I’d like to be the kind of guy who owns two motorcycles. That’s definitely a part of the vision I have for myself; I’m like Arthur “Two Sheds” Jackson, but with motorcycles.
The idea of owning two motorcycles feels extravagant, but with this month’s What I Can Afford find, it also feels possible. In addition to my current bike, I could be the proud owner of a 1999 Suzuki TU250X. OK, sure, we’re talking about a low-powered, 25-year-old commuter bike, but two bikes is two bikes, right?
And I’ll admit that I’ve always had a fondness for the TU250X. I can’t remember ever seeing one in the flesh, but I’ve spotted a few in classified ads over the years and they’ve always made me stop and think: “Ooh, I want that.”
But do I really?
WHAT THE AD SAYS
“Suzuki TU250x for sale. lovely clean bike. Nice, light and easy to ride, and great sound. Mechanically very accessible and easy to service and maintain. Original service manuals provided. Used for summer commuting and cruising A and B roads at the weekend. Not used for last 8 months, garaged and left on trickle charge, 3 months MOT left. Needs a new decal on the side panel (supplier is currently out of stock for me to replace). one key. Vehicle available for viewing most evenings and weekends. Next MOT due 17/07/2024, Silver, 5+ owners“
There aren’t any major red flags in that advert but for the fact the bike’s been sat idle for eight months. But, if it’s been hooked up to a trickle charger that whole time there probably wouldn’t be any issues that a bottle of SeaFoam couldn’t remedy (assuming there were no problems before the bike was garaged). The fact the bike’s had more than five owners is a little concerning, as well; have all those people maintained the bike properly?
But, correct spelling in phrases like “Mechanically very accessible” scores points for the seller in my view, as does the fact that their biggest concern seems to be a peeling decal.
WHAT IS IT?
Depending on which source you find, the TU250X was a motorcycle manufactured by Suzuki from either 1994 to 2019, or 1997 to 2019. In essence, it was an upgraded GN250 – a bike that Suzuki offered from 1982 to 1997. So, we’re talking about tried-and-true technology when it comes to the engine and overall feel.
Uniquely for its age and market segment, that engine is fuel-injected. It’s a 249cc SOHC single-cylinder lump delivering 16 PS with a good wind at your back, and something along the lines of 12kW of torque (at 4500 rpm).
If you’re reading this in the God-blessed United States of America, you might be familiar with the TU250X. Sold from 2009 to 2019, it was (and remains) a popular beginner motorcycle – lightweight, manageable, and reasonably good-looking. Those were second-generation bikes, however, originally introduced for the Japanese market in 2003, and – as best I can tell – never sold in the United Kingdom.
The bikes that made it to Blighty were first-gen models and don’t appear to have been sold here for very long. Only one TU250X was registered in 2001 (probably a hold-over from the year before), with all the others having been registered between 1997 and 2000. I’m guessing that the bike’s short run in the UK had more to do with British attitudes than its particular attributes.
Bikes in the 125cc-350cc space have long struggled in the UK. They require a big-boy license but are most practical in situations where a 125cc machine (which you can ride with a basic CBT permit) would work just as well (eg, urban areas). Increased road congestion and slightly dystopian speed enforcement (cameras everywhere) have been changing that in recent years, contributing to the success of Royal Enfield’s Himalayan and Meteor 350, for example. So, owning a TU250X now might not be a terrible idea.
Reviews of any bike from 1997 are hard to find on the internet but I managed to find one missive from InvictaMoto that – after spending some time doing that ’90s British biker thing of complaining about the cold, iron hand of government legislation – describes the bike as the Fiat Panda of the bike world: “cheap to run, has few frills but seems to be utterly reliable.”
It’s also fun. The word “fun” shows up four times in that review. The only feature of the bike that gets more attention is its admirable fuel efficiency: upward of 70 mpg.
Very little changed for the second-generation TU250X, so I reckon the wealth of reviews and stories that can be found on American websites are equally informative. There you’ll find an even greater appreciation of the bike, with some folks even using it for road trips.
“You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better performing and economically priced bike as enjoyable as the TU250X,” claimed Motorcycle.com’s Pete Brissette way back in 2009.
IS IT BETTER THAN MY CURRENT MOTORCYCLE?
“Better” can be a nebulous concept at times, but objectively: no, a 1999 Suzuki TU250X is not better than a 2012 Kawasaki Versys 1000. It is not as powerful, it does not have rider aids like antilock brakes (heck, it doesn’t even have two discs; the rear stopper is a drum brake), it is not as useful, and it is not as comfortable.
Unless you are 5 feet tall, that is. The light and easy TU250X is notably confidence-inspiring for shorter riders, who would definitely hate attempting to navigate the two-wheeled tower block that is my Kawasaki. I suppose the Suzuki also wins in aesthetics. If you were going to be pictured alongside either bike you’d definitely choose the classic styling of the TU250X.
SHOULD I BUY THIS ONE?
According to How Many Left, there are just 94 TU250X models being ridden on UK roads these days. So, in that sense I’d be buying a rarity. And possibly a classic. Certainly this has the look of a bike that has managed to warm owners’ hearts, a bike that one might want to keep for sunny Sunday afternoons.
I can see that for myself: I live in West Sussex, where low-speed bumbling is possible and common. In particular, I live in a tourist town; on any given weekend I’ll see dozens of bikes that are older and no more powerful than this one. With a TU250X I could join the pack. Or possibly lead it; I’d prefer not to be inhaling their two-stroke smoke.
Running an MOT check through the DVLA’s website, I can see that this particular bike has passed all but one of its MOT tests. In 2011, it failed because the headlight beam was too low. Which, you know, tells more about that particular MOT tester than the bike. That guy was clearly money grubbing; he could have just adjusted the headlight rather than failing the bike and forcing the customer to pay for yet another MOT.
Meanwhile, outside of that blip, the bike has never had any advisories. MOT records also show that on average the bike has only been ridden 748.25 kilometers (about 465 miles) a year over the past 16 years. That seems to support the seller’s claim that it’s seen light and gentle use.
According to reviews of the TU250X (and the bike’s seller), it’s relatively easy to work on. Suzuki is particularly good about helping owners find parts to classic bikes. Even without that, though, the bike’s 22-year run means that finding bits and bobs for it shouldn’t be too hard. Though, I’d almost certainly be paying extra to get those parts imported, since the TU250X wasn’t as popular here.
I’ll admit: I’m really tempted. If the seller weren’t located on the other side of the country I might be even more tempted. But the thing is: I’m 6-foot-1. I suspect this bike’s charms would be somewhat lost on me. It may look cool, but probably not with me on it. And if that’s why I want a second bike – to have something that I can ride around telling myself that I look cool on – I should probably continue saving my money for something else.
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