I bought an orange TS 250 SAVAGE in 1973, I still ride it on regular outings. I am eighty years old and still enjoy getting bugs in my teeth. From Australia
I had a savage there good bikes..but they had timeing chain trouble for me .the idler pully would ware fast except fir the timeing chain they were good
@@bikerdood1100 This is how I can tell today, that this channel is not just another YT bot channel. You can actually have a conversation about specifics in reality. A AI bot does answer, but they can't quite converse with knowledge very well yet, and probably can't until none of us know what we are taking about. :)
I worked at a Kawasaki/Suzuki dealership in NY from '68 onwards and the introduction of the newer Suzuki line in '71 was the TS250R "Savage" along the TS125 and the TS and TC185. All TS models had five speeds with the TC having an internal dual ratio switch with a lever on the left hand side. I jumped from OSSA in '71 to Suzuki TS250 and had two, one set up for enduro riding (silver medal at the '71 Berkshire International in Massachusetts). The Suzuki was an excellent machine with few quirks. Commuted on the other TS for over 6 years until I changed occupations.
I have a TC185 with the dual ratio gearbox and a TS 185 in the shed. They make great pit bikes, and we often take one with us when out camping or at race meets. The TC even has electric start. They make a great “catering vehicle” with an esky strapped to the rear rack. It’s easier than carrying an esky (cooler) full of beer. There’s millions of them out there sitting in sheds and they usually fire up with little effort even if they’ve been sitting for years.
I had a Suzuki PE 250 in my younger years, it had a wicked power band and was not a bike for the amateur rider. Twice it through me over backward when climbing a hill as it hit the power band close to the top of the hill 😮and well it was a race to which the bike or me would reach the bottom first. Both times the bike beat me to the bottom and avoided hitting me as it pasted me. I also had a Honda 250 Eleanor, a very rear beast these days and worth quite a bit these days. Wish I had kept it now.
The golden era for trail riding in the USA was 1970 to 1980. Being 13 in 1970, I enjoyed riding in the woods. I had lots of different bikes of the time, but if I had to pick one that didn’t own, well it would be a Hodaka Super Rat, got to love that chrome gas tank.
I had a 1977 TS250 and rode it to school once I turned 16. What a brilliant bike that was. I rode it everywhere and often with a mate on the back. A bright yellow freedom machine. It would easily beat the Honda 350 in a drag, and was a passable trail bike despite the dodgy suspension. It was my only transport until I got T-boned by a Ute, but it was still going even after that. Albeit a bit bent, like my leg. Great times.
@@bikerdood1100 yes I was back walking in 3 weeks and working again in about 10 weeks. Pretty good for a compound fracture of the tib and fib. A steel rod helped. I’ve since broken the other leg on my dirt bike, but that’s another story 😂
You bring back memories, I had a KL 250, it was in pristine condition when I bought it, I saved my money working after school. I raced my friend home through the forestry. After a party on the coast, totally unlicensed and unregistered, we went different routes home. I was draining every ounce of speed out the bike 140km plus LoL. I forget the track turned 90 deg LoL. I experienced weightlessness, the next thing I saw was a white light, man I thought this is so cool, I'm in the after life. Leaving a forestry track at that speed meant a head on with a 20 year-old pine trees. Man was I pissed of concussion for about 3 days. LoL. Kids today just have mobile phones, how sad, no wonder they're so messed up. Living in the forestry riding trail bikes was the best
@@colsmith7257 good times. I started on a hand me down ts100 and rode that thing all around my neighborhood before I got my license Col. I lived on the edge of suburbia and had a gully across the road which led to farm paddocks and wasteland. I would get home from school and ride it til it got dark, and sometimes after. It was my first work vehicle, as I used to ride it to babysit my younger cousins in the next suburb over. Great times. Every time I do something stupid nowadays like riding my bike where I shouldn’t it reminds me of those days. I’m glad I’ve never grown up 😎
When I turned 16 in 1978 I bought a new Kawasaki KE 250 (2 stroke) with money I'd earned working on nearby farms, (1USD/Hr.). I have no complaints, it was reliable and the brakes stopped the bike just fine. Thanks for the video Dood.
I bet all were fun in intended use! I was a huge fan of Honda's Elsinors, the 125 and 250 were a lot of fun on a track even with minimal travel suspension.
@@charlesharper6421 that’s nice Unfortunately the title is 250 so would seem odd to include a 125 now wouldn’t it ? The video is not about MX bikes either We ain’t talking competition here so why mention them, competition bikes are a different thing Road bike Moto GP Not the same but both run on road 🤔
@@bikerdood1100 bikerdoll you are a killjoy. Charles can mention his biķe if he wants, he's still talking motor bikes isn't he? What's your point or did you just need a grizzle.
@@bikerdood1100 My family and I moved to rural Michigan in the summer 1974 when I was 10 years old. We bought the place, (Good 2-bed house on 80 acres for 24 grand. Let that sink in.) 2 years before in 72, and just visited in the summer for those 2 years. I met all the local kids because they all had bikes, (Yamaha mini-enduro GT 60-80 being the most popular by far for 8-12 year old kids). My Dad did buy our first bike when we moved, (My brother and I, but I bought the rest of my own), and his judgment was effected by the $300.00 price tag for a 2nd year left over Honda CL100 (4-stroke totally street bike). Now, my story gets funny. Within the first summer, even though the bike never broke down and I never worked on the engine, I discovered I was a much better mechanic naturally than I was a rider, because in that summer for my first year trail riding and making my riding mistakes,---I removed the blinkers, mirrors, head light, speedometer, tail/brake light,------------------------------with no tools. :) Doug in Michgian
You learn something new every day, never knew they went to a 23” wheel on the XL250 … I know in recent years the motocrossers experimented with 20” front wheels/tyres
Honda used the same size front wheel on the XL 500. It really didn’t do anything good - except limit the tire choices. As far as I remember, only Bridgestone supplied tires in 23”.
Honda claimed it helped going over pot holes and deep ruts where the smaller wheels would drop in, when they first came out several tyre manufacturers made 23" tyres for the Honda because they sold so many of them, here and in the USA. These days only Bridgestone make them and if you want to keep the value of your XL you have to keep the 23" front wheel, I've still got a spare wheel and tyre from when I had mine somewhere in my garage.👍
I had a 1980 Honda XL 500 S with that 23 inch front wheel. Never hindered me but I don’t feel like it was an advantage either. It lasted just those three years for the 500. I do remember in 1978 with an XL 250 S came out I thought it was absolutely stunning.
Recent years? I remember Sebastian Tortelli using the wider 20" front hoop on his Factory Honda in the USA about 25 years ago. Time flies,------------ when we are getting old, huh. :)
Thanks for your video on 70's enduros.. My brother & I bought a 1972 Yamaha DT-2 250 Enduro, I still have the bike, pretty good condition. I put a knobby tire on the back & a high mount plastic front fender, took off the turn signals, and had a dirt bike I could ride to the trails around our town & then ride home. That bike never let us down, had a lot of fun on that bike., Has the original front Enduro tire. Yamaha made a 90cc, 125cc with electric start, 175cc, 250cc, & a 360cc, all models had a different color gas tank, I could tell the model just by the color of its tank. My 250 hasn't been started for 10 years, but I bet it would start in 4-5 kicks. Thanks again for the memories.
What a nice collection. I'm a fan of these 70's trail bikes since I was in my teens. Funny fact: Kawasaki came up with a retro copy of their early KL250 about 20 years ago, called the TR250. Unfortunatelly no success. Maybe ahead of its time.
I had a XL 250S with the four valve head and 23inch front wheel ( which I changed to 21 inch for tire selection ease ). Great bike, not for everyone to start and did great wheelies!
Here in Canada the best 70's 250 trailbikes were the DT 250 Yamaha, the Honda CR250 Elsinore and the bestof the bunch Bombardiers 250 Can Am, the Can Am was the only stock 250 trail bike I ever rode that could break the 100 mile an hour barrier, those Rotax engines were fantastic.
I remember all those bikes here in SA🇿🇦 except we never had the Harley. I had an exact copy of the Yamaha 250 only in 400 cc . It had the XT 500 frame only it was a 2 stroke . Of all the bikes I had it is the only one I would like to own again. A rocket in traffic. There was also the Honda 250 Elsenore watch was the one to have those times.
Thanks for the vid. My dads first dirt bike was a 1969 Suzuki 250 Savage. He bought the bike on the day of my birth in 1971. Two years later he bought a used 1972 TM 400 Cyclone. My mom go into ridding too, and got a 1974 TS 185. I learned to ride on the 185 in the early 80’s at Jawbone Canyon Ca.
