best pre75 250

[frostype400]

Im after a bike to do pre 75 on im a suzuki fan but im interested in all makes ive been told to stay clear of a tm400 by many people and i have had mixed reports on mx250 im after a cheap enough but competitive bike i dont mind having to do one right up ive been looking at tm250's and they seem pretty good but seem to not appear often on ebay what do you reckon is the best and why thanks Michael.

[VMX247]

TM250 is
Light 
Responds well to a bit of engine work. 
Not the best handling pre75,but easy to sort out. 
There are about half dozen riden in our WA club. 
Generally cheaper,other bikes are/can be over 5k 
cheers 
S&A WA

[frostype400]

tm250 keeps sounding the go are the mx250's any good

[LWC82PE]

wouldnt a YZ 250 be better than MX 250?

the way i see it the MX is more like the TS suzuki with no lights and the YZ is more like the TM

[jimg1au]

yes a yz250a per75 would be better than a mx250 but i doubt if he wants to spend 5000.00 pluss on a race bike.
mx250a is much better bike than tm250 and ts is the same as dt

[Nathan S]

From what I've been able to work out, and I am talking in generalisations. Happy to be corrected though...

If you want the fastest bike, then you'll choose between the three Spanish MXers, and the YZ250A. You'll pay good money for the bike, and live with relatively difficult to find/expensive parts 'cause you know you've got the best bike on the grid.

The northern European MXers are half a small step behind in speed (ie: less than most of us will really appreciate), but generally a bit easier to live with in terms of durability.

The Elsinore is the next best bike, but the gearbox is A Big Worry, both in terms of breaking and getting replacement parts.

Then the TM250, which kinda seems to be a forgotten bike, so its probably a bit under-valued relative to how good it is as a race bike.

And then the MX250A, which is still worth considering because its so easy to live with - bomb proof, easy/cheap parts, etc.

I don't know where the KX fits in, 'cause you 'never' seem to hear about them. I know I don't have the patience to deal with old Kawi parts availability hassles for a race bike, so I haven't looked deeper.

Personally, I've got a DT250A that's basically at MX specs and a "DT175MX", both of which speak volumes about my ability/goals as a racer....
If the money was available (or I had the talent to justify it) then I'd have an Ossa Phantom and/or a YZ250 for sure, with the Montesa and CZ being seriously considered.

[Heikki360]

Husky Mag. Next question?

[LWC82PE]

i would get a TS 250 as no one really wants them and they probably would be cheaper than the TM 250. then spend the money on the TS 250 and you can make it better than the TM ever was

[frostype400]

well im only 16 and yes i definetley dont want to spend $5000 dollars im not fully serious in terms of racing i just want to do it for fun i doubt i would be at back of the pack but if i was it doesnt worry me either im not trying to get the best bike if i cant afford it the beauty with this type of racing is you dont have to update all the time all two strokes appeal to me but i dont want a dud thats why i know i might have to buy a bitsa and do it up which i have no problem with and i will consider everything but i know you guys have a lot more experience and rode these bikes new and are always very hepfull with knowledge and parts thanks Michael.

[cyclegod]

Like many on here, I too am a fat slow old bastard but with W.A vmx being run on grades and not capacity my fun happens by racing against similar skill level competitors on all capacity machines. I built my MX250 entirely from spare parts  (there are literally tons of spares out there to be had) for about $3000 and its a rocket even with my fat arse on it. If want to race for fun (which is most of us) start with a DT250 and add the MX parts to it on the cheap as you go a lot of blokes over here have gone that way check it out in the albums http://vmxwa.com/

Here's what's been said about my bike...

http://ozvmx.com/community/index.php?topic=1561.0

[LWC82PE]

if your really in it for the fun just get TS, strip off lights etc and away you go.

did you find that issue of VMX with firkos buget TS/TM 250 racer?

[VMX247]

We picked up two CR125 (smaller ,I know)Honda's for $1800 and built one out of the two...
Or you can get a mate to own a local rubbish dump like Quicksilver on this forum has.
happy searching   

[TM BILL]

# 1 RH 250 but they are a bit Pricey and spares availablity is limited
# 2 KX 250 very competitive Spares are available through a growing network  definetly be my chioce
# 3 YZ 250 as above but now becoming pricey
I dont know much about the Euros but a well set up CZ seems very effective.
In it just for fun , its already been said TS 250 great little bike pick em up for sweet FA , parts easy to get , ultra reliable , Ive owned 3 TM 250s over the last 5 years and i never could get them to turn. I sold all my TM 250s and now if i want to race a Suzuki in Pre 75 its the TS for me. I run a TM cylinder , pipe , carb and ignition and i reckon the TS turns better than the TM ever did shorter wheel base.
If you can find an A 76 model (i think there a flow on model but you better check) they come standard with Alloy rims and Rack & pinion clutch actuator . Throw away the silly push pull carb fit a chamber and go racing 

[Nathan S]

Here's a question:
DT250 vs TS250 as MX bikes?

I know the earlier TSes were stupidly heavy even when stripped down, but what about the later pre-75 versions?

[firko]

The year 1974 was without doubt the best in history for competitive 250 motocrossers. You'd be hard pressed to find a bad 1974 250 to be frank but the TM250 that some of you have proposed is way off the beam when compared to what else was available. Historically, prior to 1975 the Euros ruled the roost in the 250 class although the Honda Elsinore and Yamaha YZa were as good as anything else available. CZ were at the end of their competitive reign but were good, honest and reliable as Mums rolling pin and the Maico was slower than the competition but it made up for it in having the best handling and suspension.

My choice for the class would be Spanish. All three Spaniards were light, fast and a delight to ride. It's all down to personal preference of course but my choice would be the OSSA Phantom with a toss of the coin between the Montesa Cappra or the Bultaco Pursang for second choice. The Honda Elsinore is a good thing but like Nathan said, the gearbox is dodgy and parts are rare and expensive. The Yamaha YZ250A is a good thing but they're expensive and once again the parts situation, especially for concourse resto items is getting expensive. The MX250 however is one of those bikes that isn't the best, fastest or coolest but with a small quid thrown at it can be a nice honest racer, capable of winning if you are. The same with the TM. It's also a trail bike based machine, like the Yamaha but can be made to work fine with a bit of tickling. The Kawasaki KX is a good bike but they are rare, expensive and parts are now hard to find.

and live with relatively difficult to find/expensive parts 'cause you know you've got the best bike on the grid.

With respect Nathan, we've discussed the parts availability situation before and the supposed inavailability of parts for Euro bikes is a furphy. The parts availability for most Euros bikes is far better than for Japanese equivalents. The OSSA is an exception due to their limited release but the other Spanish machines, Maicos and CZ have no availability problems and the costs are more than competitive with the Jap stuff, especially Maico and CZ.

In the end, if you're good enough to win, any 1974 250 will do it for you. If you're budget concious (and what 16 year old isn't) pick an MX250 a TM250 Suzuki or a CZ. I suspect however that you are swaying towards a TM Suzuki anyway so even though I think they're probably the least competitive of the class of '74, it doesn't take much to spark 'em up a bit. Parts are available and they're Mack truck strong and reliable. If you get Grandpas inheritance, buy an OSSA Phantom.