5 Classic 250 Trail bikes from the 70s

[@bobw7066]

I bought an orange TS 250 SAVAGE in 1973, I still ride it on regular outings. I am eighty years old and still enjoy getting bugs in my teeth. From Australia

[@bikerdood1100]

Good on ya

[@user-mf1wt6cv9k]

Right on man. Keep going strong!

[@peterdoe2617]

That's truly great to hear! Greetings from the far north of Germany!

[@shawndouglass2939]

More power to you, keep it up my friend :))

[@rickwaldron4255]

I had a savage there good bikes..but they had timeing chain trouble for me .the idler pully would ware fast except fir the timeing chain they were good

[@christopherhamm1574]

I had a 1975 XL250. That bike was bulletproof and loads of fun. Wish I still had it.

[@bikerdood1100]

They do have that reputation As long as you change the oil regularly your golden really

[@travelwithtony5767]

I had the 500XL..it was a beast but very heavy..the 500XR was purpose built for “scrambling” so was much lighter and more nimble.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@@bikerdood1100 This is how I can tell today, that this channel is not just another YT bot channel. You can actually have a conversation about specifics in reality. A AI bot does answer, but they can't quite converse with knowledge very well yet, and probably can't until none of us know what we are taking about. :)

[@psalm2forliberty577]

Me too, a 1976...great ride !

[@pumkinbreath]

72 tc 90 dual gear box was the high light of my childhood

[@whalesong999]

I worked at a Kawasaki/Suzuki dealership in NY from '68 onwards and the introduction of the newer Suzuki line in '71 was the TS250R "Savage" along the TS125 and the TS and TC185. All TS models had five speeds with the TC having an internal dual ratio switch with a lever on the left hand side. I jumped from OSSA in '71 to Suzuki TS250 and had two, one set up for enduro riding (silver medal at the '71 Berkshire International in Massachusetts). The Suzuki was an excellent machine with few quirks. Commuted on the other TS for over 6 years until I changed occupations.

[@bikerdood1100]

Good to hear from an owner

[@RealHooksy]

I have a TC185 with the dual ratio gearbox and a TS 185 in the shed. They make great pit bikes, and we often take one with us when out camping or at race meets. The TC even has electric start. They make a great “catering vehicle” with an esky strapped to the rear rack. It’s easier than carrying an esky (cooler) full of beer. There’s millions of them out there sitting in sheds and they usually fire up with little effort even if they’ve been sitting for years.

[@ralphorr8138]

I had a Suzuki PE 250 in my younger years, it had a wicked power band and was not a bike for the amateur rider. Twice it through me over backward when climbing a hill as it hit the power band close to the top of the hill 😮and well it was a race to which the bike or me would reach the bottom first. Both times the bike beat me to the bottom and avoided hitting me as it pasted me. I also had a Honda 250 Eleanor, a very rear beast these days and worth quite a bit these days. Wish I had kept it now.

[@wsbill14224]

Liked my 1977 TS250 except the 6V ignition. The lights suffered until 78 with 12v ignition.

[@savage22bolt32]

Why did you switch from OSSA to Suz? I had a '70 Savage & a '71 Pioneer. Then in '73 switched to Bultacos.

[@jeromeclark8619]

I have an old Puch 175 trail bike that I would love to see a episode of, or any other European trail motorcycle's that where available in the 1970's

[@bikerdood1100]

Interesting idea

[@OKFrax-ys2op]

The golden era for trail riding in the USA was 1970 to 1980. Being 13 in 1970, I enjoyed riding in the woods. I had lots of different bikes of the time, but if I had to pick one that didn’t own, well it would be a Hodaka Super Rat, got to love that chrome gas tank.

[@bikerdood1100]

Hodaka was not something we saw in the UK to my knowledge

[@alanerickson3075]

I know that Hodaka built a 250 but I never got to see one let alone ride it.

[@Milo_Minderbinder]

What a nice collection. I'm a fan of these 70's trail bikes since I was in my teens. Funny fact: Kawasaki came up with a retro copy of their early KL250 about 20 years ago, called the TR250. Unfortunatelly no success. Maybe ahead of its time.

[@bikerdood1100]

Little bit early to the retro party by the sounds of it

[@fredtracy3931]

North America was robbed of 2 Kawasakis: the 250TR, and KLE500.

[@pb51-d8f]

Your off on the year of the Yamaha, 1968 was the first year. At least in the US

[@bikerdood1100]

Not in Europe according to my research at least

[@derekdingwall]

I remember having a DT250 enduro and wasnt over impressed tbh ,much prefered the Suzuki TS185,good to know there are still some about though👍

[@bikerdood1100]

Good to hear the opinions of owners

[@dougbloom3672]

My father had a Yamaha DT-1 250 He hotrodded it with expansion chamber and race head with compression release. I miss that sound.

[@bikerdood1100]

Not a sound I hear too often these days Shame

[@Patshes]

I remember all those bikes here in SA🇿🇦 except we never had the Harley. I had an exact copy of the Yamaha 250 only in 400 cc . It had the XT 500 frame only it was a 2 stroke . Of all the bikes I had it is the only one I would like to own again. A rocket in traffic. There was also the Honda 250 Elsenore watch was the one to have those times.

[@bikerdood1100]

Only ever seen a couple myself which probably explains a lot

[@chicobicalho5621]

Missing from this list is the best 250 cc bike of its period; the amazing Husqvarna WR 250, which I had the good fortune to own one, a 1973 model that still runs beautifully today, with my grand-nephew, who gets an enormous kick from using it in the streets of São Paulo, Brazil. But he had to adapt the silencer, because the stock one made the bike realy noisy!