I have a 75 DT250B & 76 DT250C , the C has 700 miles & is mint , l last rode it around Mid-Ohio Vintage Days a few yrs ago . As a kid in the 70's l saved paper route $ & bought a new 74 DT100A , couple yrs later l traded it back to Yamaha for a green 77 DT125 which at 16 yrs old was my wing's to explore the backroads & woods of lndiana , l moved on to RM's & racing from 78 til now but have had a sentimental love affair with those old 70's Enduro street/trailbike's , l even have a mint 700 mile 75 DT100B .
I'm a fan of the older bikes, for sure. But a word on suspension and brakes, I have 2 twin shock bikes that rival the monoshocks and if you were careful drum brakes aren't all that bad. 😁 I have a 71 Yamaha RT1 360 with drum brakes and the power influences you to be very careful. Ride on ✌️
Drums were used because as indicated in the video discs were useless in mud, 70s Japanese disc breaks couldn’t cope with a little rain. The power of breaks is dictated by the ability of the tyres to grip and Classic off road tyres were some way behind those offered today so having powerful breaks would have just caused lock ups. This is why pre war bikes in Europe had poor breaks Crap rubber on wet cobbles = lock up and slide
@@bikerdood1100 I bet that is a underestimated factor, the tire quality of the day. Another factor my be is what I heard Rick Johnson say when Honda started producing their MX bikes with disks for retail sale. Now I don't consider RJ a great communicator of technical information,but i do know the front was done before the rear. RJ stated that it was hard to find a nice modulation for the rear disk, but I say that is something we get used to. I was perfectly fine with a 2 finger disk brake in the 80's and 90's, and took 18 years off to get a new 2019 YZ250 2-stroke. It has much more power than I will ever need in one finger or 3lbs of foot pressure. That would have been rejected in the late 80's I bet, but we got used to it,--like tall bikes and ape hanger bar set-up's. Joking, but I am actually thinking about putting a small air bubble in the brake lines. :)
I used my newspaper money and bought a new 1977 DT175, it had a monoshock. Back then, you could get a motorcycle license at 13. I was free to explore my little town and all the trails. What freedom I had at such an early age. Thanks for the memories.
Missing from this list is the best 250 cc bike of its period; the amazing Husqvarna WR 250, which I had the good fortune to own one, a 1973 model that still runs beautifully today, with my grand-nephew, who gets an enormous kick from using it in the streets of São Paulo, Brazil. But he had to adapt the silencer, because the stock one made the bike realy noisy!
I know 2 good ones that are missing, maybe shopuld be in the top 5? 1) A mini bike that started it all ion the USA, the Yamaha Mini-Enduro 60. 2) A popular Honda, the SL models (similar to the XL models). That was a pretty popular bike also. But just about every field and meadow in rural USA in the 70's, had a Yamaha Mini-Enduro 60 making trails through it. :)
And jetted way better than my super rich 2019 YZ250 2-stroke. Yea, mags says the jetting is good. I am going to a leaner needle, and probably more before I am getting it to be drool free, and make the most power. :)
Oh the fond memories I have of my 1973 DT 250 I bought it used in 79 I rode it through high school and a couple years later I rebuilt the motor and changed almost everything on the bike, I had so much fun my best friend had a DT 400 a 79 I believe I would get passed on most straightaway but I always got my lead back in the turns.
My dad had a green Yamaha DT 250 enduro back in the early 70s. I used to ride with him on that when I was a wee lad, holding on to the crossbar on the handlebars, good memories.
Great thanks. I had TS 125 in the 80s .I learned to ride off rd, my brother took me. I entered enduros on it. Then I got a PE 175 and got a bronze medal. Road bike now and occasional off Rd course.
My Dad bought me a Yamaha Enduro DT 175 in '71 when I was just 15...I rode the hell out of it in the woods of central east coast Florida...great dirt bike.
5:07 My mate had a Suzuki TS250, he carried out a full nut and bolt restoration on it, his friend re-sprayed Ferrari's for a living, he sprayed the tank and other parts, I rebuilt the engine, I ported it and spent along time sorting out the squish and getting the compression right, we had to run a rear sprocket with 4 teeth less to stop the engine over revving, my mate turned up and my house one day on the bike with a big smile on his face, he had just 'blown' a Harley into the weeds on it! It was actually piston ported BUT also had a set of reeds running from the inlet track into the crankcase. 10:50 I had a KL250 as my backup bike for when my 350 LC was in pieces (quite often!) The KL could not pull the skin off a rice pudding, it was an absolute slug of a bike!
3:31 That bike right there, (color too). Yea, that one around 1975. That is the bike a older kid had (Mike Gilbert, RIP), and on my way home from school on the school bus, he jumped the side road like a table top jump right in front of the moving bus. I am 10 or 11, saw it go down,---and that was just the most cool thing I have ever seen IN MY LIFE!!!! :)
I have a 79 XR250R in great shape. Last of the steel tanks and dual rear shocks. It gets lots of love when I take it out to the trails. Had an XL350 but it was stolen from me years ago.
I rode my friends TS 125 Suzuki it had a lever on it that would shift the counter sprocket for lowering the gears for off road riding...my first bike was a brand new AMF Harley Shortster 65 cc...It was terrible compared to the Honda 70 or 50..the shift lever was that weird linkage like the Moto Guzzi...it broke almost immediately on first trail ride when a branch popped up and destroyed it...not at all impressed with it but was still fun... Also was given a Yamaha DT 250 Enduro because the guy said it wouldn't run I put new points and a plug in it and it served me well as a trail bike...I love this era of bikes...but then I'm getting old now..my Heros where Roger DeCoster, Tony Dee, Brad Lackey, and Marty Smith...back in the day..
I rode a TS250 in the late 70s for a while and I loved it. I then bought one in the 2000s for nostalgia purposes. Don't know what happened, but I found it slow, tiny and boring. I'd grown maybe. Anyway I found a replacement soon after, a BMW 1150GS, now that was more like I remember the TS was in the 70s. Weird how the mind works!
@@bikerdood1100Another good video. Thanks for posting it. Halycon days! But, respectively my friend, and I don't want to sound condescending, none of these bikes in your video are proper "trail bikes". Call them "Enduro" bikes if you want to be kind, but realistically they are just "play" bikes for the family and kids on weekends. Where our club road trails in the mountains of Western Washington State in the USA, all these bikes would have been hopeless. Especially on those low-traction dual-sport tires. Off-road trail bikes need knobbie tires. And don't need turn signals.😵💫 It was not until 1977, after the success of the 1976 IT400C, that Yamaha expanded their line to include the IT250D. For the next two years of the 1978 (‘E’s) and 1979 (‘F’s) the Yamaha IT line earned an enviable reputation as proper "trail" bikes. The Yamaha IT250 was the gold standard of affordable 1970's 250 trail bikes. The Suzuki PE 250*, released in 1976, a close second. (The superb Kawasaki KDX175A1 did not come out until 1980. Honda's first capable "trails" bike, the XR250R, did not come out until 1981.) Along with the Suzuki PE's, the Yamaha IT's were the ONLY showroom stock 1970's "trail" bikes one could get a gold medal in the International 6-days ISDT trials. That is, if you were good enough.😁 *British Trophy Team riders Ted Thompson, Ernie Page and Brian Higgins all rode PE250B's to Gold in 1976 in Zeltweg, Austria.
I purchased the SX 250 brand new in new port Richy FL @ 16 yrs old beat the crap out of it never changed the oil it was bullet prof . Although it was always falling apart it never failed to start and never let me down 💪
I had 5 of those 1970 trail bikes. 1973 Yamaha DT80 (new $375), 1974 Yamaha DT125 (used $400), 1976 Suzuki TS125 (new $750), 1975 Suzuki TS185 (new $650), 1975 Honda XL250 (used $don't remember). My favorite was the TS185. I bought the first four bikes when I was a teenager. Yep. A teenager could afford to buy those bikes as long as you had a job. I bought the Honda used when I was in my thirties.
@@bikerdood1100 I fell in love with motorcycles at an early age. I would stare at them in magazines for hours on end day after day for about a year before I got my '73 Yamaha 80. I paid for it myself at age 11. I worked a morning paper route, an evening paper route, I mowed lawns in between those paper routes, and I worked at sonic in the evenings saving up for it. Damn right I remember how much it cost. I spent my own money on it as I did for all the motorcycles I owned. 🙂
@@posterlion good for you you Like you I did not have a rich dad to pay my way, every bike I ever owned I paid for myself. You value you you things more that way
I've owned quite a few of these type bikes. Kawasaki klx650c,kdx200,Yamaha XT 350.honda xl 350.honda xl250r. Yamaha it125&175. And my pals owned lots also. Every bike was great fun. I even owned a few can am dirt bikes.they where super fast.but the fastest was the Honda cr500,also had a cr 80 which was real quick. How's about a individual test on a rare 1995 Kawasaki klx650c. Thanks for the great videos and memories.
