Hi had this bike such fun ,the first time I did a 100 on a motorbike was on the x7 with micron pipes on , and it was the most uncomfortable 100 I ever did , but put such a smile on my face, happy days and thankfully I am still here to remember those days
I got stopped for speeding on a downhill section of the A12 at about 2 am in the morning on my cunningly ported and re-carbed X7, the policeman clocked me at 106 mph but wouldn't give me the ticket to prove it to my mates :). Sweetest gearbox in the world, I only used the clutch for pulling away.
Just came across your vid and oh the memories it brings back. I had a white '78, X7 when I was 17 in '82. What a machine, and yes it had microns, bar end mirrors and I thought I was a real ton up kid. Would still have it if it hadn't been stolen. Got a Ducati monster now which gives the same type of thrill but the x7 was an icon. Great vid. Off to watch the rest of the series. Cheers.
Beautiful restoration. I really enjoyed this video. It takes me back to my younger days. That is a classic bike design, it is light, easy to handle, looks great. These 'pocket rockets' the kids drive today, nice, but don't have a classic bike appeal. Great job Chris.
I did proddie racing on mine. Loved the bike and it was the 250cc to have in 1979 as it blew away the opposition. I was only eight and half stone wet through so mine was quick. However, it didn’t handle well. It was very light at the front end so you had to almost sit on the front forks if you were pulling it over to the limit. Mine had a tank slapped at Silverstone on the last lap at Copse and threw me off. I was leading by almost a lap at the time so I’ve never forgotten it!
Another very interesting and highly nostalgic video - many thanks for sharing. My Dad had a blue one of these from 1984 to 2014. I found it a bit small and didn't like the front-end feel as I was more used to the feel of an LC but it was quick. He used to work in Saudi and when he finished out there he rode it back to the UK. He'd done the trip three times before on a CB750 KZ, a DT250 B and a CB 750 K4. In 2014, he sold his X7 and 1971 DT1 250 (which he had shipped back from Saudi) for £300 for the pair! I met him in Austria on a couple of his trips - I borrowed his XJ 650 the first time and used my CB750 F1 for the last trip. I recall, the F1 was very scary in Austria with its stainless steel brake discs when I had a near miss with a deer that had galloped across the dual carriageway. It was absolutely pee-ing it down and I grabbed the brakes and nothing happened so I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. Luckily it kept running at full pace and I just missed it.
hi Martin, I'm a suzuki man through and through even though I've had hondas, yamahas kawasakis etc. I had the very first suzuki GT250K candy apple green /hawaiian in April 8th 1973 on my 17 th birthday. I've now got another that I've been restoring and hope to have it running for easter next year. can't wait 😎 👍 👍
PUS 563W was mine, bought it brand new August 1980 when I was 17, cost 800.. there was loads of us running about on bikes.. my first bike was a TS50 KDS 758V.. My HP4 in the garage is a 13 plate had it for 8 years and can't remember the reg lol
Hi Martin, love your vids, they do make me smile. I have two X7s, one i bought off a mate over 30 year ago which was previously owned by another mate, i rode that for quite some years untill I seized her up for the umpteenth time lol, I also picked up another some 12ish years ago with the aim of restoring both, it is black with orange and silver decals, I have only ever seen two others this colour, one online and the other was owned by one of my high school teachers in the 80's! I also have a shed full of various parts I collected over the years. I've probably forgotten more about X7s than most people know, I was a proper Suzuki man :) I also have one of the last ever RG500CH Gammas made, it's on a 'G' plate, can't remember if it's an 89 or 90, has less than 12k miles on it and is totally standard and original other than braided lines for obvious reasons. BTW X7s totally whooped early RDs and were pretty much the equal of 250 Elsies performance wise :) Cheers Andy
Forgot to mention the last ones made = GT250X7 EX and were a fair bit slower than the early ones N and E, smaller carbs if i remember correctly, so long ago now lol. I actually had one on a 'Y' plate and it struggled to clock 90mph :( I traded it in for a brand new RGV250M (banana swing arm) wish I'd kept them both now. I saw an indicated 134 mph buried in the red on the RGV btw :) and it was simply the best fun on a motorcycle I've ever had!
You should make some vids Andy, i'm sure people would love to hear and see your stuff. Thanks for watching and sharing your memories bud. Cheers Martin
In 1967 Bill Smith won the 250 production TT with a Bultaco Metrala fitted with an across the counter Bultaco kit that was described as "The kit can be easily installed by the customer himself, and all that is required is a set of spanners, a medium cut file, a drilling machine, three drills, and a dose of enthusiasm” this made for some controversy but was allowed, the spec performance was published as : 32hp at 8,200rpm, weight 98kg and a top speed of 175kph (108.74 MPH). I think the Japanese could have produced a 100 mph 250 sooner but they were very much conscious of reliability and longevity imho and to be honest the Bultaco's were a little rough around the edges.
