I used to own one of these beasts from 1990 to 94, while I was still at the architecture school in Delhi. Loved it to death - mine was the dynamo start ones - as opposed to the solely battery started ones. The accelaration and power surge were great - a close competitor to the RD350, and it would beat anything else on the road hollow. Esp. the lumbering Enfields. I used to race Army men and Delhi cops on their Bullets, and always win(never ever got caught for a beat-up! I got away unscathed each time.)
Downsides - leaks and spills(especially around the engine/exhaust connection, clutch plates were shot easily, battery charging was a major pain, the rear brake(drum) would almost always not work, had to rely on the massive front brakes, and the battery was perpetually discharged, as the charging sucked.the headlight was really weak, as it relied on the battery.
But the immediate power surge of gearing up to the third or the second gear suddenly, while cruising at a 100kmph, made all the complaints immaterial! The handling was superb - I used to take the Delhi roundabouts at no less than a 90(if not more - speeding laws used to be really relaxed then) almost laid flat sideways. Never took a spill. Sudden shifts of path at high/low speeds were never a problem - hardly ever had to use that rear brake. A 350 that handled as nimbly as a toy bike(100ccs) - now that’s something worth writing about! The best part was the Stolid Weight of the machine - spoilt me forever for heavy bikes; never got over my distrust of the CBRs or the Pulsars or the Yam100s!
I had put a fairing in the front, with Maruti curved mirrors. My bike was an eyestopper, a vanishing streak of red and black. Many adventures - too many to relate!
Post my father’s death in’92, my Ma emotionally blackmailed me into selling it off for a mere 7k!
If anyone has a YEZDI 350 for sale, in fair to good condition.