Suzuki X7 Magazine Articles

 X7 v KH250 v RD250LC

 250's Test 1979

 Suzuki X7 V Yamaha RD250

 RD250 V's X7

 Suzuki x7 Profile

Suzuki X7 Brochure

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Introduction

If you like motorbikes you should like this website. As well as specific information on the Suzuki X7 and Suzuki RG250 there is much more about other Classic Motorbikes and Motorbikes in general, where to buy parts from and also Motorbikes For Sale. The site's content will be updated on a regular basis so keep revisiting.

NEW: To see a video of the Suzuki X7 and other bikes featured on the website click the following link to Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIAJIE2RroY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIAJIE2RroY

My name's Guy, I live near Worcester (UK), I'm 39 and I've been riding motorbikes since I was 15 in 1987. I rebuilt my first motorbike, a Suzuki TS50ER, then progressed to a Suzuki GP125 followed by my first Suzuki X7 at the age of 17. This progression of Suzuki 2-strokes gave me my love of the type.

My first Suzuki X7 was a rocket. I remember it feeling like riding a high performance ironing board with its perched on-top riding position. Unfortunately I wrote that bike off in a crash. Years later (in 2002) I stumbled across a sorry looking X7 in a motorcycle breakers in Birmingham and bought it for £225. I spent 3 years rebuilding this bike which I still own and is the white one featured on this site (see picture on left).

I am now rebuilding a Suzuki RG250 Mk3 'Gamma' which was the bike I really wanted but couldn't afford when I had the first X7 and these two bikes share my garage with a Honda VTR1000 SP-2 (RC-51) - see right - and an Aprilia RS125 which I am putting back on the road for a mate after a 4-year lay-up. I will share the experiences gained during the X7 and RG250 rebuild process including sources of parts, tips for buying and running these bikes etc.

Although much of the information on the site will focus on the Suzuki X7 and Suzuki RG250 most of the information including advice on buying, rebuilding and finding parts applies just as well to other Classic Japanese Motorbike makes and models, in particular machines like the Yamaha RD250, RD250LC and TZR250 and the Kawasaki KH250 and KR1S.

Updates in the form of my X7 and general garage 'blog' will be posted at the bottom of this page with most recent first. I will share any tips and new things found for the X7.

Using the links below you will also find an in-depth buying guide to Classic Japanese Motorbikes including selected examples and spares for sale in the UK. This section we be regularly updated (including four strokes) so keep revisiting.

Classic TWO-STROKE Buying Guide:

Click Manufacturer's Logo for Model Guide and Bikes & Spares for Sale.

My Garage - Group Shot

These are the motorbikes I have in my garage in running order. My Suzuki RG250 isn't in the photo below because it is currently in bits undergoing its rebuild.

Why the Suzuki X7 ?

So what's Special about the Suzuki X7 ?

Before I go on about the Suzuki X7 I want to make it clear that I love almost all motorbikes. The X7 just happened to be my first big bike and left a lasting impression on me to this day. The Suzuki GT250 X7 (full model name) was launched in Europe in 1978 and became known simply as the "X7" in the UK. In Japan it's model name was RG250. The bike was a more sporty evolution of Suzuki's previous GT250 range that went back to the early 1970's. The lively air-cooled 2-stroke twin produced about 29 HP which in a bike weighing just 128 kg gave impressive acceleration and performance. This was illustrated by the fact that this was the first 250cc bike to reach 100 mph in UK road tests. It was this speed combined with the fact that 250cc machines were still legal for learners to ride that made the Suzuki X7 infamous and special.

The X7's friendly and diminutive appearance does not make it look as extreme or aggressive as today's sportsbike styling but you shouldn't let the looks of these two-strokes from the 70's and 80's fool you. These are raw and ragged machines that deliver a real kick once in their powerbands. In the case of the Suzuki X7 it really takes off at 7000 rpm at which point it will wheelie in 1st and 2nd gears without the need to use the clutch but given full throttle. From 7000rpm you have 1500 revs to go before the redline at 8500 rpm so if the front wheel is in the air it won't be for long as you'll have to change up. The way these two-strokes deliver their power in a flash is what makes them exciting to ride and unlike today's 4-stroke bikes.