My route for off roading was Honda XR 185, Yamaha DT 400 (rubbish motor), Yamaha IT 425, (later stolen), Yamaha IT 250 (due to gearing it would not hold 70 mph, It could go faster then 70, but at 70mph it came 'on pipe' and would accelerate in top gear.), BMW R80 Paris-Dakar + big tank pack, KTM 400, KTM620.+ PD tank.(again stolen) and it was the second only in the country. later retrieved damaged.
I was the proud owner of a 1977 250 Can Am Qualifier. Very fast, and a real stump-puller. It was stolen in 1978. I was so devastated I joined the army 3 weeks later.
I had a Suzuki TS250 Savage in the USA as my daily commuter in the mid-1970s. It did ok on the short ride at 55 mph on the Interstate everyday and was fun to trail ride on weekends. Unfortunately if I rode it hard in the dirt and fell down every time the chain would jump off the rear sprocket and slam into the neutral light cover, breaking it and dumping out all the oil in the transmission. I would be pushing it home. I traded it in on a street bike. In retrospect I probably could have cured the problem with new sprockets and chain but it was just easier to trade for a street bike.
My father had a Kawasaki F-11 250 (two stroke) & that thing was a BEAST! At least it seemed like it when I was 13 & he finally let me ride it. Gobs of torque everywhere. He traded it in on the KL 250 (Four stroke) & that thing was a HUGE step down. No power anywhere & it was "buzzy" at 40 mph. I didn't want to ride it over 35mph for anything more than a quick burst. The F-11 250 was head & shoulders ABOVE the KL 250. The F-11 250 was a bike that could have been raced in a Hare Scramble or an Enduro. The KL 250 was nothing more than a trail bike.
@@bikerdood1100 Yes but, in the 70's I don't think any of the Japanese manufactures made an actual racing bike for the woods. Guys would & still do buy a motocross bike & spend extra money setting them up for the woods but, many riders just raced a Dual Sport which were classified as "Enduros" back in the 70's & the DT 250 & TS 250 were commonly raced in Hare Scrambles & Enduros. I never rode the DT 250 or the TS 250 but, I'm sure the F-11 250 wasn't some fire breathing dragon that would have left each of them in its dust. I was impressed with the F-11 250 because I was 13 years old & it was the first 250 I had ever ridden. My bike was a KE 175 that didn't compare to the F-11 250 but, still had more power down low than the KL 250 & a top speed that was "probably" (I never topped out either one) equal. I'm not offended that you overlooked the F-11 250 in favor of the KL 250 & your video was enjoyable. I just wanted to point out that Kawaski did produce a machine that was comparable to the DT 250 & TS 250 because the KL 250 was an easily forgettable machine. I can remember riding on the back of my dad's F-11 250 as a 10- or 11-year-old kid, doing 65 mph for miles. The two of us were easily a 300lbs load. Yes, the motor was vibrating at that speed but, it felt like a battle cry coming from the bike & not like a scream for mercy that the KL 250 would have projected. I've owed SEVERAL different models from each of the Japanese manufacturers & one KTM. Every brand produced models that were Home Runs & each of them struck out as well. You had every right to include the KL 250 because it IS a legitimate part of Kawasaki's history & yes, it was an important step in the direction that became the KLR 250 & KLR 650 both of which were used by the US Marine Corps. It's just that as a man that remembers riding the KL-250, I don't have fond memories of riding it.... & I own a first gen. KLR 650 today that I actually like a lot, in spite of its many flaws.
@@harryballzaky2674 oh the Japanese were taking motorcross pretty seriously by the 70s in fact Suzuki had one the 250 title in 1970 making them the first Japanese factory to do so. Actual racing bikes, most definitely
When I was about 13 years old we were at a marina on the Allegheny River. It was a hilly climb to leave on dirt roads. You had to wait till it dried up to get out in a car. They had camping there also. A little girl got a bite by a copperhead. Our next door neighbor had a Savage 250 that was his son’s bike who wasn’t there. I started out learning to ride on a mini bike at four years old and went all the way to a couple of state championships in MX. Also a suspension development ride for Honda. I said I could get her out on the Suzuki. I had a Suzuki 90 at home and had rode the Savage 250 a few times. It had a set of knobby tires on it. They decided to let me try. an ambulance and police would meet me. I made it out on muddy roads and went at least 10 miles on paved roads till I met the ambulance. They took the little girl. A State Trooper just looked at me, walked around the bike. I said what do I do now. He said you rode it here. Ride it back. I thought I might of been in trouble. I rode a few wheelies on the way back. At the time it was the most powerful thing I had rode. Later on the CR 500 with Mitch Payton motors made it seem slow.
I would like to see the 1970's 125cc or 175cc ... Such as the Honda SL - Kaw F7 - Suzuki TS185 - Harley SX 175 - Yamaha DT 175 - Hodaka 175 - and what ever you can get your hands on ..example Penton - DKW ect...
To be honest here, after i sent this off to you i was looking through the videos on your home page and yea i seen those, MY BAD ! ... If i may i'd would like to see the Yamaha IT's and why they were such a hit in the 70's , ... were those yz's with a light kit , wondering same with the MR 1976 Hondas .Great Vids !! TY @@bikerdood1100
A very interesting piece. You did see AMF Harleys about the place, but they were rare. The others here were fairly common. The killer blow was was the (1982?) introduction of the 125cc limit for learners. Overnight, nobody was buying 250s. Apart from the Elsie, it is hard to recall a 250 on the UK market that thrived after the change. Although off-road bikes were more about agility and low mass than capacity and saw power, even 250 trail bikes seemed somehow to fade and die after the change.
Which is ironic because the bloody LC caused the 125 mess in the first place The 125 law was classic British knee jerk response to a 100 mph 250 Why they couldn’t just limit 250 performance and leave things otherwise be
@@bikerdood1100 Ha ha... Although on reflection, the two-part test and the 125 limit were probably a good thing. I learned in the "250" era, but on an ancient Yamaha RS125. It was a nippy little f**ker and did all that it needed to do. Young motorcyclists today seem much better prepared and trained.
I had a brand new 1971 Kawasaki 350 Bighorn 2 Stroker. It was too heavy but it had awesome power and I had more fun with that bike out in the woods it could do almost anything other than climb a tree
@@bikerdood1100 it was a great trail bike however if I had it to do over I would have bought the Yamaha dt250 they were much lighter more nimble however I had bought several motorcycles from this Kawasaki dealership and one more what's the thing to do with the time
I was surprised there wae no mention of non Japanese trail bikes,Ossa,Bultaco's,Hodaka's,(Japanese)rather than main stream middle of the road enduro's.
Still believe that 250s should be back on the market for learners , once they've done their C B T they make more sense , if your a person of a certain size or weight a 125cc is not practical, I was brought up on 200cc and 250cc in the 60s we didn't have C B T then but I do understand why it was introduced for safety reasons, but once that was completed you should have been able to ride upto 250s , nice bikes all of them , enjoyed your video thanks
@@bikerdood1100 Don’t forget the Frontera Gold Medal MK10. Went like a scalded cat! One of my favourite bikes. Should never have sold it. But needed a new driveway at the time.
With a few upgrades to engine and suspension the Yammy and Suzy made savage off road bikes with the Hondas I preferred the xl185 to the 250 better in the muddy stuff lol
Good choices. The big four Japanese motorcycles were great trail bikes. They were bulletproof despite handling and power issues. They were also reasonably priced. A lot of guys in the early 1970s modified them for motocross. It was cheap and easy to do. Sadly they could never modify them enough to complete with the Maicos, Huskys, Bultacos, etc.
The reviews by SuperHunky on the HD SX-250 things like: Shock springs that would have faded on a busy barroom door, Electrics that would have had problems lighting off a .049 Cox model airplane engine, Handled like there was a hinge bolted in the middle of the frame. Ahaa haa aha ha ahaa....
The last thing the Harley SX 250 is, is a classic. Harley did try some interesting things with their MX team. The classics are the DT, TM, Mt, XL, and Kawi's. I had a 72 Kawi 250 enduro. It was okay, but I wish I would have gone with the DT.
I was surprised to see the Harley sx250 on the list. I had a new one in 1975. It was a nice bike. I just had to sell my Yamaha XT250. When I get another bike I’m wanting a tw200. I rode one for a day on and off road and really liked it especially the seat. Plus it sits even lower than my XT. A really good trail bike.
A friend of mine had a T T 600 Yamaha and it was his go to dirt bike for hillclimbs and GNCC courses .It desired red meat on several occasions, and a desert tank gave him long distance capabilities. You showed that dirt bike respect or she left knobby marks all over your body !!!
