OzVMX Forum
Marque Remarks => Suzuki => Topic started by: firko on May 09, 2013, 10:58:12 am
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That old master of the sales spin, Arizona Mike has this clean Suzuki TS 250 for sale on eBay. He claims the bike is fitted with the rare factory race kit but that pipe looks to be a Yamaha GYT pipe to me. I have what I was told is a genuine Suzuki race kit pipe and it's a down pipe, nothing like the pipe on our AZ Mike bike. Does anyone (Doc, Stewy, Cyclegod )have photos of a proper race kit pipe or is this one the real deal and my pipe the imposter? If I get a chance I'll dig my 'race kit' pipe out and run off a couple of shots for comparison.
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/SuzukiTS_zps2a03a8af.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/SuzukiTS_zps2a03a8af.jpg.html)
1970 Suzuki TS 250 MX
The year is 1970 and Suzuki is determined to be the first Japanese manufacturer to win the FIM 250 World MotoCross Championship. Dominated since day one by the european factories like Husqvarna, Jawa-CZ, and Maico, the Japanese bikes are considered to be 'jokes' and have 'no chance' of overturning the mighty european makes. This just makes the Japanese even more determined, and the weight and resources of the entire Suzuki factory is brought to bear. They accomplish producing one of the lightest-fastest-trickest motocrossers ever built (RH70-71-72) and, with 'help' from one of the worlds greatest motocrossers ever to sit a bike, Joel Robert, they win the championship. No one EVER laughs at the Suzuki's again, as they have proven that they can build not only a winning machine, but a dominating machine to boot. The world now knows that Team Suzuki is a force to be reckoned with and feared.
Unlike their larger Japanese rival Yamaha that offered a designated motocross bike based on their enduro line up and equipped with GYT kit pieces (AT-DT-RT-1 MX'ers) , Suzuki only offered their high-po pieces over the counter to be added later. MUCH rarer than any of those Yamaha GYT bits, these Suzuki 'Hop-Up' kit pieces are almost impossible to find anywhere. You could upgrade your TS with MX ported cylinders, high compression heads, open stinger expansion chambers, 21" wheel & tires (the enduros all came with 19"ers up front), upgraded airbox internals & filters, bigger Mikuni carb, etc. In 1972 Suzuki launched their TM250 J with all these hop up pieces, and then some. But if you wanted to race a Suzuki 250 prior to those TM's, then this bike here is what you could build.
THIS BIKE HAS ALL OF THESE HOP UP PIECES. I did not add these, as this bike was found just like this. It came to me in pieces and I semi-restored to all original using all of it's VERY RARE Hop Up Kit bits that were already installed. This is a very cool bike in very good original shape. Fully stripped down for MX back in the day, includes all of Suzuki's over the counter 'hop up' pieces like cylinder, head, carb, pipe, 21" front wheel. A very neat bike, in excellent shape and very unusual. Just went through motor and installed new crank seals and rings at std. bore. This baby is fast & loud!! Vintage pleated seat looks great and is excellent. Vintage stickers on rear fender. Original airbox, oil tank, etc. Impossibly hard to find early TS Suzukis in this condition with these rare high performance bits included and still in place. Still running Suzuki oil injection system. Bike has NOT been repainted and is sporting ALL of it's original paint. COOL BIKE!!! and you probably won't ever find another one. A must for any Suzuki collection.
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If your down pipe goes up on the left side of 69-71 models it is genuine, I smell a Yamaha red herring on that bike pictured although I could be wrong
(http://www.kellymotodepoca.com/images/1970_TS_250_Savage_II.jpg)
Maybe the low pipes were for 72?
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/1969-1970-SUZUKI-TS250-TS-250-EXHAUST-HEADER-HEAD-PIPE-MUFFLER-TIP-/280807810833?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4161732711&vxp=mtr
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This bloke needs his own latenight infomercial ;)
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The Kit downpipe 8)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/26356_391622700738_2192518_n.jpg)
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I could be absolutley and totally wrong but i didn't think the down pipe become available until 71. Somewhere in my thick brain seems to think that!!!!
