'77 KH 250, would you buy one?

[RhynoCZ]

Today I came across a 1977 KH 250, for rather interesting price considering it's roadworthy and has got all the paperwork required for me to legally ride it on the open road.Approx. 1500 pounds (the exchange rate for Czech Crown is not that good at the moment) and the motorcycle is fully working, it would need new brake pads for the front caliper and some bits, but the engine is alright, as the seller claims, I would need to see it and hear it in person of course.

I've got 700 pounds just laying here and if I could sell my ZXR well, I'd be able to get this, but is it worth the money and potential problems? I do not know much about two strokes and I've never seen/worked on a triple before. Not even on a two stroke twin.

How reliable and easy/cheap is it to keep the good times roll? I want to ride it, not push into a barn and wait 20 years to gain some ''aged value''. Reading the specs, this is not that kind of bike, you'd buy even though you'd knew it was gonna need rebuild every season.
If it was a 500cc or even a 750cc, I'd buy it right away, but I just do not know with this one. This is also not a bike an average rider would like to have, so if I get bored of it, I can't see getting my money back any soon.

So, what do you think? Any owners, thoughts?

Displacement: 249.00 ccm (15.19 cubic inches)
Engine type: In-line three, two-stroke
Power: 26.00 HP (19.0 kW)) @ 7000 RPM
Top speed: 138.0 km/h (85.7 mph)
Compression: 7.5:1
Bore x stroke: 45.0 x 52.3 mm (1.8 x 2.1 inches)
Fuel control: Port control
Cooling system: Air
Gearbox: 5-speed
Weight incl. oil, gas, etc: 175.0 kg (385.8 pounds)

https://images.tipmoto.com/t/i/274/274247_1.jpg

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https://images.tipmoto.com/t/i/274/274247_8.jpg

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https://images.tipmoto.com/t/i/274/274247_10.jpg
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

It's the rubbishy kind of thing I might be into, but no - I wouldn't buy this. There's a couple of cb250rs on ebay at the moment for not much more which I personally would be more interested in. Not that I prefer 4t 250s - I don't. But the 250rs is a bit different. I do remember the KH250 sounding pretty crisp though. So it's got that going for it.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[stinkwheel]

My Dad has a 350. Essentially the same bike with a bigger engine. I rode it into work for a couple of weeks when my bike was off the road.

They are a sod to keep running right, tend to overheat and seize or oil-up on the centre pot. They are VERY thirsty with fuel. They chew up sparkplugs at an alarming rate. The chassis is utterly inadequate for the power/torque they produce, bending and flexing under you as you power-on out of a corner.

Don't get me wrong, they are great fun but I wouldn't have one as my only transport. It would be as an occasional toy. They are fun but in a "I don't know what's going to happen next and I'm going far faster than I ought to be far faster than I thought I would." kind of a way.

If I was going to have an air-cooled 70's 2-stroke. I'd have one of the Yamaha twins. An RD400 for preference but the 250 and 350s are also pretty reliable. LCs are also great but silly money these days.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Polarbear]

For that money I'd have it, but only as a Sunday ride. No good for every day use.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[RhynoCZ]

Alright lads, I get the idea, thank you for your input. I won't buy it.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[andyscooter]

I would




Its the sex
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[andyscooter]

I would




Its the sex
____________________
gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[pepperami]

KH 250?
rode many in the day and yes they were 10 on the smile gauge

True they did eat plugs and foul a lot and the front caliper was scary in that it would tell you nothing until it bit so hard you were going into stoppie mode .
My GT250`s were more reliable and that`s the truth, not as much fun though.

Loved my time on them, but would`nt have one as a regular ride
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[MCN.]

I'd buy one for the noise but an RD250 or late model GT is a better bike. Also they are dog slow (Except the Very early pre KH models).

[stevo as b4]

I'd buy one as a project, but a 350 or 400cc triple is regarded as better and not too powerful for the chassis like the 500's and 750's were.

I'd want to go all through it mechanically, and I would also want an electronic ignition conversion, as keeping three sets of points in adjustment would be too much ball ache, and if you didn't bother then holed pistons are likely.

A cheap KH as a bitsa project or something to dare I say Café racer would be my choice, but I'd never spend a fortune on an original resto on one, if I could have a 250LC or even X7 instead.

[-Monty-]

If I had £1,500 already set aside in a "Sunday Bike" kitty then I would certainly consider it because "Two Stroke Triple."

Would rather and LC though.
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Present: [Kawasaki ZX7r][Suzuki DRZ 400s]
Past: [Honda PCX 125] [Yamaha RXS 100] [Honda CB 500] [Triumph Speed Four] [Honda ST1100 Pan European - Po-Po Edition]

[-Monty-]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

I thought we were talking the eight hundred quid mark? Imo that's alright for a decent 250rs.

edit - not sure why I thought we were talking 800 quid. Huh. Well anyway 8 or 900 is a fair price for a non-shagged cb250.
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[badgermat]

If I weren't on the other side of the world, I'd have that in a trice.

Couple of my friends had them back in the early 80s.

One was a fabulous but flawed 1978 KH, with dodgy electrics (held together by tape solder), and worse carburation. It finished up in a ditch due to weird handling and crap tyres.

The other was an utterly shagged and tragically "customised" 75 S1 (read awful expansion pipes and clip-ons, and worse rattle-can paint) with a drum brake. We stripped it to component parts as a joke while the owner was at the pub.

They sound incredible and are actually quite pleasant to ride if you're prepared to nurse them along and can put up with the odd handling.

bm

[Islander]

I rode a few KHs in the 70s and didn't think that much of them. Not as quick as the RDs, nowhere near as reliable and overall crap crap handling.

If I wanted a 2 stroke from the 70s I'd go for an RD400 every time.

[Iain.]

Do want!

You should buy this bike.

[mentalboy]

[tony_d123]

I have owned and ridden triples from 250-750 for 35 years, so I will give you the proper answers rather the old wives tale and Internet nonsense.....

[RhynoCZ]

[mentalboy]

Aaaw, you highlighted the price specially for me, you really didn't need to...
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Make mine a Corona.

[N cee thirty]

[Ed Case]

I'd definitely buy it and get it back to total originality, these Kawasaki three-cylinder two strokes of any capacity are going up in value.....and they're going to continue doing it. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

[Ed Case]

.......and I'd buy a cheap CB250RS off ebay as a 'user'.

[RhynoCZ]

I can see the future value of the KH, but I'm not too keen on having a motorcycle like that at the moment. Definitely not as my the only one bike. I like the rarity of the KH, but keeping it alive wouldn't be easy, nor cheap.

When you talk about CB250 RS, what's so special about this one? Seems to be like an ordinary 80's twin.
On the other hand, a CB250 RS-Z (R), would be an interesting item to have.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[G]