Sadly I “ traded up from a moped to a AMF 250 Harley in late 70’s an absolute disaster went through 3 engines in 18 months and I wasn’t thrashing. Had to travel to buy “reconditioned engines” twice. Do an oil change and find bits of roller bearings. Sometimes would kick start and engine would run in reverse causing much amusement to friends. Along with dodgy electrics imho the worst bike I had. Traded up to a Honda 400/4 what a revelation
The Harley dirt bikes were made in partnership with Cagiva if I remember correctly truly unreliable in the electrical department as with most Italian machines of their time...
@@andrewrouse9204 they were not made in partnership with Cagiva Had you watched the video I explain the history The were built in Italy by Airmacci, I know it’s spelt wrong Who Harley went into partnership with in the 60s, hence those Harley singles of the period and the world championships winning 250, all Italian Harley brought the motorcycle division out completely before AMF sold the plant in Italy to Cagiva at the end of the 70s Phew 😥 The video does explain all this I think 🤔
I had a 1979 Yamaha DT250, bought new. Last year for the 250 two stroke in the U.S., but the DT175 and DT125 were made for the 1980 model year. It was yellow and had the Monoshock rear suspension.
Gotta mention the Honda MT-250, which had points ignition. To put it mildly, points ignition and two strokes don't go together. That bike frustrated me as a kid but it taught perseverance that served me well later in life 😆
@@bikerdood1100 My MT was not well set up as I was 14 and "maintaining" it with a hammer, crescent wrench, flat blade and phillips screwdrivers. JIS screws? What's that? 😆
I acquired a used 250RS for next to nothing after the 125cc limit came in for learners. I had to pay twice as much to get a Honda CG125 for my then girlfriend to learn on. As soon as she passed her test she changed her insurance to let her ride the 250. That became her favourite bike, at least until we got a V50 mk2 and then a Katana 650. I still rate the 250RS as one of the best bikes I ever owned, because it was agile, fast enough and reliable.
The Harley was scrap from the start, the Yamaha with the reed valve, 1972 onward was a good bike and easy to ride offroad. The Suzuki was much like the Yamaha but a little harder to ride due to the lack of the reed valve but the early, non-reed Yamahas and the Suzuki engines were very much the same although, the Suzuki handled better than the pre '72 Yamaha. The Honda and the Kawasaki four strokes were just lame and heavier than the others. Combine that with the lack of power just made them a lot less desirable.
Their four strokes , not diesels , the weight difference is less than you imagine and the power difference nonexistent. Less desired, sales figures seem to say otherwise
I had a Honda XR175, rode it for two years, great bike to ride to work. Unfortunately I had a bad wreck that wrecked my lower back, put me in hospital for 11 weeks, screwed up my lower back. That was my last ride.
The best trail bike i ever owned was a older green k.e 250 huge front wheel light easy to handle rode it all day long had no problem lifting the front end 2 stroke snap and light
My Dad being A Yamaha dealer from 1968 to 1990. I got the chance to Ride a lot of the Enduro bikes from the Mini Enduro 60cc to the DT400. Still own my '71 125 and '73 360. Keep turning down offers to Sell.
Bsa made it into the 1970s with the b25t, the very pretty oil in frame 250 victor, Ive got one on the bench at the moment, the front wheel is 3x20, made for BSA by Dunlop, very hard to find now!
I bought an orange TS 250 SAVAGE in 1973, I still ride it on regular outings. I am eighty years old and still enjoy getting bugs in my teeth. From Australia
Good on ya
Right on man. Keep going strong!
That's truly great to hear! Greetings from the far north of Germany!
More power to you, keep it up my friend :))
I had a savage there good bikes..but they had timeing chain trouble for me .the idler pully would ware fast except fir the timeing chain they were good
I had a 1975 XL250. That bike was bulletproof and loads of fun. Wish I still had it.
They do have that reputation
As long as you change the oil regularly your golden really
I had the 500XL..it was a beast but very heavy..the 500XR was purpose built for “scrambling” so was much lighter and more nimble.
@@bikerdood1100 This is how I can tell today, that this channel is not just another YT bot channel. You can actually have a conversation about specifics in reality. A AI bot does answer, but they can't quite converse with knowledge very well yet, and probably can't until none of us know what we are taking about. :)
Me too, a 1976...great ride !
72 tc 90 dual gear box was the high light of my childhood
I worked at a Kawasaki/Suzuki dealership in NY from '68 onwards and the introduction of the newer Suzuki line in '71 was the TS250R "Savage" along the TS125 and the TS and TC185. All TS models had five speeds with the TC having an internal dual ratio switch with a lever on the left hand side. I jumped from OSSA in '71 to Suzuki TS250 and had two, one set up for enduro riding (silver medal at the '71 Berkshire International in Massachusetts). The Suzuki was an excellent machine with few quirks. Commuted on the other TS for over 6 years until I changed occupations.
Good to hear from an owner
I have a TC185 with the dual ratio gearbox and a TS 185 in the shed.
They make great pit bikes, and we often take one with us when out camping or at race meets.
The TC even has electric start.
They make a great “catering vehicle” with an esky strapped to the rear rack.
It’s easier than carrying an esky (cooler) full of beer.
There’s millions of them out there sitting in sheds and they usually fire up with little effort even if they’ve been sitting for years.
I had a Suzuki PE 250 in my younger years, it had a wicked power band and was not a bike for the amateur rider. Twice it through me over backward when climbing a hill as it hit the power band close to the top of the hill 😮and well it was a race to which the bike or me would reach the bottom first. Both times the bike beat me to the bottom and avoided hitting me as it pasted me. I also had a Honda 250 Eleanor, a very rear beast these days and worth quite a bit these days. Wish I had kept it now.
Liked my 1977 TS250 except the 6V ignition. The lights suffered until 78 with 12v ignition.
Why did you switch from OSSA to Suz?
I had a '70 Savage & a '71 Pioneer. Then in '73 switched to Bultacos.
The golden era for trail riding in the USA was 1970 to 1980. Being 13 in 1970, I enjoyed riding in the woods. I had lots of different bikes of the time, but if I had to pick one that didn’t own, well it would be a Hodaka Super Rat, got to love that chrome gas tank.
Hodaka was not something we saw in the UK to my knowledge
I know that Hodaka built a 250 but I never got to see one let alone ride it.
My father had a Yamaha DT-1 250
He hotrodded it with expansion chamber and race head with compression release.
I miss that sound.
Not a sound I hear too often these days
Shame
I have an old Puch 175 trail bike that I would love to see a episode of, or any other European trail motorcycle's that where available in the 1970's
Interesting idea
I had a 1977 TS250 and rode it to school once I turned 16.
What a brilliant bike that was.
I rode it everywhere and often with a mate on the back.
A bright yellow freedom machine.
It would easily beat the Honda 350 in a drag, and was a passable trail bike despite the dodgy suspension.
It was my only transport until I got T-boned by a Ute, but it was still going even after that. Albeit a bit bent, like my leg.
Great times.
Hopefully the leg healed ok
@@bikerdood1100 yes I was back walking in 3 weeks and working again in about 10 weeks.
Pretty good for a compound fracture of the tib and fib.
A steel rod helped.
I’ve since broken the other leg on my dirt bike, but that’s another story 😂
@@RealHooksy oh dear 😅
You bring back memories, I had a KL 250, it was in pristine condition when I bought it, I saved my money working after school. I raced my friend home through the forestry. After a party on the coast, totally unlicensed and unregistered, we went different routes home. I was draining every ounce of speed out the bike 140km plus LoL. I forget the track turned 90 deg LoL. I experienced weightlessness, the next thing I saw was a white light, man I thought this is so cool, I'm in the after life. Leaving a forestry track at that speed meant a head on with a 20 year-old pine trees. Man was I pissed of concussion for about 3 days. LoL. Kids today just have mobile phones, how sad, no wonder they're so messed up. Living in the forestry riding trail bikes was the best
@@colsmith7257 good times.
I started on a hand me down ts100 and rode that thing all around my neighborhood before I got my license Col.
I lived on the edge of suburbia and had a gully across the road which led to farm paddocks and wasteland.
I would get home from school and ride it til it got dark, and sometimes after.
It was my first work vehicle, as I used to ride it to babysit my younger cousins in the next suburb over.
Great times.
Every time I do something stupid nowadays like riding my bike where I shouldn’t it reminds me of those days.
I’m glad I’ve never grown up 😎
I love the sound of a 2 stroke engine.
When I turned 16 in 1978 I bought a new Kawasaki KE 250 (2 stroke) with money I'd earned working on nearby farms, (1USD/Hr.). I have no complaints, it was reliable and the brakes stopped the bike just fine. Thanks for the video Dood.
