It may be 30 years old but the 1989 Suzuki RM250 is still a seriously quick bit of two-stroke fun! MotoHead's Dave Willet takes the yellow flier around the Sellindsge MX track for a blast of nostalgia
My 2000 kx250 always brings a smile to my face- not only bc it's so fun to ride, but because I can get my dad to smile like a kid when we work on it, or when he rides it too. Retro shit, for life.
The eighties were the decade of MX bike evolution. The difference between a 1982 motocross bike and a 1989 was enormous. Every year, a different manufacturer would introduce a new piece of technology that made the rest of them look antiquated. This went on for the entire decade until it started to slow down around 1990. It was a very exciting time to be a motocross racer, to say the least.
The motorcycle industry does a great job of making riders feel like last years model is inadequate and slower in every way... Whereby in reality models change very little from year to year.
Indeed. Refinements... but overall, it won't change the lap times. Training and riding more will change the lap times and how long you can go. A new bike won't do that by itself. For example, David Pingree did a review of a carburated CRF450 2006 and conclude that he can do the same lap times with it than he can with the newest model. What is needed is a well adjusted bike in perfect shape, not necessarily the latest model.
@@robertlaube574 Starting in 2016, we finally started getting good again. I don't know if you noticed, but there is a lot of very good things happening in the world. The sportbikes will never look as good as a 916 Ducati or a 2001 Yamaha R1 1000cc sportbike. And no bike will ever look better than the 1980's motorcross bikes with the perfect symetry to every piece and part. But there are some good things happening, bad people are finally being removed from power, in a big way, and that means more fun and more money for all.
I raced a 89 Rm 250 back in 1990.. I loved the thing. I was only 13 and lied about my age to race in the adults 👌 the bikes back then had such character.. the Honda, Yams and Kawasaki all felt so different to each other. You was either a fan of one and not the other. I tried all 4 makes that year, but only gelled with the suzook and kwakers. Golden era.
Man... Brings back some great memories! Had an 87 RM250 which was the last dirtbike I owned :( and then got into snowmobiles. Nothing can compare though to the explosive power of the 2 strokes or being on 2 wheels; oh and don't forget that sweet smell of the Golden Spectro. Anyone remember Roost Boost lol.
I rode a 1993 rm250 from 2011 to 2015. I rebuilt the whole thing..it was a basket case when I got it. All my friends rode new bikes and I was right there with the old bike. They used to give he a hard time when I first got it together but after we rode there were surprised..
I dont know why but those curved back fenders on these 90s era bikes look MUCH better than the pointy ones we have today. :P It really makes the DIRT bike -look.
@@nonameinfl OH yeah whats up with that too! Looks like someone wanted to install an erectile dysfunction instead of proper front fenderto these new bikes :D
I've had everything from. 76 rm 370 to 88 kx 500 82 - 85 - 87 yz 490 84 cr 250 89 yz 250 rode friends newer 2 smokers.If these bikes are in good working order. You can go just as fast as anyone else on something newer. It's fun smoking people on newer shit.
Ive still got my 1989 KDX200, it sat in a garage for 10 years and started in less than ten kicks on the fuel still in the tank. The tyres had turned to concrete, but I rode them with no air on a 100 mile French offroad event.
Spare piston in the paddock? Hell, I raced a 1989 RMX 250 in state and national Hare scrambles every weekend for 6 years and never took the top end off. I loved my RMX. The pegs as stated were replaced... The suspension had to be tuned for me... It ripped. I retired it in 1996 with the purchase of a KtM 300 MXC. I'd take back either one today in 2019 and chase you through the woods.
had a '99 RM 250 and that was the best turning bike have ever ridden.. Drop into the rut, ride the outside of an offcamber.. that thing just STUCK, period.
Deck the head, porting, bigger carb, lightened flywheel with a timing adjuster and whatever personal pipe to shape the power that you like. Micro polish the gears. Alot more power to be had. Send the suspension out have updated internals put in, bigger brake rotors, aftermarket pegs. These bikes are still competitive, if you know how to ride them.
That's what I did to my 95 cr250. Bigger brakes, adjustable pegs, taller seat foam, forks from a later crf450, found a rear shock from later bike, etc. Every nut bolt and bearing gone through. Everyone that rides it is blown away that it's an older bike
Awesome to see others keeping on 89's. Running an 89' cr250r great bike first year with inverted forks for honda and it screams coming through every gear ready to lift that front end.
70s...beautiful? Maybe mid 80s like the 85 KX125 the 86 KX250 and 500, 1987 CR250, RM125 from 1981 to early 90's RM250 from 85...YZ250L and N and from 88 onwards. 1983, 84, 87 and 89 CR500......oh...and that beautiful 1986 KTM500, 86 onwards Cagiva......and Maico. All 80s Maico...and Husky.