Nice bike, I have always liked Japanese two strokes, and I have always liked the X7, but finding the standard parts to restore them can be difficult and expensive. The one in the video also has a non standard aftermarket, universal fitting, front mudguard, a type that is now commonly found fitted on many Japanese bikes of that period. I had one of the last X7 models that I bought in 1983 after I passed my motorcycle test. It was mostly standard apart from having black expansion chambers, K&N air filters and a horrible plastic front mudguard. It was a great running bike, but I have always preferred them with standard silencers and airbox. Later that year I part exchanged my X7 for a Bonneville 750. I remember just how sweet running and good to ride a standard X7 was, and they could pull quite well from low revs too. You could blast out into the country side for a fast ride at the weekend, then sedately commute to work on it all week. Back in the early 1980's two of my friends also had X7's, and they were both crazy out and out boy racers. Every time and every where they road it was always non stop full throttle thrash thrash thrash! They were only interested in maximum power and top speed, and spent many hours attacking the cylinder ports with old files, and also packing up the cylinders on a stack of base gaskets which resulted in the barrells being pulled off square when tightened, leading to even more rapid wear. One of them moved on to a RD250LC, and the other traded in his horrendously knackered X7 for a brand new RG250 Gamma, leaving a mass of X7 carnage behind them. Happy, crazy days!
@@retrorestore up near the top of the bridge I was quite close, loads of people about. He was a regular. I used to be a regular on my GT500 then blue n white 350LC.
Very nice bike Chris, I have the 1981 EN version and it is a hoot to ride. The Suzuki Vintage Parts programme made the restoration a lot easier than some other machines I have done, so let's hope that other manufacturers catch on to that.
Me and my mate bought one in a box of bits for £60 in 85 out of MCN, 99% complete, spent the summer putting it together and porting it, obligatory Microns, bellmouths not K&Ns, Pyramid fibreglass front Mudgaurd (lightweight🤣) and a 2-4 seat, I think we recessed the rear light as well🤔 fast as F**k for about 100 miles until it siezed on Shooters hill at 85!
hi luv your vids.my first motor bike mam n dad bought me for my 16 birthday FS1E 49cc got cought a week later poping a wheely by dad had to wait a month till he cooled down befor he let me have it back. Dad had a honda goldwing my bike looked so small next to it. i miss him and those days very much. Every kid should have a dad who shows him and teaches him,and a mam who will let him have a dog.
The X7 was as fast & more nimble than my bike of the time, a Suzuki GT380B. But the X7 was physically very small & light. As a 6 foot 3 guy, the 380 was small enough, the X7 made me look like a circus bear on it! So as times gone on, I never desired an X7. Instead, I went bigger & own a superb Suzuki GT750A.
I got a Yammy rd200 in 1979. I was 17 & 9 stone dripping wet. My mam had to sign for it as I wasnt old enough for the finance £395. Wanted the rd250 but was a bit intimidated by it !!!!
Nice vid - although I would point out that the front brake line should run between the yokes and not down the outside of the fork leg. Nice bike- I nearly bought one but went for the brand new RD350LC in 1982 instead.
A few years ago I bought an excellent little dvd from ebay - Old Skool Bikes of the 70s and 80's vol.2....I found your channel here by chance a few weeks ago and thought your voice sounded familiar, but the penny didn't drop until I saw this vid! Great work on the vid and the channel Martin! Regards, Brian
Don't remember, UK X7's with side reflectors, most UK bike of this time were never fitted with side reflectors, and in the UK they should be amber/orange. USA, Canada spec was Red. And UK bikes had long rear mudguards, due to UK weather pissing all the time lol, and need for rolled up leggings in tail unit.
Hi Martin . That bike was mint , sure one of my neighbours had one . He was a young fella eighteen i think , We used to bug him to take us out , on it well he did up the paths . Cheers Pete.
The X7 boasted that was 100mp but it was never able to do more than 97-98. This was because it used lighter alloys and plastics. Still in it time a excellent bike, I owned a X5 but it was smashed up by a lorry in hit and run.
I had a RD 80 LC , then I had the Suzuki X5 200 which had electric start, my mate for yrs had the X7 so later on I bought a Kawasaki scorpion 250 still couldn’t catch my mate lol , I had enough and then bought a 350 YPVS ha ha
What was the point of the sandwich box at back of seat lol loved my x5 put spannies on it up jet 3%kns three teeth up on back sproket it would wheelie in 3rd lol did same to x7 nothing would touch it around town so light the yams where always faster so annoying lol xxxxxxx
Wow just stumbled in this one. That was my first road bike when I got my liscence here in Australia. My mate had a 400 twin honda and took my gt for a ride and came back and told me it was slow, slow I said, how many revs did you give it, bout four grand he said, I laughed and said try seven grand so out he went and came back and said fuck that it's all yours ha ha ah they were the days.came of it twice then traded it on a cb 400 twin which WAS slow compared to the Suzuki. Gave up riding for some years but last year brought a mint cbr 1000 f, love it heaps of grunt and classic 90 s style. Thanks for bringing back the memories.
