Suzuki TS 50 ER - Time to be 16 again

[StonetheCrows]

So after five months tinkering in the garage, its time for the MOT and time travel back to 1981

[url]

|https://thumbsnap.com/tObmRoFo[/url][url]

|https://thumbsnap.com/wDbcqJee[/url][url]

|https://thumbsnap.com/s24TtkIs[/url][url]

|https://thumbsnap.com/XgbKeGHM[/url][url]

|https://thumbsnap.com/gJRwo6ZT[/url]

[stew-STR160]

Wow!

[Dog Star]

Perfect - have you restored this (apologies if you've had a thread on it I've missed).

[StonetheCrows]

Restored yes, was a wreck off bought off of ebay, didn't think anyone would be interested in a restoration thread. Had exactly this bike when 16, strange how memories come flooding back.

[Donbot]

That's really nice. Should be good fun to razz around the local park

[PistonBroker]

Fantastic stuff!

I had an 82Y DT50 at 16 back in '94. It was never very reliable and I've always been gutted that I didn't buy a TS50 off a chap down the road - I only learned he had it for sale on the same evening I'd already bought the DT.

The TS had a 65cc big-bore on it and the chap was a mechanic who'd had some involvement in the Grinnall Scorpion so I expect it was tip-top.

Thanks for the nostalgia trip and enjoy!

[Dog Star]

StonetheCrows said:

Restored yes, was a wreck off bought off of ebay, didn't think anyone would be interested in a restoration thread. Had exactly this bike when 16, strange how memories come flooding back.

Restoration threads are probably my favourites! See Evil Len's threads; always popular.

It gave me a little jolt to see those pics - when I was 16 back in 1984 I had an AR50 and my best mate a red TS50ER.

[Mr Dendrite]

That looks spotless and a lot of fun. Not asking for the full resto thread, (but you should have ) but have you got any “before, eBay basket case shots”, so we can how far you’ve brought it along

[Fastdruid]

Fantastic. I had one as my first bike. Loved it, first taste of proper freedom and all that.

Mine never looked that good though!

[Janluke]

Great work, I had a Kawasaki ae50 but always loved the white ER

[poo at Paul's]

Minter, and money in the bank that is.
In reality it is so much nicer than anything we would have had at 16, it is not quite like going back!! But a great bit of kit!

I have an MT5 I am doing up for my kid to use at 16, few years to go still!!

[Mr Tidy]

That is just stunning!

Sadly a couple of years too late for me as I was 17 in 1976.

But a restoration thread would still be fascinating.

[Fastdruid]

I dug out a few photos of mine. Unfortunately of course from an age before digital cameras so not many and few good ones.

Mine was bought in about 1993 as an ex-field bike that I converted back to a road bike. It was never as slow as it should have been for a moped.
It would do a good 45mph on the flat and 50mph down hill (bouncing deep in the red).

After I got something quicker I kept it then I (along with a few others) did Moped Mayhem in IIRC 2000 or so.



We ended up midfield obscurity, somewhere around 10th in class (out of about 20) and 30th overall (out of about 70). This was despite bringing a bike with trail tyres to a track. It was however faster than the identically engine'd ZR50/x1.

Sold it after that, did get a few photos from the new owner who managed to get some original side panels.

[Dalmahoy]

Get the resto story up - thats a fantastic job done there

[Butter Face]

Love it. I bought one brand new in 2000, it was registered on my 16th birthday. Looked just like this.



I remember it being quite slow back then, and those brakes! My mates all had scooters and they were lots quicker.

[Fastdruid]

Butter Face said:

Love it. I bought one brand new in 2000, it was registered on my 16th birthday. Looked just like this.



I remember it being quite slow back then, and those brakes! My mates all had scooters and they were lots quicker.

Get out of here with your posh TS50X.

[Butter Face]

Fastdruid said:

Butter Face said:

Love it. I bought one brand new in 2000, it was registered on my 16th birthday. Looked just like this.



I remember it being quite slow back then, and those brakes! My mates all had scooters and they were lots quicker.

Get out of here with your posh TS50X.

Er, it’s an ERKX actually

I spunked a fortune on that new, £1700 I think?

[Fastdruid]

Butter Face said:

Fastdruid said:

Butter Face said:

Love it. I bought one brand new in 2000, it was registered on my 16th birthday. Looked just like this.



I remember it being quite slow back then, and those brakes! My mates all had scooters and they were lots quicker.

Get out of here with your posh TS50X.

Er, it’s an ERKX actually

Definitely a TS50X despite what the full model designation may have been.




The model history went

TS50 1971 to 1978
TS50ER 1979 to 1983
TS50X 1984 to 2000

The derestricted one wouldn't have been too bad (for a 50), about 7.2hp but restricted they're pretty slow.

[Butter Face]

Yeah I was just being an arse about the full model name, it was all I had when it was new to make it sound cool. It was restricted and dog slow tbh.

[NITO]

Fantastic restoration!

I loved my TS50X, had it when I was 14 to use off road, bought off a mate...



I regretted selling it so then bought an absolute dog for £200 back in around 1992 and then restored it when I was 16 with a mate for about £200 mostly on some new plastics and powder coating, I loved the look of the Kawasaki KMX125 so restored it in those colours, had the frame powder coated and plastics/tank sprayed, it was a Suzuki dark blue originally...

Edited by NITO on Thursday 15th August 11:07

Edited by NITO on Thursday 15th August 11:08