Motorcycles in the Seventies - Two Stroke Tearaways
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- Опубліковано 18 кві 2016
- A review of the iconic classic two-stroke motorcycles of the 70s: 1973 Kawasaki KH250, Yamaha RD250 and Suzuki GT250.
In 1970s and 80s Britain, regulations allowed you to ride a 50cc moped at age 16 and then progress to a proper 250cc bike at age 17.
If you had a 250cc motorcycle at the time, chances are it was a Kawasaki KH250, Yamaha RD250 or Suzuki GT250.
From three carb-fed cylinders screaming away to the full Barry Sheene experience, this is a review and comparison of three iconic Japanese bikes from the era.
Shot with Paul Brace at Proper Bikes: properbikes.co.uk
A Brightside Media production: www.brightside-media.com
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I so miss the smell of two stroke oil, the smoke and the noise. Happy memories!!
The absolute best was Castrol R it smelled so bad👍 But people said you couldn't mix it with mineral oil and all such myths and legends? My friend raced speedway bikes and they run it on a total loss system. He seemed to know what he was talking about😎 I stuck with the mineral oil stuff on my KH250 to be safe👍
Aaahhh... Them good old fashioned youthyears from them seventies... :-). "When the ditches were still clean and the sex still was dirty." :-) Cool memories of me and my buddies roadracing and almost killing ourselves trying to be Barry Sheene, Wil Hartog and Kenny Roberts... Those were the days... They went by in a flash... :-(.Thank you for up-loading this beautiful short movie...
The distinctive exhaust burble of the RD brought back a lot of memories.
Absolutely - took me right back
I had the KH250 B4, and my mate had the GT250. I remember picking up my bike from the Kawasaki dealer in a rain storm, but I couldn’t have cared less- I was riding the bike I had dreamed of for so long. This video brings back so many happy memories, and a couple of not so happy ones. His Suzy got nicked, and I wrapped my baby round a pole. But those two strokes live with you for ever, just like the memories.
I was lucky growing up in the 70s....FS1E at 16..XS250 at 17 ..all my mates had bikes and now and again we would swap bikes to see how they rode......Something that has stayed in my mind was at the age of 16 after riding a FS1E for a couple of months a guy at work letting me ride his triumph trident around the car park..that feeling stayed with me for years.
I have owned loads of bikes over the past years...riding a Triumph rocket 3 and a ZX12 at present.
For me motorcycles are the best drug in the world.
This took me back a year or two!The glorious smell of two strokeThe fantastic sound of all two stokesand yes, I wanted to be Barry Sheene.
One of the BEST motorcycles I ever had was a 1973 Suzuki T500 Titan! Damn I had fun back in the day on that bike! The sound and feel......first time I went over 100 mph on a bike! No question, one of the most underrated motorcycles of all time.
Me too, Bob. After the unreliable, but fun YDS7, the T500 just worked - great bike!
Suzuki 500s were decent bikes and were raced successfully however the 500 H1 was THE performance bike to have in the 70s just needed some decent fettling to quiten down the handling.
I had one too...good bike - solid.
@@ronellingworth7141 Only if you wanted to drive in a straight line all day. The T500 would scrape it's footpegs as it reached for the next curve.....the H1 or 2 would drop on top of you if it didn't simply resist the curve and go for severe understeer.
I bought a GT500 Suzuki the day after I passed my test in Birkenhead in 1977
Brand new, it was discounted and I rode it away after paying cash
I agree with the fact that it was very under-rated and largely overlooked but it had a decent turn of speed, was solid and reliable and dead easy to maintain
I sold it after two years for virtually what I’d paid for it
Didn’t get another bike for 25 years when I bought a Harley Dynaglide at the start of my mid life crisis
Having spent the previous five years pushing British bikes for miles and cleaning up the oil patches, in 71 I bought a Yam YR5 and stepped into another world. It was a flyer and I crashed it a dozen times, ran it on every kind of oil out there I could lay my hands on and did 18000 miles in nine trouble free months, before getting a K1. If the tacho dropped out of the red zone I changed down. I just couldn't destroy that bike. Great memories.
I have experienced british bikes your pretty much spot they did have tons if character but that's it pushed mine for miles as well but one I has ran like the Dickenson.when.it was foggy.out never found out why ..1968 boneville had its own character I guess
As soon as I drove for 20.miles in the fog .it would scream on the throttle whe the weather changed it run totally diferant .thata was long ago should of kept it but you know
@@rickwaldron4255 Your bike was jetted too richly.
How many of you got goose bumps when you heard the Yamaha start? ; )
Hell yeah, that thing sounded BA!. And it had the most modern 2-stroke sound also
Lol I was just thinking that as I heard it and read your comment , 👍👍
I have one exacly like that one , but is RD125 /1975. and sound orgasmic like the one in the video.
Ha ha all I could think of was restless natives with the 2 strokes.
Love the sound and smell of
Yamaha 2 strokes
I'd take the RD for sure
I had an RD350 back in the day, it was the most fun of any motorcycle I've ever owned. Being 6' 4" I'd forgotten how small they were when I looked at buying one for my small collection of 70's bikes. In the end I bought a Suzuki GT500 for it's bigger frame size, not as refined as the RD, but still amazing fun to ride around on a warm day going nowhere in particular. With modern tires and shocks the handling is really pretty good at what I'd consider sensible road riding speeds and the sound, small and simplicity of the bike just take me back to being 18 again.
Great film and wonderful showroom examples of classic motorcycles.
