Classic Two Strokes

[KungFooBob]

I didn't want to mess up Skub's H1 thread so stated a new one.

70's and 80's Racing Death 250/400/350lc seem to be advertised as silly sums of money, I don't know if they ever fetch the asking prices.

I follow a couple of bike sales pages on FB and a Suzuki T500 popped up, in very nice condition for just under 4k. I had a look on t'bay and that seems to be about the going price.

Why no love for T500, were they shit?

[cheb]

The demographics of the buyer maybe, the T500 was the previous generation to the RDs.

[cheb]

MVX250's don't sell for much when they come up either.

[Skub]

Because we are in a period of belt tightening and while I see classic bikes advertised for big money,from what I hear the bikes aren't selling at those numbers. The coming days will tell. It's a poor way to invest money anyway,but if you buy what you fancy,then at least you have that.

I've always liked the T500,the GT500 not so much. I see them going for much less than other stuff deemed more collectable.That good if you fancy one.

[Taipan]

From memory, they were a big old heavy, slow-revving thing and were never popular even in their day.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

MVX250's don't sell for much when they come up either.

Because they're a bit shit, they have a reputation for seizing

T500s are heavy old slugs, the engine is basically two TS250 engines joined at the hip

[mangocrazy]

I remember the T500 as being quite the thing in the late 60s. It was certainly the Daddy as far as two-stroke cubic capacity was concerned until a couple of years later when the Kawasaki H1 500 triple was released, which was lighter, faster, more powerful, more sexy and consigned the T500 overnight to being a tourer.

[Tricky]

Because we are in a period of belt tightening and while I see classic bikes advertised for big money,from what I hear the bikes aren't selling at those numbers. The coming days will tell. It's a poor way to invest money anyway,but if you buy what you fancy,then at least you have that.

I've always liked the T500,the GT500 not so much. I see them going for much less than other stuff deemed more collectable.That good if you fancy one.

From memory, they were a big old heavy, slow-revving thing and were never popular even in their day.

Both of these are true- as far as I can gather the market for 70s/80s stuff has definitely dropped off over the last few years, but as Tiepin says, they were never great even back in their day.
I've ridden both the T500 and later disc-braked GT back in the day when the latest model RD Yams were air-cooled, and the T/GT500 was a very slow revving, low revving and unremarkable 2-stroke twin. Just didn't have the excitement factor of the smaller/lighter smokers, or the exotic sort of interest that the 3-cyls had- It was basically an old fart's sort of bike even back then.

[demographic]

KX 500s seem to be up for sale at silly money and there's less of the retards seling em (not for the fant hartid) by the spelling on the adverts.

[KungFooBob]

So what is the best bang for buck classic stroker?

[Mr. Dazzle]

So what is the best bang for buck classic stroker?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256127779873 ... Sw04dkoJhw

[KungFooBob]

So what is the best bang for buck classic stroker?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256127779873 ... Sw04dkoJhw

I'd rather...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204394816853

Although you'd NEVER find it after the first time I sat on it.

[Druid]

They were quite rare, certainly didn't sell in the same sort of numbers that the RDs and KHs did so there are fewer old gits looking back on them through rose tinted glasses. I think a lot of Suzuki 250 owners will have gone for the GT380 or 550 which were both better bikes than the 500. The RD 400 and 350LC were better than all of them and that's what the cool kids had.

I had a T500 for several years, it was shit and I wouldn't have another one as a gift. I'd have an RD400 though

[KungFooBob]

I'm searching t'bay for 'Two Stroke' now...

I dunno if this should be on the WTF thread...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/234917910245

[mangocrazy]

To be honest, the boat on affordable two-strokes sailed at least 20 years ago. There will be price fluctuations as booms and busts happen, but they're never going to be cheap again until all the old gits like me die off and all of a sudden no-one wants them any more.

[Yorick]

The most amazing bike I ever rode was an ex Kevin Schwantz RG500.
My good mate rode for Padgetts and I had a ride at Cadwell.

It was so insane I gave it back after 3 laps. I'd only just stopped racing so used to quick bikes. But this was an animal.

[dern]

KX 500s seem to be up for sale at silly money and there's less of the retards seling em (not for the fant hartid) by the spelling on the adverts.

I really need to get around to restoring mine at some point.

[Bigyin]

As its a 2T thread I actually rode a little 2T today and it was fucking hard work. Aprilia RS50, looks great to a 16 year old old but 5 gear changes to get to 30 mph and needs to be kept spinning in the upper rev range all the time so pulling out of a junction means a gear change before you even straighten up and so on and so forth ( pic from the internet as i didnt take a pic of the actual bike )



Kid did a CBT on a 50cc twist and go with me and he was not bad on a ped despite some obvious(to me) learning difficulties so a few weeks later dad rang me to say he had bought his son a 50cc geared bike so could i teach him how to use clutch and gears. Managed to get him over the initial fear and going up through the gears ok but he struggled with down shifts and the bike kept cutting out as well as i had to adjust the clutch as it was a brand new clutch and the place that fitted it left it with 3mm travel from the bar to bite point

I wound it out far enough to be useable for him but i think there might be more issues with the bike as it kept cutting out even when i rode it .....42 mph in top with me on it so illegal for a 16 year old as they are restricted to under 30 mph.

Dad asked me what i thought and i suggested let him ride a twist and go to learn the roads without the gears to worry about as a 50cc gears is a lot to deal with just to even get to 30 mph but his response was "if he can ride this thing then he ride anything" I suggested he needs more help and time but it seems dad thinks i have taught him the basics enough for him to develop himself ...i can see him lobbing the bike in the near future just because his dad wont listen

[cheb]

One of those half remembered facts: The width of the power band on one of Suzuki's 2T 50cc race bikes was about 200rpm. Possibly the 3 cylindered one.

[Dodgy69]

My mates recently acquired a gt 250. There's a US importer in Telford and apparently he gets some tidy bikes in.

He's about 64 and had one as a youth. Not seen it yet mind, but he takes it to a local bike meet and he says it runs well enough.