I loved my X7s, I had 4 back in the day. My 1st was a red mk1 like this one. Had 2 standard & 1 with K&Ns & Micron & 1 with Beeline tuned engine & the spannies & filters which was ridiculously fast but the motor was scrap by 1000mls. Quick bikes, awesome wheelies & even fairly comfy. I'd love 1 now but prices are just insane.
@@billybarr7443 ah, the limits of 2d text on a screen there Billy, yip, me too, I had an RD125, RD250, RD350LC & currently have an RZV500 for my sins, 2st to the core (although I do enjoy a monster 4st too). Take it easy & ride/drive safe mate :¬)
Good to see and here one of those again. Owned 1 and rode and worked on a number of those and also owned rode and worked on numerous RDs Compared with RD Yamaha 250 LC the X7 had firmer suspension and faster steering. Great for chucking around at lower speeds, could be hussled at higher speeds similar speeds to LC but didn't inspire confidence at higher speeds as LC X7 engine is fragile with smaller diameter small and big end bearings and thin pistons. Cracked and or siezed pistons, snapped cranks and or conrods are not uncommon on tuned versions. Rd engines are stronger. LC engine very similar to air cooled same port timings ignition timing bore and stroke pistons and crank with exception of water cooling. Most likely failure on tuned versions were seizures or holed pistons. I suspect an ignition where you could raise the revs at which the ignition retarded would have cured most of those on tuned engines where the jetting was correct. All 250 rd s can be converted to 350. Air cooled or water cooled rd 350 is much more lively than X7. As 250 The LC engine has wider more pronounced power band but less power below 5000 rpm than X7. RD feels smoother and both air cooled and water cooled RDs feel smoother and more refined than the X7 I suspect the best 250 2 stroke sport road bike ever made would be the aprillia rs 250 and the best 2 stroke sport road bike the Srg500 gamma but I never rode those The best sports road 2 stroke I have ridden is the Honda NSR 400 it felt way better in terms of engine handling braking and comfort than the RD or X7
Good bit on info there Les. I did convert a couple of my RD250 aircooled's to 350's. One of the main problems with doing this was the vibration at 6000 rpm due to the fact that the engines in the 250's were bolted directly into the frames and the imbalance of increasing the bore size created the vibration through the handlebars when going at that rpm. Used to make the hands numb. That's why the RD400 is a rubber mounted engine. Had to fit the 400 oil pump, change the jetting and the rear sprocket but it was a lot quicker. Happy days. Cheers Martin
Hi just going through some of your vids i can relate to the suzuki x7, i owned one in '83/'84, it was a y reg with gsx250 clocks, as the last ones had, all i remember now is it was bloody fast and unfortunetly it became a "widow maker" itself sometime after i i owned it, it was a slightly lighter shade of blue the the early ones too. i had to have it rebored at some point and it got hepolite pistons theres another name blast from the past.
Not too shure they are, used to take things like that to a firm called tru grinds, they dont exist anymore. nearly always kept somthing from past bikes, still have the owners manual somewhere for the x7. how about something on trailies from the late 70's/80's, had a few, ts185,ke175b3,dt250mx, bought the dt new in 1981, loved it. the fun days when u couldent give a toss and looked like a rat thats been up a drainpipe. in 1980'ish we saw quadrophenia and 3 of us decided to be 60's type rockers and ride 60's styled bikes that were cheap and nasty and had to be parallel twins with megaphones to terrorise the local neighbourhood for around 50 quid each we all got honda cd175's, looked the part diddent they. loadsa fun was had with those
hello martin, was interested maybe you know some place or maybe you could link some sites from web where i could get spare parts. i need a new engine. maybe you know where i could get one. I have a Red x7 250 1980. hope to hear from you soon. :)
Suzuki claimed the T20 was thee first production bike to be 100 MPH capable, then the T250 Hustler, then the GT250 and finally the same claim with the GT250 X7. All were false claims!! Actually the world's first 100 MPH capable production road 250 was the 4 stroke 4 valve single 1938 Rudge 250 with a top speed of 107 MPH. It still holds thee record for the highest performance 4 stroke 250cc production bike today, being more than 20 MPH faster than the modern 250cc production 4 stroke road bikes. The Rudge 250 was the company's last offering as the factory was taken over for the production of Churchill tanks and then flattened by the Luftwaffe. After the war the government said, "Tough sh*t", to Rudge and that was the end of Rudge motorcycles. Raleigh bought up the rights to the brand in the liquidation sale and still own the brand name today. Rudge pioneered a few now modern motorcycle features: Phosphor Bronze cylinder heads. (More expensive but better cooling than alloy cylinder heads). Left hand gear pedals & right hand rear brake pedals. (It makes performing a U-turn on UK roads safer & easier). Invented Radial Four Valve Combustion (RFVC). Linked brakes. (1934 Rudge 500).