Thanks for posting and best wishes.
excellent show, I love your collection of Bikes...
I was a Kawasaki dealer back then. The hot set-up was the 500 & 750 triple. The 500 was $1,095--pick one up on a Friday night & if you made it to Monday without it being a pretzel & you in the hospital BRAVO! For some reason the 500 was said to be a tad quicker than the 750 (?). In any case a whole lot of performance for very little investment. But a lot of risk!
I always wonder why too. 750 > 500 ? It doesn´t make sense in math, but it does in Bikes world´s.
I had the 2, 500 et 750. The 750 was a lot faster, far more usable, a bit more reliable, and finally far less dangerous.
The 500 was quickly sold, and for improving the 750 I bought a very costly but complete Rickman chassis including suspensions, Rickman fork with 2 disk brakes, Williams alloy wheels and complete English green fairing. In end 1974 that was top of top, the ultimate tool.
A little work on the engine. a bigger and accorded air filter, 3 exhausts in stainless steel calculated and hand made by me. Result: About 80 hp at the rear wheel, with a very full and usable poweband, that was the purpose of the work on the engine. Total weight dry 340 pounds. I got the street certification and license plate. The handling was miraculously good, a bit heavy in tight corners. Top speed around 140 mph. No Kawa 900 Z1 could match my 750 Kawa-Rickman in acceleration, top speed and handling.
I had great pleasure with this bike, although the maintenance was "heavy", that was my week-end sport bike, for every day there was the reliable 750 Honda. I sold it very expensively beginning 1976 to a rich guy who destroyed the bike three days after the sale, a pity but happily without serious injuries for the guy.
Thomas-You know what you're talking about. I looked at a used 500 in 1971, not sure what year model the bike was. I was used to riding a 750 Honda at the time. My memory was, when the Kaw hit it's powerband, it almost ran out from under me & the drum brakes didn't slow it down very well. I think they sold new for that in my area at the time.
I was told that the H1 500 was a 60hp motor in a 30hp frame. Owners were looking for the hinge in the frame!
The first of the mach 3s with the surface gap spark plugs had a very narrow power band. The 750 tried to be a little more driveable. Sacrificing the ultimate power for a wider power band etc. I think that this explains the straight line performance of the 500 triple.
Having had a succession of smaller bikes (Suzuki AS50 sport, Honda CD175, Honda SS125, Yamaha YAS3 [125]) I finally ARRIVED- because in 1974 at the age of 19, I bought a brand new Yamaha RD350A. That was quite a step-change for me and I revelled in the power band buzz at 5k revs. WOW! My cousin Tom rode it and returned shaken and stirred- his comment was "it sounded like a couple of BSA Bantams on tickover" but he'd had to shut the throttle as the front wheel lifted in 2nd gear! Sadly, those halcyon days are gone- the 2-stroke consigned to history except in "Heritage ride-outs". We can dream though...
That.....was wonderful. Thank you for creating the video.
Brilliant video, I can so relate to that era.
Great presentation, very well done! Here in Tasmania I got my L's the day I turned 16 and hopped on my 1976 Suzuki GT 250 and off I went at a great rate of knots! The year I turned 16 was 1981. I spent a few years earlier down the tracks, on my Honda CR 125 M Elsinore. Two strokes were my weapon of choice. When I went to Sydney, in 1981, I came across a Suzuki T 250, kitted for the racetrack. I swapped all the go fast bits onto my GT. All of a sudden, I had a road going weapon. It was a lot of fun and the race chambers were very loud! They were a piece of art, and functional. I sold both bikes in 1993, and now I regret it. Thanks for the trip down memory lane with your excellent video. I'm now going to cry into my pillow, hahaheh.
Ah, to have my 1975 GT250M back now would be heaven. Thanks for stirring great memories!!!!!!
Likewise even the colour . Took me right back to 1975. Happy Days.👌
This is awesome guy. This is something I call a contribution in terms of quality content for people. It is very nice to see these amazing pieces of motorcycle history in motion. Great to see something is putting efforts to create an own, unique content about these lovely bikes. Happy to watch all other episodes!
brilliant video, nice to see these beautiful bikes in impeccable condition
Me and my mates all had 250s back in the '70s . I had a KH ( a '78 B2 ) . There were half a dozen RDs , a couple of GTs and another KH . We'd argue endlessly over which bike was the fastest. In truth, there was very little to choose between the 3 . I wouldn't have swapped mine for any of the others . Great days!
Yep when we're your and dumb you have no.pains no brains and no money did matter then
so , UA-cam recommendation led me to look at this. Not ever owning a bike, I figured why not look at this for a few. Was I pleasantly surprised. It was filmed well, the bikes are absolutely stunning, and the sound of them is awesome. Never knew that a 2 stroke can sound that good, considering that the only 2 stroke i have regular contact with now is a weed wacker. Nice job on the filming of this and loved the shot of the Aston following also.
I now want a 70's motorcycle. Thanks for the video!
Thank you :-) We're really happy you enjoyed the film - especially as a non-biker! We're also glad we could share our passion for bikes with you to the point that you want one ;-) Go out and find a good one, you won't regret it. And it's a lot more fun than a weed whacker!
These shows you create are FANTASTIC !! Please do what you can to keep them coming! I am so very envious of that "blokes" garage. Aloha from Hawaii!
The RD sounds amazing had one want one again .
