95 tz 250 in hwt

I'm thinking about running hwt in2005 but still want to run v7. Instead of having two bikes I thought of just selling my zx6r and buying a tz250.

Would a 95tz250(v7 legal) be competive in hwt? What does it take to run one of these bikes and be competive? Could someone like myself,who knows nothing about twostrokes but has decent mechanical skill, race and maintain one of these bikes? I've spent some time on the twostroke websites trying to find some answers on the up keep of a twostroke,but would still like some more info. Thanks for the help.

Mike

 

anyone?...................

 

IMO, yes. I ran a '96 TZ125 in HWT several times. Naturally, the 1,000's destroy me on the start. Also, the shorter the track the better my chances were against them. A TZ250 will be competitive. The TZ125 would also lose distance on the straight. That won't be as much of a problem on the 250.

Yes. They really don't require as much maintenance as most people believe. You'll need new reeds every 2-3 weekends and a new topend every 3-4 weekends. Tires won't be much of an issue. Being light weight, brake pads last quite a while. Plan on rebuilding the engine once per season (or at the end of each season). TZ cranks are rebuildable. They are very simply bikes (which is one of the reasons that I like them). Clutch plates are another wear item. They are easy to change. You'll probably go through 2-3 sets per season, depending on the amount of races that you do and your weight.

I hope that helps. Write back with results.

 

I've tried to follow well-ridden TZ250 on my RC51: dangerous.

At most tracks, you should be OK after the drag race.

 

You race an rc51? I have one(02)..what do you think? Is it a good race bike?My first idea was to race my rc in hwt. I did a couple of track days on it and it went around ok. But as I gained more experience racing my zx6 i started to feel the rc was a highside waiting to happen.Mine is set up by gmd and it still never felt comfortable at the limit. 90% was ok but that extra 10% things got a little weird(and the bike seemed to get real heavy!) I thought an sv1000 or mille might be better because of they are a little lighter. Then I had a brainstorm...tz250..v7 and hwt! One bike!

Mike

 

I raced an 00 RC51 in 00-01. Yours is supposed to be better, especially in the highside department. So if you're afraid of yours, don't get anywhere near an early model!

You description of the bike is dead on. It's OK for track days or racing HWT, but that's it. Kicked me out of the seat a few times that year for warnings, and pitched over the front the day I tried to hook that TZ250. Then the bitch ran me over!

I raced a GSXR600 the next year. Went faster without scaring myself.

 

I raced half of the '03 season running V7 and HWT on my 94 tz250. it was the second half of the season and I had just got my TZ.

V7 was very fun and a lot of good riders there! Lance Yeager has since moved on to AMA stuff and next year is racing WERA Endurance. So maybe I'll be able to win a V7 race next year hahahahahha

anyways, the tz250 is quite capable to hang with 1000cc v-twins. Most of the time you can take them on the brakes and with midcorner speed, but they can get in your way at times. Running the new HWTSB class you might get smoked because of people having built motors and worked chassis, but in HWTSS I think you can do ok...

I had never ridden or worked on 2strokes before I bought my TZ. Its not as bad as eveyrone thinks. Those bikes are made to come apart easy, most jobs are just R&R like clutches / jets / pistons etc so its pretty basic.

IMHO racing a 125 or 250cc GP bike makes you a MUCH better racer than slogging along in the 600 classes etc

OH, and don't forget you can run Forumula 2 on the TZ250 also. So thats 4 Sportsman races you can do competitively on the 250, and 2 in the National series (F2 and HWTSS).

 

What Lance Yeager did in 03 is what kind of gave me the idea to run a tz in hwt and v7. I'm no where near as good of a rider as he is but I thought I might do ok.I ran mwv7 last year in ma...never beat a 2 stroke. I was almost always fastest or second fastest 4cylinder but could never catch the damn 2strokes! One of my race partners is running hwt on his rc51.Of course since I own a rc51 there has been massive smack talk on why I don't race the thing. I have always wanted to run hwt and I think the tz my fit in perfect. Plus I need bang for the buck. I'm hearing from a lot of people the maintenance is not that bad as long as you stay on top of it and the bike will make you a much better rider.

One worry I do have is my size..6,2 185 to 190 pds. Nay sayers say I'm way to big,other people say it doesn't matter. Does it?

Mike

 

GP bikes are better than anyone on this forum! They will certainly make you a better rider. Your size will not hurt you on a 250; it would matter on a tiny 125.