The Suzuki X7's two main competitors at the time were the Yamaha RD250 and the Kawasaki KH250. The Yamaha RD250 was considered by some to be the best of the three and has since become a more collectable classic than the X7. The Yamaha was reported to have a more tractable engine with a better spread of power than the X7 and supposedly better handling but was heavier (145 kg), more expensive and felt slower. The Kawasaki KH250 was the oldest of the three and while it had an unique (for a 250) 3-cylinder engine and great styling it was the heaviest, slowest and was beginning to look old compared to the newer models. For me the X7 was definitely the pick of the bunch though. Good top-end power in a chassis that was much lighter than the Yamaha makes it a more exhilarating and nimble machine. While the extra weight of the Yamaha may give it more stable handling the X7 has quicker steering and the instability and twitchiness of the handling, particularly under power or over bumps and crests, add to the excitement and experience. Both the RD250 and X7 looked great but the lighter X7 looked leaner and less bulky giving a more sporty appearance.

Today, in the UK at least, both the Suzuki X7 and Yamaha RD250 are quite easy to find for sale. Many have been restored but the higher collectable status of the Yamaha make it significantly more expensive, harder to find and less likely to find in an un-restored state (prices for restored RD250's can be stupidly high). You can still get a good condition X7 for less than £ 1000 and a less presentable one for less than £ 500.

In 1983, when the first Suzuki RG250 was launched, it was one of the most advanced bikes on the road if not the most advanced. Suzuki threw everything they had at this bike, particularly in the chassis department. The Suzuki RG250 was the first production motorbike in the world to feature an aluminium chassis. Along with monoshock rear suspension, water-cooled engine, twin front disc brakes and anti-dive forks this was a very high specification for a 250. The bike really looked like a race bike, closely resembling the RG500's that the legendary Barry Sheene was still competing on in 500 GP's. Then in 1985 Suzuki launched the legendary RG500, one of the most revered motorbikes ever to have come out of Japan. I couldn't even dream of owning the 500 at the age of 18 but the 250 model was like a miniaturised version with the same great looks. Today the RG500 is still my ultimate 2-stroke but prices still put it out of reach and implications of the 250 engine going bang compared to the complex 500 are far less terrifying. The RG250 was also Suzuki's model replacement for the Suzuki X7 so with my fondness of 250 2-strokes it is a natural stablemate for the X7. You should be able to find a nice RG250 for less than £ 1500 and if you do then you will have something quite different as they are very rarely seen on the roads today.

Anyone that knows Suzuki X7's will know that they all suffer from what is commonly referred to as "Exhaust Rash". Exhaust rash is simply the resulting damage to the right-hand exhaust where the kickstart scrapes against it towards the bottom of its travel as you start the bike. I have seen a lot of X7's and don't think I have ever seen one without these unsighlty marks that can ruin an otherwise immaculate example. The damage can range from scuff marks to very significant scrapes and flats on the exhaust. These scuffs and scrapes then discolour and rust. The problem is an unecessary issue cause by suzuki's poor kickstart lever design. The standard X7 kickstart is a particularly long lever as were most in the 1970's and it is the fact that the lever bend inwards that causes it to come into contact with the exhaust at the bottom of its travel. See picture above left showing my X7 with original kickstart lever and exhaust showing typical kickstart rash damage.

Having gone to the effort and expense of buying new Gibson (Allspeed) exhausts and new original downpipes for my X7 (see article at bottom of page) I wanted to avoid damaging their beautiful chrome finish with the original lumbering kickstart lever. As I also own a Suzuki RG250 I noticed that the kickstart lever on the RG was a much more compact (shorter) and neater design that also bent out, away from the exhaust when in its start position so I decided to try fitting it to the X7. It was immediately clear that the RG250 Kickstart lever was a perfect fit on the X7, bolting straight onto the X7 kickstart shaft (the shaft diameter is the same as the X7's). The big advantage with the RG lever though is that it bends out, away from the bike so that it clears the exhaust when you kick it over to start the bike. So the problem of exhaust rash is easily solved forever and you have a much neater, more compact lever that doesn't rattle around like the original. As I wanted to keep my RG250 lever for my RG250 I then went on to Ebay to look for one for my X7 but at the time I could only find Kickstart levers for the RG125. I decided to take the risk that these would also fit the X7 so bought one. Once the RG125 lever arrived in the post I fitted it to the X7 and sure enough found that it fits just as well as the RG250 version, in fact, the two are almost the same. The picture above left shows my X7 before, with standard kickstart lever and orignal downpipes and exhaust complete with very bad rash damage from the kickstart and the picture above right shows the same bike with new downpipes, RG125 kickstart lever and new Gibson exhausts free from any kickstart rash damage.

