End of the line....The last Suzuki 250 street stroker...

[dude99]

very cool

[garry55]

welcome to VJ23 ownership.

My "V" Lucky Strike says Hi!

[busa1300]

That is a beautiful looking export VJ23...
The rarest of the rare....!!!

Hope I can get mine cleaned up half as nice as yours

[garry55]

I am pretty sure you will............

[busa1300]

From 1978 to 1996....

[busa1300]

It's a roller right now.... Need to go through engine...then I'll go through the whole bike.
Hopefully it will be ready to run, and titled by spring.

[busa1300]

A title came for my bike at the beginning of this year, giving me incentive to start getting parts for the rebuild.
Reason bike was brought in as parts, was to avoid EPA/DOT issues with title...but it still is a intricate process getting one.
I have just about all the parts I need now to get this thing restified/sympathetic restoration.... and running legally on the road.
The bike is now totally stripped down....

IMG_5556.JPG

[busa1300]

The rebuild, and total cleanup/rejuvination is moving along.....

[Suzsmokeyallan]

That oil pump in the engine photo looks like the same one as used on the RG400 and 500 models. I'm sure the bike shares quite a few other parts as well. What width rims and sized tyres does that 250 use.

[busa1300]

Actually there are very few parts that interchange, (not sure about the pump...?) although some parts may appear the same.
At least 90% of the engine is a 42E0 designation....which means it is only for the VJ23. A few parts cross over to the the RM125.
Same as wheels, all frame parts and suspension, bodywork, and most electrical parts too....
Most bearings are common, and bolts, some seals, hand levers and rear master....but not much else....which means every part I might need has to come from Japan.
Or wait months on end til it comes up used on the Japanese auction sites.

The wheels are 3.0 and 4.5 wide which also is disappointing, because tire selection is pretty poor here in the USA for 110 and 150 sizes.
There is no Suzuki wheel made that will directly swap out for a 3.5 width either....

Putting more parts onto the bike this week, with brakes on front now finished and the tail cleaned up and on too.
I also wanted to put the engine up into the frame before I tore it down for it;s rebuild.....just because I have never seen the engine in the bike before.

[Suzsmokeyallan]

The RGs also use some parts from the RM125, but being the 250 is a much newer bike a lot is revised over the older RG and RGV models. This pump appears to be a close relative to yours except its mounted horizontally while yours is vertical. Yours does not have the arm and spring on it in the engine photo. The bike should be loads of fun when its completed.

[busa1300]

I'm hoping it will be as fun as my VJ22SP, but I have a ways to go yet....
My hopes and dreams of a RG500 have passed I'm afraid $$$. Although a RG400 might still be a possibility from Japan, as the prices are almost within my means. Or just the engine.....in my VJ22N frame

[Suzsmokeyallan]

I have a friend who was going to sell an original Walter Wolf RG400 of his, but after getting no bites he decided to keep it and do some mods to it.
He was asking $7,000 dollars which was a steal, since the bike is in excellent condition. He had brought it with some other bikes from Japan a few years ago.

[busa1300]

Time to dig into the engine. The cylinders were putting out around 135 psi compression, but I wanted to put in new pistons/rings... and clean things up.



All clean and ready to go back together....as soon as I get a few small parts I didn't order previously.

[smokin_blue]

Thanks a lot!!!!!!!! now my keyboard is shorted out from drooling on it!


Keep up the great work....yes we are all jealous!