Rimfireboy Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 (edited) Anybody interested in the old strokers? I dragged this one out after fitting a new battery and a fresh swig of petrol, it started sixth kick, to my surprise. Not original at all, but it still makes me grin anyway...lol. Picture seems to be sideways for some reason? Edited June 13, 2016 by Rimfireboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 They are fun, had a RD200 and X7 back in the day when at 17 you could ride these without a test. The X7 was much fun at 17!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BerettaSV10 Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Looks like its been stripped in the past and had the frame repainted or powder coated, the GT 550 seamed to be more popular over the 500 twins. Both good bikes and probably the 500's did not get canned as much as the 550's as more of a tourer in its day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Much prefer the two strokes to four strokes. We have owned many two stroke moto cross bikes - all sizes up to CR500s - not the fastest - that would be KTM SX380. Far cheaper and simpler to maintain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 hello, would i love to see my old francis barnet and bsa bantam again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimfireboy Posted June 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Looks like its been stripped in the past and had the frame repainted or powder coated, the GT 550 seamed to be more popular over the 500 twins. Both good bikes and probably the 500's did not get canned as much as the 550's as more of a tourer in its day. It's been built by me, many years ago. It's a T500 with GT front end. Moderately ported barrels. I had the frame metal coated by a friend who worked in the business. It's the same as used on crane jibs and the like. Would have to be grinded off to remove it. I've had the 550 triple, this 500 is well quicker though, than a standard GT550. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocette Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Kawasaki KDX 200 C2 for me. I ran mine for over 4 years in dozens of endures including The Tour of Wales,,The Powys,,The Welsh 2 day and all the northen circuit of Hamsterly, Kielder and Dalby forests. A couple of sets of rings each season plus normal consumables and servicing and it never missed a beat. An outstandingly tough bike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wisdom Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 First was a gt 250 then the gt 750 kettle sorry it was watercooled so doesn't really fit the thread but it was a cracking two stroker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Well it is a 2 stroke ( and diesel) but not what you had in mind ....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TONY R Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 I am a 2 stroke fan still have a few about a complete beta rev 3 trials and a sherco, pluss a couple of pre 65 and twin shock trials projects including my youngests bantam D5. The T500s are a good robust bike, i had a red tank gold stripe T500R a 1976 R reg in 1977 used it to go all over the alps two up with the then girlfriend, it was a quick thing for back then, only thing it did wrong was it was vibrated pretty bad at high revs, and on long runs it was very noticable, when you got off it felt like the world had ended, you felt kind of deflated. Handling was ok for back in the day and brakes twin leading shoe front on mine was adequate at best . Good bikes though i would have another if i could find one to do. You done a good job of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodp Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 GT500 was the last road bike I owned (I think?). So going back a bit now since I had a road bike. Bought a 350 slimline Sherpa a while back in the hopes of becoming a born again trials rider, found I didn't bounce as well as I did some years before so sold it Well it is a 2 stroke ( and diesel) but not what you had in mind ....... Yours ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 GT500 was the last road bike I owned (I think?). So going back a bit now since I had a road bike. Bought a 350 slimline Sherpa a while back in the hopes of becoming a born again trials rider, found I didn't bounce as well as I did some years before so sold it Yours ?? I wish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodp Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Yep, would be nice to own it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Mule Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 (edited) I've owned 3 GT500s a KH250 and a TS250 Mental fun at all times. My best GT500 Ram-Air was fettled with substantially: I found an old tuning book for the t500 and set to with rat-tails files and lots of polishing. I had a welder mate knock up the expansion pipes for it (with 'road-legal' stubbies from a VW beetle that kept falling off for some unknown reason). Turned the bars upside down left to right - couldn't afford A-bars or clip-ons. Bolted on a XS400 seat. Stuck an high power spot lamp on top of the main lamp, for full beam lunacy. Massively over sized rear sprocket and a tiny one. Well variety is the spice of life and those new fangled RD350s needed to be put in their places. And that smell!!!!!! Gunk cooking in s stroker. mmmmmm Edited June 13, 2016 by Alpha Mule Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
69chris Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 heres a few of my old ones, my old t500.... an rd 400e under going a suspension/wheels transplant..... an rd250e with watercooled motor project.... kh250..... when they were cheap...... a young me and my x7.... and then, apart from a few off road bikes, i fell in with the 4 stroke gang and never went back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rimfireboy Posted June 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Great pictures chris, like the X7 picture, can't beat it when the engine comes onto the pipe...thanks for sharing. The nature of them just stuck two fingers up to the rest of the world. They were of their time, but their lunacy lends such a buzz to the rider even today.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortune Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 (edited) God that brings back memories of the day. They would see off nearly all of the British stuff of the day except for the 750 commando and would hold a Bonneville up to about 90 ( allegedly). I remember that there was a girl from down near Eastbourne that used to have one in a sort of lilac pink sort of colour. she was a good sort and was her own person and didn't p.t. the lads. She just enjoyed cruising around. A mate had a Red one. I remember that it had a ton of torque and when you opened it up it just felt like it was going to stretch the arms out like a gorilla. The engine had a distinct sort of induction sound. Nice memories. The T250 R & J models (Hustler) were a much better machine than the GT 250 or the X7. Because although they were hyped up they were a detuned version of the R or J because of the beginnings of pollution control out in the States with mods to the carbs so that they didn't have the top end and the smoke on max take off. Edited June 13, 2016 by fortune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brodie Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 The towing eye on the front doesn't inspire confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenlivet Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Had a Yam RS100, GT125 and GT250. My chainsaw takes me straight back to my 'childhood'. Always lusted after a KH250 but it wasn't to be. My first four stroke was a CB750k, wish I still had it as worth a few quid now! My wildest bike was a Kwak Z750 turbo, manic acceleration and handled ok with the newfangled Dunlop radials 😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Loving the KH250 We went to the Bike Shed show at Tobacco Dock a couple of weeks, this for me one of the best bikes there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris1961 Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Nothing like the smell of Castrol r in a two stroke give it a wristfully then chug back up the road what a smell brings back many long forgotten memories Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 I had ones of these in this colour And then one of these in the same colour neither in as good nick as these 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 That brings back memories, I had a yellow Fissie but the D model Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodp Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 The towing eye on the front doesn't inspire confidence. I've driven the Seddon and Foden equivalent of these (not two stroke), believe me, the towing eye is the least of your worries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted June 13, 2016 Report Share Posted June 13, 2016 Had loads! Still have two X air cooled RD's in various states of restoration (still!) And a TDR 250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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