At least in the USA, the two-stroke engine was winding down in the mid-1980’s, as the State of California ratcheted down emissions, and the Federal Government applied the fleet concept to motor vehicle manufacturer’s emissions. The final few years were a hodgepodge of catalysts and evaporative emissions canisters, but the sweet handling bikes were quite…
In spite of its tiny displacement, by US standards at least, the Aprilia RS250 is not a toy. The RS50 on the other hand? Possibly a toy. But a very serious toy: this may have the displacement of a scooter and may not even require a motorcycle license endorsement in some states, but it’s a…
Unfortunately, today’s tasty little two-stroke Suzuki RGV250Γ SP is short on photographs. It’s another of the raft of recent imports from Japan, and details are scarce, but the price may have you reaching for your mouse anyway. The RGV250Γ replaced the RG250 in 1988, swapping out that bike’s parallel-twin for a more modern v-twin that…
Not your mid-morning workout, but a race-prepared two-stroke with a 12,000 rpm redline. Recently brought out of storage and re-bodied, this bike has spent its entire life at the track, and though well used, still has a lot of fun left in it. 1999 Aprilia RS250 Cup for sale on eBay Meant for racing and…
With many lightweight sportbikes now flirting with the edge of 25-year import rules, I expect we’ll see more and more bikes like this Yamaha TZR250 up for sale in the next couple of years. Road and track weapons designed to keep pace with Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki in the viciously-competitive 250cc class, the 1989-1990 TZR250…
An update of the earlier 1988 MC18, the 1989 Honda NSR250R model saw evolutionary changes to the bodywork and styling of this small-displacement sportbike. But the most impressive feature was the highly-evolved PGM-II electronic control unit. As brutally simple as two-strokes are in concept, there is real art in the tuning, and Honda’s PGM-II orchestrated…
Monday morning brings us yet another whippy little “you can’t get parts for it” two-stroke ripper. This RG250Γ is one of only a couple I’ve ever seen for sale in the US, and it’s in striking Walter Wolf blue and red colors as a bonus! The little Gamma doesn’t have the mini-modern sportbike styling and…
In the first year of a varied run that lasted until 1996, the Honda NS250R was a race replica 2-stroke that was related to a caped crusader over at Honda Racing Corp. Capitalizing each year on developments made to the 250 Grand Prix racer, the NS250R improved each year and was presented in many different…