Yamaha R5 YR5 1970-72

Yamaha R5 Two-stroke History & Specifications

The Yamaha R5 / YR5 Japanese motorcycle model was introduced to the market in 1970 - a successor to the 1965 305cc YM1, 1967 350cc YR1, 1968 YR2 & 1969 YR3 / R3. It was a street bike designed around the racetrack success of Yamaha two stokes. By that time Yamaha was already a second-best Japanese motorcycle manufacturer, ahead of Kawasaki and Suzuki, yet behind Honda.

The 1970 Yamaha R5 motorcycle was a slightly larger sister of the DS7 250cc twin. It was lighter and slimmer than earlier Yamaha motorcycles, and it had excellent handling and engine performance. The fact that it was modular meant, that R5 350 spare parts were interchangeable with other Yamaha models and thus cheaper to replace.

Yamaha R5 Motorcycle Specification

Yamaha R5 350 had air cooled 350cc twin two-stroke engine with piston port controlled fuel injection. The horizontally split crankcase housed 5-speed gears and the front wheel as well as rear wheel were fitted with expandable drum brakes. The oil injection was served by Yamaha's dedicated oil pump.

It came in a range of bright colours as well.

1970 Yamaha R5 / YR5 - R5-000101 – 013649 - Metallic Purple/white
1971 Yamaha R5B - R5-015101 – 042209 - Mandarin Orange/white
1972 Yamaha R5C - R5-100101 – 130606 - Mandarin Orange/black

 The popularity of the 350cc engine R5 Yamaha started the biggest era of Yamaha motorcycles. 

Yamaha R5 350 Parts

As motorcycles evolved so did their parts and factories had to adapt. Some parts are just not economical for Yamaha to produce any more, so we have decided to stock some high quality reproductions as well as original OEM parts for this classic two-stroke bike. We understand that especially rubber parts and seals disintegrate over time. We now stock over 80 essential Yamaha R5 parts required for your restoration project.

Air Cleaner Parts 

If your motorcycle loses power, it is usually a sign of an intake issue. We stock most of the essential rubber items for R5 air box repair such as airbox dampers, airbox strap, carburetor manifold, and well as intake joint with matching clamp and spring band.

Stand, Footrest & Brake Pedal Parts 

If exposed to element, footrest rubbers crack, we therefore stock front & rear footrest rubbers, gear lever as well as kickstart rubber. We also have footrest dampers, stand stopper, tension spring and various nuts and bolts in stock.

Crankcase & Transmission Parts 

If you need to rebuild your crankcase, you should not opt out for cheap oil seals. We supply ARS Japan OEM original crank seal kit with smooth seal edges ready to be fitted in. Add new gaskets or breather and your restoration is set for success.

Oil Pump Parts 

Rebuilding an old oil pump is certainly easier than finding a new one on the market. Through we don’t supply hardware for it, we have a full kit of seals and gasket to help you restore your classic Yamaha lube oil pump in no time. We also stock replacement oil tank windows, dampers, pipe holders or even blanking plugs if you decide to remove the pump altogether.

Many of these parts have been discontinued for decades! We don’t aim to provide a complete list of spare Yamaha R5 350 parts, but If you can’t find a specific part on our website to fit your restoration project, or you need a parts list, please contact us via email address or the contact-us form below. We also offer free shipping on orders over certain value.

If you need spare parts for Yamaha RD models, we have a dedicated category for these bikes too.

More handy links:

Twin road test article at Motorcycle Classics

Few helpful links: Renovation Project of 1972 YamahaYR5 & 1970 Yamaha R5 Restoration Forum tips 

Inspirational 4 part video of 1972 Yamaha R5 350 Restoration