Congratulations for nice and educational explanation of the 2-stroke scene from our teenage times. When we got our first driving license these 3 little kings were our non-reachable bikes by several reasons. So we had to satisfy with approach European models like MZ 250, CZ 250, or for the rich sons Benelli 250, which was quite competitive to KH, GT and RD. Thanks again for lovely videos. Cheers.
Thank you for the automated.memmories we only seen back the the RD BACK THEN.AND SOME H2.IT SERMED LIKE EVERY ONE LIKED EITHER THE RD..OR THE GT BOTH TWINS AND BOTH DURABLE THE OTHER BIKES YIU MENTIONED IVE NEVER SEEN .ONLY.ONA TRACK TO.MANY MOONS AGO NOW
Thanks for bringing these sounds to us that owned two strokes. I owned two Suzuki 500 cc bikes and went everywhere on them. Never saw a shop and never quite running and so easy to tune, adjust the timing and two spark plugs and off you go.
i grew up here in the states in Cocoa Beach, Fl. and was in High School in the early '70's. I had grown up on mini bikes, racing mini cycles, dirt bikes and was racing motocross (along with Enduros, Trials competitions and some flat track) by 15 and by age 17 earned my AMA Expert license in 125cc motocross and then raced a partial season as a sponsored rider from my local Yamaha shop (Island Yamaha, Merritt Island, Fl.) in road race on a 1974 TZ-250 in '75 (I got to meet Kenny Roberts in the pits at Daytona in '75). By the time I was 17 and a Sr. in H.S. I then hung up the racing leathers and bought my first street bike...a 1972 Kawasaki H2 750...I promptly put clip on handles bars, expansion chambers, 36mm Mikuni's and had the man who did my motocross engine porting (My Dad the Engineer, who worked at Kennedy in the space race years) refine the porting...She was blistering fast...I ran an 11:24 in the 1/4 mile at the local drag strip and she would pull power wheelies at 100 mph in 3rd gear. I had the fastest vehicle in town and beat everything from modified Kawasaki Z1's to blown corvettes and even beat my friends RD-350's through the twisties (I have read all the horror stories of the H2's handling maladies but I thought she was fine)...she'd bend and flex and slide through the corners but if you just rode her she was fast thru the corners.
I had a Royal Enfield 250cc Turbo Twin, back in the 60's. It had a Villiers two stroke engine. No indicators, Disc Brake or Tachometer were fitted. Is it any wonder that Japanese sales accelerated (no pun intended)
Unfortunately! I can not give any sort of detailed report on its performance. I had not had the machine but a few hours, when a car turned across my path. I have it on good authority, my impression of Superman, had to be seen to be believed. Who says Man/Boy can't fly! The accident was to be one of many...some of us just have to learn the hard-way....you tend to remember those better.
Has it put me off!? My passion for Motorbikes is endless. I have just bought a Suzuki GN 250cc after a gap of almost 50 years.
Ones memory is a remarkable thing. I have not fallen off it once. This is one Old Fart who has no wish to be any sort of Superman.
Safe riding to all you Bikers out there. Anyone who does not believe in a Sixth Sense..go ride a bike for 6 years. Trust Me! You shall quickly develop one.
I also am a 74. Year old bab( born again biker)who started with a250 Suzuki GN,within a year I was on a Suzuki 500 gsf, that's just a natural progression, Wait and see 😄
A lesson in how to make a concisely edited well presented video.
Doug BM yes yor rite there very good video.
Doug BM
Doug BM The same
Well, every time someone starts an engine, simultaneously a certain type music is played... Do they feel shame of engine sound?
Take note, American cable shows
A great video, you really capture the essence of those old 70's favourites!
Thank you. Took me right back to my youth. I had the FS1E and loved it. Never got a bigger bike but rode plenty including these 3. Thanks for such great memories.
yamaha. FS 1 50 cc roterende inlaat ,no chroom cilinder? 350 cc is maximale cc for me.but if you get your motor licentie its somuche p/k per kilo motor weight,so you are not alowed to drive an Aprilia 125 cc,like races i dont look no more 4 stroke
@@ariari4133 Je klinkt Nederlands :)
I still have the RD's successor, a 1984 RZ350.
Ported and polished with a milled head, Wiseco pistons, fiber reeds, opened up airbox and rejetted carbs, along with ditching the heavy cat-equipped pipes in favor of expansion chambers, it was still a match for 600-650 sport bikes into the mid-late 90's.
I even surprised a 750 or two with it. LOL
It's still in decent shape, but hasn't been run in 20 years.
Someday I hope to restore it and enjoy it again, though I don't much care for street riding anymore, with all the idiots on the road these days.
Yes sir , The Rd was a big improvement and to put the work you did into the Rz it had to have been a scorcher , I was into 4 strokes by then and survived with all the big body parts my 2stroke dayas . (3 R5's ,70,71,72 models , the 70 I put a little work into just ports ,heads .and jets , and exp. chambers . But was consistently cutting mid mid to high 13's with that old machine i bought for $200 ......Then something went wrong with the oil injection not knowing and seized it ...lol . Awwww them memories of sitting in 9th or 10th grade classes with the mind only on that motorcycle .I would guess with the work you put into your RZ which was a low 13 bike out the crate should have put you in high 11's lower 12's 1/4 miles . The RD was such a big improvement in perf ,handling and everything over the R5's , I think the RD's had a 6 spd tranny which was badly needed ,Id still be trying to shift from 5th to a non existent 6th on my R5's
I ve owned so many bikes since age 7 I cant count them from memory , but the R5's and xs650's always hold a place in my heart .my 1953 panhead along with my 79 shovel Ive had both since 1980 and a 2002 HD springer heritage sit in the shop unridden in years ....just lost interests and got too old to deal with the crazies on the streets here in LV . What was once thought to be tree top tall and bullet proof , slowly the years (if you survive that long ) the years teaches you the real truth that your about as bullet proof as Jello pudding ....
