There's something faintly creepy about middle aged blokes adopting the patois and posture of swaggering teens, but if nothing else it serves to remind us of a couple of things - 1. Teenaged blokes aren't really dicks, they just have the dick-mode switch set to "on" all the time, and 2. Yes, breasts really are all the way up "there" on teenaged girls (isn't Summer GRAND!).
Thanks to a couple of issues from the Z prang, plus warping a front disk on the scouting mission the week prior to the "Dangerous and Rashika do Welly" ride I've been sampling other worlds again. Worlds with 14,500rpm redlines.
What a great bike. I really wish these things had been around during the late two-stroke era, because even then I was tainted with the "Captain Sensible" ethos. The styling is superb, and even slightly worn with age, you can see the hints of '70s Laverdas and '60s racing Hondas. I particularly like the curved exposed frame rails under the tank, the instrument pods (really easy to read at a glance) and the front indicators are the coolest art-deco meets Buck Rogers things you've ever seen. Bullet shapped and mounted on stub wings precisely half way up the round, and very effective headlight, they give the impression that rocket powered flight is imminent.
The NOISE! WAAAAAAAAAAAA - WAAAAAAAAAAAA - WAAAAAAAAAA, right that's 50 km/h. Just brilliant. You feel like you're doing a million miles an hour everywhere and thanks to that magically slick Suzuki gearbox (how DO they do that?) wanging your way up and down the box is not just a joy but a necessity. Wasp knows how I feel about the noise his bike makes, but even with the standard pipe it is still a hoot.
250cc bikes like this demand precision in all things to get the best out of them, which to my mind probably makes them less effective as learner tools. Sure they aren't hugely powerful, but unlike 250 2-strokes of the same era the power builds in a linear fashion from about 8000rpm, rather than coming on with a sudden snap which is why I wish they'd been around when I was still in my chicken-shit learning phase. Get a line wrong and you've usually managed to get yourself caught in the wrong gear too, which leaves you making the same flat bwaaap noise a 250 2-stroke makes when its owner is less than 100% committed. I suppose that could be part of the learning process, but I can't help thinking that being able to open the throttle in any of three gears would probably save newbies from making unplanned excursions down people's driveways. Or not.
Mind you with the lightweight and very direct handling, plus a fantastic front brake, with excellent feel and power from one disc no less, someone with half a clue could change line mid-corner on a whim.
If you're thinking about a 250 that can do anything from commute to tour I can't see how you could go wrong with one of these puppies. Make sure the example you look at purchasing is well maintained and not suffering from "Ham-fisted 250 Owneritis" and you've got a bike that will get you through your learners and restricted period not only safely, but with some seriously good riding skills. From walking pace to hill fanging you'll be collecting scalps from Subaru GTs and lazy sprotsbike owners with ease.
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Originally Posted by MrPeanut
Popping wheelies on sj50's since 2003 
Mine has an aftermarket zorst too, so the noise adds to the fun.
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