My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

General Bike chat
User avatar
Mav617
Posts: 2124
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 8:20 pm
Location: Copthorne, W Sussex

My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by Mav617 »

Was going through some old photos, thought I'd share my little uns - I just missed out on the 250 learner period, my first bike was a GP100 in 1987, loved it. In 1988 there seemed to be loads of 250's going cheap, my first RD250LC I paid £250 quid for, decent ones go for about £5K now (I woudn't say they were "worth" £5K, but its a sellers market for nostalgia inducing bikes).
Image

Then, the CB250RS, nice and light and a Honda of course, but felt a bit tame after the 2 stroke screamer:
Image

So back to the Elsie's, this one a Grey import RZ250LC, minter:
Image

The the last, and best, another import, a TZR250 - loved it. Bought with no headlight or fairing and various bits missing, I built it up and rode it madly everywhere - then I lent it to a mate for a MAG stand who promptly smashed it on the way home. I didn't have the heart to rebuild it and sold it to a cousin.
Image
I'm so unlucky that if there is such a thing as re-incarnation I'll come back as me!
User avatar
sirch345
Site Admin
Posts: 21669
Joined: Mon Aug 25, 2003 10:35 pm
Location: The West Country.

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by sirch345 »

Wow a nice bit of nostalgia there Mav :thumbup:

Great to see the photo's of your old 250cc bikes 8) I wish I had photo's of mine,

Chris.
User avatar
AMCQ46
Posts: 16534
Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 4:54 pm
Location: Worcestershire / Warwickshire border

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by AMCQ46 »

The 80's were the dogs nuts, glad I grew up then (well some would say I am not grown up now, but that's a different story).

I managed a 200x5 Suzuki, a superdream 400 Honda, then a 350lC before going heavyweight with a GS1000S ice cream van.
AMcQ
User avatar
fabiostar
Posts: 7542
Joined: Sat Jun 01, 2013 3:53 pm
Location: sunny belfast

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by fabiostar »

lovely looking bikes.. i done my test on a RD250 aircooled,ace bars and microns on it :eek2 i must have looked a tw@ with L plates on it lol.. the 80s were clean brilliant :clap: :clap:

2 days after passing my test on the RD i turned it over in third gear impressing a bunch of young ladies at the bus stop. ahh the pain of it :clap: :clap:
the older i get,the faster i was :lol:
User avatar
bald_pig
Posts: 453
Joined: Thu May 08, 2014 10:14 pm
Location: Essex

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by bald_pig »

Here's the only 250 I've ever owned!

Image
User avatar
lloydie
Posts: 20920
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:16 pm
Location: In the garage somewhere in Coventry

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by lloydie »

I had one of these back in 1997-2000 .
I brought it from the breakers yard in 15 boxes for £300 .
Spent the first few months building the engine up with new pistons and stuff . Got it running and passed it’s mot .
That thing was nuts , I had only had a rd125 before that so the power band was crazy .
I crashed it in 2000 into the side of a Ford escort estate as it just pulled out the junction on me .
The bike was trashed and I was messed up . Took me six years to get back on two wheels after that .
Think I sold it back to the same braker for £80 !
Attachments
060EDB11-BFB9-42F4-A97A-F7D65B374065.jpeg
User avatar
AMCQ46
Posts: 16534
Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 4:54 pm
Location: Worcestershire / Warwickshire border

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by AMCQ46 »

sexy little Gamma there Lloydie....... I can only imagine how small it looked with you on it! :lol:
AMcQ
User avatar
MacV2
Posts: 17418
Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2007 12:07 pm
Location: Grain

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by MacV2 »

I to missed the 250 L bikes.. Started off with a DT80...

Passed test & the first bigger bike I bought was a IT175 !

Then had KH250, X7, LC250...

Many moons & a few 4 strokes later...

RG250 MkIII...

I did however work in a bike shop for a bit so got to have a go on a fair few other stink wheels as well... RG & RD 500's...TDR, RGV's TZR's...
Making up since 2007, sometimes it's true...Honest...
User avatar
lloydie
Posts: 20920
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:16 pm
Location: In the garage somewhere in Coventry

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by lloydie »

AMCQ46 wrote: Fri Feb 12, 2021 9:31 am sexy little Gamma there Lloydie....... I can only imagine how small it looked with you on it! :lol:
I was only 11 stone back then !! Must of looked like virt did on his storm lol
User avatar
AMCQ46
Posts: 16534
Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 4:54 pm
Location: Worcestershire / Warwickshire border

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by AMCQ46 »

A bit of LC ProAm action from the 80s
https://youtu.be/pgGz00VTKgQ
AMcQ
User avatar
freeridenick
Posts: 1574
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 1:30 pm
Location: Derbyshire

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by freeridenick »

I wish I'd gotten into bikes earlier. A mate had a RD125 in Kenny Roberts colours around then. Great bike apparently and properly quick. I didn't know him until after he'd crashed it and smashed up his femur. I'd love to find one and build a replica for him. I'm not sure how pleased he'd be though 🤔
User avatar
lloydie
Posts: 20920
Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:16 pm
Location: In the garage somewhere in Coventry

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by lloydie »

freeridenick wrote: Sat Feb 13, 2021 11:19 pm I wish I'd gotten into bikes earlier. A mate had a RD125 in Kenny Roberts colours around then. Great bike apparently and properly quick. I didn't know him until after he'd crashed it and smashed up his femur. I'd love to find one and build a replica for him. I'm not sure how pleased he'd be though 🤔
Just pop round with a bat and smash his femur ! No need to find a replica :Ball Kick:
User avatar
Pete.L
Forum Health And Safety Officer
Posts: 7209
Joined: Fri Sep 26, 2003 5:09 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by Pete.L »

lloydie wrote: Sun Feb 14, 2021 7:48 am
freeridenick wrote: Sat Feb 13, 2021 11:19 pm I wish I'd gotten into bikes earlier. A mate had a RD125 in Kenny Roberts colours around then. Great bike apparently and properly quick. I didn't know him until after he'd crashed it and smashed up his femur. I'd love to find one and build a replica for him. I'm not sure how pleased he'd be though 🤔
Just pop round with a bat and smash his femur ! No need to find a replica :Ball Kick:
That would remind him :lol: :lol:
I think the bike option is far kinder though...and memories of pain are easier to to handle than the real thing :wink:
My new ride is a bit of a Howler and I love to make her Squeal
tony.mon
Posts: 15943
Joined: Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:46 pm
Location: Norf Kent

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by tony.mon »

Why not just ask Kenny Roberts to spray up another one?
He's not riding much these days, so could probably do with the money.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
User avatar
Cadbury64
Posts: 434
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 5:22 am
Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Re: My Quarter-Litre Bikes of old

Post by Cadbury64 »

I only had one 250, with a progression from 125 to 250 to 400...

My CB250RS was a decent little bike and enabled me to win the university MC club's economy run at 145mpg (yes I was trying; I think slipstreaming in the blue clouds behind a fellow rider's GT750 2-stroke helped!).
cb250rs4.jpg
2017 MT-10SP, 2019 Vespa Primavera 150
Post Reply