The picture to the left shows the RG kickstart lever on the X7 and how it clears the exhaust when used. Where it looks like it is close to the exhaust near the base of the kickstart and the kickstart shaft it is actually well clear as it is a good 2-3 inches above the exhaust. Any other pictures in this section show other X7's all with original kickstart levers and exhaust rash marks on bikes that are otherwise immaculate. So if you want to stop damaging your X7 every time you start it you can do it simply, in less than five minutes by fitting a kickstart lever from either the RG125 or RG250. Please don't fit restored pipes or new Gibsons without doing this ! The small difference between the RG125 and RG250 Kickstart levers is that the RG125 is a little more curved while the RG250 one is more like a dog leg. Both work equally well on the X7 (eliminating exhaust rash) and look much better than the original.

To buy a rebuilt/restored RG125 / RG250 Kickstart repainted to match the X7 just like the one fitted in the pictures above see the one(s) for sale below:

Since April 2010 my garage has seen a few changes in its inhabitants and plenty of tinkering, fuel spills and grazed knuckles. The Aprilia RS125 has gone. Having got it back on the road for a mate I decided it was just too much like hard work getting anywhere on it and it is just a bit too small and quick handling for my liking. It was too much of a change switching from the SP-2 to the RS125 and back given the massive difference in weight, handling and riding style required. So with the RS125 sold there was space in the garage for a new bike ! Back in 2009 one of the visitors to the website told me about his tatty Suzuki X7 which had a valuable numberplate. I agreed to advertise the bike for sale and although there were a few interested parties no one followed through and bought it. Then one night out of the blue my wife suggested I buy it with a view to getting it roadworthy and MOT'd then selling the registration and bike separately. So at the end of June I became the new owner of my third ever X7 which is the blue one in the pictures on the left and right. The previous owner, Pete from Kent, who sold it to me gave me no illusions as the condition of the bike which had been standing unused for about 10 years. While Pete explained that it would run, it was not in the habit of doing so and was far from roadworthy and severely cosmetically challenged. A little research has led me to believe that the registration "MAD ??V" is worth between £ 1000 - £ 2000 so having paid Pete £ 700 for the bike my project commenced.

So, without wishing to cause any engine damage the engine was laid to rest until a few things were checked and replaced. With good X7 fuel tanks costing over £ 100 and new ones unavailable now I decided to find a cheaper alternative. Scouring Ebay I considered tanks from similarly spine-framed bikes from the 70's including the Suzuki GT500 (decided not to risk as it might be too long) and the Kawasaki Z650 (decided to stick to Suzuki) I eventually decided to take the plunge and paid £ 30 for a good condition Buy-It-Now tank from a Suzuki GN125. My theory being that the spine frame and headtsock on this bike looks pretty similar to the X7 and the tank would certainly not be too big. The tank arrived and I was really pleased - it was in great condition with no rust inside and complete with good condition fuel tap and filter assembly. As i had guessed the tank cap from the X7 fitted the GN125 tank (which did not have one) and even better the tank slid nicely onto the rubber frame/tank lugs near the headstock on the X7 frame. The tank is shorter than the X7 tank so leaves a gap to the seat and the mounting points on the back do not (not suprisingly) match up to the ones on the X7 frame but it won't be difficult to make a small bracket to secure the back of the tank to the frame. It looks a bit odd on the bike (see photos) but is functional and could be worse. Having spent many frustrating ours removing and refitting the carburettors on my main X7 (the tight fitting airbox and rubbers make removal and refitting a nightmare) I decided that for this project bike I would get some K&N style filters which would allow me to free up space by junking the airbox. So back on Ebay I got hold of a set of four new ones (probably sourced from China) for just £ 20. Whilst waiting for these to arrive I gave the bike a good jetwashing to remove the accumulated thick dirt and then covered it liberally with WD-40. I changed the gearbox oil, 2-stroke oil and spark plugs and set about stripping the carburettors which were in a really bad state. The internals were completely coroded with the float bowls being full of rust. With the internals removed I set about the carburettor bodies in the kitchen sink with hot water and washing up liquid which worked a treat, both inside and out, before being sprayed with WD-40 and left to dry in the sun. I ordered a selection of main-jets and given my plans to use the K&N style filter opted to fit 100-size jets to start with. The jets that were in the carbs to start with were non-matching 95 and 110. I cleaned all the the other internals (jets, slides, needle, float assembly) up and blew all the passages out with compressed air. With the new 100-size main jets fitted I set the float height at about 23mm and popped the carbs back on with the new filters (dead easy - about 2 minutes). Before starting the bike again I tightened the exhaust manifold bolts one of which promptly stripped and pulled out (aaarrgghhh!!). Being familiar with this problem on my main X7 (the alloy cylinder heads are like cheese) I already have an M8 recoil kit to be able to rethread the hole with a good steel thread. Unfortunately this had already been attmpted and the recoil itself had simply pulled out. One more attempt with a fresh Recoil had the same results as the tapped thread was virtually non-existent. So I decided to re-tap the hole to make it an M10. This worked fine and the manifold was tightened up sucessfully.

