'88 Suzuki GSX-R 250 - Micro Gixxer Restoration

This little Japanese import turned on the Danish MC forums for sale dirt cheap and got alot of attention right away, so I went to see it right away, never even seen or heard of one of these before. Got it home bruised and a little worse for wear (the bike not me). It having previosuly been stolen and crashed into a ditch...



Turns out that these little "Super Sport 250's" where originally produced for the Japanese home market as a ready-to-race package you could flick down the B-roads on any given sunday. This we monster was bread for speed. In the late 80's and start 90's about 350 pcs where imported to my home turf of all places, who would have thought, and now I have one for some strange reason. :

Stay tuned.

Re: '89 Suzuki GSX-R 250 - Micro Gixxer Restoration

Thats really neat! I didnt know they made a 250 either until about 2 minutes ago! Looks like it guna be a fun lil project. Like you said, great to blast around back roads with!

Re: '89 Suzuki GSX-R 250 - Micro Gixxer Restoration

Very nice man. I am definitely on board.

Re: '89 Suzuki GSX-R 250 - Micro Gixxer Restoration

+1

Re: '89 Suzuki GSX-R 250 - Micro Gixxer Restoration

As soon as I got the bike home I started researching the model, to hopefully find a few model tips and get any closer as the what it might have looked like when it left the factory.
From the flaked and scraped areas of paint I gathered that it had to have been white, so I searched a few specialist sites and found a scan of an old Microfiche, this showed the model years and color schemes sorted by frame numbers, by crossreferencing my own to it I found that this , most ikely, is what the bike originally would have looked like:



The plan is to get the bike running propperly before tearing it down, wiping of the rust and old bugs of the engine and frame and turn back time on the plastics, this should be fun

Re: '89 Suzuki GSX-R 250 - Micro Gixxer Restoration

Wow, cool! I'm on board too and interested to see what you do with the plastics, as I have plastics of my own that are in rough shape. Nice find!

Re: '89 Suzuki GSX-R 250 - Micro Gixxer Restoration

Took today to check the bike over and get the carburetors off and cleaned, bodged a spare battery on there and ran through the switches and knobs, everything works just fine the loom is a little worse for wear but should be easy to fix, what is to be expected after 23 years.
On the carburetor side of things, the PO said that the bike had been sitting for 1½ years with petrol still in the tank so assumed them full of gunk.. Pleasant surprise - few very small particles in the bowls and that was it ;D
Wiped them off, blew the jets clear and installed the carbs back on the bike on to next job.

Re: '89 Suzuki GSX-R 250 - Micro Gixxer Restoration

That's a pretty bike...looks like it will be a lot of fun to ride...

Two things.

One - Came up with something interesting during a random search.





(Edit: fixed the second image as Yahoo japan didn't want to play nice.)

Change of plans, the bike is going its original red and white, way more interesting than the regular old white and blue.
This means that the bike is a '88 and not a '89 model like I had previosuly thought, no matter as the changes between the two where only cosmetical.

Two - The bike previously having been stolen, the igition had been bashed out and the tank lock had taken a beating amung other things, obviously any propper motorcycle has to have a functioning ignition lock - To the internet!
Turns out a local breakers had a few of these bike out back so the parts where availible but pricy, special bikes in a nutshell.. New subframe, mirrors, engine coversand locks are secured, though the lot cost almost as much as the bike did!
Cool thing is that these parts came off another red and white '88 bike. 8)

Re: '88 Suzuki GSX-R 250 - Micro Gixxer Restoration

Man I can't wait to see how this turns out. Wish I could find one of those little jewels in my neck of the woods. Keep the updates coming!

Cool bike thats for sure Why is it everyone but the U.S gets the cool smaller CC bikes ? Going to be a great build to watch im in !

Re: Re: '88 Suzuki GSX-R 250 - Micro Gixxer Restoration

DreadRock said:

Cool bike thats for sure Why is it everyone but the U.S gets the cool smaller CC bikes ? Going to be a great build to watch im in !

Click to expand...

Much of it is simply cultural, typically Americans have a "bigger is better" attitude. Some countries have government imposed displacement caps on motorcycles, or require special licensing for larger displacements. And some countries are very congested and just do not have highway systems that makes large bikes practical. Not to mention small cc bikes have not sold well in the U.S. for sometimes now. So all the newer, cool, small stuff never gets imported.