My very first turn on my 125 was nearly a crash. I almost ran off of the INSIDE of the turn. My 250 doesn't turn as quickly, but still beyond any streetbike.

You'll find yourself trying to go faster through a turn just to feel the chassis twist. After your fastest ever in a particular turn, the impression you get from the chassis "Yawn..... Is that all you've got?".

RCMike917, ride it. You'll love it.

 

Mike917 I think we raced against each other in V7 at VIR in '03. Did you run an older ZX6R ?

Race the TZ, its fun as crap

 

Ah yes, thats them. Nice guys, I think we diced it up pretty good in V7 at VIR. I'm right across the Potomac from Richmond, in lower Maryland (St Marys county). Hope to see you out there this season!

 

no shit! my girlfriend is from there!I was just up there Saturday. We go up there all the time,they live off of rt4 near brown rd. Damn..small world.I'll see you at vir.Come look us up. Thanks for all the insight on the 250!

Mike

 

Yup, thats right near me. I live about 2 minutes from the Rt 4 / Rt 235 intersection by Lowe's / Target / BJ's, etc where the new Wawa is. if youre coming up soon give me a holler on PM or something!

 

TZ250 is GP bike..... not some stupid street garb

My very first turn on my 125 was nearly a crash. I almost ran off of the INSIDE of the turn. My 250 doesn't turn as quickly, but still beyond any streetbike

That happened to me when I was 20 and I got my first TZ250... I was used to my old FZR400 and 600, but when you try the turnin points.... woah.. I ran into the grass for a second. I was a first year expert then (96) and I had to RELEARN all breaking points on the bike and EVERYTHING CHANGED. You were riding a GP level (given parts, ect) bike.

The bike will be 10000000 times more than you can handle in terms of what it is capable of. Closed track to me here is Summit Point WA, and the limit is like 1:17s on a TZ250. Unless you are AMA+ level, you don't have anything to bitch about because you can BEAT 1000cc Vintage bikes.... (given the pilot can handle the craazy speeds)

It helps to be SMALL and LIGHT like Oliver, Sands, Renfrow, etc. I was alittle tall 5'10" so I was alittle "tall" for the bike. I did weigh 165lbs so I was not too much weight.

BEST BIKE TO OWN..... Hands down, just don't touch anything (major)unless you want to have a tuner in your corner. They can get out of hand fast (tuned bikes). Keep notes.


Leon Peon

 

Good advice Leon. Summit is my worst track. I do 1.25s there on my zx. To get that time I'm basically a controled crash. I'm pushing the bike etc. The guys on 250s are in the low 1.20 range easily. Its like there not even trying. I asked one of the 250 guys where they brake in some of the corners..he replied "I don't"..mm ok.When I'm trying to get my bike stopped..he's on the gas! It was impressive and humbling. These guys are much better riders than me but I know I can't get much more out of my old zx6.I just sold my rc51. Hopefully I can be on 250 by mid season. I'll jut slug it out on my zx until then.

Mike

 

yeah at summit the only place i brake is turns 1,3, and turn 5, and maybe barely touch the brake for the last corner before the front straight. rest of it is downshifting but staying in the gas some to get around the bend

 

Summit is my worst track but also my favorite. reminds me of riding on back road somewhere. Turn one I start braking between marker 2 to 1 and sort of trail brake/pray.Get on the gas at the concrete. I think the difference is the guys on 250 are on the gas here way before me and just zoom through. Same thing in turn 5 and basically all over. I'm curious to see how my riding would change on a 250.

Mike

 

Since it's a two stroke, you HAVE to get on the POWER right before the apex. I cracked the throttle of roll before the turn in transistion off the brake(trail brake). Key to 250s are corner speed and keeping the revs. I'm lucky enough to ride on piston ported TZ250s (cira 1980s) and if you are under 8 grand NOTHING.... It's a light switch, on or OFF the gas...

With the current reed valve version, you have SOME mid range in comparison. You don't realize how much that series has moved on until you ride the past vintage bikes..... it's very interesting seeing the decade of bike's changes.


Leon
BrontosYamaha

 

Okay, I was in an accident a couple of months ago on my R1, and am about to recieve an insurance settlement within the next month or so. I plan to buy a race bike this time around, and am very interested in 2strokes. The problem is, I'm 5'11 and 200 lbs. I know earlier you said weight doesn't matter, but it just seems like mine would. 2-stroke or 600, any suggestions?