That was the highest hp 500 85- 86 Road 2001 cr 500 at mosses lake at the dunes.faster out the hole than my kx 500.mine was better on top.Better be in shape.
@@brianjacobsen5762 For my rebuild I went with an 87+ prox long rod conversion and a cometic 5mm cylinder spacer due to lack of availability for the correct short rod. But its on a fresh bore 91mm wiseco piston, oem rebuilt crank with the above mentioned rod setup. 3 new trans gears, new clutch. Whole bike is basically new. Only been run twice for short heat cycles. Will start riding it next week after buttoning up a few small things.
@@berube361 I learned to really ride on my 89 yz250 road my friends 97 is 250 in the sand kx didn't wander yz did like riding a street bike on a groved freeway. Honda's Kawasaki stabler Suzuki Yamaha turn quicker. I sold all my dirt bikes .all I can do is dream .Your heat cycles are done. Gear up go out rip. Peace.
@@brianjacobsen5762 2 strokes will always be awesome, especially the ones not made anymore. Mine still needs a few little things address before I can ride tho, front brake needs bleeding as theres no way I'm riding a 500 with no front brake haha. And some other small pieces to put on. But hopefully end up the week I'll take it on its maiden voyage.
i just got a rM250 from 1997 :-) and i love it. i repaired a lot of parts and now she´s running like crazy. fro my first dirt bike i am very happy and hope to have a long time to come with her ;-)
The real magic of that era of rm was how glued to the track the front tire was. I'm betting on a tight track without huge jumps an old rm 250 would surprise modern 450's with it's cornering speed.the engine was just ok. Gear box silky smooth.
@@rigging1377 its all opinion based man some people like 2 strokes better, some like 4 strokes better. I'm a 2 stroke guy but you can't say one is better without saying why its better. each have their own pros and cons.
Motocross bikes were really ahead of cars and snowmobiles in the 80s and 90s. Not much has changed today. But if you compare a car from 89 to now its a world of difference.....
So was the 1993 RM250 faster than the newer ones? Because that sounds really extreme. I wonder if they detuned them at some point? I hear the early CR500 was much faster and had a higher, sharper power band and more peak horsepower than the later models.
I have a 89 RMX250 with relined bore , and maintained everything else . She leaves a lot of the new bikes behind ... Well we do . As for power comments below , if it don't rear up in fourth , it ain't tuned properly and you might wana stay on a four stroke nana 😂😂😂
Yep, that was my bike, bought new . Actually mine was a RMX 250....I put a competition kit on it, and rode all over up North MI. ...I WANT IT BACK...DAMN IT...!!! Remember adding wider foot pegs, skid plate, and bark busters
totally right i had a rm 125 1989 and it wasent anywhere near as fast as my kx 125 of same year or my first rm a 1985 rm 125j same with 250 rm cr kx or yz kick holes out of it
I've been on all sorts of mx bikes I current have a 98 cr125 I restored and built back up. Even the 125s are pretty wild bits of kit . Mines also road registered on a day time mot . Always fun nipping to get some milk on it 😁
Had one of these, and a 1990 too. Good bike, the footpegs destroyed boots though and used to sag. I modified mine, made them much wider, built up the area the sat on to stop them sagging.
I remember an article in a specialised magazine in 2004. They were comparing the 1994 CR 250 and the 450 CRF 2004. Result: the'94 cr250 was barely as efficient as the 2004 CRF450. That means that Motocross bikes do not evolves that much through the years.
@@hdrjunkie I have a roller chassis complete engine and a spare cylinder no tins"gas tank, fenders,side covers...if your interested in a project....from Wyoming USA 🔫🤠
@@hdrjunkie I'm disabled now....the last old bike of mine that I restored before I got hurt was my old flattracker a bighorn 350 kawi....the old Yamaha just sits at my buddies shop...
I had an 89 RM250 that I sold to my friend who still has it. I also had a 91 RM250 that I sold to a friend who still has that one too. I still have my 94 RM250 that I bought new and it still rips!
Cary O Phil Len Yeah man! Has good compression, all it needs is both brakes rebuilt, new back fender, and triple trees. Sure was a scary test ride without having any brakes 😂
Motocross got faster when fourstrokes started coming up, two strokes are dope and all like I motocross a banshee 350, but I’ve been working and saving up and I’m about to buy a kx450f, that thing pushes 60 hp, all stock, a 250 two stroke pushes around only 44, don’t get me wrong though, it all comes down to the rider.
@@2smokepipo812 So has the cost and the injuries More people have given up Mx simply because of cost no matter how good the rider is 4 strokes have been hugely damaging to Mx/SX
@@2smokepipo812 First of all the kx450f doesnt push 60 stock even from the engine, and what kind of a dumbass would compare a crank hp fantasy which cant be achieved stock to a probably lowest wheel-horsepower figure taken out of a brand new 250 2 stroke?