@@eddgong Time to let a younger man enjoy the bikes before they are useless.
@@MartinSage genau ! Ich bin mittlerweile auch schon fast 58 Jahre alt, und an seiner Stelle wäre es schön , eine zu behalten und die anderen zu verkaufen, vielleicht sogar günstig , dass ein junger Mann damit Freude findet , vielleicht bekommst Er dann noch nette Rückmeldungen von ihm , was doch auch sehr schön sein kann
I stillhave my RD..200 IN CANADA THEY MADE THESE IN THE US THEY STARTED AT 250 CC MINES HAS JUST UNDER 800 KLMS ON IT MOTER NEVER BEN OPENED UP EVEREVERY THIG IS STILL.DAY 1 BONE STOCK NOTHING HAS NEVER BEN.MODIFYED EVER ALL ORIGIONAL RIGHT DOWN TO THE CARBS AND IT WILL STAY THAT WAY IT STILL HAS 150 COMPRESION I EVEN STILL HACE THE ORIGIONAL KEY FOB FROM THE DEALER I LIKE IT JUST THE WAY IT IS WHEN THE BLUE SMOKE COMES I M GONE
@@eddgong never happen ever I've never touched my .oil injection ever only 2 things may of went wrong if the 2 stroke oil gets old the gets lumpy or cloty or the injector cabel starts to
frey on 2 stoke oil for the injecter
You can smell it fresh oil should smell like plastic old oil should smell stayell with no cent at all if there's not a plastic smell in the injecter
bottle dump the old oil out completly . I've never had any issues with yamaha oil injection systems ever motercycles snowmobiles nothing it's agrste thing to have mixtures always right on everything and no more pte mix gas cans no more hanging around
Such lovely examples of those classic bikes. Which would I have? The Yammy of course.
For me a toss up between the Ram Air Suzuki, and the pre- Coffin TankRD250 Yammy's. Back then we saw very few Kwaka's because there were not many dealers selling them at the time. So they were thin on the ground,and I did not like that two pipe on e side and one pipe on the other. Suxuki'sthree into four pipe system look a lot more pleasing to the eye.
Gotta agree with RD!
Yeah, they spoilt the look of the Yammy's in 1976 when they broughtout the DX Coffin shaped tank models. I had an RD200A which hadthe more pleasing rounded shaped tank, and a lovely metallic orangecolour paint job. I had that bike for three years 75-78 and did almost18000 miles on it. It kept up with my then mates old BSA 650 A10.I have a lot of happy memories spent riding it, especially that hotsummer of 76. Great Times.
Gary Dunn You are very lucky to have owned one.
Yeah, I owned 8 bikes over the years, including a Suzuki GT250 X7,yet that little Yammy stands out as one of my favourites.
Those old two strokes were great riding. I worked in a Yamaha shop and picked up a cheap RD250 that some old bloke had been 4 stroking around town till it oiled up. I gave it a check over, got it out on the motorway and shoved it up to the redline in every gear. It was about lunchtime before the smoke cleared and it burned the pipes clean, but what a ride. Miles across the plains, flat on the tank, creating a one man pollution epidemic on a par with modern day India. Just as well there were no Police helicopters back then as there would have been no place to hide, the amount of smoke it was making. Kept it for quite a while and it was fast and utterly reliable.
Haha, great story. And a great bike, no question :-) We can still smell you flying by now ;-)
Amazing collection you have cheers.
RD for me, great show more please ;)
I really enjoyed watching this thanks, I had the Suzuki T250R Hustler. I remember watching Sheen & Roberts on world of sport ( I think it was called the Trans Atlantic trophy? ) and then go out on my bike feeling so happy... :)
If i,m tired of all days work ,looking this bike Report... oh my God , blood pressure climbing high and i reborn- so amazing, thanks a lot
You're very welcome :-) Glad you enjoyed it so much. Feel free to subscribe if you like. Our next film will be about a very special two-stroke...
I know this video is old (nowhere near as old as the bikes), but I love it! Great effort! My first bike was a '72 Suzuki T350 given to me by my cousin. At 13 I stripped it to bits, painted the frame, installed new rings, gave every part a proper polishing, and put it all back together. Eventually got it running, but never in top shape. Still, I have found memories of that first wind down the road. My parent never expected I'd get it running again. Anyway, thanks for making this video. Much enjoyed! 👍🍻
I wanted a Hustler when I was 17, but couldn't afford one. I am 60 years old now, and there is a Hustler in my garage! It's probably a good thing that I didn't have one back then, as I would most likely not have survived! It is still bloody quick, and is a joy to ride! I love taking it to local biker hot spots and showing it to lads who have never seen one.
WOW I had the Hustler it was a great bike PWU 60K Orange one. I would love to have a ride on one again, You don't live in Doncaster do you? ... :)
Had the 1971 250 Hustler with the scrambler up pipes (it would have looked awesome with 2 expansion chambers in the same position)
Thanks for the trip down memory lane, those were the days. My personal favourites were the Suzuki GT triples, loved the look and the sound of them. Always wanted aGT750, but never got one. My brother got one in 1986 and I got to ride it around theblock. Wow, what a machine, and loved that off beat crackle from that 3 cylinderengine, that turned into a roar as the taps were opened.