[@bikerdood1100]

Er is a motor cross competition bike so a very deferent machine. You could pop done to the shops on a wr Well not legally

[@victorboucher675]

Suzuki ... pointless sparks. The 4 strokes were top heavy. TS 185 best ever.

[@bikerdood1100]

Well the 185 was lighter a good on the dirt But on road a bit short in the trouser department

[@upsidedowndog1256]

I bet all were fun in intended use! I was a huge fan of Honda's Elsinors, the 125 and 250 were a lot of fun on a track even with minimal travel suspension.

[@bikerdood1100]

Simplicity is often best on trails Less to break

[@bikerdood1100]

@@charlesharper6421 yawn 🥱

[@bikerdood1100]

@@charlesharper6421 that’s nice Unfortunately the title is 250 so would seem odd to include a 125 now wouldn’t it ? The video is not about MX bikes either We ain’t talking competition here so why mention them, competition bikes are a different thing Road bike Moto GP Not the same but both run on road 🤔

[@martydavies7198]

@@bikerdood1100 bikerdoll you are a killjoy. Charles can mention his biķe if he wants, he's still talking motor bikes isn't he? What's your point or did you just need a grizzle.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@@bikerdood1100 My family and I moved to rural Michigan in the summer 1974 when I was 10 years old. We bought the place, (Good 2-bed house on 80 acres for 24 grand. Let that sink in.) 2 years before in 72, and just visited in the summer for those 2 years. I met all the local kids because they all had bikes, (Yamaha mini-enduro GT 60-80 being the most popular by far for 8-12 year old kids). My Dad did buy our first bike when we moved, (My brother and I, but I bought the rest of my own), and his judgment was effected by the $300.00 price tag for a 2nd year left over Honda CL100 (4-stroke totally street bike). Now, my story gets funny. Within the first summer, even though the bike never broke down and I never worked on the engine, I discovered I was a much better mechanic naturally than I was a rider, because in that summer for my first year trail riding and making my riding mistakes,---I removed the blinkers, mirrors, head light, speedometer, tail/brake light,------------------------------with no tools. :) Doug in Michgian

[@mrsilbo6499]

Really enjoyed this video. There were some cracking 1970s Italian 250 dirt bikes too - Laverda 250 Chott, plus Gileras, Ancillottis, Fantics etc.

[@fredtracy3931]

I would like to see a video of those!

[@bikerdood1100]

Difficult because there isn’t a lot of video around for some of these bikes I’ve looked

[@unclequack5445]

If it's all the same to you, the 79 XL 185-250-500 S models were some of the best all around bikes Honda ever produced.

[@bikerdood1100]

Didn’t say they weren’t

[@ktm42080]

I'm a fan of the older bikes, for sure. But a word on suspension and brakes, I have 2 twin shock bikes that rival the monoshocks and if you were careful drum brakes aren't all that bad. 😁 I have a 71 Yamaha RT1 360 with drum brakes and the power influences you to be very careful. Ride on ✌️

[@bikerdood1100]

Drums were used because as indicated in the video discs were useless in mud, 70s Japanese disc breaks couldn’t cope with a little rain. The power of breaks is dictated by the ability of the tyres to grip and Classic off road tyres were some way behind those offered today so having powerful breaks would have just caused lock ups. This is why pre war bikes in Europe had poor breaks Crap rubber on wet cobbles = lock up and slide

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@@bikerdood1100 I bet that is a underestimated factor, the tire quality of the day. Another factor my be is what I heard Rick Johnson say when Honda started producing their MX bikes with disks for retail sale. Now I don't consider RJ a great communicator of technical information,but i do know the front was done before the rear. RJ stated that it was hard to find a nice modulation for the rear disk, but I say that is something we get used to. I was perfectly fine with a 2 finger disk brake in the 80's and 90's, and took 18 years off to get a new 2019 YZ250 2-stroke. It has much more power than I will ever need in one finger or 3lbs of foot pressure. That would have been rejected in the late 80's I bet, but we got used to it,--like tall bikes and ape hanger bar set-up's. Joking, but I am actually thinking about putting a small air bubble in the brake lines. :)

[@jamesadams2334]

The Harley was scrap from the start, the Yamaha with the reed valve, 1972 onward was a good bike and easy to ride offroad. The Suzuki was much like the Yamaha but a little harder to ride due to the lack of the reed valve but the early, non-reed Yamahas and the Suzuki engines were very much the same although, the Suzuki handled better than the pre '72 Yamaha. The Honda and the Kawasaki four strokes were just lame and heavier than the others. Combine that with the lack of power just made them a lot less desirable.

[@bikerdood1100]

Their four strokes , not diesels , the weight difference is less than you imagine and the power difference nonexistent. Less desired, sales figures seem to say otherwise

[@trevorbrew9472]

What about the Bultaco and Ossa bikes? Had many many of them.

[@bikerdood1100]

All in good time

[@adrianrouse5148]

And montesa

[@trevorbrew9472]

@@bikerdood1100 Don’t forget the Frontera Gold Medal MK10. Went like a scalded cat! One of my favourite bikes. Should never have sold it. But needed a new driveway at the time.

[@fredtracy3931]

No Montesa?

[@bobschuster63]

My first/favorite was the Yamaha 360 Enduro, go anywhere , pull stumps whatever you wanted. !

