I often sing the praises of small displacement bikes, but there are only a handful I would actually own. When I did my motorcycle training course years ago, the instructor handed me what ended up being one of the most fun, well balanced and charming bikes I had ever ridden. I ended up getting 100% on my riding test at the end of the two-day course, and I truly believe it was more the bike than me. When I came across one today it reminded me of one of my mission statements for writing at Bike-urious; to hopefully inspire someone to pick up their first bike.
The TU250 has had a longer run than many of us know. It was first released in 1994 in the Japanese market. It wasn’t until 2009 that we got the chance to buy these little bikes in the U.S. The 249cc fuel injected single cylinder engine puts out 16hp, and 12.5 ft-lb of torque. Let’s face it, it’s not going to pull your arms out of their sockets. What it will do is give you everything else you would ever want from a simple street motorcycle. The TU250 is a perfect example of “greater than the sum of its parts”. None of the elements; brakes, suspension, frame, or engine are the best, but the bike just comes together in a way that reminds me of the simple joy of motorcycling.
This 2011 250 is has 1,984 miles on it and looks like it has done less. I really couldn’t recommend a better first motorcycle, but it’s also one for your collection to remind you why you started riding bikes in the first place. Find this 2011 Suzuki TU250X for $3,500 in South Tampa, Florida here on Craigslist.