I'm after a 250/300... Ideas?

[Ted]

Hopefully I'll be taking my A2 (33bhp restricted) test soonish, and I was thinking about getting something between a 250cc and a 300cc, I prefer retro bikes, and I'm into cruisers, I'ld settle for a commuter, but NOT a sports bike!

Can anyone recommend what they would call a decent 250-300cc bike?

I'm not after a pristine bike, I'm after pretty much the oppersite; a cheap, 'in need of TLC' bike...

Cheers Guys and Gals!

[Trixie]

How about a 250 Superdream, if you're handy with a spanner?
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Dead nobodies in company cars...

[iooi]

Gn 250...

Cruiser style, definatly not fast... Might top out at 75 but it would be a rough ride. Happy to run at 60.
Had one but found the fact that over 60 was not comfortable to ride due to wind blast.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[Keen]

suzuki goose 350? bit above your cc specification but I think it makes almost dead on 33bhp and has a really cool cafe racer look to it.
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"he who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man"- Dr. Johnson

[yambabe]

Wanna buy my Eliminator? EL250, '94, can't remember how many miles but it's been looked after since I had it, regular oil changes, filter done this time last year, MOT is just coming due so we'll be putting a full 12 months on it then it goes on ebay this week if no-one has claimed it by then. Tyres are good.

Needs a bit of cosmetic tlc perhaps cos it's been my "spare" for the last year and only done a few miles but during the 2 years of my restriction I did about 7k on it without a hitch. It's always started well, no other problems that I am aware of. We can even deliver it for the price of the diesel!

Looking for £500............ pm me if you're interested?
https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a229/Yambabe/Jul06049.jpg

[edit] 32k miles, I just went to have a look! [/edit]

[edit2] the stainless bits on the back were to stop my panniers catching the wheel and can easily be removed they are only bolted on. [/edit2]
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Willenium]

KLX250/KLX300?

[Keen]

how about a kawasaki gpx250?

one for sale on ebay

I used to have one, they're great little bikes. Revvy parallel twin engine, good for 100mph, comfy and bulletproof
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"he who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man"- Dr. Johnson

[hmmmnz]

a rd250!!!
cracing wee smokeys,
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/YAMAHA-RD-250-LC-GOOD-RUNNER-AND-OR-ON-GOING-PROJECT_W0QQitemZ130126324107QQihZ003QQcategoryZ9809QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
move like a cut cat, parts are plentiful, and resale is only getting better
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I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[Ted]

RD250 -Yes, I would consider it, I'll have a look for a few more...

GPX250 -Look a little bit 'superbike' like for me... I'm an old git at heart!

KLX250/KLX300 -I did think about a Dirtbike, but realistically I'll be using roads more than tracks.

EL250 -Good call, I must admit I like my mates 125 Eliminator, but I think yours looks a bit to 'clean' for me, I tend to buy wrecks and fix them up a bit. But PM me when you have stuck it on eBay so I can keep my eye on it

GOOSE 350 -I don't mind it being above the 'cc' spec I posted, I was just after a rough idea of what was out there around that engine size. However, I think it might also be a bit too 'superbike' like for me.

GN250 -Another good call, I took my CBT on a GN125, but didn't think to see if they made a GN with a larger engine! I'll look into that!

250 Superdream -I'll admit that that is one of the bikes I have been looking at on eBay! And I try to be handy with a spanner! Good call...

[hmmmnz]

if you like the dreams then go older, like the k 4s g5 ect
https://w1.bikepics.com/pics/2004%5C05%5C10%5Cbikepics-147902-full.jpg
and my G5
https://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g257/hmmmnz/DSCF0274Medium.jpg
probably go for the k series as the parts are interchangeable between all of them, where the G5 was only really made for a year or 2 so secondhand parts are harder to find.
but you can still buy everything new from davidsilver spares
right from new cams pistons through to random nuts and bolts
____________________
the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[colin1]

id recommend a yp250 or a ttr250 for commuting

thats a commuter scooter with big fairing and feet forward riding, and a dirt bike

make sure u fit road tyres to the dirt bike tho, offroad tyres are lethal in the wet on roads

both of these will handle much better for commuting in town than most normal road bikes because of the way they carry their weight

the scooter carries it low near the back wheel, and the dirt bike carries it in a narrow vertical bit between the two wheels

on dirt bikes you dont need the clutch to change gear, and the scooter is an auto

£500 could get you either

for a traditional bike, you could get a cb250 superdream, but it wont be as good
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[yambabe]

Hehe if you don't want my good one how about my shitter?