Terry Beckett now there's a blast from the past.... He was a male nurse at our local asylum.... Once he breathed on my X7 it went like shit off a shovel... 1978 chrome frame, both spannys on one side...... Flf tank n fairing... Yuk proper no..... Feck me hope she were warmed up before you rang its neck... And did I spot non standard rear shocks... Of Corse I did 😉🤣🤣
I had a 78 X7 (before taking a break, then an 81 350lc). I agree with you, next to a rd250e then X7 was built and rode like a 125.. forks, frame, tank, and other cycle parts were lower quality. But the resulting weight loss made its reputation for speed, which was all the learners craved for. Me being so light on a light bike reinforced that but whenever I had to take a pillion the lightweight suspension showed its shortcomings and I spent most of my time trying to keep the front wheel on the ground.. so I could steer it! My early model was always leaking exhaust oil through the downpipe joints. But the pink facia lighting made up for that! Bike in video sounds quite loose to me.. I loved the crisp ringing from the stock exhausts on mine, this was first road bike with expansion chamber look from the factory, that noise is missing here, or drownwd by that loose motor. ;(
Remember how you felt back then when these came out following on from gt250s. First 100mph 250s. oh dear, here comes an elsie. shame x7s didn't have a longer time to entertain. never mind brexit,trump, farage, and king prawn vindaloos.
Had one when I was 19, 30 years later I still miss it.dont see many nowadays but would recognise the sound blindfolded👍
Hi had this bike such fun ,the first time I did a 100 on a motorbike was on the x7 with micron pipes on , and it was the most uncomfortable 100 I ever did , but put such a smile on my face, happy days and thankfully I am still here to remember those days
Microns & boyesen reed valves mate was the way to go
@@pawlettsmith now ya talking baby 💯👍❤❤❤❤❤
Had a new one in ‘79….loved it
I got stopped for speeding on a downhill section of the A12 at about 2 am in the morning on my cunningly ported and re-carbed X7, the policeman clocked me at 106 mph but wouldn't give me the ticket to prove it to my mates :). Sweetest gearbox in the world, I only used the clutch for pulling away.
Just came across your vid and oh the memories it brings back. I had a white '78, X7 when I was 17 in '82. What a machine, and yes it had microns, bar end mirrors and I thought I was a real ton up kid. Would still have it if it hadn't been stolen. Got a Ducati monster now which gives the same type of thrill but the x7 was an icon. Great vid. Off to watch the rest of the series. Cheers.
I've only got one 2 stroke, a 1972 Yamaha DT3 250 Enduro, but it's an amazing wee thing to ride, and everyone loves it!
This is awesome. Unfortunately this never made it to the US market. The U.K. seems to always get the cool bikes.
Yes, the US did have many restrictions for 2 strokes and that killed the market over there Brett.
Cheers
Martin
Beautiful restoration. I really enjoyed this video. It takes me back to my younger days. That is a classic bike design, it is light, easy to handle, looks great. These 'pocket rockets' the kids drive today, nice, but don't have a classic bike appeal. Great job Chris.
I agree Bri, when we were 17, these were big proper bikes and hold so many fond memories of freedom.
Cheers
Martin
How can I buy one from the uk and ship it to Macca?
Great video beautiful bike,had my white one in '88 when I passed my test I absolutely loved it,bought a tuned Elsie in 90 ahhh those were the days
I agree, Great times.
Cheers
Martin
I did proddie racing on mine. Loved the bike and it was the 250cc to have in 1979 as it blew away the opposition. I was only eight and half stone wet through so mine was quick. However, it didn’t handle well. It was very light at the front end so you had to almost sit on the front forks if you were pulling it over to the limit. Mine had a tank slapped at Silverstone on the last lap at Copse and threw me off. I was leading by almost a lap at the time so I’ve never forgotten it!
A blast in the past. taken me back to 70's 80' when i was on the 2 strokes. always liked the X7. i had the GT250b. Chronic handeling.
Great times Brian and fond memories as well for me.
Cheers
Martin
Cheers Martin.
Another very interesting and highly nostalgic video - many thanks for sharing. My Dad had a blue one of these from 1984 to 2014. I found it a bit small and didn't like the front-end feel as I was more used to the feel of an LC but it was quick. He used to work in Saudi and when he finished out there he rode it back to the UK. He'd done the trip three times before on a CB750 KZ, a DT250 B and a CB 750 K4. In 2014, he sold his X7 and 1971 DT1 250 (which he had shipped back from Saudi) for £300 for the pair! I met him in Austria on a couple of his trips - I borrowed his XJ 650 the first time and used my CB750 F1 for the last trip. I recall, the F1 was very scary in Austria with its stainless steel brake discs when I had a near miss with a deer that had galloped across the dual carriageway. It was absolutely pee-ing it down and I grabbed the brakes and nothing happened so I closed my eyes and hoped for the best. Luckily it kept running at full pace and I just missed it.
Stock tires and the original front brake pads were the first to go. Scary in the wet. Great story.
Suzuki GT500 was a lovely bike back in the day Martin
I love all the 2 strokes of that era Bri, 2 strokes were my thing.
Cheers
Martin
Was that the big ugly twin I know it's beautiful my brother inlaw had one not to shabby
Yeah I had a GT500 in Dunstall Suzuki colours back in 1984 .. absolute rocket ship for the era !! 😳
I had one as my learning bike. Fantastic little bike loved it. Still love the exhaust note.
