Rajdoot 350cc: In the long and honourable lineage of Indian motorcycling, there are few machines that can compete with the Rajdoot 350 in mythos.
Call it the “RD”, in all-LOVING- INDIA, enthusiasts’ vernacular this two-stroke icon had made a real dent into the nation’s spread of two-wheelmotorcycle culture within his privileged shorter hey-day from 1983-89.
For the Rajdoot 350 was more than just a bike; it was the first ever performance orientated bike that India had seen heavy on utility/light fun factor — before everyone moved away from the utility segment to fuel economy buy more reliable machines.
Origins of Rajdoot 350 cc : The Secret Japanese Legend
The story of the Rajdoot 350 to start with is not Indian, it the one of Yamaha RD350 that at global markets fuel a reputation as one hell of a scody to ride.
In the late 1980s, as isMotorcycle India market was populated by utilitarian, fuel-sipping vehicles like the Jawa/Yezdi 250, Royal Enfield Bullet 350 and ubiquitous scooters from Bajaj Group of – Escorts Group made an audacious move.
To go, they would import the defunct Yamaha RD350B in Indias, making it locally and calling it with their already existing Rajdoot brand.
Engineering Excellence: The Essence of a Legend
The 347cc air-cooled, 2-stroke parallel twin engine did for Indian riders with the Rajdoot 350 what G.M.C. did for Americans.
The engineering was fairly advanced for the era: seven port two-stroke engine technology as well as a Torque Induction system developed by Yamaha (reed valves for the intake vs. solid intake ports controlled by pistons) and 6-speed manual gearbox along with autolube system that meant no more mixing of oil with fuel.
Rajdoot 350 was launched in two variant from its production stint. The first “High Torque” (HT) engine, produced between 1983 and 1985, churned out a respectable 30.5 bhp at 6750 rpm though—slightly blunted from the original 39 bhp that Japan introduced due to Indian fuel quality and riding styles.
Faster than ever up the roads in India
To the above very modest performance stats for the Rajdoot 350, by today’s standards. But in India of early ’80s, that was something new.
That means you can go from 0 to 60 km/h in quick less than three seconds and the HT variant can reach close to kmph within an average of seconds mere straitsaced trade under indian market inculpation.
Rajdoot 350 could go top speed of more than 150 km/h (95 mph) when pushed to its limits,and that was a velocity that most Indian terrains and traffic wouldn’t have been designed for.
The Realness of Riding — Direct from Source
The secret of what makes the Rajdoot 350 so resilient is its unadulterated, direct and unique experience on two wheels. From the more or less electronic demeanour and wrapped comforts of current street bikes, the RD gave you the most unadulterated taste of a bike, naked or partially.
The feedback was received, in touch mode from the get-go as soon as the engine woken. Through the handlebars and footpegs, the vibration of a two-stroke twin coursed through like an ever-present physical cue to remember the mechanical symphony going on at an arm’s length.
A loud tinker exhaust note (assertive-yet-affectionate mumble turns to a deep howl with increased beats per minute) is an auditory homage enthusiasts still brag about when it comes out of a motorcycle.
Cultural Implications- Generating a legacy
Pumping far more cultural juice than would be predicted by its sales number (not even a bad commercial-ship), the Rajdoot 350 was a commercial basket case nonetheless. It came at a critical moment in Indian motorcycling culture, light-switch-on-the concept of performance motorcycling for an entire generation of riders and loomed in the settings of what enthusiasts could expect from every enthusiast for decades.
It became infamous in 1983, when it appeared in the Bollywood film “Hero” (directed by Subhash Ghai). It went on to be picked up in a film called “Mast” where actor Jackie Shroff is riding a Rajdoot-350 and it solidified the bike as, quite literally a ‘rebel (the new rebellious boy) /man symbol in the public mind. This cinematic exposure helped the RD transcend transportation and become an icon of culture.
Notable Trying: Why The Legend Faded
Indians perhaps unfortunately too were against this Rajdoot 350 due to a few challenges which seriously hampered commercial success of this awesome highend motorcycle came out from Japan despite all high-tech and dedicated fans it had. Total production over the course of its 6 years amount to around 7k units, less than what other more common motorcycles sold.
Perhaps the biggest barrier to wider adoption was fuel economy. The Rajdoot 350 was hard to justify in a (and still is…) fuel efficiency market in India, especially at 2-liter carburettor (HT variant) was thirsty until last year when just LT variant came good.
HT typically gave around 20-25 kmpl under mixed riding conditions and the more economical LT variant, some times struggled to reach even 35 kmpl which is on par as many competitors.
In the Modern age: Rajdoot 350, a Collector’s item in old times
Over three decades after the last wheel left to enter production line, the Rajdoot 350 has reached collector/item status and cult status.
Well-preserved or high quality restorations will be sold for prices many times that of their original cost, with some pieces even going for around ₹3-4 lakh in the market today.
Rajdoot 350, the original sport bike you can find never. Unfortunately, pretty much every example survives and has been extensively modified and either restored back to original specification with a fine level of detail restoration or reinvented as performance oriented custom “RD Race” to meet exacting barbs into the goal of clutches and gearbox for maximum power beyond what manufacturers specify.
The Legacy Lives On: Influence on Contemporary Motorcycling
Effect of Rajdoot 350 way beyond just low-production figures, a relatively small range of examples. It has since spawned numerous generations of performance Indian motorcycles and remains a marker for what the market will tolerate.
Yamaha and Escorts rebounded after the commercial failures of the Rajdoot 350 came by way of RX100 1985, a humble 100 cc two-stroke that retained much of that RD’s stormy character but made it a lot more pragmatic (and an order of magnitude cheaper).
The RX100 was one of the most adopted motorcycles in India performance motorcycling taking over a bigger lap than the Rajdoot 350 did back then.
