first bike

Thumper · 12-17-2021, 01:23 PM

My first motorcycle was a 1972 Suzuki TS250. I bought it used for $250. But it was in good shape, except for the tank was replaced with a larger plastic tank, maybe for capacity.

Decades later (~2002, I found this nearly new 1974 TS250. It had tossed the original owner with 521 miles on it, and sat in a clean, dry garage for more than 3 decades. I guess he broke a leg or something. Score! The fuel tank was never properly drained, carbs, inline filter and fuel lines crapped up, but easy to restore.

The seat was the only casualty besides the handlebars (found a perfect chrome replacement for that), so I reupholstered it with black leather. I also found a vintage fork brace for it. This was the quintessential enduro of the early 70s. Kawasaki had one too -the F8 which I really wanted, but this was a deal. Kawasaki had the F11 which had the banana shaped rear fender like the big bikes. Both great bikes.

It ran OK except that there was some oil that had dried onto the parallel flywheels that hold the rod, so it had a little vibration, but not enough to crack the case, clean it up and buy new seals and gaskets to put it back together. I sold it to a collector, making us BOTH happy. Here it is when I finished the restoration:

**JerryHawk250** · 12-17-2021, 01:29 PM

Nice!

Really clean!

Thumper · 12-17-2021, 01:58 PM

Back in the day when the passenger footpegs were mounted to the swingarm!
But the injection system worked perfectly, so I didn't have to mix gas/oil.

**JerryHawk250** · 12-17-2021, 02:08 PM

My first bike was a 75 Honda CB200. I wish I still had that bike.

Amateur · 12-17-2021, 07:51 PM

First fullsize bike was a Yamaha XT225. Beat the absolute piss out of it, jumped it way too high for an Enduro, submarined it in the river many times. Sold it for what I paid 2 years later. I've had over 100 bikes since that one.

2LZ · 12-18-2021, 12:00 PM

Nice score! Like the rest of us old f--ks here, thank for the trip in the Way-Back machine!

12-17-2021, 01:23 PM	#1
Thumper Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Kansas City Posts: 2,196	first bike My first motorcycle was a 1972 Suzuki TS250. I bought it used for $250. But it was in good shape, except for the tank was replaced with a larger plastic tank, maybe for capacity. Decades later (~2002, I found this nearly new 1974 TS250. It had tossed the original owner with 521 miles on it, and sat in a clean, dry garage for more than 3 decades. I guess he broke a leg or something. Score! The fuel tank was never properly drained, carbs, inline filter and fuel lines crapped up, but easy to restore. The seat was the only casualty besides the handlebars (found a perfect chrome replacement for that), so I reupholstered it with black leather. I also found a vintage fork brace for it. This was the quintessential enduro of the early 70s. Kawasaki had one too -the F8 which I really wanted, but this was a deal. Kawasaki had the F11 which had the banana shaped rear fender like the big bikes. Both great bikes. It ran OK except that there was some oil that had dried onto the parallel flywheels that hold the rod, so it had a little vibration, but not enough to crack the case, clean it up and buy new seals and gaskets to put it back together. I sold it to a collector, making us BOTH happy. Here it is when I finished the restoration: Last edited by Thumper; 12-17-2021 at 02:23 PM.
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12-17-2021, 01:29 PM	#2
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,533	Nice! Really clean! __________________ 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel
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12-17-2021, 02:08 PM	#4
JerryHawk250 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Houma, La. Posts: 11,533	My first bike was a 75 Honda CB200. I wish I still had that bike. __________________ 2023 Lifan Lycan 250 Chopper 2023 Venom Evader 2022 Lifan KPX250 2020 Kawasaki Vulcan S 2004 Honda ST 1300 2016 Black Hawk 250 (sold) Keihin PE30 carb,125 main,38 slow.Pod filter,ported & decked head 10:1 CR,Direct Ignition Coil,15/40Sprockets,NGK DPR8EIX-9,De-Cat,Dual Oil Cooler,Digital Cluster 2016 Cazador180 XL 2014 Coolster150 JerryHawk250.com My YouTube Channel
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12-18-2021, 12:00 PM	#6
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,064	Nice score! Like the rest of us old f--ks here, thank for the trip in the Way-Back machine! __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
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12-17-2021, 01:58 PM	#3
Thumper Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Kansas City Posts: 2,196	Back in the day when the passenger footpegs were mounted to the swingarm! But the injection system worked perfectly, so I didn't have to mix gas/oil.
	1

12-17-2021, 07:51 PM	#5
Amateur Banned Join Date: Dec 2021 Posts: 24	First fullsize bike was a Yamaha XT225. Beat the absolute piss out of it, jumped it way too high for an Enduro, submarined it in the river many times. Sold it for what I paid 2 years later. I've had over 100 bikes since that one.
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