Glad you enjoyed it
Really enjoyed this video. There were some cracking 1970s Italian 250 dirt bikes too - Laverda 250 Chott, plus Gileras, Ancillottis, Fantics etc.
I would like to see a video of those!
Difficult because there isn’t a lot of video around for some of these bikes
I’ve looked
I could smell this video . And it smelled like good times from days gone by
Or two stroke oil
I love that smell . Bel Ray was my favorite .
I remember having a DT250 enduro and wasnt over impressed tbh ,much prefered the Suzuki TS185,good to know there are still some about though👍
Good to hear the opinions of owners
I bet all were fun in intended use! I was a huge fan of Honda's Elsinors, the 125 and 250 were a lot of fun on a track even with minimal travel suspension.
Simplicity is often best on trails
Less to break
@@charlesharper6421 yawn 🥱
@@charlesharper6421 that’s nice
Unfortunately the title is 250 so would seem odd to include a 125 now wouldn’t it ?
The video is not about MX bikes either
We ain’t talking competition here so why mention them, competition bikes are a different thing
Road bike
Moto GP
Not the same but both run on road 🤔
@@bikerdood1100 bikerdoll you are a killjoy. Charles can mention his biķe if he wants, he's still talking motor bikes isn't he? What's your point or did you just need a grizzle.
@@bikerdood1100 My family and I moved to rural Michigan in the summer 1974 when I was 10 years old. We bought the place, (Good 2-bed house on 80 acres for 24 grand. Let that sink in.) 2 years before in 72, and just visited in the summer for those 2 years. I met all the local kids because they all had bikes, (Yamaha mini-enduro GT 60-80 being the most popular by far for 8-12 year old kids). My Dad did buy our first bike when we moved, (My brother and I, but I bought the rest of my own), and his judgment was effected by the $300.00 price tag for a 2nd year left over Honda CL100 (4-stroke totally street bike). Now, my story gets funny.
Within the first summer, even though the bike never broke down and I never worked on the engine, I discovered I was a much better mechanic naturally than I was a rider, because in that summer for my first year trail riding and making my riding mistakes,---I removed the blinkers, mirrors, head light, speedometer, tail/brake light,------------------------------with no tools. :) Doug in Michgian
You learn something new every day, never knew they went to a 23” wheel on the XL250 … I know in recent years the motocrossers experimented with 20” front wheels/tyres
Honda used the same size front wheel on the XL 500. It really didn’t do anything good - except limit the tire choices. As far as I remember, only Bridgestone supplied tires in 23”.
It seems a strange choice, I assume they had their reasons but it is not good news for tyre choice
Honda claimed it helped going over pot holes and deep ruts where the smaller wheels would drop in, when they first came out several tyre manufacturers made 23" tyres for the Honda because they sold so many of them, here and in the USA. These days only Bridgestone make them and if you want to keep the value of your XL you have to keep the 23" front wheel, I've still got a spare wheel and tyre from when I had mine somewhere in my garage.👍
I had a 1980 Honda XL 500 S with that 23 inch front wheel. Never hindered me but I don’t feel like it was an advantage either. It lasted just those three years for the 500. I do remember in 1978 with an XL 250 S came out I thought it was absolutely stunning.
Recent years? I remember Sebastian Tortelli using the wider 20" front hoop on his Factory Honda in the USA about 25 years ago.
Time flies,------------ when we are getting old, huh. :)
Thanks for your video on 70's enduros.. My brother & I bought a 1972 Yamaha DT-2 250 Enduro, I still have the bike, pretty good condition. I put a knobby tire on the back & a high mount plastic front fender, took off the turn signals, and had a dirt bike I could ride to the trails around our town & then ride home. That bike never let us down, had a lot of fun on that bike., Has the original front Enduro tire. Yamaha made a 90cc, 125cc with electric start, 175cc, 250cc, & a 360cc, all models had a different color gas tank, I could tell the model just by the color of its tank. My 250 hasn't been started for 10 years, but I bet it would start in 4-5 kicks. Thanks again for the memories.
The essence of the bikes in the video
Ride it anywhere, go anywhere useful machines
What a nice collection. I'm a fan of these 70's trail bikes since I was in my teens. Funny fact: Kawasaki came up with a retro copy of their early KL250 about 20 years ago, called the TR250. Unfortunatelly no success. Maybe ahead of its time.
Little bit early to the retro party by the sounds of it
North America was robbed of 2 Kawasakis: the 250TR, and KLE500.
I had a XL 250S with the four valve head and 23inch front wheel ( which I changed to 21 inch for tire selection ease ). Great bike, not for everyone to start and did great wheelies!
They all had 4V heads
The 23” tyre was a mysterious choice on reflection
I had a 72 XL250 Honda and it had a 21 inch front wheel. It was a good handling and very fun ride. I would love to have one now.
Nice 👍🏻
Here in Canada the best 70's 250 trailbikes were the DT 250 Yamaha, the Honda CR250 Elsinore and the bestof the bunch Bombardiers 250 Can Am, the Can Am was the only stock 250 trail bike I ever rode that could break the 100 mile an hour barrier, those Rotax engines were fantastic.
I had a Can Am MX6. Agree about the motor.
Dam those Austrians 😂
@@bikerdood1100 were they made thier?
I remember all those bikes here in SA🇿🇦 except we never had the Harley. I had an exact copy of the Yamaha 250 only in 400 cc . It had the XT 500 frame only it was a 2 stroke . Of all the bikes I had it is the only one I would like to own again. A rocket in traffic. There was also the Honda 250 Elsenore watch was the one to have those times.
Only ever seen a couple myself which probably explains a lot
Thanks for the vid. My dads first dirt bike was a 1969 Suzuki 250 Savage. He bought the bike on the day of my birth in 1971. Two years later he bought a used 1972 TM 400 Cyclone. My mom go into ridding too, and got a 1974 TS 185. I learned to ride on the 185 in the early 80’s at Jawbone Canyon Ca.
That’s what we like to hear, a family biking together
Great memories there! My uncle had the Suzuki TS 250 he brought back from Japan.. my brother had the xl250..
Nice hope they got a lot of fun out of them
I have a 75 DT250B & 76 DT250C , the C has 700 miles & is mint , l last rode it around Mid-Ohio Vintage Days a few yrs ago . As a kid in the 70's l saved paper route $ & bought a new 74 DT100A , couple yrs later l traded it back to Yamaha for a green 77 DT125 which at 16 yrs old was my wing's to explore the backroads & woods of lndiana , l moved on to RM's & racing from 78 til now but have had a sentimental love affair with those old 70's Enduro street/trailbike's , l even have a mint 700 mile 75 DT100B .
Good to hear, keep on riding
I'm a fan of the older bikes, for sure. But a word on suspension and brakes, I have 2 twin shock bikes that rival the monoshocks and if you were careful drum brakes aren't all that bad. 😁 I have a 71 Yamaha RT1 360 with drum brakes and the power influences you to be very careful. Ride on ✌️
Drums were used because as indicated in the video discs were useless in mud, 70s Japanese disc breaks couldn’t cope with a little rain. The power of breaks is dictated by the ability of the tyres to grip and Classic off road tyres were some way behind those offered today so having powerful breaks would have just caused lock ups.
This is why pre war bikes in Europe had poor breaks
Crap rubber on wet cobbles = lock up and slide
@@bikerdood1100 I bet that is a underestimated factor, the tire quality of the day. Another factor my be is what I heard Rick Johnson say when Honda started producing their MX bikes with disks for retail sale. Now I don't consider RJ a great communicator of technical information,but i do know the front was done before the rear. RJ stated that it was hard to find a nice modulation for the rear disk, but I say that is something we get used to. I was perfectly fine with a 2 finger disk brake in the 80's and 90's, and took 18 years off to get a new 2019 YZ250 2-stroke. It has much more power than I will ever need in one finger or 3lbs of foot pressure. That would have been rejected in the late 80's I bet, but we got used to it,--like tall bikes and ape hanger bar set-up's.
Joking, but I am actually thinking about putting a small air bubble in the brake lines. :)
My first motorcycle was a 1968 Yamaha DT1 250 Enduro. It served me well for a year, then I sold it & moved up tp a 1969 Kawasaki H1 500 Mach III.
A very different machine
I used my newspaper money and bought a new 1977 DT175, it had a monoshock. Back then, you could get a motorcycle license at 13. I was free to explore my little town and all the trails. What freedom I had at such an early age. Thanks for the memories.
Blimey
Not in the UK you couldn’t
Crazy
Had some fun times on these 250s we had all these bikes . funny tails to tell . Crossed louisiana bayou from south of nola to saben pass west .