With the new tank, new air-filters, new plugs and oils and clean carbs with new jets I hoped the engine would then run properly but although it would start OK it would only run on the left cyclinder without the choke activated. The right-hand cylinder would only kick in about 5000 rpm or with the choke on. I knew the plug was sparking and the float bowls had fuel which made it most likely a problem with the passage of the fuel though jets or passageways within the carbs. After a few more attempts at stripping the carbs and blowing out all the passages, cleaning the choke mechanism and changing float heights I eventually found what I was sure was the problem: looking through the pilot jet on the good carburettor I could clearly see daylight whilst I could clearly see dry-fuel residue on the the pilot jet in the the non-running carb. I could see through it, just, but it was largely blocked. Fortunately I kept the carbs from my first ever (crashed in 1990) X7 as a momento and the pilot jets in these were fine so I put on of these in and tried another start-up. This time rather than being reluctant to run the engine fired into life with too much enthusiasm and immediately screamed round to the red-line which was quite disconcerting. I wasn't going to wait for it to 'settle down' and immediately switched it off. I took the tops of the carburettors and found that the needle jet had not been seated through the centre of the carb. With this corrected I put the carbs back and tried again only to have the engine scream round to the red-line again. I checked the routing of the throttle cable to be sure it wasn't being held taught but it was fine so only had the carb tops and slides to try again. This time I took the carbs off completely (easy with he K&N's -just 2 minutes) and removed the carb tops, made sure the cable, valve/slide, needle stop plate and throttle valve spring were correctly assembled and correctly positioned centrally back in the carburettors, then checked the movement of the throttle valve through the mouth of the carb. With the carbs back on I tried again and the bike started fine and ticked over at 1500rpm. I remember when I first started my rebuilt X7 the same thing happend with the engine racing to the redline so the throttle valves or needles must just be easy to assemble incorrectly so that they do not seat properly in the carburetor body then when you start the bike it is like having the throttle fully opened. I took the bike for a 4-mile ride and it was fine so now I just have to sort out the front brake which is full of air, the rest of the chassis and the lights before I have a go at an MOT.

Having bought my second Suzuki X7 (the white/blue one on this website) in 2002, by September 2009 I had owned it 7 years and had it running for 4 summer seasons. I think that after a few years ownership of a motorbike most owners develop the urge to tamper with it with at least little improvements or upgrades. I had managed to resist this urge with the X7 as my overriding priority has been to keep it as reliable as possible and fiddling with two-stroke engines always increases the ever-present risk of failure in the form of seizures and holed-pistons etc. But my ride-outs with the X7 owners in Stourport (See Suzuki X7 owners page) set me off with a bad case of Exhaust Envy ! While I like the original exhausts on the X7 for their early attempt at an expansion chamber type design, they are big heavy things and sit flat at an uninspiring angle giving no hint of menace that should accompany a hooligan two-stroke like the X7. The original exhaust are also (in hindsight) clearly quite restrictive. This is clear from the quite muted note that emanates from a standard X7's pipes. Finally, while not in bad condition, my original near 30-year old exhausts were beginning to look a bit scratched and rusty against the pristine examples on the bikes of the boys from Stourport some of which have very tasty looking high performance micron expansion chambers which I had decided look great on the X7 further complementing its whippet-like light-weight appearance and build.

A few years ago when I was rebuilding my X7 I actually ordered a new pair of exhausts from Gibson Exhausts but after waiting over 6-months I got fed up and gave up waiting. With my new found enthusiasm to upgrade the bike in 2009 however I phoned Gibsons and was amazed when they told me they actually had 3 sets available ex-stock. I couldn't resist and a few days later took delivery of a new pair of chromed Gibsons expansion chambers.