Damn, I really enjoy your videos. It takes me right back to my youth. Thank you!
hi Martin, I'm a suzuki man through and through even though I've had hondas, yamahas kawasakis etc. I had the very first suzuki GT250K candy apple green /hawaiian in April 8th 1973 on my 17 th birthday. I've now got another that I've been restoring and hope to have it running for easter next year. can't wait 😎 👍 👍
you're X7 is beautiful and sounds awesome. take the mirrors off to get the magic ton. 😀
I think we all had our best memories on our first vehicles. Hope the restoration turns out great Mikey.
Cheers
Martin
Sounds like a plan.
PUS 563W was mine, bought it brand new August 1980 when I was 17, cost 800.. there was loads of us running about on bikes.. my first bike was a TS50 KDS 758V.. My HP4 in the garage is a 13 plate had it for 8 years and can't remember the reg lol
I had a t reg with invader fairing went like hot snot great bike could lift the front wheel in second gear !!
Hi Martin, love your vids, they do make me smile.
I have two X7s, one i bought off a mate over 30 year ago which was previously owned by another mate, i rode that for quite some years untill I seized her up for the umpteenth time lol, I also picked up another some 12ish years ago with the aim of restoring both, it is black with orange and silver decals, I have only ever seen two others this colour, one online and the other was owned by one of my high school teachers in the 80's!
I also have a shed full of various parts I collected over the years.
I've probably forgotten more about X7s than most people know, I was a proper Suzuki man :) I also have one of the last ever RG500CH Gammas made, it's on a 'G' plate, can't remember if it's an 89 or 90, has less than 12k miles on it and is totally standard and original other than braided lines for obvious reasons.
BTW X7s totally whooped early RDs and were pretty much the equal of 250 Elsies performance wise :)
Cheers
Andy
Forgot to mention the last ones made = GT250X7 EX and were a fair bit slower than the early ones N and E, smaller carbs if i remember correctly, so long ago now lol. I actually had one on a 'Y' plate and it struggled to clock 90mph :( I traded it in for a brand new RGV250M (banana swing arm) wish I'd kept them both now.
I saw an indicated 134 mph buried in the red on the RGV btw :) and it was simply the best fun on a motorcycle I've ever had!
Yes I remember the RGV, just before the 250 market went pop. Never rode one though.
Cheers
Martin
You should make some vids Andy,
i'm sure people would love to hear and see your stuff. Thanks for watching and sharing your memories bud.
Cheers
Martin
wow took me back a bit Martin love seeing classics ,enjoyed it mate.cheers
Cheers Steve, so do I. I love these machines of my youth.
In 1967 Bill Smith won the 250 production TT with a Bultaco Metrala fitted with an across the counter Bultaco kit that was described as "The kit can be easily installed by the customer himself, and all that is required is a set of spanners, a medium cut file, a drilling machine, three drills, and a dose of enthusiasm” this made for some controversy but was allowed, the spec performance was published as : 32hp at 8,200rpm, weight 98kg and a top speed of 175kph (108.74 MPH).
I think the Japanese could have produced a 100 mph 250 sooner but they were very much conscious of reliability and longevity imho and to be honest the Bultaco's were a little rough around the edges.
Noticed the reg on this. My old FS1E was TST 133T. Them were the days
Beautiful motorbikes from the 70s to the 80s Nice bike , many people longed to own this motorbike.
Nice bike, I have always liked Japanese two strokes, and I have always liked the X7, but finding the standard parts to restore them can be difficult and expensive. The one in the video also has a non standard aftermarket, universal fitting, front mudguard, a type that is now commonly found fitted on many Japanese bikes of that period.
I had one of the last X7 models that I bought in 1983 after I passed my motorcycle test. It was mostly standard apart from having black expansion chambers, K&N air filters and a horrible plastic front mudguard. It was a great running bike, but I have always preferred them with standard silencers and airbox. Later that year I part exchanged my X7 for a Bonneville 750.
I remember just how sweet running and good to ride a standard X7 was, and they could pull quite well from low revs too. You could blast out into the country side for a fast ride at the weekend, then sedately commute to work on it all week.
Back in the early 1980's two of my friends also had X7's, and they were both crazy out and out boy racers. Every time and every where they road it was always non stop full throttle thrash thrash thrash! They were only interested in maximum power and top speed, and spent many hours attacking the cylinder ports with old files, and also packing up the cylinders on a stack of base gaskets which resulted in the barrells being pulled off square when tightened, leading to even more rapid wear.
One of them moved on to a RD250LC, and the other traded in his horrendously knackered X7 for a brand new RG250 Gamma, leaving a mass of X7 carnage behind them.
Happy, crazy days!
I saw someone cart wheel one as they tried to pull a wheelie but stepped off as it came up too high - Chelsea Bridge.
I might have been there when that happened. I seem to remember something like that happening.
@@retrorestore up near the top of the bridge I was quite close, loads
of people about. He was a regular.
I used to be a regular on my GT500 then blue n white 350LC.