Nice 😎
Missing from this list is the best 250 cc bike of its period; the amazing Husqvarna WR 250, which I had the good fortune to own one, a 1973 model that still runs beautifully today, with my grand-nephew, who gets an enormous kick from using it in the streets of São Paulo, Brazil. But he had to adapt the silencer, because the stock one made the bike realy noisy!
Er is a motor cross competition bike so a very deferent machine. You could pop done to the shops on a wr
Well not legally
Great video! Thanks for Sharing!!!
Thanks
Fun to see a couple bikes I owned in the 70s. Y
72 Yamaha 250MX, and a 74 Honda XL250. Put 10k miles on the Honda. Reliable.
Pretty solid things those XL
If it's all the same to you, the 79 XL 185-250-500 S models were some of the best all around bikes Honda ever produced.
Didn’t say they weren’t
I know 2 good ones that are missing, maybe shopuld be in the top 5?
1) A mini bike that started it all ion the USA, the Yamaha Mini-Enduro 60.
2) A popular Honda, the SL models (similar to the XL models). That was a pretty popular bike also.
But just about every field and meadow in rural USA in the 70's, had a Yamaha Mini-Enduro 60 making trails through it. :)
Thanks for sharing!
Your off on the year of the Yamaha, 1968 was the first year. At least in the US
Not in Europe according to my research at least
And they are all running. Nice touch. :)
And jetted way better than my super rich 2019 YZ250 2-stroke. Yea, mags says the jetting is good. I am going to a leaner needle, and probably more before I am getting it to be drool free, and make the most power. :)
👍
I had the a 1974 XL 250.....it was a tank...I rode it everywhere....never a problem.
My trail group had a DT 175....DT 250....CL 360.
Yet not particularly fast but very easy to live with
Which is bloody important
Oh the fond memories I have of my 1973 DT 250 I bought it used in 79 I rode it through high school and a couple years later I rebuilt the motor and changed almost everything on the bike, I had so much fun my best friend had a DT 400 a 79 I believe I would get passed on most straightaway but I always got my lead back in the turns.
Well a road based engine would have been down on horses
My dad had a green Yamaha DT 250 enduro back in the early 70s. I used to ride with him on that when I was a wee lad, holding on to the crossbar on the handlebars, good memories.
Similar story my dads Honda
Think the Police would take a very dim view these days , pre crash helmet laws too
Back in 78 I bought a used Montessa 250 Enduro. I think it was a 75 or 76 model. Loved that bike.
Shame montessa went to the wall really
@@bikerdood1100 Agreed. This was my first step up from a 50cc. Super memories.
My first/favorite was the Yamaha 360 Enduro, go anywhere , pull stumps whatever you wanted. !
Sounds a very useful bit of kit
Wow! I have a 1978 KL 250 that I bought off the showroom floor at age 16. On July 13 it will be 45 years together! 😄
Long term relationship
Great thanks. I had TS 125 in the 80s .I learned to ride off rd, my brother took me. I entered enduros on it. Then I got a PE 175 and got a bronze medal. Road bike now and occasional off Rd course.
Nice 👌
Another wonderful trip down memory lane, thank you again...
Glad you liked it
My Dad bought me a Yamaha Enduro DT 175 in '71 when I was just 15...I rode the hell out of it in the woods of central east coast Florida...great dirt bike.
Need to a video on small trail bikes 🤔
5:07 My mate had a Suzuki TS250, he carried out a full nut and bolt restoration on it, his friend re-sprayed Ferrari's for a living, he sprayed the tank and other parts, I rebuilt the engine, I ported it and spent along time sorting out the squish and getting the compression right, we had to run a rear sprocket with 4 teeth less to stop the engine over revving, my mate turned up and my house one day on the bike with a big smile on his face, he had just 'blown' a Harley into the weeds on it! It was actually piston ported BUT also had a set of reeds running from the inlet track into the crankcase.
10:50 I had a KL250 as my backup bike for when my 350 LC was in pieces (quite often!) The KL could not pull the skin off a rice pudding, it was an absolute slug of a bike!
Sounds like lots of fun
I own a DT 360 1974 green n black with 2500 miles on it , great. bike back then still nice today ...
Excellent 👍🏻
I had a TS 250 in the 70s. Lovely bike. Upgraded later to a Yamaha DT 400 and then an XT 500. Both good machines.
Nice 👍
Triumph T25 Trailblazer 250, used to lust after it as a youngster....worth a mention😊
Same as a Starfire save the tank n badges
@@bikerdood1100 it was the exhaust that did it for me.
3:31 That bike right there, (color too). Yea, that one around 1975. That is the bike a older kid had (Mike Gilbert, RIP), and on my way home from school on the school bus, he jumped the side road like a table top jump right in front of the moving bus. I am 10 or 11, saw it go down,---and that was just the most cool thing I have ever seen IN MY LIFE!!!! :)
Glad i5 stirred up memories
@@bikerdood1100 Yea, thanks. The guy is dead now too. Thanks a lot. :)
Another great video. I'm surprised the Honda MT250 didn't make the comparison. Keep the video's coming. Thank you.
Well only one bike per company so something has to give
@@bikerdood1100 . I agree. The mid 70s MT 250 was a great bike.
I had a 70s 125 Harley Davidson and that thing was a blast,had a hard time keeping up with the kids on their 250s but it was sure alot of fun trying!!
Good to hear from someone who actually owned one
Thanks for video ! I rode these Beautiful bikes . Best of times.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video, thanks for the memories!
Just glad people enjoy them
That 1st Harley is badass.
Is quite a pretty thing
Very rare now so can fetch high prices
I have a 79 XR250R in great shape. Last of the steel tanks and dual rear shocks. It gets lots of love when I take it out to the trails. Had an XL350 but it was stolen from me years ago.
There’s a lot of nostalgia for twin shocks these days
@@bikerdood1100 I’m finding that out whenever I take it out.
I rode my friends TS 125 Suzuki it had a lever on it that would shift the counter sprocket for lowering the gears for off road riding...my first bike was a brand new AMF Harley Shortster 65 cc...It was terrible compared to the Honda 70 or 50..the shift lever was that weird linkage like the Moto Guzzi...it broke almost immediately on first trail ride when a branch popped up and destroyed it...not at all impressed with it but was still fun...
Also was given a Yamaha DT 250 Enduro because the guy said it wouldn't run I put new points and a plug in it and it served me well as a trail bike...I love this era of bikes...but then I'm getting old now..my Heros where Roger DeCoster, Tony Dee, Brad Lackey, and Marty Smith...back in the day..
😎
Of the bikes I really miss the nice padded seats something that is hard to find on modern trail bikes.
Why I wonder ?
I rode a TS250 in the late 70s for a while and I loved it.
I then bought one in the 2000s for nostalgia purposes. Don't know what happened, but I found it slow, tiny and boring.
I'd grown maybe. Anyway I found a replacement soon after, a BMW 1150GS, now that was more like I remember the TS was in the 70s. Weird how the mind works!
Quite a difference
I’d definitely plumb for the 250 off road over a BMWs truck
@@bikerdood1100 That's for certain. Fell off the GS in Spain off road, had a job picking it up with a dodgy knee!
@@bikerdood1100Another good video. Thanks for posting it. Halycon days!
But, respectively my friend, and I don't want to sound condescending, none of these bikes in your video are proper "trail bikes".
Call them "Enduro" bikes if you want to be kind, but realistically they are just "play" bikes for the family and kids on weekends.
Where our club road trails in the mountains of Western Washington State in the USA, all these bikes would have been hopeless.
Especially on those low-traction dual-sport tires. Off-road trail bikes need knobbie tires. And don't need turn signals.😵💫
It was not until 1977, after the success of the 1976 IT400C, that Yamaha expanded their line to include the IT250D.
For the next two years of the 1978 (‘E’s) and 1979 (‘F’s) the Yamaha IT line earned an enviable reputation as proper "trail" bikes.
The Yamaha IT250 was the gold standard of affordable 1970's 250 trail bikes. The Suzuki PE 250*, released in 1976, a close second.
(The superb Kawasaki KDX175A1 did not come out until 1980. Honda's first capable "trails" bike, the XR250R, did not come out until 1981.)
Along with the Suzuki PE's, the Yamaha IT's were the ONLY showroom stock 1970's "trail" bikes one could get a gold medal in the International 6-days ISDT trials.
That is, if you were good enough.😁
*British Trophy Team riders Ted Thompson, Ernie Page and Brian Higgins all rode PE250B's to Gold in 1976 in Zeltweg, Austria.
