Modern technology means that the new 15/33hp learner brackets will be dominated by Japanese 125cc stroker singles in a variety of forms for '97/98, even though 250lb bikes can't develop more than 25hp due to a power/weight limit in the new laws - bastards! Some bikes mentioned don't meet this power/weight limit but are worth mentioning in passing and a few lead weights in the panniers should fix that problem!
We're talking relatively straightforward motorcycles, in some ways utterly conventional, but with modern stroker designs that are mild and safe in 15hp form (restricted by limiting the throttle cable travel!) and in derestricted 25 (33?)hp form jolly good fun on the back of stroker kicks and minimal mass. There's absolutely no reason why such devices should cost more than £2000 (when new) if brought into the UK in substantial numbers.
Until such bikes turn up, though, the only sane place to look for 33hp kicks is in the secondhand market. 33hp equals an easy ton, 80 to 85mph cruising, 50 to 70mpg; acceleration dependent on chassis mass, which varies between 240 and 400lbs according to the model chosen.
Because these engine limits were widely enforced in Europe, there's also a huge range of machinery that can be snapped up on the Continent, though they are usually designs based on more powerful models that have been appallingly derestricted and don't offer a very appealing blend of performance and frugality - the kind of devices that give motorcycling a bad name!
33hp ain't necessarily a matter of despair; it can, in fact, provide all the motorcycling that you'd ever need, and could form the basis for a massive renaissance of the motorcycle scene if the Jap's can again embrace the idea of bikes that are fun filled, fairly conventional and cheap to both buy and run. Lack of crazed power, minimal mass and sensible design could once again come to dominate the scene, rather than the silly, impractical replicas and overpriced dogs that have done so much in the past two decades to limit the appeal of motorcycling. But then a lot of the people who were responsible for the dreadful decline of the British bike industry are still in the trade, and still messing things up.
As well as the 33hp limit it's worth considering bikes over fifteen years of age for the cheapness of their classic bike insurance. And for those obsessed by the need to keep the government's hands off their dosh, there's also the useful option of bikes over 25 years old, which don't have to pay road tax, though as many of these designs were 250's, the actual saving ain't all that much (and you still have to trek down to the PO as the road tax disc has to be displayed as it proves you have an MOT and valid insurance).
Old Hacks and Classics
Some kind of cheap kicks from ancient machinery can be obtained from the early CB250K series (preferably the K1 or K2), which put out 30 horses and on a good day could do the ton. Age isn't particularly kind to the chassis, with the front forks breaking up around the lower yoke and the drum casings starting to crack up, but there's no reason why the forks and wheels can't be cheaply upgraded with stuff from the breakers. Though not disastrously harsh in vibration, the engine does feel rather rough and ready by modern standards, with a nasty gearbox and a tendency for the clutch to overheat in town. Check the engine breather for fumes, the back of the crankcase for cracks from broken chains, and it should smooth out above 6000rpm. Around the £500 mark should buy something in good mechanical condition but a bit faded around the edges.
Later Honda twins, like the G5 and CJ 250, had quick wear top ends and lacked the performance of the K1, but it's always possible to sneak in the 360cc mill, though with 35 horses to hand they are strictly speaking illegal - I won't tell anyone if you don't, and you can always try to convince them that at this age most of the power has done a runner, anyway! Don't pay serious money for any of these models - some time down the line, after ten or ten thousand miles the cylinder head bearings are going to go pop. And decent spares are next to impossible.
The 250 Superdream and Dream series engines last better, as much as fifty thou before the whole lot's worn out. But they keep running up to the last moment, so you can part with a fair sized wedge only to have the engine go down just as you get out of the vendor's street. There are a myriad ways the mill can blow, but most likely's the chain driven balancer system, though some people have chucked the whole mess without that much of a difference in the level of vibes! Not really recommended, as it's also slow and heavy, but the odd nice one does still turn up for reasonable money and there are some that have had total engine refurbishments, though god knows how well they will wear.
Yamaha's XS250 is another twin that was beset by loads of problems, the most annoying on the well worn, old hacks available, these days, is chronic starting hassles that really needs a complete rewire and dumping of all the cutout switches. Performance wouldn't impress a 125 graduate but they are reasonably frugal and make enough nasty noises and fumes to show when one's on the way out. Again, the 36hp XS400 engine could be sneaked in when no-one's looking (the insurance companies will tell you to get lost if they find out, by the way...) £300 to £400 will buy something useful.