Very nice bike Chris, I have the 1981 EN version and it is a hoot to ride. The Suzuki Vintage Parts programme made the restoration a lot easier than some other machines I have done, so let's hope that other manufacturers catch on to that.
Me and my mate bought one in a box of bits for £60 in 85 out of MCN, 99% complete, spent the summer putting it together and porting it, obligatory Microns, bellmouths not K&Ns, Pyramid fibreglass front Mudgaurd (lightweight🤣) and a 2-4 seat, I think we recessed the rear light as well🤔 fast as F**k for about 100 miles until it siezed on Shooters hill at 85!
sweet bike.. I never see these in Canada .. shame . Thanks for showing it :)
Yes, most ended up in Europe and the UK. I do love a 2 stroke.
Cheers
Martin
I used to be a bike mechanic in the early eighties . the kick start levers used to leave a mark on the clutch case
Came out in ‘78...I got one in ‘79
Yep, I owned 2 of these back in the 80s , nice and light and power wheelie friendly too ... 👍
Stop telling lies lad
Great ole bikes , thumbs up Martin !
I agree Shawn, worth a lot now as well.
Cheers
Martin
Oh , For sure man !
hi luv your vids.my first motor bike mam n dad bought me for my 16 birthday FS1E 49cc got cought a week later poping a wheely by dad had to wait a month till he cooled down befor he let me have it back. Dad had a honda goldwing my bike looked so small next to it. i miss him and those days very much.
Every kid should have a dad who shows him and teaches him,and a mam who will let him have a dog.
Nice memories Chris. I loved my Fs1e as well. Great care free days.
Cheers
Martin
Yes, I wonder if it is still out there. There were quite a few multi cylinder creations back in the day and I remember the RD750 LC. What a monster.
Always an Yamaha owner Michael. Check out my other LC Vid and RD400 vid in my playlist on my channel.
Cheers
Martin
The X7 was as fast & more nimble than my bike of the time, a Suzuki GT380B. But the X7 was physically very small & light. As a 6 foot 3 guy, the 380 was small enough, the X7 made me look like a circus bear on it! So as times gone on, I never desired an X7. Instead, I went bigger & own a superb Suzuki GT750A.
I had a GT 380 after I passed my test on a x7.
I got a Yammy rd200 in 1979. I was 17 & 9 stone dripping wet. My mam had to sign for it as I wasnt old enough for the finance £395. Wanted the rd250 but was a bit intimidated by it !!!!
stick k and n air filters and a set of microns on it rapid wee wheelie machines had one when I was 20
Nice vid - although I would point out that the front brake line should run between the yokes and not down the outside of the fork leg. Nice bike- I nearly bought one but went for the brand new RD350LC in 1982 instead.
Yes, I did too and I wish I still had it. Well spotted on the brake line.
A few years ago I bought an excellent little dvd from ebay - Old Skool Bikes of the 70s and 80's vol.2....I found your channel here by chance a few weeks ago and thought your voice sounded familiar, but the penny didn't drop until I saw this vid!
Great work on the vid and the channel Martin!
Regards, Brian
Hi Bri, Yes it's me and this is my TH-cam channel lol.
Cheers
Martin
Was gutted you never included my bike - the RG250WD - but really enjoyed the dvd - and your channel has kept me entertained for the last 3 weeks :)
Don't remember, UK X7's with side reflectors, most UK bike of this time were never fitted with side reflectors, and in the UK they should be amber/orange. USA, Canada spec was Red.
And UK bikes had long rear mudguards, due to UK weather pissing all the time lol, and need for rolled up leggings in tail unit.
This bike was called RG250E of Suzuki in Japan. It was released little bit ealier than RD250LC of Yamaha.
I bought a 250LC simply because the X7 was a little too small otherwise I might have been swayed? I always liked the simple design and lines!👍🏻
Music too loud, I want to hear the bike please
Little fanboi of the RD. What you forget is te fact the RGV was in the pipeline. I liked both RD and x7 but x7 shades it for me for pure excitement.
Hi Martin . That bike was mint , sure one of my neighbours had one . He was a young fella eighteen i think , We used to bug him to take us out , on it well he did up the paths . Cheers Pete.
Haha, good memories Pete,ya little tearaway lol
Yes happy days. Late 70s all the skate boards and the like . If my Dad had caught us whoops big trouble .
i had one enjoyed every min me and my LC mate Edinburgh BEGINNING OF 80S
The X7 boasted that was 100mp but it was never able to do more than 97-98. This was because it used lighter alloys and plastics. Still in it time a excellent bike, I owned a X5 but it was smashed up by a lorry in hit and run.
I had a white 1 for a very short time.