I purchased the SX 250 brand new in new port Richy FL @ 16 yrs old beat the crap out of it never changed the oil it was bullet prof . Although it was always falling apart it never failed to start and never let me down 💪
So a tough little beast then
I had 5 of those 1970 trail bikes. 1973 Yamaha DT80 (new $375), 1974 Yamaha DT125 (used $400), 1976 Suzuki TS125 (new $750), 1975 Suzuki TS185 (new $650), 1975 Honda XL250 (used $don't remember). My favorite was the TS185. I bought the first four bikes when I was a teenager. Yep. A teenager could afford to buy those bikes as long as you had a job. I bought the Honda used when I was in my thirties.
Interesting that you remember how much you paid for each bike
@@bikerdood1100 I fell in love with motorcycles at an early age. I would stare at them in magazines for hours on end day after day for about a year before I got my '73 Yamaha 80. I paid for it myself at age 11. I worked a morning paper route, an evening paper route, I mowed lawns in between those paper routes, and I worked at sonic in the evenings saving up for it. Damn right I remember how much it cost. I spent my own money on it as I did for all the motorcycles I owned. 🙂
@@posterlion good for you you
Like you I did not have a rich dad to pay my way, every bike I ever owned I paid for myself. You value you you things more that way
I've owned quite a few of these type bikes. Kawasaki klx650c,kdx200,Yamaha XT 350.honda xl 350.honda xl250r. Yamaha it125&175. And my pals owned lots also. Every bike was great fun. I even owned a few can am dirt bikes.they where super fast.but the fastest was the Honda cr500,also had a cr 80 which was real quick. How's about a individual test on a rare 1995 Kawasaki klx650c. Thanks for the great videos and memories.
I have a few vids of the kaw klx650 on utube
Well the CR was a bit more than just a dirt or trail bike, that was a full on psychotic racer
Crazy things
My route for off roading was Honda XR 185, Yamaha DT 400 (rubbish motor), Yamaha IT 425, (later stolen), Yamaha IT 250 (due to gearing it would not hold 70 mph, It could go faster then 70, but at 70mph it came 'on pipe' and would accelerate in top gear.), BMW R80 Paris-Dakar + big tank pack, KTM 400, KTM620.+ PD tank.(again stolen) and it was the second only in the country. later retrieved damaged.
Varied range of bikes but clearly your are has a crime problem, that’s terrible luck
I had a '69 green tank, TS250 Savage. It had a 5 speed transmission. It was heavy, but comfortable to ride on the street. Wish I still had it.
Ahh the bikes we sell and regret
I was the proud owner of a 1977 250 Can Am Qualifier. Very fast, and a real stump-puller. It was stolen in 1978. I was so devastated I joined the army 3 weeks later.
Bit extreme
I’d have just brought another and given the military a miss
I had a Suzuki TS250 Savage in the USA as my daily commuter in the mid-1970s. It did ok on the short ride at 55 mph on the Interstate everyday and was fun to trail ride on weekends. Unfortunately if I rode it hard in the dirt and fell down every time the chain would jump off the rear sprocket and slam into the neutral light cover, breaking it and dumping out all the oil in the transmission. I would be pushing it home. I traded it in on a street bike. In retrospect I probably could have cured the problem with new sprockets and chain but it was just easier to trade for a street bike.
Maintenance is the word
My father had a Kawasaki F-11 250 (two stroke) & that thing was a BEAST! At least it seemed like it when I was 13 & he finally let me ride it. Gobs of torque everywhere. He traded it in on the KL 250 (Four stroke) & that thing was a HUGE step down. No power anywhere & it was "buzzy" at 40 mph. I didn't want to ride it over 35mph for anything more than a quick burst. The F-11 250 was head & shoulders ABOVE the KL 250. The F-11 250 was a bike that could have been raced in a Hare Scramble or an Enduro. The KL 250 was nothing more than a trail bike.
That’s why the video is about trail bikes and not competitive machines
@@bikerdood1100 Yes but, in the 70's I don't think any of the Japanese manufactures made an actual racing bike for the woods. Guys would & still do buy a motocross bike & spend extra money setting them up for the woods but, many riders just raced a Dual Sport which were classified as "Enduros" back in the 70's & the DT 250 & TS 250 were commonly raced in Hare Scrambles & Enduros. I never rode the DT 250 or the TS 250 but, I'm sure the F-11 250 wasn't some fire breathing dragon that would have left each of them in its dust. I was impressed with the F-11 250 because I was 13 years old & it was the first 250 I had ever ridden. My bike was a KE 175 that didn't compare to the F-11 250 but, still had more power down low than the KL 250 & a top speed that was "probably" (I never topped out either one) equal.
I'm not offended that you overlooked the F-11 250 in favor of the KL 250 & your video was enjoyable. I just wanted to point out that Kawaski did produce a machine that was comparable to the DT 250 & TS 250 because the KL 250 was an easily forgettable machine. I can remember riding on the back of my dad's F-11 250 as a 10- or 11-year-old kid, doing 65 mph for miles. The two of us were easily a 300lbs load. Yes, the motor was vibrating at that speed but, it felt like a battle cry coming from the bike & not like a scream for mercy that the KL 250 would have projected.
I've owed SEVERAL different models from each of the Japanese manufacturers & one KTM. Every brand produced models that were Home Runs & each of them struck out as well. You had every right to include the KL 250 because it IS a legitimate part of Kawasaki's history & yes, it was an important step in the direction that became the KLR 250 & KLR 650 both of which were used by the US Marine Corps. It's just that as a man that remembers riding the KL-250, I don't have fond memories of riding it.... & I own a first gen. KLR 650 today that I actually like a lot, in spite of its many flaws.
@@harryballzaky2674 oh the Japanese were taking motorcross pretty seriously by the 70s in fact Suzuki had one the 250 title in 1970 making them the first Japanese factory to do so. Actual racing bikes, most definitely
When I was about 13 years old we were at a marina on the Allegheny River. It was a hilly climb to leave on dirt roads. You had to wait till it dried up to get out in a car. They had camping there also. A little girl got a bite by a copperhead. Our next door neighbor had a Savage 250 that was his son’s bike who wasn’t there. I started out learning to ride on a mini bike at four years old and went all the way to a couple of state championships in MX. Also a suspension development ride for Honda. I said I could get her out on the Suzuki. I had a Suzuki 90 at home and had rode the Savage 250 a few times. It had a set of knobby tires on it. They decided to let me try. an ambulance and police would meet me. I made it out on muddy roads and went at least 10 miles on paved roads till I met the ambulance. They took the little girl. A State Trooper just looked at me, walked around the bike. I said what do I do now. He said you rode it here. Ride it back. I thought I might of been in trouble. I rode a few wheelies on the way back. At the time it was the most powerful thing I had rode. Later on the CR 500 with Mitch Payton motors made it seem slow.
CRs have a scary reputation
Deserved I believe
I would like to see the 1970's 125cc or 175cc ... Such as the Honda SL - Kaw F7 - Suzuki TS185 - Harley SX 175 - Yamaha DT 175 - Hodaka 175 - and what ever you can get your hands on ..example Penton - DKW ect...
Well I recently did one on smaller trail bikes which did include some of these bikes
To be honest here, after i sent this off to you i was looking through the videos on your home page and yea i seen those, MY BAD ! ... If i may i'd would like to see the Yamaha IT's and why they were such a hit in the 70's , ... were those yz's with a light kit , wondering same with the MR 1976 Hondas .Great Vids !! TY
@@bikerdood1100
@@Ds-xi2sq no worries
Will do something similar soon
A very interesting piece. You did see AMF Harleys about the place, but they were rare. The others here were fairly common. The killer blow was was the (1982?) introduction of the 125cc limit for learners. Overnight, nobody was buying 250s. Apart from the Elsie, it is hard to recall a 250 on the UK market that thrived after the change.
Although off-road bikes were more about agility and low mass than capacity and saw power, even 250 trail bikes seemed somehow to fade and die after the change.
Which is ironic because the bloody LC caused the 125 mess in the first place
The 125 law was classic British knee jerk response to a 100 mph 250
Why they couldn’t just limit 250 performance and leave things otherwise be
X7
@@bikerdood1100 Ha ha... Although on reflection, the two-part test and the 125 limit were probably a good thing. I learned in the "250" era, but on an ancient Yamaha RS125. It was a nippy little f**ker and did all that it needed to do.
Young motorcyclists today seem much better prepared and trained.
I had a 73 Yamaha 250.
Loved it.
Honda Elsinore, changed everything
I’ll assume it’s a cr250 wasn’t called the Elsinore outside of the US as the name would mean little to anyone who hasn’t seen On Any Sunday
I had a brand new 1971 Kawasaki 350 Bighorn 2 Stroker. It was too heavy but it had awesome power and I had more fun with that bike out in the woods it could do almost anything other than climb a tree
Bit of a beast then
@@bikerdood1100 it was a great trail bike however if I had it to do over I would have bought the Yamaha dt250 they were much lighter more nimble however I had bought several motorcycles from this Kawasaki dealership and one more what's the thing to do with the time
I was surprised there wae no mention of non Japanese trail bikes,Ossa,Bultaco's,Hodaka's,(Japanese)rather than main stream middle of the road enduro's.