[@bikerdood1100]

Sounds a very useful bit of kit

[@martiniv8924]

You learn something new every day, never knew they went to a 23” wheel on the XL250 … I know in recent years the motocrossers experimented with 20” front wheels/tyres

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

Honda used the same size front wheel on the XL 500. It really didn’t do anything good - except limit the tire choices. As far as I remember, only Bridgestone supplied tires in 23”.

[@bikerdood1100]

It seems a strange choice, I assume they had their reasons but it is not good news for tyre choice

[@tevie54]

Honda claimed it helped going over pot holes and deep ruts where the smaller wheels would drop in, when they first came out several tyre manufacturers made 23" tyres for the Honda because they sold so many of them, here and in the USA. These days only Bridgestone make them and if you want to keep the value of your XL you have to keep the 23" front wheel, I've still got a spare wheel and tyre from when I had mine somewhere in my garage.👍

[@TheBlueDogMan]

I had a 1980 Honda XL 500 S with that 23 inch front wheel. Never hindered me but I don’t feel like it was an advantage either. It lasted just those three years for the 500. I do remember in 1978 with an XL 250 S came out I thought it was absolutely stunning.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Recent years? I remember Sebastian Tortelli using the wider 20" front hoop on his Factory Honda in the USA about 25 years ago. Time flies,------------ when we are getting old, huh. :)

[@johnsamson9889]

When I turned 16 in 1978 I bought a new Kawasaki KE 250 (2 stroke) with money I'd earned working on nearby farms, (1USD/Hr.). I have no complaints, it was reliable and the brakes stopped the bike just fine. Thanks for the video Dood.

[@bikerdood1100]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@chopperenduro6590]

I have a 75 DT250B & 76 DT250C , the C has 700 miles & is mint , l last rode it around Mid-Ohio Vintage Days a few yrs ago . As a kid in the 70's l saved paper route $ & bought a new 74 DT100A , couple yrs later l traded it back to Yamaha for a green 77 DT125 which at 16 yrs old was my wing's to explore the backroads & woods of lndiana , l moved on to RM's & racing from 78 til now but have had a sentimental love affair with those old 70's Enduro street/trailbike's , l even have a mint 700 mile 75 DT100B .

[@bikerdood1100]

Good to hear, keep on riding

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I know 2 good ones that are missing, maybe shopuld be in the top 5? 1) A mini bike that started it all ion the USA, the Yamaha Mini-Enduro 60. 2) A popular Honda, the SL models (similar to the XL models). That was a pretty popular bike also. But just about every field and meadow in rural USA in the 70's, had a Yamaha Mini-Enduro 60 making trails through it. :)

[@bikerdood1100]

Thanks for sharing!

[@charliepatterson9321]

I could smell this video . And it smelled like good times from days gone by

[@bikerdood1100]

Or two stroke oil

[@charliepatterson9321]

I love that smell . Bel Ray was my favorite .

[@RealHooksy]

I had a 1977 TS250 and rode it to school once I turned 16. What a brilliant bike that was. I rode it everywhere and often with a mate on the back. A bright yellow freedom machine. It would easily beat the Honda 350 in a drag, and was a passable trail bike despite the dodgy suspension. It was my only transport until I got T-boned by a Ute, but it was still going even after that. Albeit a bit bent, like my leg. Great times.

[@bikerdood1100]

Hopefully the leg healed ok

[@RealHooksy]

@@bikerdood1100 yes I was back walking in 3 weeks and working again in about 10 weeks. Pretty good for a compound fracture of the tib and fib. A steel rod helped. I’ve since broken the other leg on my dirt bike, but that’s another story 😂

[@bikerdood1100]

@@RealHooksy oh dear 😅

[@colsmith7257]

You bring back memories, I had a KL 250, it was in pristine condition when I bought it, I saved my money working after school. I raced my friend home through the forestry. After a party on the coast, totally unlicensed and unregistered, we went different routes home. I was draining every ounce of speed out the bike 140km plus LoL. I forget the track turned 90 deg LoL. I experienced weightlessness, the next thing I saw was a white light, man I thought this is so cool, I'm in the after life. Leaving a forestry track at that speed meant a head on with a 20 year-old pine trees. Man was I pissed of concussion for about 3 days. LoL. Kids today just have mobile phones, how sad, no wonder they're so messed up. Living in the forestry riding trail bikes was the best

[@RealHooksy]

@@colsmith7257 good times. I started on a hand me down ts100 and rode that thing all around my neighborhood before I got my license Col. I lived on the edge of suburbia and had a gully across the road which led to farm paddocks and wasteland. I would get home from school and ride it til it got dark, and sometimes after. It was my first work vehicle, as I used to ride it to babysit my younger cousins in the next suburb over. Great times. Every time I do something stupid nowadays like riding my bike where I shouldn’t it reminds me of those days. I’m glad I’ve never grown up 😎

[@waynerichards2944]

And you didnt have to be 10 foot tall to ride one unlike today..

[@bikerdood1100]

That is very true What is it with modern bikes Who the hell designed them like that

[@alanerickson3075]

Here in Canada the best 70's 250 trailbikes were the DT 250 Yamaha, the Honda CR250 Elsinore and the bestof the bunch Bombardiers 250 Can Am, the Can Am was the only stock 250 trail bike I ever rode that could break the 100 mile an hour barrier, those Rotax engines were fantastic.

[@redtobertshateshandles]

I had a Can Am MX6. Agree about the motor.

[@bikerdood1100]

Dam those Austrians 😂

[@PatrickTowers]

@@bikerdood1100 were they made thier?

