Another iconic motorcycle reaches the iconic cricketer
It’s no secret that the iconic Indian cricketer MS Dhoni is a devout bike enthusiast. The legend recently added a magnificently rebuilt Yamaha RD350 to his personal collection, courtesy of Syed Jadeer, an enthusiast from Mysore.
Photos posted on social media by Syed Jadeer show a curious Dhoni inspecting two custom-built RD350s. The competition Green model RD350 was custom built for Captain Cool, while the yellow bike was brought exclusively to Dhoni’s farmhouse to have his autograph on its tank.
Yamaha RD350, originally introduced in India in 1983, continues to be in stellar demand even today, especially for collectors. The model presented to MS Dhoni is a US-spec one, completely overhauled using parts and materials sourced locally, over a year.
An urban legend, the original RD350 had a two-stroke air-cooled, parallel-twin engine. The bike was available in India in two different tunes – one generating a 22.7 kW (30.9 PS) of peak power, and the other a Low Torque LT variant that could churn out 20 kW (27.2 PS).
If we are to draw a comparison with the International model, the made-for-India RD350 was quite feeble in its capabilities. The US-spec motorcycle had 29 kW (39.4 PS) on offer and came with disc brakes at the front. The India-specific model, however, had drums on both wheels to cut costs.
MS Dhoni, who brought India its first World Cup since the triumph in 1983, reportedly owns a private collection of around 100 motorcycles. His collection includes a number of desirable names like Kawasaki Ninja H2, Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, and Ducati 1098.
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