Suzuki's reputation for ultra tough four strokes did a runner on their GSX250 twin, which had valves that could sink into the head, amongst other top end hassles. When they ran, they were one of the more useful 250 twins, doing 90mph and 70mpg, but they also had self-combusting electrics. Handling on worn suspension and/or bearings was the usual suicide trip, so check the chassis over carefully for damage. Overall, these days, a bit of a dubious buy but you may get lucky for around £400. The GS250T custom's too slow and ill-handling to be of much use for anything other than chomping through town.
A rather weirder contender from Suzuki was the old GN400 thumper, though arguably the SP370 or 400 had more on the road kicks from a similar mill. Being a big thumper without an electric start, with electrics that age poorly, means getting the thing to actually start can be a great hassle. Ten years ago, there were lots of bargain GN's on offer because the OAP's who bought them found themselves knackered from trying to start them. The GN has just enough performance and character to stop you falling asleep at the controls. And there are still some well cared for examples out there.
Kawasaki's Z250 made all of 30 horses on a good day but had chronic cylinder head faults that can develop very quickly. There are still a few running, some fitted with the 35hp GPz305 engine. £500 will buy either something about to expire or a jolly decent example that might run for ten thousand miles. As far as the riding experience goes, rather than engine fidelity, it's one of the better games in town.
There's also the old and wacky 250 triple that in no way could be described as boring, both in terms of way it howled up the road and the myriad of potential engine problems. Those left on the road, though, tend to have sorted the handling by the good old process of elimination (if it wasn't sorted it would've been ridden off the road). Perhaps the best that could be said for the triple is that it's very different!
From the sublime to the ridiculous, so to speak. BMW's R45, much derided due to its slowness on the back of only 28 horses, will now have a new lease of life in the new learner market. As it was such a dog, albeit a high quality one, it tended to attract mature owners who could revel in its name and reputation for quality, so there are still some good ones out there. It's impossible for anyone to detect that the 650cc top ends have been fitted (though one UMG contributor found he had a 450 pot on one side and a 650 on the other!)...
Already burdened with silly prices, the old Ducati 250/350 singles are quite likely to strike it lucky again, though the rigours of serious riding will reveal their deficit in reliability, smoothness and comfort. But nevertheless a nice pose tool - it's dead easy to buy one with an engine a few miles off blowing its big-end. A weird way to burn a couple of grand, but please stick to the MK.3 or Desmo, as at least some of more serious horrors were fixed.
All of the old MZ strokers fit within the power limit, for whatever that's worth. This is bargain basement time, where a couple of hundred quid will buy a running example of the 250 or 301. The older ones need the odd bit of fettling, so if you don't want to get your hands dirty leave well alone. Exploding gearbox and crank bearings are some of inbuilt joys awaiting owners of old ones...
An even stranger trip would be the Indian Enfield, both 350 and 500 developing so little power that they are well within the game. Starting's an acquired art and the whole thing looks so quaint that you could almost get away with passing ownership off in the great tradition of English eccentricity, but on the road most Jap commuters will take them.
Newish Stuff
Honda's CBX250 makes the most use of its thumper's 31 horses, with only 310lbs to lug around and competent handling. The main problem's relative rareness as they were way overpriced when new. The first area to go down's the alternator but this is fairly easy both to check and to fix, engines go off after 30,000 miles but wear is obvious in the lack of go and intrusive vibration. A better bet than the earlier RS250 which had a very finicky engine that was usually subjected to an excess of DR abuse. Few modern bikes can match the CBX's 100mph and 70mpg!
Kawasaki's version of thumper kicks comes in the form of the KLX250. Though it makes 30 horses it's geared for off-road work and only does 85mph - the compensation is the way it accelerates, helped along by a mere 265lbs of mass - definitely a bike screaming out for conversion to road spec. Some cheap, low milers in good nick on offer in the private market. The KLR250 lacks the guts of the KLX and costs the same, so there seems little point in buying one!
The only recent option available from Suzuki's the 30hp DR350, which is a fine piece of off-road kit, that again cries out for conversion to the road. Pre '95 models didn't have an electric start and could be very difficult to kick into life if the motor stalled when hot. This at least means that 1500 notes will pick up a relatively recent example in fine fettle. The engines are thankfully generally tough.
Similarly, the only recent bike on offer from Yamaha's the XT350. Some ran very well, others had a bit of top end hassle, which is usually loud enough to hear right off. The frame can be bent in very minor shunts, so this needs to be looked over carefully. A great variety of machines on offer, but £1500 will buy a very nice one with less than fifteen thou on the clock and some have already been neatly converted to road spec.
