RS250 out of retirement, before retirement

[busa1300]

18 years ago this Christmas, I bought myself a RS250 to do track days.
I knew how to go straight fast, but I wanted to learn how to drag my knee through the corners with ease. A TZ250 appeared to be too maintenance intense, and my RZ350 to old and slow....so a RS250 (which I drooled over when they were new and saw them at tracks a few years earlier) was the perfect ticket in my mind.

Went through the bike for the 2008 season, that winter, and repainted it as well. Spring came and I made my first track day without hurting myself or the bike. Then shit fell apart all around my world....as with many people in 2008-09.
Managed to keep the bike through it all, but it has never gone back to the track.

And I realized a few weeks back, that even if I'm too old to ride, I can still build bikes, but if I'm going to ever use this Aprilia, I better do it while I can still get on the bike.

First thing is to investigate the condition, and then I can go from there.

[busa1300]

Good compression, and held 5psi for well over an hour, so the engine itself is still in pretty good shape luckily.
Also forgot I had some worked over reed cages in this thing, which is a bonus.

[85RZwade]

Interested to see more!

[Simmons1]

 

[38special]

I like your method of holding the exhaust plugs in for the leakdown - very clever.

[busa1300]

Bought some parts for this a few years back, when I was putting together a MK1 version for a Aprilia forum member. His bike ran so good after, I bought the same for mine.

Still sitting unused, but at least I beat the tariffs coming from Europe.


Billet power valves, billet heads, billet power valve pulleys, Zeel ignition, pistons, pins, bearings, gaskets, and so on.

[busa1300]

Cylinders look pretty good inside



Bike was using a set of Suzuki SP straight plug heads already, so not sure how much help the billet ones will give



Using a set of Suzuki SP cylinders as well when set up originally years back



Also has Kit intakes that do not have the cross over mounting tubes, just rubber nubs



I do have a few sets of Aprilia cylinders I might try using, if the cylinders on the bike now do not measure out good, when I pull them off for better inspection.



Carbs are still spotless inside luckily



Pipes just need a bit of cleaning up, and some new high heat black...

[SoCal250]

[busa1300]

Although the engine tested out really good....I can't leave well enough alone. I have all winter, so I might as well go a little deeper and make sure I don't have issues from long term neglect when I get to the track.





Found a nice set of Aprilia cylinders with good nikasil in a spares box, so I'll clean these up and probably use them with the new pistons I have.

[busa1300]

Making sure I have all the parts I'll need for these Aprilia cylinders.
Will do a bit of soda blasting on them one more time, as I missed a few areas when I did them 10-15 plus years ago...



The next thing I need to find is a MK2 oil tank, then I think I will have all the parts to go back to a pump.
...have pump, and cable, new hose and clamps, and have a spare powervalve motor with the oil pump over ride pulley and cable.



After I get the clutch cover off I will see if all the internal gears are gone for the pump...I think I have some spares for that also somewhere.
But can't use any of it without that specific tank...