I had a red 75 gt750. Handled like a ponderous beast. At 100 mph it would completely fill a 2 Lane road with impenetrable smoke.
aah those good old 2 strokes that the Yanks killed off with their exhaust emission laws. Yet they continued to put big gas guzzlingV8's in their cars. I personally saw the LA smog back in 1981.
Gary Dunn I first arrived in LA in Nov 1981. The smog was so bad I never even saw the mountains for a month. Smog was atrocious.
Gary Dunn oh and I forgot to say my 75 water buffalo was not making it any better.
We were in LA back in October of 1981 on holiday. It was when up inthe hills looking down on the city, that the smog was very noticeable.I live in the UK and smog is not a problem, we get very strong windsmost of the year round, so that keeps the air clear. Incidently, yeah,I can see your point about your 75 Water buffalo not making the airany better in LA. I loved the climate there though, it was like a perfectSummer day, every day. Perfect for riding a motorcycle such as your Suzuki. Cheers.
I own a 1975 Yamaha R5 350, and I love it. Just knocked the dust off and going to get it going again asap.
Superbly filmed and produced...thanks !
Love my 1966 candy blue Yamaha YDS3C big bear scrambler in the garage!
its like going back in time,, god bless you
Nice video! Had a GT250 back in the day. Ah, sweet memories - thanks for those!
the x7 made the GT250 ram air a shed ! ok for its year , however that x7 could really go .
Just love the Sheene jacket....1970's man,,great video, brought back lovely memories...
Life was better in the 70's in every way.
I agree. it was in every way apart from fashion, interiors and hairstyles!
Rock and Roll music . Cool bikes.
What's not to like? Oh yeah . Hot pants!!
@Ami_go_home leggings, are extremely distracting
its all out there for the world to rate
AMEN TO THAT!!! Days like that will sadly never come again....maybe in the next universe!! lol!
led zeppelin and black sabbath and 2 strokes so sick
I never had one of these, but a friend gave me an old scythe to cut my weeds with. Bollocks. I attached a 2-stroke chain saw engine to it, and finally had me a motor sickle.
Ha, Ha, Ha
Loved this video. Top quality. Thanks
I had the last model of the air-cooled RD250, before Yamaha swapped to the LC model. Bought it new in 1978 from Barry Smith Yamaha in Melbourne. Barry was a four-time GP winner and rightly advised me against the RD400 - even though he'd have made more money from it - due to its tendency to pull unexpected mono's. Barry's racing career stretched from 1965 to 1981 and included a 1968 Isle of Man TT win in the 50cc Ultra-Lightweight race, at an average speed of 72.90 mph around the Mountain Course. Barry definitely knew his stuff and I was happy to accept his advice. The 250 was a fun little bike which I kept for three years until I replaced it with a new Kawasaki Z750 L1. Today, at 76, I'm still riding, though here in Philippines, where traffic travels around 20-40 kph and 60 kph is flying, my little Skygo Earl 150 Classic is quite sufficient.
The RD 250 for me.
@henree simp No, definitely no... You like the tdr 249cc
Two Strokers from Yamaha? The best Motorcycle Engine of the world!!!!
the kawa whis the best sound.
I remember a 250cc Yamahammer, 2-cylinder, not exactly like the one here, maybe a couple yrs newer, but it was a screamer!
@flip inheck you must have had a bad one. my 1974 S1B handled perfectly ok plug fouling was the main problem especially if you used crappy champion spark plugs and castrol TT oil.otherwise nothing to report.
you had to make sure the contact breakers were in good nick .this though is basic servicing on any 70s bike
That's just silly. They were all good in their day, albeit the Yamaha's from the RD350A on through the early 80's and advent of LC were arguably pick of the two stroke handling crop of the day.
@@theblytonian3906 Someone abandoned an RD400 in front of my office. After a few months I pulled it into my studio and had a title search. No owner . . . got a new title and started working on it, but my landlord forbade me to keep it in the building! So, after storing it in my van for a while, driving everywhere with it, sold it and at least got my money back . . . now I see how much they are worth . . . and I love 2-strokes. My first car was a 2-stroke sports car.
Fantastic introduction from the presenter. He basically nailed it in those opening sentences. I know I was there in the 1970s! I had a FS1-E then a 1976 RD250 with the coffin shaped tank. Some of my mates had the KH250 and some had the GT250. The RD250 was the one to have but the (slower) KH250 triple was a very good looking bike and it sounded wonderful. In the mid/late seventies the RD250 always seemed to be £525 new and the FS1-E was always advertised at £249 new.
My first bike around 1980 was a 1973 Blue and White RD250 just like in this video. That in itself was a fun bike but, about 2 years later a friend who was a factory Yamaha mechanic sold me his '73 RD350 wasn't quite street legal. It had clip on bars, rear sets, and only a tach. No speedo, no turn signals and got by with just front and rear light. Now that 350 was a beast and not one single Honda 750-4 ever beat me light to light. The 1st 750 to beat me was a VF750 Interceptor. Then I jumped to 4 strokes and raced them at Willow. The best handling bike I ever owned was a 2005 Buell XB12 Lightning SCG but, one night crashed it pretty bad making a stupid decision. I then found a showroom condition '76 RD400 and life is good again.
That Yamaha two stroke sound! Love it!
