This 1979 Yamaha RD400F Daytona Special is a very special machine, found in boxes and restored by 1Up Motorsports to an as-new standard. While it currently sits in a period-correct tuned-up state with custom expansion chambers, Mikuni TM flat slide racing carbs, K&N Y-pod filter intake and hot brake rotors, all the correct factory parts are included in the sale, although it seems a shame to put them on. Why? The Daytona Special was the hottest air-cooled Yamaha two-stroke you could buy in 1979, and the last of the breed, as air-cooled two-strokes were rapidly going the way of the dinosaurs in the USA. Yamaha knew their legacy of terrific middleweight two-stroke twins was about to end due to EPA regulations and doubled down seemingly as an ‘up yours’ gesture, making the best-handling, fastest RD of them all. The press reception for this machine was rapturous, noting the perfect handling and power delivery. Cycle said in June 1979: “Innocent-looking, trim, petite, quiet—all of it’s a sham: the 400F encourages the unwary to go too fast, accelerate too briskly, stop too hard and wheelie too often. Anyone with the narrowest streak of anti-social behavior will find the RD the perfect conspirator. It is Dennis the Menace on Yokohama tires, and is the most fun street motorcycle currently available for sale.” High praise for a 400cc motorcycle. The legacy of the R series of Yamaha two-stroke twins goes back to their first motorcycle, the YA-1 of 1955 with 125cc. It was a winner from the start, taking the Mt. Fuji and Mt. Asama races. The 350cc YR-1 twin came in 1967 with horizontally split crankcases, then the R2 and R3 models of 1968 and 69, which inherited much of the racing know-how of the racing TD and TR series, which dominated club racing and crept into the Grand Prix scene. In 1970, the R5 twin had the looks, handling and performance that has attracted a cult following ever since, as these are motorcycles that cannot fail to deliver a good time. The R5 frame was upgraded with knowledge gained from the road racers and had a reputation as a peerless canyon carver. The RD350 of 1973 was even better, with reed-valve induction and Yamaha’s first disc brake, and was instantly hailed as a giant killer, capable of blowing off 750 4-cylinder bikes: more than 60,000 RD350s were sold in three years. The RD400C was introduced in 1976 and produced for 3 years, with an extra 15lbs more than offset with more power and a broader powerband. The RD400F was introduced in 1979 as the Daytona Special to celebrate the factory’s recent win at that track, with higher compression, taller gear ratios and a lot of very tricky parts (butterfly in the exhaust port?) to keep the EPA happy. The Daytona Special had no more power than the RD400C but was quicker in the quarter mile and easier to ride fast on a twisty road because it had a huge midrange power spread. The thicker fork tubes, larger discs and higher-mounted footpegs meant the Daytona Special was a canyon carver par excellence. Only 5,000 examples were sold in its limited two-year production run, making this first-year example a rare machine, especially in such amazing condition. F238 1979 YAMAHA RD400F DAYTONA SPECIAL