[@dereksmith6126]

I rode a TS250 in the late 70s for a while and I loved it. I then bought one in the 2000s for nostalgia purposes. Don't know what happened, but I found it slow, tiny and boring. I'd grown maybe. Anyway I found a replacement soon after, a BMW 1150GS, now that was more like I remember the TS was in the 70s. Weird how the mind works!

[@bikerdood1100]

Quite a difference I’d definitely plumb for the 250 off road over a BMWs truck

[@dereksmith6126]

@@bikerdood1100 That's for certain. Fell off the GS in Spain off road, had a job picking it up with a dodgy knee!

[@DennisMerwood-xk8wp]

@@bikerdood1100Another good video. Thanks for posting it. Halycon days! But, respectively my friend, and I don't want to sound condescending, none of these bikes in your video are proper "trail bikes". Call them "Enduro" bikes if you want to be kind, but realistically they are just "play" bikes for the family and kids on weekends. Where our club road trails in the mountains of Western Washington State in the USA, all these bikes would have been hopeless. Especially on those low-traction dual-sport tires. Off-road trail bikes need knobbie tires. And don't need turn signals.😵‍💫 It was not until 1977, after the success of the 1976 IT400C, that Yamaha expanded their line to include the IT250D. For the next two years of the 1978 (‘E’s) and 1979 (‘F’s) the Yamaha IT line earned an enviable reputation as proper "trail" bikes. The Yamaha IT250 was the gold standard of affordable 1970's 250 trail bikes. The Suzuki PE 250*, released in 1976, a close second. (The superb Kawasaki KDX175A1 did not come out until 1980. Honda's first capable "trails" bike, the XR250R, did not come out until 1981.) Along with the Suzuki PE's, the Yamaha IT's were the ONLY showroom stock 1970's "trail" bikes one could get a gold medal in the International 6-days ISDT trials. That is, if you were good enough.😁 *British Trophy Team riders Ted Thompson, Ernie Page and Brian Higgins all rode PE250B's to Gold in 1976 in Zeltweg, Austria.

[@burkestorti4586]

My first motorcycle was a 1968 Yamaha DT1 250 Enduro. It served me well for a year, then I sold it & moved up tp a 1969 Kawasaki H1 500 Mach III.

[@bikerdood1100]

A very different machine

[@michaelhartzell9758]

I had a XL 250S with the four valve head and 23inch front wheel ( which I changed to 21 inch for tire selection ease ). Great bike, not for everyone to start and did great wheelies!

[@bikerdood1100]

They all had 4V heads The 23” tyre was a mysterious choice on reflection

[@vincecarnevale4406]

I was surprised there wae no mention of non Japanese trail bikes,Ossa,Bultaco's,Hodaka's,(Japanese)rather than main stream middle of the road enduro's.

[@bikerdood1100]

All in good time Is Harley Japanese?

[@fredtracy3931]

Maybe he will do a second video. No mention of the Can-Am T'NT 250 either.

[@erickriebel4366]

I had a brand new 1971 Kawasaki 350 Bighorn 2 Stroker. It was too heavy but it had awesome power and I had more fun with that bike out in the woods it could do almost anything other than climb a tree

[@bikerdood1100]

Bit of a beast then

[@erickriebel4366]

@@bikerdood1100 it was a great trail bike however if I had it to do over I would have bought the Yamaha dt250 they were much lighter more nimble however I had bought several motorcycles from this Kawasaki dealership and one more what's the thing to do with the time

[@guiltygearcore]

I love the sound of a 2 stroke engine.

[@bikerdood1100]

It is a thing all of its own

[@guiltygearcore]

@@bikerdood1100 indeed.

[@briancooper562]

My route for off roading was Honda XR 185, Yamaha DT 400 (rubbish motor), Yamaha IT 425, (later stolen), Yamaha IT 250 (due to gearing it would not hold 70 mph, It could go faster then 70, but at 70mph it came 'on pipe' and would accelerate in top gear.), BMW R80 Paris-Dakar + big tank pack, KTM 400, KTM620.+ PD tank.(again stolen) and it was the second only in the country. later retrieved damaged.

[@bikerdood1100]

Varied range of bikes but clearly your are has a crime problem, that’s terrible luck

[@clem56cc61]

Fun to see a couple bikes I owned in the 70s. Y 72 Yamaha 250MX, and a 74 Honda XL250. Put 10k miles on the Honda. Reliable.

[@bikerdood1100]

Pretty solid things those XL

[@SH-lu4co]

Sadly I “ traded up from a moped to a AMF 250 Harley in late 70’s an absolute disaster went through 3 engines in 18 months and I wasn’t thrashing. Had to travel to buy “reconditioned engines” twice. Do an oil change and find bits of roller bearings. Sometimes would kick start and engine would run in reverse causing much amusement to friends. Along with dodgy electrics imho the worst bike I had. Traded up to a Honda 400/4 what a revelation

[@bikerdood1100]

Oh dear the ANF period bikes seem to have been notorious in all capacities

[@andrewrouse9204]

The Harley dirt bikes were made in partnership with Cagiva if I remember correctly truly unreliable in the electrical department as with most Italian machines of their time...

[@bikerdood1100]

@@andrewrouse9204 they were not made in partnership with Cagiva Had you watched the video I explain the history The were built in Italy by Airmacci, I know it’s spelt wrong Who Harley went into partnership with in the 60s, hence those Harley singles of the period and the world championships winning 250, all Italian Harley brought the motorcycle division out completely before AMF sold the plant in Italy to Cagiva at the end of the 70s Phew 😥 The video does explain all this I think 🤔

[@unclequack5445]

The reviews by SuperHunky on the HD SX-250 things like: Shock springs that would have faded on a busy barroom door, Electrics that would have had problems lighting off a .049 Cox model airplane engine, Handled like there was a hinge bolted in the middle of the frame. Ahaa haa aha ha ahaa....

