Suzuki PE - is this the ultimate dirtbike?

[eelracing]

Man most of you guys should get into the vmx scene if your not already.We just had the first round of the 08/09 season down here in Waitotara.Excellent weather and fast flowing natural terrain.If you still gottem pull out and dust the ol bikes off and come and join the fun.No ego's and young and old mixing it up on some immaculate machines as well as some shitters(mine)Theres even a evo's class packed with pre 86 XRs and damn close racing.All topped off with a beer at the end of the day at the waitotara pub.

[Fryin Finn]

Me too. I had a PE 175 in 1980 - Totally dependable. Steve Dundon from Wellington Motorcycles modified the engine slightly - extend the header on the front part of the expansion chamber by 20mm and slightly raised the exhaust port. Cheap mod for very nice crisp power.
Had to monitor the air pressure in the forks or the ride got a bit choppy.
After the PE I took a 20 year break from dirt bikes.

[NordieBoy]

I still ride a bike from the 80s. 1983 XL250R as per profile pic. Kicks over first start. I refer to it as 'the lump'.

Going to get a KDX200 a bit later on this year I think.

I'm buliding me a "new" bike.
It's going to be a 1981 XR250 with a disc brake front end, CB250RS engine with 6-speed and a 22L Acerbis tank for those times you need 600km range on a 250

I think I've almost got everything I need bar a rear wheel and a seat.

But my "baby" is still my 1979 XR250.

[Beeza]

In the late 70's to early 80's an "adventure" bike like a PE two-stroke was chock-full of "adventure" --- a two-stroker having a violently peaky "power band" is an adventure from Day One. Gotta love 'em, unless you work for OSH or ACC or some such wowser body!

[mazz1972]

I'm buliding me a "new" bike.
It's going to be a 1981 XR250 with a disc brake front end, CB250RS engine with 6-speed and a 22L Acerbis tank for those times you need 600km range on a 250

I think I've almost got everything I need bar a rear wheel and a seat.

But my "baby" is still my 1979 XR250.

Nordie, how the heck many bikes do you have??

Garage must be huge

[merv]

After the PE I took a 20 year break from dirt bikes.

Man was it that hard on ya

[krad_nz]

I'm buliding me a "new" bike.
It's going to be a 1981 XR250 with a disc brake front end, CB250RS engine with 6-speed and a 22L Acerbis tank for those times you need 600km range on a 250

I think I've almost got everything I need bar a rear wheel and a seat.

But my "baby" is still my 1979 XR250.

Sounds like a minter mate.
I dream of one day having disk brakes. Drums front & rear currently I have considered performing a front disk upgrade but its money better spent else where currently.

Got any pics of the work in progress?

[NordieBoy]

Nordie, how the heck many bikes do you have??

Garage must be huge

'01 DR650
'93 Gilera Nordwest (only one now )
'79 XR250 (racebike)

3 rolling chassis of varying older XR types to freshen up the '79 XR for racing and build a trail/cross-country steed.

[NordieBoy]

Sounds like a minter mate.
I dream of one day having disk brakes. Drums front & rear currently I have considered performing a front disk upgrade but its money better spent else where currently.

Got any pics of the work in progress?

Still slowly gathering bits for the process.
The XR250 chassis is still in Wellington waiting to be shipped
The engine and forks are in the shed though.

[mazz1972]

'01 DR650
'93 Gilera Nordwest (only one now )
'79 XR250 (racebike)

3 rolling chassis of varying older XR types to freshen up the '79 XR for racing and build a trail/cross-country steed.

Showing my ignorance I hadn't heard of a Gilera so googled it - what an awesome looking machine!

[NordieBoy]

Showing my ignorance I hadn't heard of a Gilera so googled it - what an awesome looking machine!

On BikePics go to 1993 and mine is there.

[paturoa]

Rode years ago with a guy that had a 175 and it was a dog. It never ran like a normal PE.

We joked that he should have renamed his "Pee 175", but he said that he was going to call it a shit 175.

[ynot slow]

Yup, they were pretty popular alright. Quick for their time as well. The Yammy IT's weren't too dusty either - my 175 had a wicked powerband!
Still reckon my XR 200 was the best bike I owned in the '80's.

At the time 1980 or so the XR200 was the pick of XR's from 185-250,some also say the 500 as well,power to weight was great.Swapped my XR(1982) for an IT175 (79)model,although unbeknown to me the XR had a dodgy head gasket the dealer said no worries,the IT wasn't road legal,so he put it on the ute and drove me 50km home,going extra mile for service,loved the 2 stroke except mixing gas hehe,the only crap thing on the XR was lights lol.

[monchopper]

In the 80's me and a few mates used to terrorise the stop banks around McLeans Island.
Does anyone remember the motorbike track on Johns Rd between the Groynes and the Airport?

I had a '78 DT400 (one of the first single shockers I think) it went like a cut cat.
Aaahhh the good old days

[young1]

I had a PE250T and then a PE400X (I think it was an X, the model after the T) Only difference from T to X that I could work out was the decals and the rear light.

I still have a manual here for the PE400 (an american hot up manual).

I went to the 250 from the very first model XR250 (23 inch front wheel) I used to be able to wheelie that for a long long way. 2nd day on the PE I was riding at lunchtime (in my office clothes) and thought I would wheelie that, I got it up, then it hit the power band... Smashed the speedo, it only had 40kms on the clock, tore my trousers etc. And with my luck the speedo they got to replace it was in miles an hour so at enduros I was always trying to convert the stages from km into miles

400 was awesome, I was (and still am) a shit rider, but remember leading a beach race at Awakino on it against all the hot shot club MX boys (the all in race at the end). I came to grief as I thought it was getting a bit hot so thought I would run through where the water was. Unfort I rode into quite a deep hole and went from millions of km an hour to 0 in a wall of water. ha ha

I remember when the full floaters came along (PE175 or was it a 185?) the local dealer here was taking orders for 250 and 400 full floaters, I put my name down for a 250 but as we know he knew fck all and they were never built.