Introduction to the RD125LC (Part 3 - The Mk3 125LC)

The RD125LC III
 The mk3, the final RD125LC was introduced in November 1986. New blue and yellow decals on white paint, with blue seat added to the line up, the white with red decals, and black with red decals schemes carried over from the mk2. Though the biggest change came with the introduction of the Yamaha Power Valve System (YPVS) Unfortunately for us Brits, the Servo motor and cables to operate the Power Valve was omitted for 12bhp laws. Servo kits were available to buy if you wanted to fully unrestrict it. Though most people would just manually turn the powervalve fully open. A Micron/Allspeed style exhaust was a welcome change to the previous one.
The UK was quite a way behind the rest of the world with the RD125LC, the YPVS had been available in other countries since 1985 and is known as the mk2 (LC II), so the UK's mk3 may never have been known as such outside the UK, but the European mk2 did it seems share the new colours.
Frame Number Identification
12bhp UK Model (Restricted): 2HK 000101 Onwards
1GU (starting frame numbers unknown) as per European spec mk2 YPVS, (Not UK)

Click Pictures for larger view
A very big thank you to Karen at Yamaha-UK for all her time and very kindly sending me the brochures.

 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The White/Blue mk3 RD125LC - picture from Tracey "ardee",  click here to see more pics
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of the RD125LC
1987 marked the end of the RD125LC. It had ruled the roost right up until the introduction of the TZR125 in '87, which had super bike looks of its day. Competition from main rivals Suzuki RG125 and Honda NS 125R meant that the TZR had to take over had to take over Yamaha's no.1 125 flagship. I also changed with the times in July1989 and bought a TZR125 which was later stolen that year. Up until 2004 I still owned a mk1 RD125LC!!!

1989 model TZR125 mk1


For info on the mk1 & mk2 RD125LC click links above.