[@bikerdood1100]

Shame really Which all explains to crap sales figures

[@TheBlueDogMan]

Dirtbike magazine was always too harsh on the Enduro bikes of the era. That’s what we called dual sport in the 70s.

[@2264ish]

Of the bikes I really miss the nice padded seats something that is hard to find on modern trail bikes.

[@bikerdood1100]

Why I wonder ?

[@Ds-xi2sq]

I would like to see the 1970's 125cc or 175cc ... Such as the Honda SL - Kaw F7 - Suzuki TS185 - Harley SX 175 - Yamaha DT 175 - Hodaka 175 - and what ever you can get your hands on ..example Penton - DKW ect...

[@bikerdood1100]

Well I recently did one on smaller trail bikes which did include some of these bikes

[@Ds-xi2sq]

To be honest here, after i sent this off to you i was looking through the videos on your home page and yea i seen those, MY BAD ! ... If i may i'd would like to see the Yamaha IT's and why they were such a hit in the 70's , ... were those yz's with a light kit , wondering same with the MR 1976 Hondas .Great Vids !! TY @@bikerdood1100

[@bikerdood1100]

@@Ds-xi2sq no worries Will do something similar soon

[@Backrun]

With a few upgrades to engine and suspension the Yammy and Suzy made savage off road bikes with the Hondas I preferred the xl185 to the 250 better in the muddy stuff lol

[@bikerdood1100]

Bit lighter the 185

[@xt225]

Thanks. How about the xt225 Serow?

[@bikerdood1100]

Well not a 250 but nice little bike

[@xt225]

@@bikerdood1100 I meant you could do one on that bike.

[@adrianrouse5148]

Had three of these the yamaha was all torque. The suzuki had a bit more power band. The Honda motorsport was bullet proof. If you changed your oil. . I like the proper enduro bikes. Not dt but it. The pe suzuki. The xr Honda. I have a proper hooligan maico Gs . Can't go very far because of the fuel consumption. But a great laugh.

[@bikerdood1100]

Blood hooligans 😂

[@kevinjovin463]

That Harley just plain sucked

[@bikerdood1100]

They don’t seem popping It was an HD so Standard 😂

[@KevinTurner-hr1wg]

The Harley was a joke my buddy had one, an Italian bike Aramachi badged as a Harley.

[@bikerdood1100]

Believe I say that in the video

[@KevinTurner-hr1wg]

@@bikerdood1100 yep you did.. worth repeating, my buddy had the 80cc Legerro and the 125cc Rapido and a street bike 350 Sprint, were all junk but his old man was an asshole and hated "Jap Bikes" and his son had to have a Harley.

[@howardwilliams7399]

If not already done do a vid on the IT series from Yamaha.👍🍺

[@bikerdood1100]

Hmm 🤔

[@itsallabouttheridekeepingi4449]

Sports touring tripples( Triumph Tiger 1050 and 1050 Sport , Benelli 1130 Trek and Yamaha Tracer 900 Tracer 900 .

[@bikerdood1100]

More than enough for another triple video there

[@itsallabouttheridekeepingi4449]

@@bikerdood1100 thanks 🙏

[@Phiyedough]

I had a Honda 250RS from new and it was a good bike, quite a bit lighter than the Superdream.

[@bikerdood1100]

A lot lighter than a superDreamer near 125 size

[@derekp2674]

I acquired a used 250RS for next to nothing after the 125cc limit came in for learners. I had to pay twice as much to get a Honda CG125 for my then girlfriend to learn on. As soon as she passed her test she changed her insurance to let her ride the 250. That became her favourite bike, at least until we got a V50 mk2 and then a Katana 650. I still rate the 250RS as one of the best bikes I ever owned, because it was agile, fast enough and reliable.

[@motsigman]

rode all of these, only the Honda ever really impressed

[@bikerdood1100]

Interesting 🤔

[@ronwhite8503]

Seeing the prices now I couldn't afford to buy one!

[@bikerdood1100]

The world has gone mad Wait a few years and with the number of younger riders in rapid decline I think the bubble will burst and no bad thing

[@bryandouglass9997]

I had the a 1974 XL 250.....it was a tank...I rode it everywhere....never a problem. My trail group had a DT 175....DT 250....CL 360.

[@bikerdood1100]

Yet not particularly fast but very easy to live with Which is bloody important

[@Kickstart500]

Great memories there! My uncle had the Suzuki TS 250 he brought back from Japan.. my brother had the xl250..

[@bikerdood1100]

Nice hope they got a lot of fun out of them

[@easy4steve]

what about the early yamaha YZ models ? i had a YZ80 b and later a YZ125c . cheers great videos . cheers Steve/Australia

[@bikerdood1100]

I’m working my way down the capacity range

[@whalesong999]

IIRC, YZs were not trail bikes but motocross racers.

[@icemonAesDana]

very nice. how about suzuki big singles? cheers.

[@bikerdood1100]

Or just very big singles 🤔

[@icemonAesDana]

@@bikerdood1100 yes indeed...i must admit i have a bit of a thing about em

[@GPgundude]

Great video! Thanks for Sharing!!!

[@bikerdood1100]

Thanks

[@TDBash]

why bother showing the first HD SX250? it was a low pipe street bike NOT A TRAIL BIKE! GEESH GET YOIUR FACTS STRAIGHT IF YOURE GOING TO POST INFO VIDEOS!

