Ridefast July 2021

If you still want to potter around fixing bikes then do it for love
and don’t keep a record of your expenditure, especially where
your significant other is likely to discover the real reason why
she can’t have a new stove, washing machine etc.
RIDE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT
For those of us lucky enough to have our very own “smoker”,
we can all concur that riding one of these little pocket rockets
is a blast and hearing this little screaming two-stroke is a pure
adrenalin rush. Combine that with superb handling and light
weight and you have the recipe to turn back the clock 25 years
and be that boy racer one more time.
You smile under your helmet at the traffic light that has just
turned red because you know that when it goes green you’ll
be at 10000rpm dropping the clutch and keeping the throttle
pinned in every gear into the event horizon… Top speed (who
cares!) 200 km plus, but its academic - especially now on our
dodge the pothole roads.
The spiritual home of these race bred two strokes is out there
on the race track and its such fun on track days dive bombing
the super bikes when the marshals are not looking , it’s so
easy to out-brake these big capacity bikes on a nimble little
two stroke and changing line in mid corner when you are one
the wrong line is never a problem.
Unlike heavier bikes these mid corner adjustments don’t mean
that you are going into the kitty litter on the exit.
HAVE I MISSED THE BOAT?
The answer to that is probably yes you have with every old two
stroke being classed as a collectors item these days and sellers
asking silly prices for some old relic. Even 5 years ago you
could buy an Aprilia RS250, Honda NSR 250 or YAMAHA TZR
250 for a reasonable price, but those days are long gone, as
demand far outstrips supply of what is, of course a diminishing
resource .
However I believe that prices will continue to rise for at least
the next 10 years or longer and what seems like a lot of money
now will still be a sound investment.
I just hope that guys still ride and show their bikes , as already
far too many are held in private collections , never again to see
the light of day.
Phil has quite a collection in hi stable. We selected a few, shot
them and herewith share them with you…
www.mraprilia.co.za for parts, repairs and restorations…
This called for extreme austerity measures which meant giving
up on the fags, booze and chicks until I had enough dosh to
purchase a Suzuki 350 - 2 stroke twin, which duly arrived
after living the life of a celibate monk for what seemed like an
eternity.
And so it came to pass that this little screaming two-stroke
was to ignite a lifelong passion for two stroke motorcycles
which still endures to this day and recently manifested in my
consuming desire for Italian Aprilia RS 250 and 125 bikes which
were the last two-stroke road going made before consigned to
extinction by worldwide exhaust emission laws .
The Italians are consumed by form and fashion and this is
ably demonstrated by the beautiful creations still being crafted
today, but back in the mid 90’s the first road going RS models
were a revelation in form and function as the photo’s in this
story confirm . My reputation as ‘Mr Aprilia “ has evolved over
the last 5 years due to my active involvement on Facebook and
social media and my life goal is to assist owners to restore and
preserve these iconic two strokes for future generations .
Live Long and Prosper…
Amongst enthusiasts and Collectors alike the holy grail of
classic motorcycles is of course an American euphemism
namely a “barn find” which, as most bikers know refers to an
old motorcycle, which is usually rare, valuable and desirable
to the person who has discovered this neglected and often
broken, blast from the past..
And there she is under a cover in a farm shed or covered in
years of dust lying in the corner of an old factory. It could be
anything from an Honda CB, Suzuki GT, or in my case an
Aprilia RS. Beauty of course is in the eye of the beholder but
more often than not, you want it because it’s the bike all your
mates in Matric had but your folks couldn’t afford, or the first
bike you ever owned and now there is the opportunity to be
reunited with that same bike you sold for peanuts back in the
day.
With new bikes costing and arm and a leg for most of us, a lot
of life time bikers just can’t afford to buy an expensive weekend
toy, especially in these tough economic times. I think this is
also a factor in driving up prices of classic bikes worldwide and
it’s the quick buck profit factor that is, sadly causing lots of
bikes to be exported overseas by local entrepreneurs who are
by all accounts buying up classic bikes of every kind and filling
containers bound for the U.S.A and Europe.
Two stroke motorcycles were very popular stateside in the 70’s
and 80’ s until US emission laws introduced in the early 90’ s
banned the smokers from public roads. Now legislation allows
motorcycles older than 25 years to be imported and licenced in
most states. This has created a huge demand for classic bikes,
which are being flipped at online auctions and distributed
throughout the U.S. to hungry buyers.
Such is the demand that containers from South Africa are
arriving every week.
Thanks to the booming parallel import trade a few years ago,
South Africa is a prime resource country due to monetary
exchange rates, but also because bikes from inland areas like
Gauteng don’t rust or oxidise like they do in coastal regions.
RESTORATIONS:
Those of us with reasonable skills and a lot of free time like the
idea of spending quality time in the home workshop pottering
around fixing old motorbikes. The term “basket case” usually
refers to a bike which has been dismantled in years gone by,
usually because of some malady that required more cash to
fix than what it was worth at that time. The bad news for those
trying to bring this old piece of scrap back to life again is that
you are going to need even more cash these days, due to
the rand exchange rates and punitive airfreight costs you will
probably end up spending more money trying to find and fix the
bike than what they are worth even at today’s inflated values.
However.