This Modified Yamaha RX-Z Is A True “Labour Of Love”

My first memory of the Yamaha RX was seeing many of my father’s buddies in the Indian Army and Indian Air Force riding them. Wanting to know what made them special was what sparked my curiosity about motorcycles in general and these gruff-sounding machines in particular. Besides, the fact that we had (rather still have) a Kinetic Honda DX at home meant two-strokes were part and parcel of my formative years. 

Fulfilling The Dream

Calling me bike crazy would be an understatement, so when I joined college, a motorcycle of my own was a foregone conclusion. My dad, though, refused to buy me one. Not to be outdone, I picked up a part-time job to supplement my meagre pocket money. Scrimping and saving for two years, and going to college on a bicycle, meant I had just enough to net me a ratty, 12-year-old black Yamaha RX-Z four-speeder. This particular example had drum brakes fore and aft, a 100-90/18 Dunlop GeoCruiser tyre somehow jammed onto the wire-spoke wheels, and rust everywhere, even inside the fuel tank!

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Coming To Terms

It took me about a week to get over the fear of buses and wet roads, after which I settled into the daily hustle with my dinky little Yamaha, covering the twenty or so km college run and ten or so km office commute without incident. Soon, I had become suited to the RXZ’ performance (or lack thereof). Hence, I wanted to push the envelope. This meant monthly trips to Lonavla (hampered by the sad, sad conditions the roads were in back then), supplementing my nearly 60km daily commute.

The First Tentative Steps

Wanting to go faster, I sat with a like-minded friend and chalked out a plan. The twin rear shocks were good for the most part, but had a sharp edge when riding solo. Hence the installation of a monoshock, which immediately made the ride a lot more pliant. Besides, a monoshock was still a novelty in those days, found only on the Yamaha R15 and FZ duo, the Honda Unicorn and CBR250R, and oh, the Kawasaki Ninja 250R!

Next, we zeroed in on alloy wheels, which allowed for the much-needed disc brake up front. The handlebar, too, was replaced by a lower, wider one from the Bajaj Pulsar of the time. And complementing the lower handlebar were a set of rear-set footpegs, which went a long way in accommodating my six-foot-two-inch frame onto the bike.

And rounding off the proceedings was an expansion chamber, which gave (and still does) the feeling of going a million miles an hour, even at city speeds.

Of course, all this warranted a bewitching exterior too. So inspired by the classic Yamaha RD 250LC paint scheme, I painted my bike white, with red and black pinstripes. The end result had me looking (and feeling) like a million bucks, my ego buoyed by random citizens asking “Imported hai kya?” (Is that an imported [bike]?) to this day!

Cut To Present Day

I am rightfully proud of my bike and myself – for the sheer effort it needed to make my dream a reality – and have vowed to never sell it. But time has not been kind to it. The 13 or so horsepower it made then is barely more than that made by today’s commuters. And of course, with two-stroke vehicles deemed all but illegal nowadays, the growl from the expansion has the cops crawling out of the woodwork! 

There’s no denying that the Yamaha RXZ made me come into my own as a motorcyclist. But for the reasons mentioned above, I hardly ride it once a month nowadays, electing instead to hop onto my KTM 390 Duke. And yet, people still give me a knowing nod when I tell them about my first bike; and that’s a feeling that’ll never change!