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My brother back in the 70's had an ex Alan Craig (boolaroo suzuki) early suzuki 250/hagon that was ridden by Don Howison beforehand ,it had that pipe on it -and probably the full kit ! it was on methanol and bloody flew :D pic of bike and pipe is on "classic dirttrack images" reply #87 :)
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I finally got a few minutes to drag the two mystery pipes out of the garden shed and run off some phone photos. The pipes were both donated when I was building the el Cheapo TS/TM Suzuki VMX project bike back in the early noughties. The '75 TS bottom end in the project bike was fitted with a '72 tm250 J barrel and head. I was told that the first pipe shown below was a TS Suzuki kit pipe and the other is supposed to be an RH74 250 item. I pretty soon discovered that neither pipe fitted the TM barrel. so I threw 'em in the shed and bought a Circle F TM250 pipe. I haven't had a good look at either pipe until today.
So....my questions are fairly obvious, is pipe #1 a TS kit pipe and is pipe#2 meant for an RH74?
The TS "kit" pipe
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/tssuzukikitpipe009_zpsd1073f85.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/tssuzukikitpipe009_zpsd1073f85.jpg.html)
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/tssuzukikitpipe011_zps6e61e091.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/tssuzukikitpipe011_zps6e61e091.jpg.html)
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/tssuzukikitpipe029_zps8b3de302.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/tssuzukikitpipe029_zps8b3de302.jpg.html)
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The "RH74" pipe
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/tssuzukikitpipe016_zpse16e6d74.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/tssuzukikitpipe016_zpse16e6d74.jpg.html)
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/tssuzukikitpipe020_zpsa677110d.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/tssuzukikitpipe020_zpsa677110d.jpg.html)
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/tssuzukikitpipe030_zpsa8e410e6.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/tssuzukikitpipe030_zpsa8e410e6.jpg.html)
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Unless I'm mistaken the kit down pipes for the TS all come out the LH side simply because this is the only way they clear the rear brake lever as on the TS it is under the frame rails.
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The "RH74" pipe
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/tssuzukikitpipe016_zpse16e6d74.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/tssuzukikitpipe016_zpse16e6d74.jpg.html)
Looks just like my stock TM pipe Firko. Comes out the RH side and even has the kick start indent.
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Craig, the odd thing is that it doesn't fit the TM exhaust port......I thought it was a stock TM pipe too but it was given to me by an RH owner whom I'd assume would know such stuff. ???
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Craig, the odd thing is that it doesn't fit the TM exhaust port......I thought it was a stock TM pipe too but it was given to me by an RH owner whom I'd assume would know such stuff. ???
Hmm .. maybe 400? or maybe it's been modified to suit something special?
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It's not a clear photo but this RH75 pipe looks pretty close, it's got the kicker dent in the same place.
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/SUZUKI_RH250_LTR_1975_zps1317d6f2.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/SUZUKI_RH250_LTR_1975_zps1317d6f2.jpg.html)
Or this RH74 is a bit clearer...but no dent so I really don't know, it doesn't fit my TM400 either ::) ::) ;D.
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/74RH250_zpsc36afd98.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/74RH250_zpsc36afd98.jpg.html)
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From memory, the up pipe is correct for the kitted Suzuki savage. I raced one on short circuit for the Mackay dealer when they first became available. I dug out an old scabby photo, but as expected was taken from the infield, so wrong side - definately up pipe though - my poor red wine scarred brain at least remembers that.
Mike
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Hi,
I bought a 69 TS 250 , orange diamond pattern seat, steel forks 19in front wheel and bought a Suzuki hot up kit , up pipe right side no muffler didn't have to, very noisy, , B O S
cheers
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So what it looks like to me is that the early TS models like Arizona Mikes bike used a GYT style pipe but the later TS's used the left side down pipe like mine and Docs. So my next question to my learned colleagues is....Why won't the TS kit pipe fit my TM 250L? Both TS and TM exhaust ports exit the cylinder on the same side and the TM and TS frames are very similar except for street brackets and bolt ons.