2 stroke bikes today are not my Favorites.. but this Report is hot anyway
before kids could afford cars and were allowed ride bikes up to 250cc with L plates on. everyone i knew had a bike back in the 70s, you could hear people leaving for work in the mornings, the 2T suzuki hustlers and GTs, the yam RDs, the kwaka tripples and the honda dreams (then super dreams) and a couple of big british bikes as well. Cars are cheap now and them bikes are worth a fortune,
Yeah, and to think back then in the mid 70's you could buy a new Suzuki 250for around £500. Even the much bigger 750 Kettle could be had new for justunder £1000. or a 900 Z1 Kawasaki for around £1200. You could barely getone of those pathetic plastic Scooter things for that these days.
CPGB stalinist the Honda super dream 250 I remember seeing one as a kid in 70 sumtime I think. that was Wat I wanted then . never did get one . but now I'm 48 had the Honda care derogatory 125 then thart I now, I will sell this and get the transalp 650 witch i drove on a cbt. I now it was Rong. now I got the varedero 1000 so got to do test as the bastards would not insure me for theft no more so I cud then tax it
Abe Lowther Dude you didn't miss out the Super Dream was nicknamed the 'wet dream' because it was a gutless wonder 🤓
Uncle joe. Abolish the Wages System.
honda chicken chaser could blow a 250 super dream with a few tweeks
i had one a few year back relivin the dream of seeing o silver one back in the day stunning lookin bk then not much differant than the varadero today
Great video and 3 amazing bikes! Owned this exact Gt250 Suzuki in the 70's and just bought another one this year to restore. Many fond memories and getting tough to find in any condition! Easy to work on and relatively dependable.
Did the two-stroke Suzukis all have left side kick-starters? Perhaps non-US did. I'm pretty sure that the Yank feds mandated right side kick around 1973. I've never owned a Suzuki with a kickstarter (only an early GSXR-750).
I never owned any of these but I did have an RD350. It was quick, solid and handled better than any stock bike of the early 70s. Stopped pretty well too. I was a kid and weighed 135 lbs and my girl friend weighed 95. It was all I needed.
i have just find the best channel in the world.
I enjoyed a Suzuki Titan 500cc twin 2 stroke, a Kawasaki 750 triple 2 stroke as well in the 1970's. I finally ended up with the Kawasaki Z1 900, it was nirvana!
I love the 2 strokes, but my 78 Z1000 Kawasaki is like it came from a different planet in terms of refinement and flexibility,
Just bought my first vintage 2 stroke! 75’ GT 250! Motor locked up but came here to dream about what it will sound like when I get her going! The 70’s were amazing!
Good luck!
my rd 350 didn't like the summer heat in florida but then came the RZ 350 and with a quick port and polish, new reeds and chambers it was tits up. A short and angry power band, Especially in cold night air. man what a thrill. nothing feels the same. And I'm still alive to talk about it. Now I'm off on my new R3 40 yrs later, still a sucker for small bikes, but my how things have changed.
71 x6 suzuki hustler..fast nimble and a six speed way ahead of its time..then a SL 350 honda...a CB 350..then in senior yr..a new Z1900..took every penny i had but damn...nothing touched it back then
thanks for the video and blast from my past
I had a Suzuki GT250 with a red metallic tank...seem to remember it was quite nippy!
my 250 hustler was the scrambler..after a few months i went with down swept expansion chambers with silencers...it was a royal blue ...nice bike
www.suzukicycles.org/photos/suzuki-history/1970/1970_T250II_Hustler_450.jpg
you forgot the Suzuki had a six-speed gearbox!
The Yamaha RD250 also had a 6-speed gearbox but the early model RD250A had sixth gear disabled by a little thingy that disengaged the selector hook at the point where it would have pulled the selector drum from fifth to sixth. If you look carefully at how it works you can see how to get sixth gear into use. There were rumours that on some examples doing this created a danger that you could change straight from sixth gear into first, but the examples that I worked on had closed ends to the grooves in the selector drum and so the drum could not turn straight from sixth to first or vice versa. The early RD250 had two reliability issues that I am aware of: the crankshaft webs have inserts made of lead for balance purposes and it is not unknown for one to come loose and fall out, jamming the engine. Also if the battery was flat it was impossible to start the engine, because current from the battery was needed to magnetise the alternator rotor in order that the alternator could generate any electricity. Later models do not have the lead inserts, and also have a permanent-magnet alternator that does not depend on the battery already having some charge in order to work. There is an advantage you do not mention that the Suzuki GT250 has: if you ride gently you can get as much as 80 miles per gallon. Neither the RD250 nor the KH250 can get near this however gentle you are.
My neighbour has such a Yamaha RD 250. The sound was incredible for my young ears. I was eigth years young, in my dream I would drive a 900 Z1, 16 years later I bougth my real dream, a Z 1000 A1 from 1977 and until today, I would never change, except to a Ducati 750 SS, if I've got the money😉👍
Greatings from Berlin to these great channel with all their amazing bikes👏👏👏👏
I happened to be a most lucky guy in the ‘70s having two of the best. First bike was a 72 Kawasaki 350 Triple which I thought was the fastest bike on 2 wheels... until in 76 I got my brand new RD 400 ( Canadian Model, black/white/gold paint). I’m 62 now, but won’t ever forget the best summer of my life with that bike and the many miles of curvy backroads, road trips, and many surprised CB 750 riders I put to shame.
I always loved the original S2 350 in red. Fab !!! Little Bro to the mighty H1 and H2. happy memories here too from that era. I currently have a ZRX1200, so at least I am still riding Kawas !!!!
lucky to have a Rd350 in 2016 ♥.