[@bikerdood1100]

Well golly Gee Yaaall 😂

[@yeldog11]

Another great video. I'm surprised the Honda MT250 didn't make the comparison. Keep the video's coming. Thank you.

[@bikerdood1100]

Well only one bike per company so something has to give

[@haleyy68]

@@bikerdood1100 . I agree. The mid 70s MT 250 was a great bike.

[@jimtitt3571]

From the viewpoint of an off-roader of the time. The 250 Yam was killed by the 175, a better bike in all respects especially when they went over to the monoshock frame, the 400 twin shock was streets better than the monoshock version as well as somwhere in the conversion it lost 10hp. The XL250 was junk in all respects and the Kawa just heavy and slow. The Suzuki had a good engine but the frame broke.

[@bikerdood1100]

Well two strokes were just about done as larger capacity bikes by the end of the 70s. They could have developed a water cooled engine to improve performance but sakes by that point probably didn’t justify it

[@4thdimensiontravels855]

That 1st Harley is badass.

[@bikerdood1100]

Is quite a pretty thing Very rare now so can fetch high prices

[@tedholvey2271]

Thanks for your video on 70's enduros.. My brother & I bought a 1972 Yamaha DT-2 250 Enduro, I still have the bike, pretty good condition. I put a knobby tire on the back & a high mount plastic front fender, took off the turn signals, and had a dirt bike I could ride to the trails around our town & then ride home. That bike never let us down, had a lot of fun on that bike., Has the original front Enduro tire. Yamaha made a 90cc, 125cc with electric start, 175cc, 250cc, & a 360cc, all models had a different color gas tank, I could tell the model just by the color of its tank. My 250 hasn't been started for 10 years, but I bet it would start in 4-5 kicks. Thanks again for the memories.

[@bikerdood1100]

The essence of the bikes in the video Ride it anywhere, go anywhere useful machines

[@PatrickTowers]

thats when seats were kind

[@bikerdood1100]

Well kinder

[@gntdriver2840]

I think those Harleys were never really regarded as pukka trail bikes,they were just the SST250 road bike (like one of the ones in the video)with an upswept exhaust,a high front mudguard and trail bike type handlebars fitted and i'd bet they were the least used off road of all trail bikes. Many didnt even regard them as true Harley Davidsons Nice bikes they look though

[@bikerdood1100]

That’s Harley fans SST isn’t a proper Harley Sportsters are a girls bike No wonder they’re going down the pipe 😂

[@carlarthur4442]

Still believe that 250s should be back on the market for learners , once they've done their C B T they make more sense , if your a person of a certain size or weight a 125cc is not practical, I was brought up on 200cc and 250cc in the 60s we didn't have C B T then but I do understand why it was introduced for safety reasons, but once that was completed you should have been able to ride upto 250s , nice bikes all of them , enjoyed your video thanks

[@bikerdood1100]

I do agree a 20 to 25 hp 250 wouldn’t be much faster but would ride much more like a full size machine than a screaming 125

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I which Harley would have stuck with it, and produced MX bikes in the USA. I am not sure if they could. I know the rest of the industry had their hand in destroying Cannondale when they tried. It amazed me back in 2001 when MXA just massacred that bike in a test 6 months after I turned down a job at Cannondale, (I toured the bicycle and motorcycle factories, 3 miles apart). I had been reading MXA since 1976, and I never saw them destroy a bike manufacturing effort like they did in that test. I think that is the year when the best of MXA died, and all the opportunity Cannondale was offering us. If they would have offered me 10 more grand,--I would have taken the job, and been screwed. There was no where else to work for manufacturing in the area. MXA helped kill some good opportunity in the USA.

[@bikerdood1100]

All very emotive, but it’s also possible the bike was floored there have been near misses aplenty in the Uk too

[@rondaking382]

You forgot the 1969 Kawasaki 250 Sidewinder 2 stroke!

[@bikerdood1100]

1970s One make one bike So I didn’t forget I just kept if for another time

[@ml5955]

Thanks for the vid. My dads first dirt bike was a 1969 Suzuki 250 Savage. He bought the bike on the day of my birth in 1971. Two years later he bought a used 1972 TM 400 Cyclone. My mom go into ridding too, and got a 1974 TS 185. I learned to ride on the 185 in the early 80’s at Jawbone Canyon Ca.

[@bikerdood1100]

That’s what we like to hear, a family biking together

[@curtekstrom9531]

My Dad being A Yamaha dealer from 1968 to 1990. I got the chance to Ride a lot of the Enduro bikes from the Mini Enduro 60cc to the DT400. Still own my '71 125 and '73 360. Keep turning down offers to Sell.

[@bikerdood1100]

Bit of a Yammy man then

[@nordland2235]

My first motorcycle was the orange yamaha dt 250....my 2nd was a suzuki rm 400...it was a monster.

[@bikerdood1100]

They do have that reputation

[@larryfromwisconsin9970]

I had a Suzuki TS250 Savage in the USA as my daily commuter in the mid-1970s. It did ok on the short ride at 55 mph on the Interstate everyday and was fun to trail ride on weekends. Unfortunately if I rode it hard in the dirt and fell down every time the chain would jump off the rear sprocket and slam into the neutral light cover, breaking it and dumping out all the oil in the transmission. I would be pushing it home. I traded it in on a street bike. In retrospect I probably could have cured the problem with new sprockets and chain but it was just easier to trade for a street bike.

