TZR 250 3XV

[Hendo]

Here I am yet again, In my search for a TZR125 Im finding myself more and more drawn to the 3XV 250.

Can anyone enlighten me about everything about them?!

How bad are they to maintain, my only 2 stroke experience comes from changing pistons in MX bikes when I was younger...

Pistons and rings every xxxxx miles?

Are these the ones where the PV's can potentially get lunched by the engines?

Im loving these colours - http://belfast.gumtree.com/belfast/93/58447193.html

If anyone is thinking of selling thier 3XV PM me please

TIA

Andy

[GREENGOATCHOKER]

Kicking myself for not buying one of these about 2 years ago when prices were sensible . Very small nimble machine not so easy to de-restrict as most off the jap stuff isn't, tends to be carbs, ignition and pipes , not sure about the 3xv but certainly more than grinding a washer out of the exhaust. Pv's same as the ypvs so sound (problem pv's are rgv and kr1) . As I said small bike so make sure you can wrap yourself around one first. Power wise they are restricted to 45bhp . I think it's fahron who do a 350 big bore lots of money but have heard rumours of 80bhp (never seen a dyno print thou) . 4k is too much you should pick a fairly nice one up for 2.5-3k . Look great in all black . There was a sugi (famous jap 2t tuning shop) bike on eBay the other week for 4300 with all the kit and a dyno sheet showing 72bhp .

[si.likes.guiness]

i think the sugo kitted 3xv is my mate dans

[fontyyy]

Nope, it's RGV's that lunch their PV's, the TZ® motor is a little gem.

Rings should be about every 10,000km's (or a lot more frequent if you track it a lot) but as you'll be buying 2nd hand you should just budget for a rebuild.

As mentioned 45bhp as stock but the most flexable and useable 45bhp of them all, derestriction involves SP spec barrels (hence the R models are the ones that go cheap), race pipes and ideally a Sugo CDI though that isn't essential.

[Hendo]

Thanks Guys.

So I take it 45bhp is a mild state of tune for these things, and thus should be 'reasonably' reliable (with good oil, warm ups and maintenence)?

Bike would purely be a sunny Sunday toy, no trackdays.

I have no interest in spending a fortune de-restricting one, Im just trying to find a good one as a keeper, they are quite thin on the ground these 3XV's.

Andy

EDIT - What BHP does the likes of the RGV / NSR etc put out compared to this? Is it purely the 3XV model thats restricted heavily or all the TZR 250's?

[trackdaybob]

They are only 45bhp but down the right road they are so much fun. I don't use mine very much but I'd never sell them.

Here they are. You can't have them.

[Hendo]

Wouldnt have that one anyway*

*Massive lie. Thats gorgeous. Standard?

Andy

[trackdaybob]

Wouldnt have that one anyway*

*Massive lie. Thats gorgeous. Standard?

Andy

Yes completely.

All I want for it is a single seat unit converter and they are like proper rocking horse shit.

Anybody got one they don't want??

[3tj6]

there's one on ebay at mo , geko racing aka dan williams 35 qiud no bids if ur interested. i got a 3xv a year ago of ebay been stood outside for 14 yrs in a field under a bush £720 ,new plugs plug caps fresh petrol clean carbs out, n yipeee it started after kicking it over 4 half hour ,wanted 1 when 1st came out ,never sell it

[trackdaybob]

there's one on ebay at mo , geko racing aka dan williams 35 qiud no bids if ur interested.

cheers

[AntLockyer]

there's one on ebay at mo , geko racing aka dan williams 35 qiud no bids if ur interested.

grrrrrrrr

[fontyyy]

EDIT - What BHP does the likes of the RGV / NSR etc put out compared to this? Is it purely the 3XV model thats restricted heavily or all the TZR 250's?

The 45 (and later 40) bhp limits were a Jap home market thing, all the 250 grey imports (even the RGV's) suffer from them.

Stock UK RGV around high 50's bhp, similar to RS250 Aprilia (as it would be, same motor)

NSR's

mc18 and mc21, both 45 bhp and easily derestricted to 60 bhp with a bit of soldering, a couple of extra holes in the airbox and a rejet.

MC28, 40bhp and really needs an HRC smart card and race pipes to keep the full power mc18 and mc21 in sight. Slightly 1/2 hearted work around (55 bhp or so) with mc21 flywheel and race pipes or many many hours with a Dremel removing the exhaust restriction is also a possibility.

RGV250 vj23, 40 bhp apart from 350 odd V models that were high 50's bhp. Similar pain in the arse to get to full power as the mc28 and similar work arounds available.

TZR250 3ma (reverse seizure) 45bhp, restriction method varies between models, some CDI's restricted, all had restricted pipes, air boxes and a speed restriction (in the speedo). Don't fear the name, Yamaha got the jetting MEGA wrong on a few of the models, an easy fix.

All the above bikes can make high 60's to low 70's bhp with enough £££, time and 90's race catalog parts thrown at them but will have a GP 250 style service schedule as you get towards GP bike power (a stock 1992 Honda RS250 made 72bhp on Avgas).

The earlier UK TZR's (like the mc16 NSR) weren't really restricted, they just made 45bhp as stock.

[CMSMJ1]

It is threads like this that make me want a 2T... when I sell my race bike I reckon I'll buy one, or swap it for a 2T...

As I am a Honda wannabe then an MC18 or 21 would do it for me...but that 3XV looks sweet.

edit for spelling

[Hendo]

The 45 (and later 40) bhp limits were a Jap home market thing, all the 250 grey imports (even the RGV's) suffer from them.