Re: Re: '88 Suzuki GSX-R 250 - Micro Gixxer Restoration

cyclefreak said:

Much of it is simply cultural, typically Americans have a "bigger is better" attitude. Some countries have government imposed displacement caps on motorcycles, or require special licensing for larger displacements. And some countries are very congested and just do not have highway systems that makes large bikes practical. Not to mention small cc bikes have not sold well in the U.S. for sometimes now. So all the newer, cool, small stuff never gets imported.

Click to expand...

Couldn't have said it better myself.
Japan, specifically, imposed a 400cc law back in the mid 1970's as a precaution against polution and smog (still pretty bad in the major cities, many places you have to wear face masks) as a result 250cc and 400cc bikes became very popular and many models where made exclusively for that home market, many of which rarely got imported.
Lately japan have begun exporting many of their home models to Australia and New zealand, I envy those oz's and kiw's..
Too bad "less is more" hasn't really hit home in the EU and US, really love a light, fast and nimble bike and you can't chime at 320hp/ton

Couldnt agree more with both statements ! But seeing as honda just came out with a 250 and Kaw did with a 300 might be changing there thought ! Always liked some of the small CC bikes ! Anyways really lookking forward to seeing you bring this bike back to life !

Have you folks seen the new Honda CBR500 / CB500 / CB500X family? Very nice...

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/10/meet-the-cbr500-family/

That being said, more micro gixxer pictures!

In my book the Ninja 250 isn't really a nimble bike, have sat and ridden one before and it just feels.. heavy.. for some reason..
But am very anxious to try the 300 and the new CB500, though that doen't really fall into the "small bikes" bracket.

Got off early today so went over to the breakers to get a 'new' wiring loom, when I tested it thoroughly, other than just pushing buttons, it proved to be bodged.
And as early-off-days are best spent in the workshop that is what I did.



Replaced the top bridge, binned the chain cover (really bad chain whip snapped it in half) and stripped the bike down to just the engine to get at the frame to remove rust and gunk (This weekends big project) This is gonna take alot of engine cleaner..

This weekends progress.
Binned the brake rotors, chain and chainwheels, the rear rotor was way under measure, the front rotors warped and the chain bits just plain worn out. Rolled the bike and bits outside and used up 2 litres of engine cleaner getting the old gunk off, hate caked up oil...



Good new is that the wheels have their original coat of paint and it is in prestine condition, and apart from a little battery-acid drip on the swingarm it too is just as should be, the bad news is the coat on the frame didn't quite hold up as nice... There is plenty of surface rust and you wouldn't want that to deteriarate to rot, so I it is going off to powdercoat.



Overall I thought this we bike was coming apart pretty easy - Jinxed.. The front mounting bolt on the engine was seized, crap... Out with the big hammer and it came out after much swearing, I need to work out more...
A midly unpleasant surprise is that half the exhaust mount bolt holes had been ripped out at some point and replaced with threaded studs for some reason, will likely install studs in the remaining holes to tie it all up. On the good side, the paint on the engine is very nice and is going to stay just as is.



And now for the cool bits.
Obviously the front fork has a Deca piston setup (5 damper pistons in each leg) to combat brake dive on top of that - Air walves on top of each leg for preasurising the forks for that hard-on day on the track, nice!
And a pleasant feature is that the rear shock link actually has a concentric mounting point, which makes the back end height adjustable - Adjustable stearing angle and ride height, double nice! 8)

Update: The concentric joint is really a excentric joint, just me messing around and as a let down it just operates as a part of the bikes suspension, no height adjustment..

Dear god I want this bike... Stupid America...

Keep up the good work and keep the updates coming!!!!

Finally got the frame back from powdercoat and got straight on the little things. Replaced the alternater and chain cover (after drilling out a snapped bolt), fitted the new front sprocket and cleaned the engine before fitting it to the frame. And in case you havn't noticed, this is no immaculate restoration, the scratches and dings on the engine, wheels and forks tell a life story like no other and who would want to erase such a thing? The chapter about neglect and theft has to go though!



Stay tuned.

Aaaaand a front fork.