I'm still hoping someone can identify what I was told is an RH pipe. Should an RH pipe fit a TM ? When punters fit RH cylinders to their TM's what pipe do they use?
I'm selling both pipes fairly soon and want to identify them so I can list them correctly. ;).
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and the TM and TS frames are very similar except for street brackets and bolt ons.
And the rear brake lever which is also completely different on TM vs TS.
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id say that rh pipe is a rh75 pipe,look at the detail in the 75 pic blown up and the rm250/370 slip joint out of the cyl.johney o should be able to tell for sure or dave#6
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Geez Firko those pipes look like taipans are breeding in your backyard! J
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I think Tossa is right, and the "hop-up kit" with the downpipe came in with the TS250R. I worked in a Suzuki shop in the late 1970s and we had one gathering dust on top of the parts shelves. Must see if it is still there... I am not certain about the earlier TS250-IIs though.
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I think Tossa is right, and the "hop-up kit" with the downpipe came in with the TS250R. I worked in a Suzuki shop in the late 1970s and we had one gathering dust on top of the parts shelves. Must see if it is still there... I am not certain about the earlier TS250-IIs though.
Your on my Xmas list!!!lol
Also this was in the Ebay Finds section
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/AHRMA-Suzuki-TS125-full-factory-hop-up-kit-Classic-125-class-/190834929281?pt=US_motorcycles&hash=item2c6ea5ee81
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So what it looks like to me is that the early TS models like Arizona Mikes bike used a GYT style pipe but the later TS's used the left side down pipe like mine and Docs. So my next question to my learned colleagues is....Why won't the TS kit pipe fit my TM 250L? Both TS and TM exhaust ports exit the cylinder on the same side and the TM and TS frames are very similar except for street brackets and bolt ons.
I'm still hoping someone can identify what I was told is an RH pipe. Should an RH pipe fit a TM ? When punters fit RH cylinders to their TM's what pipe do they use?
I'm selling both pipes fairly soon and want to identify them so I can list them correctly. ;).
Mark, I'm no Suzuki guru, but look carefully at the exhaust exit/manifold on the later TM barrells (M & I think L models) compared to the early ones (J/K). If I recall correctly, they are quite diff to the early TMs & TS's & come out at a completely diff angle. I'd hazard the guess that thats the major cause of the misfit.
The other pipe does look to me like a 75 RH pipe, & if it came from who I think it did, he would surely be correct. Since the later TM exh manifolds appear somewhat similar to RH's, it may go close to fitting the late model TMs, but there's no guarantee the exhausts exit from the cylinders at the same angle (probably unlikely) - not to mention diff frame, shorter RH engine etc
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I have it on good authority (don't you just love that cliche :P) the early genuine RT (Race Tuning) kit pipe offered was the down pipe and also an up pipe option added at a later date. Just when that later date was is a totally grey area. JC is correct about exhaust angle change for the later '74/'75 TM250 compared to the early TM and all TS's. I'd also hazard to guess the 2nd pipe is '75 RH :-\
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That's correct the angle of the exhaust duct is different on the TS and TM, oldfart had some pics somewhere
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Thanks gentlemen....this is another example of this forum being the best vintage dirt bike brains trust on the internet.
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUZUKI-MUFFLER-EXHAUST-PIPE-PRO-1970-TS250-AHRMA-TS-250-OEM-PERFORMANCE-RARE-/400486438145 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/SUZUKI-MUFFLER-EXHAUST-PIPE-PRO-1970-TS250-AHRMA-TS-250-OEM-PERFORMANCE-RARE-/400486438145)
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http://www.vintagemx.us/cgi-bin/largephoto.cgi?C=HCnkM5J79P8R9QDk&w=4
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http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SUZUKI-TS250-EXHAUST-PIPE-HOP-UP-KIT-EXPANSION-CHAMBER-/151206503755?pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item23349c254b