RS250 - Back on the road
RS250 - Back on the road
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Discussion

Dare2Fail

Original Poster:

3,808 posts

239 months

Friday 10th June 2011
quotequote all
So, after nearly 3 years off the road my RS250 is now once more alive. It's taken a bit longer than I had originally hoped. The mechanical work was completed about 6 weeks ago, and it was then taken straight up to Bike Paints in Cupar for a cosmetic overhaul. I collect it tomorrow, but these just dropped into my inbox to ratchet up my excitement levels.

[pic]
RS250 Left by dare2fail, on Flickr[\pic]

[pic]
RS250 Right by dare2fail, on Flickr[\pic]

[pic]
RS250 Front by dare2fail, on Flickr[\pic]

[pic]
RS250 Rear by dare2fail, on Flickr[\pic]

Castrol Craig

18,073 posts

237 months

Friday 10th June 2011
quotequote all
stunning.

Apriliaer

848 posts

189 months

Friday 10th June 2011
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Stunning mate, got one moth-balled myself. Amazing little bikes, hopefully get some new tyres on mine this year and get some time on it. That paint job is top notch, what sort of state did you pic it up in? I wouldn't mind another, more used, one myself and sack off my Mille.

(old piccie)


Stone Cold

1,555 posts

204 months

Friday 10th June 2011
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Awesome looking bike, you wont sleep until you pick that up

RemaL

25,103 posts

265 months

Friday 10th June 2011
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very nice, glad your not another fan or Rossi by the way

Zaxxon

4,057 posts

191 months

Friday 10th June 2011
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I think that is probably the best paint scheme I have ever seen, it's brilliant.
If you ever ride that round Italy you'd be mobbed every time you stopped.

How about slipping in that 500cc Australian engine ?

Jazoli

9,690 posts

281 months

Friday 10th June 2011
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I really like that, it looks tip top smile

Dare2Fail

Original Poster:

3,808 posts

239 months

Friday 10th June 2011
quotequote all
Thanks guys.

The bike was in good mechanical condition when I bought it, but someone had painted it up in Virgin Yamaha colours. It was a pretty st paint job, and the paint scheme looked thoroughly rubbish on an Aprilia. I toyed with putting it back to stock colours, but back in 1998 I remember watching the Imola 250cc GP and finding the Rossi special paint scheme utterly mind glowingly cool. I'd always promised myself that if I ever bought an RS250 I'd at least investigate getting a replica put together. As the cost difference between the stock colours and the imola colours wasn't massive I decided to bite the bullet.

RemaL, I'll gladly call myself a fan but never a fan-boy wink

chrisga

2,128 posts

218 months

Friday 10th June 2011
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That looks utterly ace. Love it!

Tango13

10,160 posts

207 months

Friday 10th June 2011
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Good to see that bike paints are still turning out top quality work, after they painted one of my helmets I cannot recomend the highly enough.

Yoda.

2,260 posts

279 months

Friday 10th June 2011
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Wow!!!

Apriliaer

848 posts

189 months

Friday 10th June 2011
quotequote all
Dare2Fail said:
Thanks guys.

The bike was in good mechanical condition when I bought it, but someone had painted it up in Virgin Yamaha colours. It was a pretty st paint job, and the paint scheme looked thoroughly rubbish on an Aprilia. I toyed with putting it back to stock colours, but back in 1998 I remember watching the Imola 250cc GP and finding the Rossi special paint scheme utterly mind glowingly cool. I'd always promised myself that if I ever bought an RS250 I'd at least investigate getting a replica put together. As the cost difference between the stock colours and the imola colours wasn't massive I decided to bite the bullet.

RemaL, I'll gladly call myself a fan but never a fan-boy wink
Brilliant work! Enjoy, and be sure to put some more photos up!

MC Bodge

30,004 posts

206 months

Friday 10th June 2011
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I've never ridden a fast 2 stroke. How could the RS250 riding experience be described?

Dare2Fail

Original Poster:

3,808 posts

239 months

Friday 10th June 2011
quotequote all
MC Bodge said:
I've never ridden a fast 2 stroke. How could the RS250 riding experience be described?
Depends what you are used too. Compared to my gsxr 1000 it's pretty manic. You have to work it really hard and you have to tap dance on the gear lever. If you are in the wrong gear at any point then you won't get much drive, so it rewards good riding. Overall it feels more like you are riding the bike rather than going out for a ride on a bike. You have to be in the right mind frame though, or it can be pretty tiresome.

MC Bodge

30,004 posts

206 months

Friday 10th June 2011
quotequote all
Dare2Fail said:
Depends what you are used too. Compared to my gsxr 1000 it's pretty manic. You have to work it really hard and you have to tap dance on the gear lever. If you are in the wrong gear at any point then you won't get much drive, so it rewards good riding. Overall it feels more like you are riding the bike rather than going out for a ride on a bike. You have to be in the right mind frame though, or it can be pretty tiresome.
Sounds good as a toy. There was some footage of the 'friendly races' at the IOM the other night. Theybikes looked like 2 strokes and were very quick turning.

I currently ride a carb'd Fazer 600 and previously owned twins, so quite a different power delivery.

Atually, I did once have a DIY-tuned 2 stroke which had to be ridden at full throttle everywhere. Admittedly, it was a one speed Garelli 49cc monkey bike that would hit an indicated 40mph on a steady downhill. Peg-scraping fun though.

Dare2Fail

Original Poster:

3,808 posts

239 months

Friday 10th June 2011
quotequote all
A toy sums it up perfectly. It is absolutely tiny to sit on, and it feels like it weighs nothing compared to my other bikes. Makes it turn like it's on a knife edge.

Biker's Nemesis

41,461 posts

239 months

Friday 10th June 2011
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Looks mint, well done.

Dare2Fail

Original Poster:

3,808 posts

239 months

Saturday 11th June 2011
quotequote all
Just home from picking it up. Got caught in torrential rain on the way home so ride wasn't the best, but the bike looks stunning. Useless fact of the day is that the little '46' that are all over the bike are not decals, but are actually the painted on. Through gritted teeth the painter informed me that there are 92 of them. That's what I call commitment!

I'll get some high res pics put up as soon as the weather improves.

MC Bodge

30,004 posts

206 months

Saturday 11th June 2011
quotequote all
Dare2Fail said:
Useless fact of the day is that the little '46' that are all over the bike are not decals, but are actually the painted on. Through gritted teeth the painter informed me that there are 92 of them. That's what I call commitment!
How much did the paint job set you back??

Dare2Fail

Original Poster:

3,808 posts

239 months

Saturday 11th June 2011
quotequote all
MC Bodge said:
How much did the paint job set you back??
About £1k plus VAT. I'm amazed at the job they've done for the price so am viewing it as a bargain.