I thought it time we put it out there for an in depth discussion about the pro's and cons of the best 250cc bike on the market, you don’t have to have owned one, it could have been made in 50's or the 80's, it really doesn’t matter. I will kick us off... The best 250 cc ever made is .......... I narrowed my choice down to 3 bikes before choosing a winner: The first is the legendary Suzuki T250, built before my time but the parallel twin blue smoker was cool to look at, hit 100MPH and still has the looks today. Suzuki sold them in spades. My second choice would be the mighty Kawasaki ZXR250, I have owned a heap of them, they rev like no tomorrow, handled exceptionally well with USD forks and the styling was killer, I always enjoyed owning them and still have one in the garage, mechanically they were so over engineered, I doubt we will ever see anything that rivals the in-line 4’s of the late 80’s and 90’s. My final choice is the mighty Honda NSR250, having owned one a while back, I found they handled exceptionally well, had neck turning looks. The NSR250 isn’t a commuter and when I owned it I did very few ride days as I was busy with life and didn’t get it into the hills as much as I should have, however on the times I did give her a run, the power was amazing, you would hit power band and it was like “tuck in hold on” My choice for the best 250cc bike is the Honda NSR250
Well I'll be showing my age here and I broke the first rule by not choosing a winner. I probably would have put the Suzuki T20 here but Kiffsta sort of beat me to it with the T250. So first the Bridgestone 350 GTO. I know it is not a 250cc but I just had to break another rule. This thing is an icon. The GTR has the downswept pipes but I like the upswept versions. Six speed, rotary induction, chrome bores, dry clutch. 1967-1970. They make tyres now. No party without punch. Kawasaki's S1, 250 3 cylinder 2 stroke. Because we can! Next the 250 Ducati Desmo. 1973 - 11,000 rpm and factory racing kit parts available. Dry weight 127kg. The camshaft grinds were atrocious. I used to grind the closing lobes down by hand with an emery stone. Otherwise they would chew rocker arms. To this day the internet is still full of clueless people saying 'Ducati rockers are made of cheese'; nothing could be further from the truth. They handled like nothing else and were lightening on twisty roads. There was also a disc brake model that had a 15mm master cylinder fitted, so it was like trying to squeeze a brick. Simple cure was to fit a Honda one (until Brembo 14mm items became available). The electronic ignition was surprisingly reliable but the wiring and switches were complete rubbish. Like most Ducatis, I would just rewire the whole bike and fit Japanese switches. I had a 450, but if I had a single again I would make a hybrid about 325. The bigger singles vibrate too much and are overrated. Followed by the RD250. Just for its refinement of the air cooled twin models. It's the gentleman's version of the mad two stroke. Then I would have to go for Kiffsta's vote on the NSR250. (oooh you are going to regret selling that) Finally the Honda CBR250RR MC19. Gear driven cams and its a Honda. I will own its big brother the 400 one day. I have ridden most of these, so they are the ones with the 'fond memory ' bias. cheers Blair
For me would be the XL 250 Honda I had back in the mid seventies. It was ridden to work, toured on weekends, was used in the bush and would do 140Km/h on the speedo down hill with a 15 tooth front sprocket. Was economical on the road (at sensible speeds), cheap for parts, tyres lasted well, was reliable and (reasonably) comfortable to ride.
I couldn't pick the winner out of Honda CBR 250RR MC22, Kawasaki ZX2R (ZXR250) or the Suzuki GSX-R 250. They all have that same amazing sound when they are on song. They only differ in small amounts but honestly I think it comes down to riders preference. I have owned an MC22 before and up Mount Glorious is some of the most fun I have ever had. I mean anyone can go 200km in a straight line. But leaning the bike through those tight corners and leaving the bigger cc bikes in your dust is just an amazing feeling.
If we're talking the best 250 ever made, I will say it's the Honda RC166 Moto GP bike. If it's the best 250 available to the public, I will say the Aprilia RS250,
It depends on your definition of best. I think the bikes I own are the best. Classic Motorcycle Mechanics last year stated on their front cover 'Yamaha TZR250 the best 250cc road bike'. In many respects I agree. It stunned the world when first shown at the 1985 Tokyo show. Sold from 1986 to 1990. Designed by the Yamaha race department rather than a committee like most bikes are. Wickedly expensive for the time due to it's high specification. Matt Oxley didn't even remove the blinkers when he used it to set the 1st 100mph lap of the Isle of Mann on a 250cc road bike. But even though it was a race replica style of bike it was still comfortable around town and you could even tour on it. The last of the all rounders. All later race replicas became single focussed race track weapons. In 1988 Yamaha brought out a more city focussed version of the TZR250 in the TDR250. Last year sold 1992. If best means the most fun then I cannot imagine any other 250cc bike that comes close. All the important stuff from the TZR250 but in a motard style with comfortable upright riding position. The high handlebars allow you to throw it around in ways that you cannot on a race replica. For nearly a decade it held the fastest point to point time through the twisty part of Performance Bikes test track. I often laugh out loud when riding it. But I decided on the final variant of the original TZR250, the R1-Z as my road bike. 1990 to 1993. For me it is the best for sporty around town riding with the occasional trip to the coast. Low seat height and broad power band mean it is ok for my wife to ride too. Everyone who rides one loves it. The highest performance LAMS bike on the market. My TZR250 My TDR250 My R1-Z
Totally agree... but some are not as fortunate as to have owned as many as we, hence why I opened it up to"ever"
