I had to look twice to realise what the vaguely familiar motorcycle was. A Suzuki TS250 trailster, a once popular two-stroke single. Took me right back to my misspent youth, my first proper motorcycle.
The bike wasn't immaculate but it wasn't that far off. An import that had somehow survived a few American owners without collecting more than 10000 miles. The owner came out of the chip shop, giving me a suspicious look until I related how I'd owned one back in the seventies.
At this point, the youth told me that the bike would soon be up for sale and if I was interested an exchange of phone numbers was in order. Before I knew what I was doing, the deed was done... two weeks later the machine was mine for five hundred quid. Either a bargain or a rip-off. It took me a while to decide that the former was the case - just!
My main mount was a street-fighter FZR600, a delightful little hustle both on the open road and in town. Only in the direst Central London traffic were the limits of the Yamaha found... The TS appeared ideal for the really tight stuff, often needing a brief blast on to the pavement or snicking the bike through near impossible ninety degree turns. The chassis was almost up to the job, only let down by the drum front brake which gave every appearance of being vintage in its effectiveness. It was just as well that the bike was easy to twist on to anew line; dangerous moments got very little help from the front brake!
I pulled the wheel out, expecting the shoes to be down to the rivets but they were only half worn. A carcinogenic level of asbestos dust fell out when I pulled the thing apart. Reassembling the wheel, a black moment when I realised there was a little play in the wheel bearings. At city speeds it had yet to affect the handling, but only a matter of time. Cheap enough to do, if you're willing to take a big hammer to the casting and use sealed-for-life bearings form the local factor.
With the bike back together, the front brake was marginally improved but still a heart stopper, especially in contrast to the ultra powerful twin discs fitted to the FZR. I had to make a conscious decision when I swapped bikes not to use the kind of force required by the TS on the FZR - otherwise it would've just thrown me right over the bars! Strangely enough, I soon became used to the Suzuki's lack of braking and compensated by ramming the thing through ever smaller gaps.
The engine always needed a few thousand revs, would bog down and oil the plug if used just off tickover. No great loss as there was sod all power right at the lower end but once 3000rpm were up it began to move. Not crazy fast but about as good as a Superdream up to 60mph, which was about all the motor was willing to give. More would've been available had the trail based gearing been swapped for a taller set of cogs but that would have made the acceleration unacceptably slow. As it was, the bike had trouble putting 250 MZ’s in their proper place even though it could turn quicker through the traffic gaps.
I didn't exactly scream the engine at maximum revs everywhere but neither did I loiter with sensible intent. Thus fuel consumption around 45mpg wasn't unexpected. On the plus side, comfort was excellent, it made enough of a yowl to alert cagers and peds to my impending presence (very important given the state of the brakes) and it ran reliably for the next 6000, or so, miles. Needed a new spark plug every 500 miles - it would last for longer but the twenty kicks needed to start the motor proved tiresome.
Very definite limits were found on the open road. As mentioned, it didn't want to do more than 60mph, meaning most cagers tried to run me down! The suspension, original as far as I could tell, was very soggy, letting the machine waggle around all over the place. The brakes went on holiday after the first urgent 60mph stop, making for some interesting survival manoeuvres. I remember having a hell of a time bashing the bike around the back roads when I was but a youth, but it now seemed no longer up to the job. Odd! Maybe the motor was as worn as the suspension.
Given the chance to sell the bike for what I paid for it, I was quite happy to see it go to a new home. Nostalgia sucks? Not sure about that, just bought a BSA B44 thumper - never owned one before but my neighbour did when I was but a youth, always lusted after one. Another story.
Fred D.
At this point, the youth told me that the bike would soon be up for sale and if I was interested an exchange of phone numbers was in order. Before I knew what I was doing, the deed was done... two weeks later the machine was mine for five hundred quid. Either a bargain or a rip-off. It took me a while to decide that the former was the case - just!
My main mount was a street-fighter FZR600, a delightful little hustle both on the open road and in town. Only in the direst Central London traffic were the limits of the Yamaha found... The TS appeared ideal for the really tight stuff, often needing a brief blast on to the pavement or snicking the bike through near impossible ninety degree turns. The chassis was almost up to the job, only let down by the drum front brake which gave every appearance of being vintage in its effectiveness. It was just as well that the bike was easy to twist on to anew line; dangerous moments got very little help from the front brake!
I pulled the wheel out, expecting the shoes to be down to the rivets but they were only half worn. A carcinogenic level of asbestos dust fell out when I pulled the thing apart. Reassembling the wheel, a black moment when I realised there was a little play in the wheel bearings. At city speeds it had yet to affect the handling, but only a matter of time. Cheap enough to do, if you're willing to take a big hammer to the casting and use sealed-for-life bearings form the local factor.
With the bike back together, the front brake was marginally improved but still a heart stopper, especially in contrast to the ultra powerful twin discs fitted to the FZR. I had to make a conscious decision when I swapped bikes not to use the kind of force required by the TS on the FZR - otherwise it would've just thrown me right over the bars! Strangely enough, I soon became used to the Suzuki's lack of braking and compensated by ramming the thing through ever smaller gaps.
The engine always needed a few thousand revs, would bog down and oil the plug if used just off tickover. No great loss as there was sod all power right at the lower end but once 3000rpm were up it began to move. Not crazy fast but about as good as a Superdream up to 60mph, which was about all the motor was willing to give. More would've been available had the trail based gearing been swapped for a taller set of cogs but that would have made the acceleration unacceptably slow. As it was, the bike had trouble putting 250 MZ’s in their proper place even though it could turn quicker through the traffic gaps.
I didn't exactly scream the engine at maximum revs everywhere but neither did I loiter with sensible intent. Thus fuel consumption around 45mpg wasn't unexpected. On the plus side, comfort was excellent, it made enough of a yowl to alert cagers and peds to my impending presence (very important given the state of the brakes) and it ran reliably for the next 6000, or so, miles. Needed a new spark plug every 500 miles - it would last for longer but the twenty kicks needed to start the motor proved tiresome.
Very definite limits were found on the open road. As mentioned, it didn't want to do more than 60mph, meaning most cagers tried to run me down! The suspension, original as far as I could tell, was very soggy, letting the machine waggle around all over the place. The brakes went on holiday after the first urgent 60mph stop, making for some interesting survival manoeuvres. I remember having a hell of a time bashing the bike around the back roads when I was but a youth, but it now seemed no longer up to the job. Odd! Maybe the motor was as worn as the suspension.
Given the chance to sell the bike for what I paid for it, I was quite happy to see it go to a new home. Nostalgia sucks? Not sure about that, just bought a BSA B44 thumper - never owned one before but my neighbour did when I was but a youth, always lusted after one. Another story.
Fred D.