The bike immediately assumes a vertical posture, all set to come tumblin' down." Even if the rider could navigate the RD into motion without a series of lurches and wheelies, this motorcycle was still itchin' to play games. "Hitting a depres - sion in the road surface under hard second-gear gassing-it-up would easily loft the front end six inches. A handful in first would do it every time around six grand." Like most two-stroke engines, the Yamaha slumbered and lum - bered when the revs were low. Take it to 5550 rpm, however, and it would wake up like a flam- ing chihuahua with a Red Bull in its gullet. "Kept between six and a half [rpm], the 200 will leave most cars behind at an intersec - tion, embarrassing all but the most determined Detroit barge pilots up to cruising speed. At 60 mph, the tach shows 6500 rpm, and it's happy to stay there." The Yamaha handled well, thanks to its light weight of just 256 pounds. It sat low and earned the title of "swell traffic dicer," thanks to its quick respon- siveness to the pilot's wishes. "The startling reaction of the bike to the slightest rider input takes getting used to after step- ping off a larger machine," wrote the CN staff. Although it came with nothing more than just two rudimentary drum brakes, the RD200 had plenty of stopping power. If one were to read only selected bits of this road test, a possible summa- tion would be that this is a spir- ited cycle, one that pays homage to Yamaha's legacy of giant- slaying, two-stroke twins. Under- sized, but scrappy, Cycle News pointed out that the Yamaha was neither "uncontrollable nor dangerous with an experienced rider at the bars. "That's with an experienced rider," they cautioned. "Would we let a newly enthused friend loose on this machine? Nope. With a novice on the seat, starting to move, accelerating and stopping are all added to the list of reac- tions qualifying as "startling." "It's not a beginner's bike," CN stated, adding that "it's not really an economy bike…either." All of which meant that the spiffy little Yamaha was something of an orphan. Too small to be a big bike, too aggressive for new rid- ers, and apparently, too fast for its own good. CN Subscribe to nearly 60 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives In the right hands, the RD200 was a decent budget racer.