Derestricted 125's
The old learner reg's meant that the hot stroker 125's were restricted to 12hp but very few of them stayed like that for long. Some could be derestricted by tampering with the ignition, carb or exhaust, others went the full tune route. Most didn't make more than 33hp, and because they were so light are quite useful tools.
We're talking RG125, TZR125, RD125LC, AR125, NS125 and NSR125. The Yamahas being the toughest, but mileage, tuning and abuse makes the biggest difference. It's really just a matter of checking out what's on offer and making sure that you have a thorough test ride. Look for some low rev power as well as the arm wrenching stuff when it hits the powerband, minimal smoking and lack of knocks from the motor. A thousand notes should pick up something interesting with a useful amount of life left. But this is really an area where a little knowledge goes a long way - if you know nowt about strokers take along a mate who does!
Grey Imports
Honda's GB250's similar to the old CBX250, with the major advantage that imports are usually low mileage and in nice condition. It's still available as a new bike in Japan, so the new learner laws will probably inspire a spate of recent imports at around £2500 to £3000, which is a bit over the top for what they offer, though they are probably the best of the modern thumpers for those who yearn after both fun and frugality.
Kawasaki's 250 Estrella won't be to some tastes, but very recent ones take the classic theme as far as having a set of drum brakes and a proper dual seat rather than the two saddles on the original design. Its lack of power at 20 horses being the main limitation but it makes up for that in pose value and more low end grunt than some of its rivals. A good deal at around two grand for a low miler but they tend to be somewhat overpriced in the UK.
Suzuki's over the top 350 Goose inspires much laughter, but its DR350 based motor manages dead on 33hp, which will make it popular in the new learner market. Although its on the road dynamics are fine, the awful shape of its frame means there's no easy way to update the chassis with something less offensive. £2500's needed to buy something good.
Much more acceptable's the Yamaha SRX250, a major time rival to the GB250, with 30hp, 95mph and 75mpg. Watch out for rapid chassis rot, short-lived chassis bearings and a camchain that can expensively go pop without any warning. These minor problems aside it offers just enough kicks to make life on the road interesting and they can turn up for less than a grand in slightly shabby form.
Also on offer from Yamaha's the SRV250, a delightful vee-twin with a frame that looks a dead ringer for a mini version of the old Norton Featherbed. Its classic silhouette means they demand a premium price in Japan and being a recent model they haven't yet got into the used/import circuit to any great extent. Look to pay around three grand for a really immaculate one.
Perhaps the best of recent Yamahas is found in the TTR250, a trail based bit of lunacy that usefully combines 30 horses and 255lbs of thumper kicks into a thoroughly modern motorcycle, that priced correctly would be immensely popular under the new learner regime. Little hope of that, but they may start turning up on the import circuit as you read this.
Much more hopeful, though way down on power, Yamaha's 225 Serow has become a very minor cult bike in the UK, with newish stuff going for £2500 to £3000. The old ones are bit dodgy, well faded and worn - some obviously clocked. Tread carefully in the lower price bracket, but lots of potential kicks available.
There's also the SR400 thumper. Imagine the awful old SR500 with only 27 horses, a touch less vibration and a set of drum brakes. Quite! Easy to understand why so few have made it on to the import circuit but in their favour a bit of silencer degutting will up the power to around 33hp and they are fairly well put together, reliable tackle. Around two grand for something newish. Cunningly, the still made in Japan SR500 turns out a mere 32hp, illustrating one of the benefits of zero design development!
Other Stuff
Not that great a range of machinery available, then. But some of the grey importers are threatening to restrict some of the bigger bikes before they register them. Also some of the official '97 imports will come restricted to 33hp, with the option of derestricting them once the rider has done his two years probation period, though the penalty for such an easy life will probably be excessive mass, appalling frugality and a distinct lack of fun!
Another possible option's to buy the 33hp version of the Rotax thumper engine, install it in the chassis of your choice, re-register the bike and use it until you can put the full power engine back in. A mini industry could be formed on the back of this idea, but I give it out for free as people in the trade seem to need a lot of help, these days! I must be going soft in the head in my old age!
Right now, not an inspiring cast of characters in the 33hp game, and some old hacks in the coming year or two are going to end up way overpriced! Hopefully, the aforementioned 125cc strokers will turn up in abundance and give the whole market the kick up the backside it so desperately needs. Hope on.
Dick Lewis