Tanishq Aurangabadkar Bloody lucky, I used to have an air cooled RD350, loved it.
Maverickthebastard. Yes the Elsies were looney machines, especially with the "power valve" but to say there were no 350's before that is wrong.
Yamaha came out with reed valve induction in 1973. Fitted to the RD200, RD250 and RD350 all air cooled. I bought an RD350a brand new in March 1974 from Len Manchester in Melton Mowbray. Before then there was a 200cc, YPV7(?) 250cc and the YR5 which was a 350
Although I never owned any of these, I rode all three, courtesy of mates who had them! For me, the RD was the best overall. Impressive lack of smoke on these examples.
What an Rd bruh mean road
Thank you for turning down the music during the engine revs. My 2nd street bike was a GT250. It was ridiculously fun on the back roads. So light and flickable!
Like so many the three cylinder 2-stroke sound was heaven, My 74 S3 400 was fantastic! I had fun in the school parking lot sitting on my S3 reaching down with my right hand and a quick pull back on the kick starter fired it up! It started that easy. I lived in Phoenix AZ and hitting the mountain roads was such a blast. I raced it against my friends 68 Hurst Olds with the 455ci, I could stay ahead up to 60mph then he passed me. Ahh the good old days. If I could find another one I would love to own it. I later had the KZ 750 3cyl 2-stroke and then the 81 KZ-750 E2, loved them all.
The sound of that Kawasaki: Awesome 😎
I loved the smell of belray in the morning.
The smell of freedom !
Oh yes here in the home town of KFC Corbin Kentucky growing up i started out with 1986 CR80 I used that belray MC +1 two stroke oil later i had 1988 CR250 still used same MC+1
Brilliant video brought back some great memories I had an N reg RD and loved it
Glad you enjoyed it, and really happy it brought back good memories!
awesome, can't wait for the next vid! keep them going.
UA-cam recommended this to me, and for once it was right. Awesome.
I had the Suzuki X7. It was my first taste of a 2 stroke twin after years of assorted British stuff. An absolute rocket but keeping it in the narrow power band of all or most 2 strokes was a challenge. Enjoyed it immensely, but it needed a lot of gear changing to keep it on song, something I wasn't really used to. Far too old now to have a motorcycle, my wife says. I'm only 72 but the wife says no. An Enfield India would be my choice these days...
im 73 ,at age 16 i got a job working for a BMW Norton Ducati and Suzuki..and the suzuki 250 X6 Hustler was my favorite as it was exactly the opposite of what you are saying ..keeping it in the power ban was too easy that could land you in jail in 13 seconds for doing 100 miles per hour ..they were as advertised faster than a 650 cc Triumph Bonneville in the standing start 1/4 mile ..as americans shifting gears is our addiction and the little X6 filled the craving with a 6 speed transmission , finally a gear for every turn ..and to this british person doing all the talking in this video, claiming in the 70's suzuki 380 were b.s. by attacking the design of the looks of the cylinder head suggesting that the performance was b.s. also is coming from a snake oil salesman who doesnt know how to ride motorcycles
What memories. My second bike was a brand new 1974 GT250 in Hawaiian Red. J&R pipes, green weenie air filters, rejetted carbs and away we went. I put 30000 miles on that bike in two years! Rode it all over hell and creation and a few other places too. Went through a lot of tires, chains, sprockets, piston rings, spark plugs, three helmets, two riding jackets and gallons of hi test (probably didn't need it) and Bel-Ray Si7. I lived on the damn thing, just ask anyone who knew me at the time.
Whoever owns this garage has the most beautiful, original and cleanest restored collection of vintage 70's Japanese bikes I've ever seen. I'm jealous.
My 3rd bike was a 1972 Kawasaki 750 H2
Loved my Kawasaki Triples.
I had an S1 250 2 cycle. It was a rocket but Kawasaki did not support it. The carburetor cable broke when it was 4 years old and Kawasaki today me I would have to make one myself they didn't have repair parts for that old ,4 year old, bike. Last and only Kawasaki motor I bought
My 250 tripple got slower and slower when thrashed. Turned out the middle cylinder would get hot and gradually seize up!.. Good as after cooling down.
@@patbutete1722 No
Wow. So many replys. I thought I was the only one from the late 60's that still rides. I can't believe everybody missed on commenting about my first bike in 1968. Wait for it. The Bridgestone GTR 350.. It dethroned the Suzuki T10 250. It blew the others away for style. Candy red and chrome plus the first to feature a turned up racing style seat.
I am now 69 years old and ride Honda's best kept touring secret.
A CBR1000RR 2008. decked right out with Ohlins and Yoshi etc. 180hp at the rear and aprox weight 180kg. I still run Sydney to Phillip Island in one day 1100km. If only I had this little weapon back in 1968. Cheers.
You'd be surprised by how many there are from that time still riding. And that's a very good thing :-) Speaking of the late 60s, check out this film about a certain bike that changed the world in 1969: ua-cam.com/video/hcdUgUu66bk/v-deo.html
Ver nice report. I was born 1963 and in this time where i was a child, these motorcycles my first great love
A good vintage ;-) Glad you enjoyed the film and the motorcycles!
FS1E then RD for me. Great film btw
Hmmm... Are you sure? 🤔
I had 2 RD 250's 1 GT250B and currently own my 2nd RD400
Nice, the RD400 was one that got away from me. I had a Bob Farnham (remember him?) tuned 250 with 400 barrels (and a twin front disk conversion) but that only made it a 350 :-(
I always wanted an RD500 too
Great video. I had a Hustler and an RD. What a collection. The garage is a retro heaven!
