My boyfriend is obsessed with anything with two wheels. Recently his addiction for two stroke motorcycles took a turn for the worse and he began scouring the internet for early 70s two stroke street bikes. After months of searching, his dream bike popped up on Craigslist and off we went with cash in hand.
The motorcycle in question was owned by an gentleman named Paul who is easily identified by his long flowing hair and rock star persona. His garage is filled with motorcycle projects in every possible state, so while the boys talked two stroke, I wandered around admiring the various toys – and eventually stumbling into what is perhaps the most pristine P-21 still in existence.
Click past the break for the vintage bike porn…
In a former career, Paul was the lead painter at a local shop who listed a small bike manufacturer named Ritchey amongst it’s clients. Over the years, Paul painted numerous custom frames, and eventually Tom Ritchey gifted him this frame and components.
While the bike is regularly used for cruising around the neighborhood and the occasional errand, it is in absolutely pristine condition (like all of Paul’s motorized two wheeled friends).
The small scratch on this decal was the only one I could find on the entire bike.
The frame was even sporting the period correct water bottle.
The frame was entirely finished with Ritchey and Shimano Deore XT components…
…and the original tires were still sporting side nubbins.
Special thanks to Paul for letting me snap a few pictures of his bike and for the new two wheeled friend.
And for making it this far, here’s a quick snapshot of the motorcycle in question – a 1975 Yamaha RD350B in Portuguese Orange with 6,000 original miles.
