Advice on RGV250

[wantser]

Hi there guys,

I have been offered a 91' suzuki RGV250 for little money, but have no idea what to look out for (other than cosmetics) when viewing the bike.

Any owners, present or past, that have any advice/things to look out for/querks as what to check when testing/looking over the machine.

It done about 21k and from the photos looks ok.

Any help would be great

Ta

Wantser
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An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field

[gavin]

all the obvious stuff really, check for signs of it being raced, accident damage, check the suspension linkages are ok, steering bearings, that sort of thing. rear sprocket hubs can crack at the bolt holes if someone has over torqued the bolts, rear disks warp but replacements arent expensive, front disks - check the bobbins arent worn and that the disks arent floppy on the carriers, they have been known to come off!! but only if they are really really worn.

the throttle cable adjustment is a bit of a nightmare, theres a trottle position sensor with loads of cables going in and out to the carbs, oil pump and powervalve motor, its important that this is set up correctly.

powervalves - for piece of mind i would take them apart and just check that they are ok. a worn pin means the blade can fall into the cylinder wrecking your engine. again, adjustment needs to be done properly.

they rattle quite a bit as they are, clutches are noisy till you pull them in too.

take it for a test ride, it should pull hard and clean to about 11.5k and the gearbox should be slick, make sure it dosent jump out of gear!


if looked after properly they are actually very reliable

[Josh|RD125LC]

Yes I would definitely check the powervalves. As Gavin said, If the pins are loose or fucked, they'll fall into your barrell and cause major damage.

Believe it or not, I took a trip to the breakers yesterday, and got 2 good condition powervalves for a tenner. These would retail at 50 quid at least for the pair I have got. These are for my RG and I'm so chuffed at getting them so cheap!
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Honda MBX50 | Yamaha RD125LC | Suzuki RG125F Lucky Strike | Suzuki GSF600S
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[wantser]

thanks for that guys; however......

Where will I find the power valves and how easy are they to take apart and put back. Not something I have ever done. Unfortunatley unless its an A series engine, my mechanics are rather limited!

Thanks

Wantser
____________________
An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field

[Two Stroke Bliss]

For all your RGV needs, the best bike forums in the world:

www.rgv250.co.uk

[McGee]

Its like a mini gixxer
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Its pronounced Jixxer!

[map]

From UMG (used motorcycle guide):

[Two Stroke Bliss]

After an RGV a gixxer feels like a sports tourer.


Get it! They are cheep to buy, easy to maintain (do little lots) loads of fun and not as unreliable as people say. Mines done 30000miles and going strong. It will teach you loads in terms of spanner'ing and maybe even riding skill. Can’t be lazy with gears or point and shot like bigger bikes.

[McGee]

You cant be lazy with the gears on any of the older gsxr's
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Its pronounced Jixxer!

[Gazdaman]

Find out when it was last rebuilt.

When the piston rings/pistons etc were last changed. If it's done ~20k on original rings then it'll need a strip down and replacement.

They're very highly strung and won't hesitate to blow up if you neglect servicing margins like that. Other than that, check it like you would any other second hand bike.

Wheel bearings, head bearings, all the lights, make sure it starts and ticks over ok, no crash damage.

If it's a cheap bike just make sure it goes ok, and it'll pass an MOT then you can't really go wrong.

Gaz

[bish777]

[VFR400UK]

Make sure it doesnt jump out of second gear when your riding FAST.

[matt0205]

just looking at sum pictures of rgvs do all the models come with kickstarts or do they have Electric starters as well

[VFR400UK]

All the ones that you are likely to find in the UK have kick start only, samegoesfor the RS250 (same engine).

[EuropeanNC30R...]

Corrected...

[Two Stroke Bliss]

The RS, VJ21 and VJ22 are all kick. But the VJ23 has an electric. Don’t let it put you off, it’s easy to kick (at least it should be). I’ve got my kick off at the mo and am push starting it everywhere. Sit on the bike, 3 steps forward, clutch out and it fires up (in 1st).

[killa]

It's like riding grenade
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[colin1]

My rs125 (sp) has a kickstart and although it can be a pain if the engine cuts out in traffic, I love kickstarting the bike b4 a ride.
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[Josh|RD125LC]

The powervalves are easy to take out and inspect. You just got to make sure that theres no chips in them, and just make sure that they're held together well, and show no signs of weakness. Otherwise they'll vibrate loose after a while and drop.

I went to the breakers yard on Saturday, and managed to snap up a pair of immaculate powervalves for a bloody tenner!! What a bargain huh?!?! They would retail at 50 quid for both at least, second hand. I bought them for my RG as the RG has two, RGV has four.
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Honda MBX50 | Yamaha RD125LC | Suzuki RG125F Lucky Strike | Suzuki GSF600S
RD125LC Pictures

[VFR400UK]

they are alot more expensive and harder to get your hands on that you might think.
They are also a twat to get at!

The easy set are upside down so you'll be fighting grivity all the way.the others require the removeal of the radiator.