The first year for Yamaha’s “Baby RD” was 1973, and they’re really interesting bikes. They’re also fairly rare and don’t often come up for sale. This 1973 Yamaha RD60 is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Slinger, Wisconsin, and the seller is asking $2,450 or best offer. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Lothar… of the Hill People for the tip!
Yamaha only made 2,440 of their new RD60 two-stroke bikes in 1973, and this is yet another one I’d love to have. I prefer the olive green color, but there isn’t a bad choice for this model. You would likely have the only one at any vintage motorcycle show, and they’re supposed to be fun to ride, despite the 55-cc single-cylinder engine. Hey, it’s a Yamaha, it’ll be fun! I’m bummed that the seller took vertical photos, so my apologies for the composites to get them to fit here.
Most sources say the RD60 was made for 1973, 1974, and 1975, but it shows up in my motorcycle bible (Standard Catalog of Japanese Motorcycles 1959-2007) for model year 1976, called the RD60C. I believe the 1973 was RD60, the 1974 was RD60A, the 1975 model was RD60B, and according to this publication, the 1976 RD60 had a “C” designation. You can see the sporty design of this bike, with the long, skinny gas tank and the cafe-like seat. The gigantic taillight is a little jarring, and those turn signals aren’t exactly tiny LEDs as would probably be on a more modern bike. I like that it’s a quirky look.
A lot of people laugh at anything smaller than a 750, but I beg you not to do anything to please anyone else. If they’re making fun of you, they aren’t your friend. When you’re on your deathbed, as we all will be eventually (fun stuff, eh?!), the person chuckling at you for riding a small motorcycle will not be there comforting you, and you’ll be sorry you missed an opportunity to try something different just because you were afraid of being laughed at by an online stranger.
This one has just 2,073 miles, as you can see. I don’t think you’d see 80 MPH on this one; around 52 MPH is tops. 1973 was the first model year for Yamaha’s legendary RD-series of motorcycles, including the RD250, RD350, and the famous RD400. As you guessed, I’d take an RD60 over any of those, just for the unusual factor. This has an early version of the Autolube oil-injection system, and they’re known for going out, either at speeds above 50 or just in general. A lot of owners will premix the gas for that reason.
The engine is as clean as the rest of this 163-pound bike. That engine is a Yamaha 55-cc two-stroke single with torque-induction intake and a reed valve system. They had around 4.5 horsepower, and power was sent through a five-speed manual transmission. The seller says it runs and rides great, and it sure looks nice. This one is easily a thousand dollars or more under value, and if it were local, I’d have a hard time not grabbing this one. Have any of you seen or owned an RD60?
I thought the RD125 was the smallest. This is a little jewel. I sympathetically restored an RD200 during Covid. Parts were a little hard to find. Hats off to this seller, it’s a real beauty.
Euro finding parts even for the great KDX Enduro series is difficult.
Had one of these in 75, paid 50 bucks for it and top speed was about 50. Not to bad of a bike.
The author failed to mention the Yamaha RD”RR” series, ( get it, Har de har har, boom tis) I know, go to bed, but not before a short blasting of small motorcycles. To be crystal clear, I like all motorcycles, merely by nature, the brand is unimportant. The feeling is universal. Personally, I like a motorcycle with some chutzpah, exhilarating acceleration is one of the key ingredients of motorcycling. Nitro Harley? Too much, a ring ding one lunger, not enough, a Kaw Z1,,,just right. (a nice one in Durango tested my restraint) A small motorcycle has its limits and I suppose this could be ridden daily, provided a top speed of 40 is all that’s required, it does have a few advantages over an E-bike, but riding around at 7500 rpms all day isn’t for me. I thought the Yamalube was a reliable system, beats spilling oil all over, and friends don’t let friends ride small motorcycles,,:) and Slinger, Wis? Oh boy, here we go again,,,
Correct, Yamalube worked fine, provided you remembered to top off the oil tank.
Torque Induction? Now they’re just making sh*t up.
They were running REED Valves before anyone else thought to….that’s why it’s called that – 1972 was the first year across the board – street bikes and dirt bikes….don’tchaknow?
Sweet
You meet the nicest people on a …….Yamaha? Seriously, this bike will attract more fans at a show than some over the top customized HD. Why? Because we all had a similar bike growing up or knew someone who did. This one would look great in my living room.
Dream bike of anyone around 15 y.o. at the time. My 1st was a 125cc RD (stands for Race Department), sold it and went for the 200cc. The 250 cc, 350 cc later 400 cc were extremely fast and race winners, expensive as well. The feared failure in lubrication happened for me on a Kawasaki 400 cc slightly used that i bought. I sold it and i went straight for the legendary 500 cc new from the box that the Kawasaki dealer opened in front of me and assembled the bike. Unforgetable!
I wouldn’t want it but this little bike reminds me of the Yamaha DT1 my dad had. The summer after I graduated high school in ’68 we went on a family outing in the rockies and fortunately took it along. My parents and brothers were in the cab of the Chevy and my girlfriend and I rode in the cabover area of the camper. I know, that was totally nuts but the view was great and the way he drove I wanted to see what was going on. Anyway as we were heading home at the end of the day I heard squealing coming from right front of the truck and after what seemed to me to be a ridiculous amount of time he finally stopped to check it out, and when he jacked it up the right front wheel literally fell off! He hadn’t kept the bearings greased after putting his boat in the water on skiing and/or fishing trips and it burned the axel up. I shudder to think what would’ve happened had he not stopped when he did. Anyhoo, he rode the Yamaha some 50 miles back to the house in north Denver as fast as it would go and brought my mom’s ’59 Impala back and hauled us home and left the truck sitting on the side of the road to be picked up later.
I had a 1972 Yahama JT60. I think my dad paid $75 for it in 1977. I didn’t have it long. My older brother almost killed in a motorcycle accident and that was it for my bike. My dad got the backhoe out, dug a hole and through my Yahama in it.
Actually yes….I did have one – was titled in a lady’s name before but most likely for her kid….still have the manual that came with it.
This one is gone! Did one of you grab it?