Unpacking the new exhausts I was struck by how light they were. I didn't get round to weighing them but they are easily less than half the weight of the bulky originals. They are beautifully made things and in the chrome finish look almost too good to put on an oily two-stroke but that's what they're for so on they went.

Over the next couple of nights I fitted the new exhausts at the same time as repairing two stripped threads in the cylinder head where the exhausts bolt on using an excellent Recoil kit (see more about this on the Buying & Rebuilding page). Fitting the Gibsons is easy. I did find when I first put them on that the silencer cans on the end did not have enough clearance from the bottom shock-absorber mounting bolts but this was easily fixed by adding suitably sized washers to act as spacers on the front and rear exhaust mounts just to position it a little further away from the bike.

NEW: To see and hear these pipes visit the following Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIAJIE2RroY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIAJIE2RroY

Once one of the Gibsons was on the comparison to the standard exhaust on the other side was amazing. It was clear that the Gibsons would make the bike a lot narrower as the original exhausts on my bike were the widest point with the exception of the handle-bars and could make manoeuvring in the garage awkward. By contrast the upswept and tucked-in Gibsons are now completely out of the way and make the already lightweight bike a lot easier to wheel around tight spots in the garage.

Finally I was ready for the test run: a couple of stabs at the kickstart and I'm rewarded with just what I've been longing for: the Gibsons deliver a menacing hollow cackle that sounds pure two-stroke race-bike. Compared to the muted warble of the original exhausts the X7 sounds like a completely different machine. The louder, more aggressive sound from the Gibsons gives it a much more purposeful sound and image making it clear to anyone that this is a sports-bike with some zip and not a smokey old commuter.

In neutral the revs pick-up quicker and you can almost hear or imagine the exhaust gases racing down the expansion chamber before hitting the cone and bouncing back to stop the next charge coming out of the exhaust port.

On the bike the transformation is no less dramatic; the bike now picks up revs and speed much more cleanly than before with a more pronounced surge at 5000 rpm before hitting the powerband at 7000 rpm where it now goes bezerk. Despite having cleaned my old exhausts out with caustic soda I think they must have been clogged because these Gibsons must have added at least 5 bhp from 5000 rpm onwards. After being out with the Stourport X7 boys an seeing them wheelie their bikes I took mine out a few weeks ago to see if it would do the same and despite plenty of encouragement in 1st gear it just couldn't do it. Now, with the Gibsons you have to restrain it ! At 5000 rpm if you roll the throttle off a little, then crack it open the front wheel rears right up as high as you like.

So the Gibsons exhausts have completely transformed my bike and I can't recommend them enough. Following some good advice on the Suzuki GT website (www.suzuki-gt.co.uk) I am going to fit new main jets in the carbs, two sizes over standard which will be 92.5's (standard are 87.5's) and see how the fuelling feels and how the plugs look with the richer mixture. This should help prevent it from running too lean, getting too hot and holing a piston.

Also on the Suzuki GT website I had seen comments about the standard of the chrome plating on the Gibsons not being 1st class. The response from Gibsons is that it is done to a price (about £ 50 per pipe) and is a commercial rather than a show finish that might cost four or five times as much. To the left and right are a couple of pictures of weld areas on the Gibsons. The one on the left is the weld to the mounting bracket and you can see some discoloration around some areas of the weld where it recesses under the bracket. This is where the Chrome plate has failed to penetrate or adhere. The picture on the right is one of the welds joining to of the expansion chamber sections together. The Chrome plating is a little pitted in some area around this and slightly rough. I am not criticising this finish or these aspects as I accept Gibsons comments about the price/quality trade-off and I work in the metal forming and plating industry and appreciate this. I have no problems with these small details and overall I am so pleased with the workmanship of these exhausts (see the details in the end can below) and the performance change they have made to my bike that I can accept minor blemishes in the Chrome plating.

Also remember that when buying these exhausts that you can pay £ 100 less for them in unfinished bare steel and provided you don't ride in the wet run them in that state or paint them in heat-resistant black paint. On a two-stroke they are certain not to rust from the inside !

So in summary, I thoroughly recommend these exhausts from Gibsons. If you do buy some, remember that they do not have integral header pipes so you need your originals or to get some new ones to do the new exhausts justice. See the "Finding Parts" page to find out where you can get these from at a good price.