All in good time
Is Harley Japanese?
Maybe he will do a second video. No mention of the Can-Am T'NT 250 either.
Still believe that 250s should be back on the market for learners , once they've done their C B T they make more sense , if your a person of a certain size or weight a 125cc is not practical, I was brought up on 200cc and 250cc in the 60s we didn't have C B T then but I do understand why it was introduced for safety reasons, but once that was completed you should have been able to ride upto 250s , nice bikes all of them , enjoyed your video thanks
I do agree a 20 to 25 hp 250 wouldn’t be much faster but would ride much more like a full size machine than a screaming 125
What about the Bultaco and Ossa bikes? Had many many of them.
All in good time
And montesa
@@bikerdood1100 Don’t forget the Frontera Gold Medal MK10. Went like a scalded cat! One of my favourite bikes. Should never have sold it. But needed a new driveway at the time.
No Montesa?
My first motorcycle was the orange yamaha dt 250....my 2nd was a suzuki rm 400...it was a monster.
They do have that reputation
I grew up riding all of them except Harley Davidson one's but I did see them here in the USA many times.
Nice 👌
With a few upgrades to engine and suspension the Yammy and Suzy made savage off road bikes with the Hondas I preferred the xl185 to the 250 better in the muddy stuff lol
Bit lighter the 185
Started my love of motorcycles on a silver TS250. I believe that was by far the fastest colour…
Oh of course 😂
Bought my first brand new bike at 15 a Yamaha DT 125. Man the freedom!
That’s what a bike does
Good choices. The big four Japanese motorcycles were great trail bikes. They were bulletproof despite handling and power issues. They were also reasonably priced. A lot of guys in the early 1970s modified them for motocross. It was cheap and easy to do. Sadly they could never modify them enough to complete with the Maicos, Huskys, Bultacos, etc.
There’s only so much you can do after all
Sports touring tripples( Triumph Tiger 1050 and 1050 Sport , Benelli 1130 Trek and Yamaha Tracer 900 Tracer 900 .
More than enough for another triple video there
@@bikerdood1100 thanks 🙏
The reviews by SuperHunky on the HD SX-250 things like: Shock springs that would have faded on a busy barroom door,
Electrics that would have had problems lighting off a .049 Cox model airplane engine, Handled like there was a hinge bolted in the middle of the frame. Ahaa haa aha ha ahaa....
Shame really
Which all explains to crap sales figures
Dirtbike magazine was always too harsh on the Enduro bikes of the era. That’s what we called dual sport in the 70s.
A kid we did a lot of riding with in North Carolina had one of those Harley POS is he got towed back every time we went out with us
Should have put oil in it 😂
rode all of these, only the Honda ever really impressed
Interesting 🤔
The last thing the Harley SX 250 is, is a classic. Harley did try some interesting things with their MX team. The classics are the DT, TM, Mt, XL, and Kawi's. I had a 72 Kawi 250 enduro. It was okay, but I wish I would have gone with the DT.
Well I always like to drop a wild card in
Don’t want wall to wall Japanese now do we 😂
I was surprised to see the Harley sx250 on the list. I had a new one in 1975. It was a nice bike. I just had to sell my Yamaha XT250. When I get another bike I’m wanting a tw200. I rode one for a day on and off road and really liked it especially the seat. Plus it sits even lower than my XT. A really good trail bike.
I like to throw something non Japanese in
Keeps things interesting
is that with the fat tire? how did it ride?
A friend of mine had a T T 600 Yamaha and it was his go to dirt bike for hillclimbs and GNCC courses .It desired red meat on several occasions, and a desert tank gave him long distance capabilities. You showed that dirt bike respect or she left knobby marks all over your body !!!
Ouch 🤕
Sadly I “ traded up from a moped to a AMF 250 Harley in late 70’s an absolute disaster went through 3 engines in 18 months and I wasn’t thrashing. Had to travel to buy “reconditioned engines” twice. Do an oil change and find bits of roller bearings. Sometimes would kick start and engine would run in reverse causing much amusement to friends. Along with dodgy electrics imho the worst bike I had. Traded up to a Honda 400/4 what a revelation
Oh dear the ANF period bikes seem to have been notorious in all capacities
The Harley dirt bikes were made in partnership with Cagiva if I remember correctly truly unreliable in the electrical department as with most Italian machines of their time...
@@andrewrouse9204 they were not made in partnership with Cagiva
Had you watched the video I explain the history
The were built in Italy by Airmacci, I know it’s spelt wrong
Who Harley went into partnership with in the 60s, hence those Harley singles of the period and the world championships winning 250, all Italian
Harley brought the motorcycle division out completely before AMF sold the plant in Italy to Cagiva at the end of the 70s
Phew 😥
The video does explain all this I think 🤔
I had a 1979 Yamaha DT250, bought new. Last year for the 250 two stroke in the U.S., but the DT175 and DT125 were made for the 1980 model year. It was yellow and had the Monoshock rear suspension.
Shame they were killed off really
Gotta mention the Honda MT-250, which had points ignition. To put it mildly, points ignition and two strokes don't go together. That bike frustrated me as a kid but it taught perseverance that served me well later in life 😆
Well really depends how well it’s set up
But I know what you mean
@@bikerdood1100 My MT was not well set up as I was 14 and "maintaining" it with a hammer, crescent wrench, flat blade and phillips screwdrivers. JIS screws? What's that? 😆
I had a Honda 250RS from new and it was a good bike, quite a bit lighter than the Superdream.
A lot lighter than a superDreamer near 125 size
I acquired a used 250RS for next to nothing after the 125cc limit came in for learners.
I had to pay twice as much to get a Honda CG125 for my then girlfriend to learn on.
As soon as she passed her test she changed her insurance to let her ride the 250. That became her favourite bike, at least until we got a V50 mk2 and then a Katana 650.
I still rate the 250RS as one of the best bikes I ever owned, because it was agile, fast enough and reliable.
The Harley was scrap from the start, the Yamaha with the reed valve, 1972 onward was a good bike and easy to ride offroad. The Suzuki was much like the Yamaha but a little harder to ride due to the lack of the reed valve but the early, non-reed Yamahas and the Suzuki engines were very much the same although, the Suzuki handled better than the pre '72 Yamaha. The Honda and the Kawasaki four strokes were just lame and heavier than the others. Combine that with the lack of power just made them a lot less desirable.
Their four strokes , not diesels , the weight difference is less than you imagine and the power difference nonexistent. Less desired, sales figures seem to say otherwise
1972 rode to Webster City Iowa and traded in my 1972 TC90 Suzuki for a new 1972 blue TS 250 savage dirt bike.
That’s a fair old change
Seeing the prices now I couldn't afford to buy one!
The world has gone mad
Wait a few years and with the number of younger riders in rapid decline I think the bubble will burst and no bad thing
I had a Honda XR175, rode it for two years, great bike to ride to work. Unfortunately I had a bad wreck that wrecked my lower back, put me in hospital for 11 weeks, screwed up my lower back. That was my last ride.
Dam shame
The best trail bike i ever owned was a older green k.e 250 huge front wheel light easy to handle rode it all day long had no problem lifting the front end 2 stroke snap and light
I don't realy like the 4 stroke trail bikes 2 bulky heavy and slow they will run all day but I prefur a 2 stroke any day
With the K.E I.OWNED WHEN U GOT ON THE THROTTLE YOU WERE GONE
Sounds perfect
I had the C Z 175 not a classic trail bike it was a crazy green monster from 1975. i sold it on to get a Honda CB 125 J . thanks for a great video...
I’m working on a video including the mighty CZ as a matter of fact
@@bikerdood1100 Nice one..
The XL250 was a stunner.
Good all rounder and one of the first bikes I rode on fields
Agreed. The 1972-73 was always my favorite. That paint scheme was beautiful.
My Dad being A Yamaha dealer from 1968 to 1990. I got the chance to Ride a lot of the Enduro bikes from the Mini Enduro 60cc to the DT400. Still own my '71 125 and '73 360. Keep turning down offers to Sell.
Bit of a Yammy man then
How can you not love the 2strokes 60/70's just make sure mixure right
I’d say yes but not in every circumstance. Depends on how long the ride is I’d say
Brilliant fun though
Bsa made it into the 1970s with the b25t, the very pretty oil in frame 250 victor, Ive got one on the bench at the moment, the front wheel is 3x20, made for BSA by Dunlop, very hard to find now!
I had a 69 Starfire
I found some modern tyres a reasonable fit
If it’s a 20” rim then that’s a buggerance really