[@bikerdood1100]

Maintenance is the word

[@bradrook3919]

I rode my friends TS 125 Suzuki it had a lever on it that would shift the counter sprocket for lowering the gears for off road riding...my first bike was a brand new AMF Harley Shortster 65 cc...It was terrible compared to the Honda 70 or 50..the shift lever was that weird linkage like the Moto Guzzi...it broke almost immediately on first trail ride when a branch popped up and destroyed it...not at all impressed with it but was still fun... Also was given a Yamaha DT 250 Enduro because the guy said it wouldn't run I put new points and a plug in it and it served me well as a trail bike...I love this era of bikes...but then I'm getting old now..my Heros where Roger DeCoster, Tony Dee, Brad Lackey, and Marty Smith...back in the day..

[@bikerdood1100]

😎

[@zuteckcybercross7051]

How about the 1974 xl350. In modern day VMX. Old fats racing. Nothing can touch them. And can easy be bored and stroked to over 500cc

[@bikerdood1100]

Well worth a inclusion in say a mid sized video but not a 250 so I wouldn’t include it here of course

[@macroevolve]

I wanted a Kawasaki KE 100 Street & Trail...called Dual Sport now.

[@bikerdood1100]

They do indeed

[@adhdrebel982]

Kawasaki Bighorn / rotary valve two stroke side mount carb three way adjustable front axel wheel base . Sort of riding a two stroke bulldozer brutal low end a bit heavy , Yokohama super digger in rear made difference in the slop..

[@bikerdood1100]

Nice 👍

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Since the largest opportunity in any industry is at the beginning of the industry, (and every industry was started by more free people), if AMF/Harley could not find success in the mid 70's, they were doing a lot of things they should not have done. Not competent enough.

[@bikerdood1100]

Er Ok 🤨

[@gradocchio]

Funny, in the early 70's those bikes were considered quite inferior to Bultaco, Husqvarna, and other Euro bikes..

[@bikerdood1100]

By the 70s Bultacos best years were behind them Th3 company didn’t reach the 80s unfortunately

[@fanman4230]

I can't seem to find any trail bikes these days. I learnt to ride on a Yamaha XT 125, moved on to a Honda XL 500 RC and finally a Yamaha XTZ750 Super Ténéré. OK the last one isn't really a trail bike as it was f*****g huge but was a fun ride in the style of a trail bike. On any other style of bike, I just look wrong. It's been over 20 years since I last road and I'm now retired and thinking of becoming a born again biker.

[@bikerdood1100]

Can’t imagine not riding Problem started when the companies managed to pursued a bunch of rich idiots that bigger is always better And Shazam GSs for everyone And very few actual off road capable bikes

[@tallone6ft7in]

The last thing the Harley SX 250 is, is a classic. Harley did try some interesting things with their MX team. The classics are the DT, TM, Mt, XL, and Kawi's. I had a 72 Kawi 250 enduro. It was okay, but I wish I would have gone with the DT.

[@bikerdood1100]

Well I always like to drop a wild card in Don’t want wall to wall Japanese now do we 😂

[@robinbrowne5419]

That's weird. Only Harley Davidson got their colour right - black. Harleys are black. Hondas are red (with the classic gold wing on the tank :-) Suzukis are yellow with a black stripe. Yamahas are blue or white and Kawasakis are lime green. Were these manufacturers colour-blind back in the 70s. Anyway, awesome and fun bikes :-)

[@bikerdood1100]

That’s definitely a thing

[@sidecarbod1441]

5:07 My mate had a Suzuki TS250, he carried out a full nut and bolt restoration on it, his friend re-sprayed Ferrari's for a living, he sprayed the tank and other parts, I rebuilt the engine, I ported it and spent along time sorting out the squish and getting the compression right, we had to run a rear sprocket with 4 teeth less to stop the engine over revving, my mate turned up and my house one day on the bike with a big smile on his face, he had just 'blown' a Harley into the weeds on it! It was actually piston ported BUT also had a set of reeds running from the inlet track into the crankcase. 10:50 I had a KL250 as my backup bike for when my 350 LC was in pieces (quite often!) The KL could not pull the skin off a rice pudding, it was an absolute slug of a bike!

[@bikerdood1100]

Sounds like lots of fun

[@davidskaar3232]

1972 rode to Webster City Iowa and traded in my 1972 TC90 Suzuki for a new 1972 blue TS 250 savage dirt bike.

[@bikerdood1100]

That’s a fair old change

[@malcolmthorman9126]

Bsa made it into the 1970s with the b25t, the very pretty oil in frame 250 victor, Ive got one on the bench at the moment, the front wheel is 3x20, made for BSA by Dunlop, very hard to find now!

[@bikerdood1100]

I had a 69 Starfire I found some modern tyres a reasonable fit If it’s a 20” rim then that’s a buggerance really

[@tinataylor9411]

Can you do a video on the 1972 suzuki ts 90 and the 1970s suzuki ACC 100 and if possible the 1970s honda CD 175 and the 1966 honda S90

[@bikerdood1100]

Already planning one on 90s because it’s such an oddball capacity

[@stevefiacchino7565]

good video but I'm bummed that you just skipped over the earlier Kawasaki 2 strokers and jump to the KL's? The KE250 is an awesome ride!

