Suzuki Ts250 Wiring Full Capacity By

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This is true of its nearest rival the Yamaha DT250, yet another machine far too heavy for any real dirty work and certainly more at home chugging around the urban jungle.

Suzuki Ts250 Wiring Full Capacity By

The Suzuki wasnt far behind however and, on paper at least, was a far better machine, the Yamaha stopping short of the full capacity by a good 20ccs, not a great start for an engine already short of capacity.

The Suzuki didnt share the same success, even though a competition hot up kit was available increasing the power to a more impressive 32bhp, but still proved a popular addition to the brands line up.

It was called the Hustler in Japan, and the Savage in the US, while the UK market simply got an unnamed TS250.

We had to wait a while too, the rest of the world got the Suzuki during 1969, while the first examples didnt hit our shores until well into the early 70s, and even then, it was a hard to find model that didnt sell well, with pre-79 models proving tricky to track down today.

The design of the early motocross machine suffered because of its heritage, having been patterned after the dated Villiers engine, with its under square, 66 x 72mm bore and stroke set up.

The internal architecture did hold the design back so for the TS model, parts and dimensions from the all new, road going, T500 were implemented, making the TS250 effectively half of this ground breaking twin-cylinder design with a more manageable, and reliable, 72 x 64mm bore and stroke.

In keeping with other two strokes in the Suzuki range, for 77 the TS engine grew a reed valve in the inlet system.

This wasnt inline with the inlet tract, as is the case with the Yamaha engine, but the original piston port set up was retained while the reed valve feeds the crankcases.

This increases the inlet timing considerably, effectively making a 360 degree tract, without making the inlet port too big and thus requiring extra support for the piston while passing through the port, which in turn, would need to be opened up to allow the gasses through if the conventional piston port route was adhered to.

The result is a tractable and punchy machine if kept within a small part of the rev range, although only producing a modest 22bhp, the TS does make it feel like more, mainly thanks to the sat up riding position.

There isnt the usual two-stroke power band as the revs rise, more a steady rise in revs and power, but not the sharp kick we have come to expect as a stroker rises up onto the pipe.

This is a good thing in many ways, as such a peak can prove tricky to keep ahead of when off road, but it does add to the excitement when riding on the road making the acceleration feel twice what it actually is.

Quite surprising is the low compression ratio used for this engine, usually engines needing a good punch in the midrange, particularly off-road machines, opt for a high ratio and in turn high levels of torque and power are allied to this set up, however Suzukis choice of a weedy 5.7:1 is not helping when the power plant needs it most.

In use the TS is right enough on the hard stuff, but never lively enough to be a serious contender off road, 1st gear is simply too tall to be of any real use off road, barely lifting the front off the throttle alone and provides little engine braking down hill unless you are going far too fast for the occasion.

On the road, this failing isnt so much of a problem in fact it makes for a smoother running machine once on the move and the TS comes into its own once out of 1st gear, the midrange punch from the combined piston-port, reed-valve engine kicks in to make the middle three gear ratios into real mile munchers, especially if the change is made around the peak torque output rather than waiting for the redline.

Sustained high speed running does reveal an annoying and fatiguing buzziness so motorway work is definitely out for this machine, especially with its top speed just shy of 75mph.

Trying to pass anything above 60mph can be a lengthy and buttock clenching affair and certainly not for the faint hearted.

Keeping the engine at peak revs for anytime when in top can prove tricky too, the slightest incline or head wind having disastrous consequences for the Suzuki and requiring a hasty gear change to keep the thing buzzing with a subsequent drop in speed often just when you least need it.

Judicious use of the engine braking has to be implemented to ensure the TS hauls up in time for all but the most forward planned of stopping events.

Around town the TS never causes any concerns and could have been built for the daily commute in confined spaces, everything works as it should and the whole design makes perfect sense, being easy to throw around while remaining stable and predictable.

Quite why the larger of the TS models didnt get the modern rear-end treatment may never be known but low sales figures and the impending doom of the model must have played a major role in the decision.

Even so the TS benefits from 195mm and 132mm of travel, front and rear respectively, making it pretty good over the rough stuff although its extreme weight when compared to a pukka off-road machine does cause some handling problems.

This machine isnt really meant to be used in any serous way off tarmac, it looks the part sounds the part too but is more of a road machine than anything else.

As the type developed from its basic late 60s origins it became softer and easier to live with on the road.