What happened to them?

[mark247]

I was just thinking, why is it that none of the big motorcycle companies make sporty ( cbr250, gsxr250, fzr250 etc etc ) 250cc motorcycles anymore? Or have i just not seen them?

The only new 250's i see these days are cruisers or real learner bikes like the hyosungs and cb250's and GPX250's which arent inline fours.

Why don't companies bring out inline 4 250's anymore?

Just wondering....

[deanohit]

Yea, know what you mean mate. Would love to see some new 250 performance bikes. The GTR250 is awesome but theres no compatition for it, stuff like a faired VTR or a new CBR with farings similer to the TYGA kits.

[HDTboy]

Perhaps you could do a search on the subject here

[Waylander]

How many people do you know that would willingly spend more than just their learner and restricted licence periods on a 250?




There is your answer.

[mark247]

How many people do you know that would willingly spend more than just their learner and restricted licence periods on a 250?




There is your answer.

What difference is that now compared with 17 years ago? Thats my question. DAHH!

[98tls]

Not sure of the answer mate but theres still the odd one being made...Aprillas 250 is a rocket for sure.May be that theres so many very small/light and quick 600s around has somthing to do with it.

[Grahameeboy]

Arh..the good old days...Suzuki X7, Yamaha RD250, LC, YPVS, Suzuki GSX250, Kawasaki 250H, Gamma 250...........that Suzuki X7 was a shifter.............

[jafar]

They do make them , just not brought in here. Try finding a 350 or 400 cc bike they are like rocking horse as well.

[James Deuce]

What difference is that now compared with 17 years ago? Thats my question. DAHH!

It's quite simple. Licensing laws the world over have changed. Markets that still have 250cc learner laws are diminishing. Combine that with schemes that see older buyers using direct access schemes to go straight to big bikes or draconian restrictions limiting learners to 125cc and 12hp and the 250s become irrelevant.

No manufacturer is going to go out of their way to make maybe 200 bikes for an overseas market. Not every learner wants a sports bike, so don't go looking for stats on how many 6L and 6R license holders there are.

[jade]

Not sure of the answer mate but theres still the odd one being made...Aprillas 250 is a rocket for sure.May be that theres so many very small/light and quick 600s around has somthing to do with it.

aprilia's rs250 ceased production in 2003.

[jade]

p.s - the gsxr 250's of today dont have a shitshow against an 87-90 gsxr

[James Deuce]

p.s - the gsxr 250's of today dont have a shitshow against an 87-90 gsxr

They're not GSX-R's. They are known as a GSX250F and are based on a 30 year old parallel twin engine.

[bimotabob]

I was just thinking, why is it that none of the big motorcycle companies make sporty ( cbr250, gsxr250, fzr250 etc etc ) 250cc motorcycles anymore? Or have i just not seen them?

The only new 250's i see these days are cruisers or real learner bikes like the hyosungs and cb250's and GPX250's which arent inline fours.

Why don't companies bring out inline 4 250's anymore?

Just wondering....

Hi

This is what I know, it may help you.

By the late eighties the jap giants all were putting plenty of dosh into these great models both 2 stroke and four to the local masses.
It seemed the Japs loved the race replica look.
These bikes had a lot of then high tech design.
CBR,NSR GSXR,RGV ZXR,KR1 FXR,TZR
We got a few models here new at the time but many were JDM imports brought in due to high demand here for fast flash rice rockets for learners.
I worked at a company that brought large numbers here to Hamilton.

The early ninties brought the last development for both 2/4 stroke engines types. Then only paint changes (mostly) were done till around 1995 when all the japs stopped making them completely.

The japs then went on to make fairingless "street fighter" type bikes like
Zephurs bandits etc.

Maybe the locals got sick of them and wanted a change?'
Maybe the feds put pressure on the companies?
Maybe the licensing regs changed?
Mybe Jap teenagers went and got high performance cars instead?
I don't know why they canned them but the full fairing bikes were and still more popular here than what followed.

Now our 250 market is boring and we have either chinese, Korean or old Jap models and parts regurgatated into "new bikes"

The CBR250 MC22 was/is the best of the 4 strokes in my opinion, although
the others excluding the dreaded GSXR250RR (alloy frame) are all good.

I don't think the 2 strokes will return but if demand in Japan ever returns
more could follow - imagine how good they could be.

Regards
BB

[mark247]

The CBR250 MC22 was/is the best of the 4 strokes in my opinion, although
the others excluding the dreaded GSXR250RR (alloy frame) are all good.

What was wrong with the gsxr250rr?

[bimotabob]

What was wrong with the gsxr250rr?

Note: these are almost a completely new bike to the venerable steel framed GSXR250R.
With the neat frame and braced swingarm these looked nice enough BUT
The engines were not bulletproof.
They dropped valves and destroyed engines readily.
One bike shop I know had a huge cost as one of the female staff got one
from them and it blew up costing them many thousands.
Someone may have more knowledge of what when wrong and why but the fact is they didn't like the high revs these 250's were made for.

Never buy one -EVER.





Regards
BB