Bought a second one as spares for mine but it was too good to break. Himself was going to do it up as despite being a few years older it's a better spec model than mine but never got round to it. Non-runner, the engine turns over and has compression so he traced the problem to the starter motor but it never got fixed. Going on ebay tonight with a starter of £150 and no reserve.

Or if you want to go bigger I have a VT500 shadow with a blown headgasket and a ZL400 with some cosmetic damage that can be ridden away, same ebay terms. I'll be putting the links up in for sale later.........

https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a229/Yambabe/10062007109.jpg
https://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a229/Yambabe/10062007108.jpg
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[bish777]

MZ250

https://w2.bikepics.com/pics/2007/03/28/bikepics-844563-800.jpg
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GSXR1100J

[skida]

BSA C15. Especially if you are handy with spanners.
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Previous: Suzuki GT125, Honda C50, Honda C90, Suzuki GS125, Yamaha XJ600N, Triumph 955i Sprint ST, Triumph 955i Speed Triple, Triumph 955i Tiger, Triumph 955i Sprint ST
Current: Honda CBR600FR

[Ted]

BSA C15 -Spot on mate! Although I don't think there will be many going cheap, but I'll have a look for one!

MZ 250 -Looks alright, is 'MZ' the makers name? Is it any good?

@ babyyam -Does it start if you bump it?

@ colin -Not really into dirtbikes, and I rarely use a cluch anyway, and I should hit you for suggesting a scooter!

[skida]

How cheap?

Here's one:
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1966-BSA-C15_W0QQitemZ220122419453QQihZ012QQcategoryZ36092QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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Previous: Suzuki GT125, Honda C50, Honda C90, Suzuki GS125, Yamaha XJ600N, Triumph 955i Sprint ST, Triumph 955i Speed Triple, Triumph 955i Tiger, Triumph 955i Sprint ST
Current: Honda CBR600FR

[Spoon261]

I had a brand new MZ ETZ251 Fun from 1993 (one of the last from the MZ factory (east Germany), after that they sold the manufacturering bits to a Turkish firm = Kanui).

I did around 21,000 miles (in 12 years) and the gear box froze solid in 5th gear (ball bearing apparently). The bike was scrapped since the rebuild was hundreds of pounds more than the bikes value.

The bike was a 2 stroke, develops around 21hp, 243cc, my bike was the half faired version.

The MZ ETZ250 is the same engine, I think same frame, but it’s the previous model (1980s).

I then bought a 2005 Honda CG125.

I much, much prefer the Honda.

The MZ was totally designed wrong in every way.

The Chassis was from the old MZ 125, which was never designed for a 250 engine (their was a proper MZ Chassis back in the 70s and before). This meant the bike did not handle (was twitchy and could not handle the weight).

Their was hardly any weight on the front wheel, so a flattened piece of mud would through the bike off course (semi fixed by fitting lower handlebars).

The engine had been re ported to run on unleaded, totally screwed up the rev range, their were flat spots all over the place. The flywheel was reduced to almost nothing.

The bike had no power low down, the power and torque off the line was far worse than a moped (on a very steep hill could not get off the line).

The fairing was the only thing that allowed it to achieve high speeds, if you could get it to 70mph, it would sit their all day even against a very, very strong head wind. Problem was you could not get it to 70mph against a very strong wind since it had flat spots in the rev range, even using the gears did not get it to 70mph (so you needed to find shelter from the wind to get it to 70mph). The bike would not hold 60mph against a very, very strong wind since both 5th and 4th gear were at the wrong revs.

You could not use the high revs in 2nd or 3rd since the power was too harsh, had to change up.

[Ted]

[Ted]

@babyyam... whay do you have to live 200miles away! Otherwise I might be interested in that Eliminator...

[yambabe]

never mind eh, if I've got one (well 2, OK 4 ) suitable bike to sell there will be others out there too............

My "good" one could be ridden 200 miles with no probs I reckon, I've donemore than that on it in a dat over the last couple of years. It's still legal til the end of the month as well!
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[bish777]

MZs are fine if you reset the oil pump from 50-1 mix to 44-1.i
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GSXR1100J

[Spoon261]

[Ted]

So to some up, my favorite suggestions are:
-RD250
-EL250
-GN250
-250 Superdream
-BSA C15

Is there any others not already suggested that anyone can think of?
And does anyone, other than babyyam who is too far away, have any of the above in poorish condition for sale?

Cheers people!