Benelli Dreaming – 1974 Yamaha RD250

In Italy, Japan, Sport by Abhi3 Comments

Post-Sale Update: This RD250 sold for $5,700 on eBay.

Produced from ’73 to ’79, the air-cooled Yamaha RD250 was always in the shadow of the famous RD350, but today it provides the base of an interesting Italian-influenced custom. The RD250 produced 30 horsepower and interestingly enough, had 6 gears in the transmission, but you could only access 5. Removing a blanking plate allowed you to get the 6th gear.

Yamaha RD250 - Left Side

Mechanically, this specific Yamaha RD250 has been converted to a monoshock. The frotn forks are from a RD400 and have been rebuilt with Racetech springs, while the monoshock is from a Ducati 750SS. CUstom pieces include the triple clamp and the solid stainless teel fairing stay. The motor has a fresh top end with a “mildly ported” cylinder. Fueling is handled by 32mm Mikunis, while the ignition is a Dynamo Power that does not need a battery…interesting. There’s all kinds of mechanical extras listed in the ad, so head on over to the link to check it out in more detail.

Yamaha RD250 - Naked

While the mechanical upgrades are nice, it’s the cosmetic work that makes us stop and stare at this beauty. The fairing is from a ’69 Benelli 350-4, while the tank and tail are from a ’71 Benelli 750cc road racer, and all have been spray painted in a lovely, though somewhat flat, light green/silver combination.

Yamaha RD250 - Top

Find this Yamaha RD250 for sale here on eBay with an opening bid of $4,000 and the reserve not yet met.