Suzuki RL250 Beamish Gallery
The early seventies were marked by increased
interest from the Japanese manufacturers in all branches
of off road motorcycle sport. The introduction of
the RL250 Exacta trials bike for 1974 marked Suzuki's
first attempt at producing a machine of this type.
The single cylinder two stroke engine proved to be
well suited to the task delivering 18bhp @ 6000rpm
and 16.6 ft.lbs of torque at 6500 rpm, unfortunately
the frame left a little to be desired, with slow steering
and a comparatively long wheelbase resulting in slow
sales. Interestingly the machines performance seems
to have been reconsidered in recent years with suggestions
that it is more forgiving for average riders than
the subsequent Beamish framed examples.
Suzuki's first dedicated trials bike,
the RL250, had appeared in1973, but failed to make
a significant impression. Fortunately for Suzuki Graham
Beamish, Suzuki's UK motocross importer recognised
the potential of the engine and commissioned Mick
Whitlock to develop a Reynolds 531 frame to house
the engine. The result announced during 1975, proved
to be an instant success with 1200 examples finding
buyers. Development over the next four years saw a
greater percentage of British built components being
used and detail revisions to the frame. For 1978 a
325cc version was made available to the public having
previously been the preserve of the works riders.
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worth adding to our database, e-mail: webmaster@motorbike-search-engine.co.uk
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