Suzuki 250 road racer help

[Freakshow]

HAte to brake it to you mick after all these years,  but that was a bloke in the check western shirt. 

[Mick D]

HAte to brake it to you mick after all these years,  but that was a bloke in the check western shirt. 

 

I meant the beautiful girl in the marone top, she became my wife, and the good looking rooster with the red protective racing sloppy is yours truly

The Suzie was being straightened up again after another of its many, many lay downs

The second picture was taken by my wife. Poor darling used to shake uncontrollably every time she got off the back of that Suzie

[Marc.com]

Its not factory race bike like TD/TZ or TR but modified stocker essentially, it also would not fit much in the way of historic racing and be fast. however the frame, wheels and running gear are cool period items that would be a shame to break up. As it stands you can pick up basket case TZs for $2000 so some place about $1500 bucks would be fair, though you may bump into someone who remembers it back in the day and then more.

[Mick D]

Its not factory race bike like TD/TZ or TR but modified stocker essentially, it also would not fit much in the way of historic racing and be fast. however the frame, wheels and running gear are cool period items that would be a shame to break up. As it stands you can pick up basket case TZs for $2000 so some place about $1500 bucks would be fair, though you may bump into someone who remembers it back in the day and then more.

I reckon that hits the nail on the head pretty square.

I believe the two fifty I pictured was a very underrated bike. I latter owned a couple of T500s', a Cobra and a Titan to be correct. Sure they used growl, but the 250 was tight and precise around twisty stuff and would leave its big brothers and every other mammoth for dead, including the police.

[Mick D]

Mick...I bags the HK Belmont!

 

Ah the memories the memories Firko. I loved the old boys car, when I grew up I bought a two door Monaro, that exact same colour.

[trailietrash]

Its not factory race bike like TD/TZ or TR but modified stocker essentially, it also would not fit much in the way of historic racing and be fast. however the frame, wheels and running gear are cool period items that would be a shame to break up. As it stands you can pick up basket case TZs for $2000 so some place about $1500 bucks would be fair, though you may bump into someone who remembers it back in the day and then more.

I'm not sure of the rules or Classes for Historics in the USA but here in Aus it would be a very competitive bike in Period 4. With TZ's and RD's not allowed to race in P4 the Suzuki's are sort after as well as the TD Yamaha.
A T250 came second to a TD last year at the Historic Championships at PI. Not too shabby for what was a road bike running against a race bike. With a few mods they can be reliably fast.
Suzuki had a lot of bad luck and not much success racing the X6 and TR250's in the USA with some 2nd and 3rd places but no wins with their team bikes that I know of. In 1966 it was the 250 Harleys that were beting Suzuki  without a Yamaha in sight.
No luck here in Aus either with its bigger brother the T350 taking 9 of the top 10 places at the 6 Hour with 1st place taken by a Yamaha.

I would have a grin like a Cheshire Cat if I had found this 
 

[Marc.com]

I believe the two fifty I pictured was a very underrated bike. [/quote]

Yep and the motor went on to power the 250 X7 the first of the 100mph proddy bikes. But the game changers were the TD/TZ Yamahas, they completely dominated road racing through the next decade or two. I guess if you have a racing class for it then it is well worth doing something with.

[GD66]

Its not factory race bike like TD/TZ or TR but modified stocker essentially, it also would not fit much in the way of historic racing and be fast. however the frame, wheels and running gear are cool period items that would be a shame to break up. As it stands you can pick up basket case TZs for $2000 so some place about $1500 bucks would be fair, though you may bump into someone who remembers it back in the day and then more.

I'm not sure of the rules or Classes for Historics in the USA but here in Aus it would be a very competitive bike in Period 4.

No mag wheels or rear discs allowed in P4, trailie. And that GT750 front disc would be 1973 as well. So, still of some interest, but all in all a P5 bike.

[cappra]

I have heard from a fellow that has told me that most of these conversions were done
by a shop called Ocelot Engineering, north of Los Angeles.   I do remember the name,
but have been unable to find any information on them.  He said these bikes were built
in the late sixties.  I thought they were from the early seventies.   

[Curly3]

My father built a T20 250 road racer that was ridden by Ray Curtis and later, Billy Macdonald.
All I know of it was that dad machined his own cylinder heads but I was too young to know what else he did to it.
On it's first outing at Bathurst, Ray had a big lead in the Senior, 500cc, but couldn't stop it at the end of Conrod.
The Suzuki factory were at that meeting with their own bikes and wanted to buy dad's bike to take back to Japan, anyone who knew my old man would know that he was pretty strong willed, but he wouldn't part with it.
Billy won the Production race at Bathurst one year on Dad's Cobra, they were a bloody good thing.
I've got a T20 in the shed that I'm thinking of Twingling and turning it into a pre 70 Dirt Tracker.
I've got a photo somewhere of the 250 in the Pits at Bathurst with Billy & Dad, I'll post it if I find it.
I'd love to get my hands on the bike.

[Marc.com]

I have heard from a fellow that has told me that most of these conversions were done
by a shop called Ocelot Engineering, north of Los Angeles. 

Didn't Ocelot also used to do a shock lay down kit for dirt bikes.  Anyway mags, front brake and Airheart seem early 70s. Last ditch stand by the Suzuki racers perhaps to field something competitive to TD Yamaha. Make kind of cool classic track day bike, garage decoration ... or race bike if you just want to have a good time.

I think it is a shame relegating bikes to the back of the shed just because they don't fit a current race class or they aren't the fastest thing available within the rules. Riding something uncompetitive gives you a lot of opportunity to blame the bike  

[trailietrash]

I've got a photo somewhere of the 250 in the Pits at Bathurst with Billy & Dad, I'll post it if I find it.
I'd love to get my hands on the bike.

I would like to see that photo too when you dig it out of your archives SlideRulz 

No mag wheels or rear discs allowed in P4, trailie. And that GT750 front disc would be 1973 as well. So, still of some interest, but all in all a P5 bike.

you are right GD66, no mags in P4 that does just makes the frame look good  .... but that GT750 4ls front brake that was listed on Ebay.aus a few weeks ago that didn't sell for $750.00 would have made this a great P4 bike.

I wonder which Country that brake ended up in

and Marc is right the TZ dominated racing on the track, from GP down through to club racing, for many many years

[Mick D]

It was back on and went three days ago for $480



One just went in the states a couple of days ago too, think for $450. They come up allot in the states.

I have been looking at quad shoe brakes for the last few months for my P4 125 Maico. I reckon most would agree Quad shoes look great on old roadies.

Can use a CL350 disc for P4, but it just wouldn't look right. So I am endeavoring to keep it euro, but Grimeca quads shoe brakes aren't cheap.

The new 32mm Ceriani front end arrived yesterday, decent shoe front end soon I hope. And then through rego.

[Mick D]

Pretty difficult not to drool while your looking at these, but there 9" drum ID so a bit out of proportion in a 16" flanged mud catcher.



Pretty freaking groovy but

[GD66]

It was back on and went three days ago for $480

One just went in the states a couple of days ago too, think for $450. They come up allot in the states.

I have been looking at quad shoe brakes for the last few months for my P4 125 Maico. I reckon most would agree Quad shoes look great on old roadies.

Quite good money, they're hard to get hold of here as some un-named South Australian and NSW gents use them with dodgy replica backing plates and have got them thru on P3 Hondas as a sort of replica. I have one in my roadracer but I'd have thought it'd be a bit heavy for a 125 Mick. Bloody good brake when well set up, though...