Had one fast 1981 fast machine Adrian Edinburgh GOOD MEMORY
I had a RD 80 LC , then I had the Suzuki X5 200 which had electric start, my mate for yrs had the X7 so later on I bought a Kawasaki scorpion 250 still couldn’t catch my mate lol , I had enough and then bought a 350 YPVS ha ha
What was the point of the sandwich box at back of seat lol loved my x5 put spannies on it up jet 3%kns three teeth up on back sproket it would wheelie in 3rd lol did same to x7 nothing would touch it around town so light the yams where always faster so annoying lol xxxxxxx
Wow just stumbled in this one. That was my first road bike when I got my liscence here in Australia. My mate had a 400 twin honda and took my gt for a ride and came back and told me it was slow, slow I said, how many revs did you give it, bout four grand he said, I laughed and said try seven grand so out he went and came back and said fuck that it's all yours ha ha ah they were the days.came of it twice then traded it on a cb 400 twin which WAS slow compared to the Suzuki. Gave up riding for some years but last year brought a mint cbr 1000 f, love it heaps of grunt and classic 90 s style. Thanks for bringing back the memories.
That's great bud. You can't beat old memories rekindled. Fun times.
Cheers
Martin
Honda four hundreds were no slugs the 250s were no goes lol
I loved my X7s, I had 4 back in the day. My 1st was a red mk1 like this one. Had 2 standard & 1 with K&Ns & Micron & 1 with Beeline tuned engine & the spannies & filters which was ridiculously fast but the motor was scrap by 1000mls. Quick bikes, awesome wheelies & even fairly comfy. I'd love 1 now but prices are just insane.
Stop telling lies lad
@@billybarr7443 what have I said that's a lie Billy?
@@gixxerman0016 I was joking my friend iv had lots of x7s and rds good fun back in them days
@@billybarr7443 ah, the limits of 2d text on a screen there Billy, yip, me too, I had an RD125, RD250, RD350LC & currently have an RZV500 for my sins, 2st to the core (although I do enjoy a monster 4st too). Take it easy & ride/drive safe mate :¬)
Rear shocks and front guard arnt standard but what a beautiful bike all the same.
Good to see and here one of those again. Owned 1 and rode and worked on a number of those and also owned rode and worked on numerous RDs Compared with RD Yamaha 250 LC the X7 had firmer suspension and faster steering. Great for chucking around at lower speeds, could be hussled at higher speeds similar speeds to LC but didn't inspire confidence at higher speeds as LC X7 engine is fragile with smaller diameter small and big end bearings and thin pistons. Cracked and or siezed pistons, snapped cranks and or conrods are not uncommon on tuned versions. Rd engines are stronger. LC engine very similar to air cooled same port timings ignition timing bore and stroke pistons and crank with exception of water cooling. Most likely failure on tuned versions were seizures or holed pistons. I suspect an ignition where you could raise the revs at which the ignition retarded would have cured most of those on tuned engines where the jetting was correct. All 250 rd s can be converted to 350. Air cooled or water cooled rd 350 is much more lively than X7. As 250 The LC engine has wider more pronounced power band but less power below 5000 rpm than X7. RD feels smoother and both air cooled and water cooled RDs feel smoother and more refined than the X7 I suspect the best 250 2 stroke sport road bike ever made would be the aprillia rs 250 and the best 2 stroke sport road bike the Srg500 gamma but I never rode those The best sports road 2 stroke I have ridden is the Honda NSR 400 it felt way better in terms of engine handling braking and comfort than the RD or X7
Good bit on info there Les. I did convert a couple of my RD250 aircooled's to 350's. One of the main problems with doing this was the vibration at 6000 rpm due to the fact that the engines in the 250's were bolted directly into the frames and the imbalance of increasing the bore size created the vibration through the handlebars when going at that rpm. Used to make the hands numb.
That's why the RD400 is a rubber mounted engine. Had to fit the 400 oil pump, change the jetting and the rear sprocket but it was a lot quicker. Happy days.
Cheers
Martin
My mate had the kawka klr1 250 that was a truly frightening 250 nothing would touch it 140 I believe standard made the rds look like super dreams lol
Brilliant vid
Thanks bud, glad you enjoyed the vid.
Cheers
Martin
loads of happy memories
This was the 250 to have back in the day , then the 250lc came along.
Hi
just going through some of your vids
i can relate to the suzuki x7, i owned one in '83/'84, it was a y reg with gsx250 clocks, as the last ones had,
all i remember now is it was bloody fast and unfortunetly it became a "widow maker" itself sometime after i
i owned it, it was a slightly lighter shade of blue the the early ones too.
i had to have it rebored at some point and it got hepolite pistons theres another name blast from the past.
Yes, I remember the heploite pistons. Wonder if they are still about John?
Not too shure they are, used to take things like that to a firm called tru grinds, they dont exist anymore.
nearly always kept somthing from past bikes, still have the owners manual somewhere for the x7.
how about something on trailies from the late 70's/80's, had a few, ts185,ke175b3,dt250mx,
bought the dt new in 1981, loved it.
the fun days when u couldent give a toss and looked like a rat thats been up a drainpipe.
in 1980'ish we saw quadrophenia and 3 of us decided to be 60's type rockers and ride 60's styled bikes
that were cheap and nasty and had to be parallel twins with megaphones to terrorise the local neighbourhood
for around 50 quid each we all got honda cd175's, looked the part diddent they.
loadsa fun was had with those
I filmed this series 10 years ago John, I had a DT175 and that was fun to ride.
