XR500 (and similar) legends and lies thread

[DR Girl]

Dual purpose Honda SL 125 & XL250 Ad vs the Suzuki RM250??? Ad
Not quite a level playing field.
Split Enz composing & singing 'Suzuki Blow Your Mind' a nice touch for NZ market tho:-)

[pete-blen]

Who remembers riding these,

All owned by members of the Hawkes Bay Classic motorcycle club

Yep.... Had a 74 XL250 K1.... Hardest bike I have ever owned to start...
Bought it from Honda city in Mancheaster street... there was a MT250 there
as well.... should have bought that instead... But was like $75 more...
Sounds silly now... but back then that $75 was a big leap...
think I payed $645 for the XL250..

[10bikekid]

Ok so we are talking about XL250's, my memories is a bit wanting now days so some of the facts may be a bit jaded but here goes,

I had a Trusty 74 DT250 for a while and spied this Shiny Yellow&Black K something (5 or 6) 76-77 model, it was 1978ish so the thing wasn't very old, hence the $1200 price tag, Next thing I'm riding out on this shiny supertrap fitted monster. She was fast and quickly showed that a good four stoke is quicker than its two smoke trail bike buddies (much to my brand new TS250 riding workmate disgust)

Had it for a year or so till MR XR arrived and must say she was like a rock, unstoppable up the hills (you seldom had to change down) and would cruise all day at 100kph, great bike great days

Would show pics but having problems with camera at the mo

[pete-blen]

You get the big tick & punk head banger from me Ross. Join the cool squad
Yes you are right re the Suzuki's being two strokes & TS's.

LOL 10bikeyoungin. . . .Heres another to make you feel even better !

http://www.filmarchive.org.nz/selleb...iew.php?id=154

There was another Suzuki ad.. way back when... It had the first PE250 in it..
Some may remember the very first PE250 had a steel tank... "basicly a RM with lights"

[10bikekid]

There was another Suzuki ad.. way back when... It had the first PE250 in it..
Some may remember the very first PE250 had a steel tank... "basicly a RM with lights"

Yep remember them well, was still at school and the working guys used to come down to show their new bikes off, Still can see that canary yellow rocket ship power wheelying up the hill from Long Bay College

Only one I ever saw one the road and according to the magazines I still have they made 22 and bit Hp at the treads, so perhaps not as frightening as we thought at the time, though given the 2 stroke power pand thing the may have felt a bit scary in the day

Just remembered, had a TM250 for a while back then (probable similar power) and it was a frightening thing to ride

Maybe that mag had a slow one

[pete-blen]

Yep remember them well, was still at school and the working guys used to come down to show their new bikes off, Still can see that canary yellow rocket ship power wheelying up the hill from Long Bay College

Only one I ever saw one the road and according to the magazines I still have they made 22 and bit Hp at the treads, so perhaps not as frightening as we thought at the time, though given the 2 stroke power pand thing the may have felt a bit scary in the day

Just remembered, had a TM250 for a while back then (probable similar power) and it was a frightening thing to ride

there was a couple of things that made the old 2 strokes a bit scary even thow they did not have alot of power by 2days standards...
1 - The way the power hit.. all and everything at once..
2 - The rest of the bike was not up to what power they did have..

I had a TM125M... my first real dirt bike...

don't think the plastic tank PE's turned up till 79 "maybe 80" ?

[10bikekid]

there was a couple of things that made the old 2 strokes a bit scary even thow they did not have alot of power by 2days standards...
1 - The way the power hit.. all and everything at once..
2 - The rest of the bike was not up to what power they did have..

I had a TM125M... my first real dirt bike...

don't think the plastic tank PE's turned up till 79 "maybe 80" ?

Agreed

Got a clip of a TM250 (not ridden in anger though)


Had a brand new PE175 twin shocker as well about 1980 me thinks (had a plastic tank yes)

PS, think the TM"s were worse the bigger the cc's so 400 was unridable for reason you mentioned and 125 was probably the pick of the bunch as don't remember the 250 being that manageable off road

[10bikekid]

Founds some PE175 action, getting a hanker for another 2smoke now

[dino3310]

81 do-er upper http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/moto...-649053340.htm

[gav24]

there was a couple of things that made the old 2 strokes a bit scary even thow they did not have alot of power by 2days standards...
1 - The way the power hit.. all and everything at once..
2 - The rest of the bike was not up to what power they did have..

I had a TM125M... my first real dirt bike...

don't think the plastic tank PE's turned up till 79 "maybe 80" ?

Plastic tank on my 79.
Got it a few years back as a barn find in pieces with a broken 3rd gear. The gear broke in 81 so sat since then with a new rear tyre, chain and sprockets, boyesen reeds, piston and rings in a few boxes since then. Presumably the rebuild was going to happen with the new bits but the pre eBay cost of a new gear stopped it in its tracks!
I bought it, got a replacement gear and a set of seals and gaskets off eBay, rebuilt it over a weekend and raced it for a season of vmx!
It still has live plates and I raced it with the original lights, horn, switchgear and the plate on!
In effect it looks like a 2 year old pe250 that's sat in a barn for just over 30 years!
I keep thinking about selling it but it's just too original and cool!

[10bikekid]

Plastic tank on my 79.
Got it a few years back as a barn find in pieces with a broken 3rd gear. The gear broke in 81 so sat since then with a new rear tyre, chain and sprockets, boyesen reeds, piston and rings in a few boxes since then. Presumably the rebuild was going to happen with the new bits but the pre eBay cost of a new gear stopped it in its tracks!
I bought it, got a replacement gear and a set of seals and gaskets off eBay, rebuilt it over a weekend and raced it for a season of vmx!
It still has live plates and I raced it with the original lights, horn, switchgear and the plate on!
In effect it looks like a 2 year old pe250 that's sat in a barn for just over 30 years!
I keep thinking about selling it but it's just too original and cool!

Very cool. Don't sell it (unless of course I want to buy it )

Check out this 1980 one, its almost overdone and shames some modern bikes for trickness (FYI start up is at 13.20 min as guy takes a while to get to the point)

[10bikekid]

How about this PE400, it puts a shiver up my spine as I remember riding one of these on the road and it was seriously quick and did vicious wheelies in the lower gears and if my memory serves me correctly, wheel would come up even in top

[gav24]

My 1979 PE250 so original, no modern stuff on my old school rides! (Well ok, the bars are new!)
A friends 1978 RM400, which lives with me so I get to race it!
And my baby 1980 CR80 Elsinore, first proper bike I owned, so had to get another, except this one has modified XL200 forks and longer shocks so I can still ride it... Carefully, don't want to break it!!
Enjoy!

VMX racing on lees road, feilding this Saturday if anyone wants to see a heap of these old bikes in action...

[10bikekid]

Very cool

[fridayflash]

lovin the PE pics guys, and gav that cr80 looks great! a kid i went to school with had one..which was quite rare (all rm80's and yz80's in this neck of the woods) i thought the red motor was choice!...and speaking of PE175's a mate of mine crashed his down at the taradale shops back in the eighties and lost a testicle in the process (seriously) talk about 'ball tearing power' eh!