Thanks :-) Glad you enjoyed it!
Your article made me reminisce about my "good old days" on strokers ,so I started counting them and had to think back and note them all down, my first 250 was in 1977 and was an RD250D, my last stroker was an Aprilia RS250 in 1994 but in between were 2 more RD 250s (both Es) ,3 250 LCs, 2 TZR 250s, that was just the Yamahas, I had a Suzuki T250J "Hustler" and a Kevin Schwantz replica Pepsi RGV250P and an RM250 motocrosser, my only Kwacker was an S1 250 ,my only Honda 250 was an NSR250R MC28 Rothmans replica, my only non Japanese 250 strokers were 2 Aprilia RS250s, a Biaggi and a Reggiani replica, apart from the 250 strokers I also had a Garelli 50 Monza ( racer not moped), a Suzuki 125 Stinger, a Yamaha 200 Electric, 4 Yamaha 350s (2 LC 350s and 2 YPVS (power valve) 350s, my biggest and most exotic stroker was a Stan Stevens tuned Suzuki RG500 Gamma engine in an Aprilia RS250 rolling chassis with a GSX-R 600 front end (the best handling most exciting bike I've owned and that includes GSX-R750s and Triumph Daytona 675s), I loved two strokes but unfortunately it appears we'll never again experience the banshees wail and unique aroma of the racing stroker.
you can almost smell the two stroke fumes mmmmm.
Todd Sadler Yeah I had a PE175 had to mix the oil in the tank but worth the effort because from a standing start to 70 I beat a Suziki gt550 triple, a Honda 550 four and a Kawasaki Z650b. That smell of a 2 stroke on a warm summer day happy 😄.dayz long gone
Todd Sadler Yeah awesome machines. Knew a guy that had a z900 who looked down on anyone that had anything less his favourite line being "when you going to trade in your hair dryers for a real bike?" So, one of the guys said "I've got a cr250 that you couldn't handle😀" We all sniggered as he accepted. the challenge. Watching him trying to keep the front end down was poetic but his ashen white face when he got back was even better. A lesson in respect was learnt that day 😀
smell of 2 stroke long gone ?not for ktms apparently
I remember the Z1 hype and how everyone thought the Z1 was such a superior bike over anything else. I also remember making a lot of money destroying them with my 72 Kawi H2. The Z1 was a quick bike but the H2 was much faster.
true that ..and 2st dont smell like the did anymore
I’ve owned all three in my teens and early twenties. The Kawasaki for style, not much else, the Suzuki for fun and crashes, but the Yamaha was just streets ahead on build quality. Today I have a yds7 in my garage with a Honda cb900f and a Yamaha R1. No bike, no life.
So right
The torque induction that Yamaha used on most of its early 70s onwards 2 strokes was more than just the reed valve.
There was an extra port, directly connected to the inlet port.
Without a reed valve, there would be blowback through the inlet, however as well as controlling the intake, the reed valve ,by closing under what would be blow back, in effect redirected the inlet charge through the small port directly into the cylinder, having the effect of improving cylinder scavenging and smoother running when not in the powerband. This is why reed valve Yamaha 2 strokes are relatively civilised.
The sound of the RD especially starting up still gives me goosebumps after all this time.
wow that brought back memories,that's the best seven minuets iv'e enjoyed this week,thanks for sharing, awesome video.
I had a 1972 Kwaka 350 triple....what a weapon
A mate of mine had one - 23 mpg!
I'll trade in any Woman to be in that Garage !
here!here!,I agree!
Hahaha fuk yeh
Absolutely!
ANY WOMAN? OK, you're ON!
There's cool bikes and some cool muscle cars too
Fantastic!
Could watch you and your bikes for hrs👍
Yes I had a Fizzy, 17 got the brand new Xl250S, but all my friends had your bikes, plus coffin tanks and the new LC.
I got to ride them all, the LC was amazing but I loved my XL the most, after the Honda I got a Suzuki GT550, wow! That power band was addictive 😂
I still have a Suzuki GSX400 Impulse and a Cbr600
Once a biker, always a biker
But those famous crazy days have gone, they were wicked 😀
My first two stroke was a 1970 Suzuki AS 50. My next one in December 1971 was a Suzuki T350 Rebel.
Loved those two strokes. Many miles of enjoyment and trouble free. Good memories which I treasure.
Glad we managed to bring back some good memories :-)
@@BrightsideMedia Thank you Brightside Media.
Respectfully disagree. The 250 Suzuki X6 Hustler was The Best Performing small bike and increased consumer demand for more powerful 2 strokes.
But the Hustler was delicate unlike the Kawasakis.
It was the 6spd wheelie machine !
The Suzuki T20 Super Six was better than all of them.
I had the 71 Suzuki 350 Rebel big brother to the Hustler same 6 sp tranny but 40HP..the eninge was exactly 305cc but was classified as a 350..at 315lbs wet it was faster off the line than the Kawa 500 triple until 60mph then the Kawa lit up and was gone.. wish I still had it
I sooooo miss kicking a bike up! (Its the 'proper'way to start a bike, imo)
Unless it's a four stroke single; they kick back!
Very nostalgic and so true. My first was an old T250 Hustler at 17, then a GT 250,followed shortly by a RD250. Later to be replaced with a RD400.
Mmm, the smell of 2 stroke on a hot summers night :)