Cheers
Martin
£649.00 new in £1980! Brilliant bike 😁👍
hello martin, was interested maybe you know some place or maybe you could link some sites from web where i could get spare parts. i need a new engine. maybe you know where i could get one. I have a Red x7 250 1980. hope to hear from you soon. :)
Sorry bud, Ebay is the place to keep an eye on.
@@retrorestore yeaaah.. nothing alot there....
Mine was on a T reg BVF34T or something like that ,it did way over the ton with a K&N air filter and microns ,
105 main jets , still remember now 40yrs on BAL 441T 🤪
Nice bike!
I don't think you got them over there George.
Cheers
Martin
is that an rd front mudguard..........?
Not sure bud.
I looking for suzuki x7 250 for sele if u have a just let me know please
Hi guys, would a 1978 suzuki gt250 be worth buying? And are the as rare as the x7
All bikes from that era are now collectors items bud.
Is it a ram or a gt a still well collectable make sure you don't sell to cheaply mate
Didn’t all the 250 Suzukis have 6spd ? I think all the other bikes had only 5 spds
I can't remember. I never had suzuki's.
Yes, already from the late 60s.
RD 250 became 6-speed from 75/B-model but was a 6-speed in some markets from introduction in 73.
Because I'm looking for suzuki x7
He forgot to mention "BOYOSEN" racing reeds. They were a popular mod
Yes, I had a set myself.
Cheers
Martin
Wasn’t the Suzuki a purely piston port injection ?
@@oceanhome2023 no the x7 engine was crankcase Reed valve induction.
How many 17 year olds did the expansions, jets and tried a bit of porting with with their dads files and made the bike go slower 😂
104 mph
This is the bike that changed the rules and the government stopped learner riders on250 cc bikes down to 125 cv
Passed my test on my mates X7, nippy little bike and lighter than the RD250 I owned.
0-60 in 7 seconds
Suzuki claimed the T20 was thee first production bike to be 100 MPH capable, then the T250 Hustler, then the GT250 and finally the same claim with the GT250 X7.
All were false claims!!
Actually the world's first 100 MPH capable production road 250 was the 4 stroke 4 valve single 1938 Rudge 250 with a top speed of 107 MPH. It still holds thee record for the highest performance 4 stroke 250cc production bike today, being more than 20 MPH faster than the modern 250cc production 4 stroke road bikes.
The Rudge 250 was the company's last offering as the factory was taken over for the production of Churchill tanks and then flattened by the Luftwaffe. After the war the government said, "Tough sh*t", to Rudge and that was the end of Rudge motorcycles. Raleigh bought up the rights to the brand in the liquidation sale and still own the brand name today.
Rudge pioneered a few now modern motorcycle features:
Phosphor Bronze cylinder heads. (More expensive but better cooling than alloy cylinder heads).
Left hand gear pedals & right hand rear brake pedals. (It makes performing a U-turn on UK roads safer & easier).
Invented Radial Four Valve Combustion (RFVC).
Linked brakes. (1934 Rudge 500).
Pity about the music...........
This was 7 years ago TODAY this BIKE is worth over £5000
Bro I 'm looking for x7
I used Belray 2-stroke….twice the price
الله يرزقنه
Of course exhaust 😉
Terry Beckett now there's a blast from the past.... He was a male nurse at our local asylum.... Once he breathed on my X7 it went like shit off a shovel... 1978 chrome frame, both spannys on one side...... Flf tank n fairing... Yuk proper no..... Feck me hope she were warmed up before you rang its neck... And did I spot non standard rear shocks... Of Corse I did 😉🤣🤣
was a little gutted, but the rd 250e was better........it was too light and full of hype.......
I was and Rd fan, I never had an X7 but they always looked smaller to me.
This was my first bike and this colour scheme I all ways thought the rd looked cheap compared to my X7
Haha Bill, Silly prices they are now though.
I had a 78 X7 (before taking a break, then an 81 350lc).
I agree with you, next to a rd250e then X7 was built and rode like a 125.. forks, frame, tank, and other cycle parts were lower quality. But the resulting weight loss made its reputation for speed, which was all the learners craved for. Me being so light on a light bike reinforced that but whenever I had to take a pillion the lightweight suspension showed its shortcomings and I spent most of my time trying to keep the front wheel on the ground.. so I could steer it!
My early model was always leaking exhaust oil through the downpipe joints. But the pink facia lighting made up for that!
Bike in video sounds quite loose to me.. I loved the crisp ringing from the stock exhausts on mine, this was first road bike with expansion chamber look from the factory, that noise is missing here, or drownwd by that loose motor. ;(
Remember how you felt back then when these came out following on from gt250s. First 100mph 250s. oh dear, here comes an elsie. shame x7s didn't have a longer time to entertain. never mind brexit,trump, farage, and king prawn vindaloos.
Nice memories Robert. You can't beat them.
Great bike.. Thank God for Brexit, Trump & the great Nigel. ..Stop remoaning if your from the UK or mind your own business if you are not...