[@bikerdood1100]

All in good time

[@charleswinters7129]

When I was about 13 years old we were at a marina on the Allegheny River. It was a hilly climb to leave on dirt roads. You had to wait till it dried up to get out in a car. They had camping there also. A little girl got a bite by a copperhead. Our next door neighbor had a Savage 250 that was his son’s bike who wasn’t there. I started out learning to ride on a mini bike at four years old and went all the way to a couple of state championships in MX. Also a suspension development ride for Honda. I said I could get her out on the Suzuki. I had a Suzuki 90 at home and had rode the Savage 250 a few times. It had a set of knobby tires on it. They decided to let me try. an ambulance and police would meet me. I made it out on muddy roads and went at least 10 miles on paved roads till I met the ambulance. They took the little girl. A State Trooper just looked at me, walked around the bike. I said what do I do now. He said you rode it here. Ride it back. I thought I might of been in trouble. I rode a few wheelies on the way back. At the time it was the most powerful thing I had rode. Later on the CR 500 with Mitch Payton motors made it seem slow.

[@bikerdood1100]

CRs have a scary reputation Deserved I believe

[@jimmiller1510]

My first real motorcycle was a 1970 Suzuki TS250 Savage. 😎

[@bikerdood1100]

250 is a good place to start

[@michaelgiglio1571]

Good show. Could you do a segment on the legand, yamaha 250 465 490 range. I beleive these were the greatest allround pre discbreak bike ever. Mike

[@bikerdood1100]

🤔

[@redtobertshateshandles]

Modern trailbikes are too high. A dual purpose bike doesn't need 15 inches of suspension travel. The raised centre of gravity makes on road cornering crappy.

[@bikerdood1100]

Many but not all of course Bits have become much too specialised

[@e34m51]

I own a DT 360 1974 green n black with 2500 miles on it , great. bike back then still nice today ...

[@bikerdood1100]

Excellent 👍🏻

[@phillipcox516]

Did you miss the Kawasaki F4 250

[@bikerdood1100]

There is a Kawasaki in there and in general I try to have one make per bike per video to keep it interesting and give me wiggle room for later vids

[@whalesong999]

Wow, you mention the F 4, only saw one out of our shop. It was before the F11 which was a crisp new design in '75. The F4 was a development of the original rotary valve 175 (F2) that was refined over the years but didn't have stand out features.

[@phillipcox516]

@@whalesong999 Now I think of it, I think it was the F 11 , I was soposed to have mentioned, it had a lovely line from the tank through to the tail light.

[@posterlion]

I had 5 of those 1970 trail bikes. 1973 Yamaha DT80 (new $375), 1974 Yamaha DT125 (used $400), 1976 Suzuki TS125 (new $750), 1975 Suzuki TS185 (new $650), 1975 Honda XL250 (used $don't remember). My favorite was the TS185. I bought the first four bikes when I was a teenager. Yep. A teenager could afford to buy those bikes as long as you had a job. I bought the Honda used when I was in my thirties.

[@bikerdood1100]

Interesting that you remember how much you paid for each bike

[@posterlion]

@@bikerdood1100 I fell in love with motorcycles at an early age. I would stare at them in magazines for hours on end day after day for about a year before I got my '73 Yamaha 80. I paid for it myself at age 11. I worked a morning paper route, an evening paper route, I mowed lawns in between those paper routes, and I worked at sonic in the evenings saving up for it. Damn right I remember how much it cost. I spent my own money on it as I did for all the motorcycles I owned. 🙂

[@bikerdood1100]

@@posterlion good for you you Like you I did not have a rich dad to pay my way, every bike I ever owned I paid for myself. You value you you things more that way

[@chriscardoza9785]

I grew up riding all of them except Harley Davidson one's but I did see them here in the USA many times.

[@bikerdood1100]

Nice 👌

[@brianfreeman3676]

A lot of riders complained about Honda's 23 inch front wheel on their off road bikes. That's why they dropped it to a 21 inch.

[@bikerdood1100]

Not surprisingly, tyre choice definitely an issue

[@brucewygal133]

I had a 72 XL250 Honda and it had a 21 inch front wheel. It was a good handling and very fun ride. I would love to have one now.

[@bikerdood1100]

Nice 👍🏻

[@CZ350tuner]

I can list the manufacturers of 23 inch trail & enduro tyres on one finger..... Barum.

[@bikerdood1100]

Not the widest choice is it

[@MM-rr1kp]

had a sweet TS185 silver with orange/colored decals should have kept it

[@bikerdood1100]

Must get on with the small trail bike video

[@carlatamanczyk3891]

The Yamaha DT250 was built starting in 1968.

[@bikerdood1100]

Great 👍🏻

[@merlinwilliams9286]

Top5? The Harley was junk and had a "glass" transmission! Pure trash.

[@bikerdood1100]

Isn’t a top 5 No top on the title It’s a Harley, what would you expect it to be 😂

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Is it really a "trail bike" with enough lights, gauges and state demanded tire type to satisfy any nations legality for street riding?

[@bikerdood1100]

Yep The thing about trails is that sometimes you have to ride on the hard stuff to get to the trails That’s kind of the point of a trail bike rather than a pure off roader Obviously really When you stop to think about

[@kitcody9378]

I have a 1972 Honda xl motosport I need someone to bring it back to life, to revive it better than it was to perfect it?

[@bikerdood1100]

Good luck hope it goes well

[@melvynmanning9427]

No mention of the Kawasaki F11 250. A few came into the UK via Agrati.

[@bikerdood1100]

Can only put so much Ito one video If I put in every possible bike the thing would be a 4 hour opus 😂

[@georgecurtis6463]

Loved my dt1 but sadly shortly after i got it my plans were changed and i had to sell it. No way i could keep it. But it was fun while i had it.

[@bikerdood1100]

Sad