Stock UK RGV around high 50's bhp, similar to RS250 Aprilia (as it would be, same motor)

NSR's

mc18 and mc21, both 45 bhp and easily derestricted to 60 bhp with a bit of soldering, a couple of extra holes in the airbox and a rejet.

MC28, 40bhp and really needs an HRC smart card and race pipes to keep the full power mc18 and mc21 in sight. Slightly 1/2 hearted work around (55 bhp or so) with mc21 flywheel and race pipes or many many hours with a Dremel removing the exhaust restriction is also a possibility.

RGV250 vj23, 40 bhp apart from 350 odd V models that were high 50's bhp. Similar pain in the arse to get to full power as the mc28 and similar work arounds available.

TZR250 3ma (reverse seizure) 45bhp, restriction method varies between models, some CDI's restricted, all had restricted pipes, air boxes and a speed restriction (in the speedo). Don't fear the name, Yamaha got the jetting MEGA wrong on a few of the models, an easy fix.

All the above bikes can make high 60's to low 70's bhp with enough £££, time and 90's race catalog parts thrown at them but will have a GP 250 style service schedule as you get towards GP bike power (a stock 1992 Honda RS250 made 72bhp on Avgas).

The earlier UK TZR's (like the mc16 NSR) weren't really restricted, they just made 45bhp as stock.

Very informative post fontyyy, thanks very much.

Still on the look out for a 3XV, being drawn to the MC21 aswell.

Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when I will buy one. 3XV's are thin on the ground and NSR's hideously priced. I may have to just bite the bullet at some point...

Cheers

Andy

[fontyyy]

If you're after an NSR;

Keep your eyes open for a private sale mc21, SE or R model as SP's fetch the £££.

Or an mc18, but be aware that some parts are getting very thin on the ground.

Only buy a £4-5k Fastline "minter" if you want something to look at not ride.

[Hendo]

Only buy a £4-5k Fastline "minter" if you want something to look at not ride.

What are these lot like, apart from the optimistic pricing?

Ive already exchanged a few emails ith them.

Ive been told they tend to re-spray the bikes when they come in, hence the fact they are so mint. How true this is I have no idea?

Andy

[fontyyy]

They advertised my old NSR250 mc28sp for £6500, I sold it (on ebay) 3 months earlier to someone in Preston for £3400.

It'd been resprayed and cleaned up pretty well but even so I'm no too sure the owner would be that happy to see this pic of it which was taken about a year before hand.

[si.likes.guiness]

ive also seen a resprayd advertised 21 sp that was an se in proper dodgy rothmans paintwork from that place

[jayRC3045]

got mine from fastline ,very happy, ummm till i broke it

[Hendo]

Deposit placed on a 1991 3XV today.

Watch this space...

Andy

[si.likes.guiness]

good man

[zigzag]

This one is still up for grabs (located in germany).....

Bike in perfect running order, lots of mods (TZ carbs, altered cyl heads, bespoke airboxes, tweaked suspension), lots of parts (a nearly complete second bike, many parts new genuine yamaha spares, second engine like new. 6916 km (4300 mls) on the bike. 2 previous owners.

Looking for around 3500 GBP for the lot.

Just wanted to let you know.....

[trackdaybob]

Deposit placed on a 1991 3XV today.

Watch this space...

Andy

Good stuff You won't regret it.

We want pics though.

[Hendo]

This one is still up for grabs (located in germany).....

Lubberly!

You'd think it would sell no bother, especially at that price.

Unfortunately the bike is a 620mile round trip away for me, and it still needs to be registered so its gonna be at least 2 weeks.

Already sourced and almost bought (price pending) a second set of genuine fairings for it to respray in these colours -

Originals will be bubblewrapped and put in the loft.

Andy

[3tj6]

3xv not as pretty as a reverse cyl 3ma dont think so ,3xv was tz 250 copy for the road ,yzr 250 won 250 wc with kocinski in board,3ma ???

[3tj6]

i rest my case a rgv in a good colour scheme , an a 3ma in a bad 1 ??? since when has turquoise been a good colour scheme, even on 1 model of 3xv it looks gash!!!

[trackdaybob]

Sorry but those colours on that 3ma are shite. No bike would look good in those colours. The 3ma is a nice bike but the 3xv is defo where it's at.

Didn't Harada win the 250 World Championship on a TZ too??? Think it was a TZM officially. I could be talking absolute bollocks of course. Except about that colourscheme. I'm right about that.

Carry on.

[YZ faybo]

Barry

Is that your 3ma?

That model in the those colours is rare as f--k, based on japan championships scheme I beleive, have only seen one before in Asia.

Hey 3tj6, do your home work about reverse cylinder Tz's they won more championship races than the the Tz v/twins. If you ever get one undressed check the chassis out work of art and the head stock bracing is unreal.

[fontyyy]

3ma? Prettiest proddy 250 ever, no doubt (and that's coming from somone who's owned a Rothmans NSR250 mc28sp).

The TZ it's based on is a fairly cool bike too;

3xv? Competant enough (and allegedly in race form the best of the lot) but leaves me cold.

[spacemonkey]

Reverse cylinders all the way! Especially when you have to make exhausts for them!

I definitely can't stomach that Nescafe colour scheme though. Simpler colour schemes like the red 3xv look much tastier so it makes it an unfair comparison.