Category: RG250WE

So sent the crank off for a rebuild as the engine was full of water on arrival, hence the massive strip down, and have been told the crank web with the fixed pin is worn beyond use and guess what?

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You can’t get the part and no one has started producing one. You’d think with Suzuki offering the vintage parts programme they might produce a few engine parts to keep two-strokes running.

Alternatively no one is even offering a service to machine the pin out, so that you could press in a pin like on the other side.

I’m amazed, particularly as I used to be a precision machinist years ago, I’d estimate maybe a couple of hours work tops – machine off the pin and then bore to suit the pin. Should be doable on a quality lathe with a 4 jaw chuck or a jig bore.

So currently the bike is a write off until this issue is sorted, if at all. Crank builder told me he has 3 other customers with the same issue, FFS.

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My advice is don’t buy a Mk1 or 2 RG250, on top of the crank issue, you also can’t get head or base gaskets.

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Should have kept and finished my 350 YPVS, before COVID and old fart taxes pushed prices through the roof, SIGH!

Pulled the bearings from both wheels, swingarm and the headstock, you can buy genuine ones or go to a bearing shop and get identical or better ones for less money. I usually go for Koyo bearings.

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With everything stripped I started blasting and painting the rolling chassis parts. Everything that was anodised or paint aluminium is being repainted silver, as much of it had surface corrosion and everything else satin black.

This isn’t going to be a back to original build, as it wasn’t that great first time round so anything that can be upgraded will be.

I sent the forks for re-chroming and straightening at Brook Suspension and have started rebuilding them with new seals and bushes from K-Tech suspension. I even dismantled the anti-dive modules as I wanted to see how they worked, historically everyone has said they’re shit and often blank them off. I’m putting them back so replaced all the old o-rings and I’d say from looking inside they’re a part that should be maintained as mine were seized due to the seals perishing.

I made a tool to hold the damper rod whilst tightening the bottom bolt out of a couple of nuts and a bolt. Had a grind a taper on the bottom nut for it to fit inside the damper rod.

New taper roller bearings have been fitted using the old bearing race as a drift to tap them in place.

Its also a good idea to have an o-ring set when doing any rebuilds.

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Due to water filling the lower expansion chamber the left barrel had corroded sticking the piston in place. With considerable patience and the application of gentle heat I managed to get the barrels off, not sure if they’ll be useable but that can wait for another day. Gear selector shaft was bent and had to be cut off so that I could split the crankcases. generally the rest of the engine is in fairly good condition.

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The crank was stuck in the crankcase and required lots of soaking with oil to release it, had to tap a seal with a drift to get it the breakaway from the case. Complete rebuild of the crank will be done.

The RG was in way worse condition than I expected. Bodywork had been broken in transit from, I guess, ratchet straps and it had clearly been sitting outside for some time judging by the bits of plant growing through the frame.

So the only option was to completely dismantle it and begin to build it back up again. Lots of photos in the first gallery for reference when reassembling.

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This won’t be a original nut and bolt resto, as I think that’s bullshit. I grew up with two-strokes and even then they were all modified, I can’t get my head round people doing total restorations back to as it left the factory.

Old bikes, and cars, are only good in that moment in time. Nearly forty years later they’re not, don’t get me wrong I love two-strokes and have had many from crazily tuned RD250s to a KX500 converted for enduro use, but compared to a modern bike the brakes, suspension, lighting, performance are all crap, so why rebuild it the same and then ask 10k for it. Utter piss take!

So I’ll be modding as I go and if you don’t like it I don’t care. I’m thinking ultralight mini race bike theme.

This took a long time to arrive from Japan and sadly was in worse condition than the photos showed when I bought it. Its one of the Japan only HB racing models.

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Looks like it had been stored outside on the side stand so water had filled one exhaust, causing the barrel and crank to rust and the fuel tank had rusted through as well. Fairing was also broken in transport which is a real pain as you can’t get panels.

Bizarrely the entire bike has stripped down without a single bolt snapping and all the suspension linkages were still in the original factory grease. Weird that by the time I bought my GSXR Suzuki had decided not to grease suspension.

Going to be in this one for the long haul.