Hey guys, first of all I want to say you guys have a great forum going
on here, and i'm grateful that it exists.. heh

Well about me, I've visited this site few times and I just realized that the
it is still active, and I needed some help about infromations on nsr's
because i'm a first time buyer...

I live in South Korea, and the one i've found is MC18 i believe, (around 89)
i think... It's the one with Rothman colors. it seems to be in good shape, but it is first time buying a motorcyle for me.. I've ridden 600's and 1000's from rental places after
I got my motorcycle licence.. thought this would be an awesome starting bike..

I've heard these need rebuilds, which I'm fine with except I'm worried
about parts.. are engine parts still avilable??
I've heard that NSR parts have been discontinued.. but are they interchangeable with RS250's to some extent? (like pistons)

And from what I can tell, most of you fellas are in England right??
do you guys know any aftermarket companies that manufacture parts
for the nsr's in oceania or in japan?? I'm really worried about the engine
parts, and if i can find a solid solution for that, im planning to buy this nsr.

I found a gamma but the owner is being very shady with the deal and I don't think its going to go through, and from what I can afford, the nsr is my only choice left, other than very slow v2 4stroke hyosung, daelims..

Not to say i dont like the nsrs, I actually like the nsr more than the gamma.. fell in love with this one the moment i saw it.. its so classic and beautiful.. i only wanted the gamma because i've heard it can use aprilla rs250 parts.. am i right??

anyways please give some help to this fella, so i can hear more from you
guys in the future!

James

Hello James, and welcome to the Forum.

If it's a genuine Rothmans bike it's an MC18 R4J, and that's 1988. You need to identify the bike correctly though, as some 88~89 parts are interchangeable, but you will mainly need to source parts from the correct year.

TYGA Performance are based in Thailand, and do all sorts for the NSR's, but the parts availability for the older models is becomming more and more limited. Pistons from the MC28 will work though, and the spares situation is by no means at critical levels, but just remember it's a 19~20 year old model now, so you're not going to just walk into a Honda dealer and buy parts over the counter.
_________________
Andy.
NSR-WORLD.COM

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Hi James,

Welcome to the forum, as an interesting note, have a look on YouTube for NSR250, and you'll see a Korean guy popping wheelies up and down a main street.....fascinating to watch

Parts are still accessible. If you can read Japanese, then you can get them from Japan. Otherwise, TYGA Performance has a good supply of new and used parts for them.

There's also a few of us here in Australia, one or two in Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

right, i was kind of hoping there would be some form of support available from oceania or somewhat close by.. I don't speak japanese yet but I'm planning on learning it for many reasons..

That's really good to hear.. I'm sorry i wrote such a dumbass post because I should have looked through all the forum but I saw 93 pages and I was too overwhelmed and not enough time to get through all of them.

My choices are comming down to a RGV 250 or NSR atm.. and the nsr i've checked out was genuine rothmans mc18.. I remember he told me it was mc 1* and i wasnt sure if it was 18 19 or 17.

I gotta tell u tho, i really love the rothman colors more than the rgv, but the rgv i've found is in ridiculously good condition, and its about 10years newer than the NSR im looking at..

What do you NSR owners think of the RGV?? I hear their engine parts are some what interchangeable with the Aprilla RS series.. so does that mean there are more parts avilable for RGVs than the NSRs as far as maintenance go??

I dont plan on doing any major tuning yet.. its going to be my first bike so I really want to take the "respectful" route and take it easy.. learn my techniques, and most importantly, take care of the bike..

I've owned few Japanese cars and I used to do my own modifications and repairs on them, but cars are way too expensive to maintain compared to motorcycles.. time to make the switch for me (a good one).

So please let me know what u think about the RGV's.. and thanks for the nice reply comments

James, a 2 stroke 250 is an ideal bike to learn and develop your riding skills on. In my opinion far better than starting on a larger bike.

As you have never owned / rode a 2 stroke 250, you will find the RGV to be a good bike and fun to ride. But once you have rode both, IMO the NSR is far superior with regards to engine - torque & power when delimited (except for the MC28 which is more heavily restricted), build quality, Engineering etc on all NSR models. Plus they look far better. I used to have a RGV250N and now have a MC21. No way would I ever go back to an RGV.

MC18 parts are getting harder to find, but that should not stop you buying a MC18 completely, just something to consider. If you could get an MC21, you will find parts supply is OK. Honda still sell a lot of new OE parts for the 21, most certainly the engine parts and gaskets and many other items. You can also find just about every part for an MC21 2nd hand on Yahoo Auctions in Japan.

Rothmans colours do look nice, but if I was you, I would focus on the mechanical condition of the bike + intact bodywork rather than the colour scheme. You can always get a paint job later on.
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Rich
MC21 Track Bike / RS250 NF5 'Spencer', NX5 'Cadalora' & NXA 'Aoyama' / RS500 / Two Brothers Racing RC30

thx richg, andy and nxrsr!

as far as nsr vs rgv i do love the nsr a lot more... but the parts
issue is the most concerning because in korea we do have people
rebuild, but none who manufacture or supply parts for these bikes...
all of them find their parts in their own way so its not an easier tackle
than if i was to be in england or in australia where there are companies
that supplies the parts.

as far as the engine goes for the nsr i looked at, i got a ride in the back. it seemed to have a lot of power from what i could tell, but i haven't been
on other ones so I wouldn't know if it is in good condition or not...
but i didnt see much smoke from the exhaust.


so do gaskets from newer nsrs fit on a mc18?? or just the piston and the
sleeve? if they don't, i would be able to use newer pistons but i'd be in
trouble for the gaskets right? but then again you guys said japanese
auction has a lot of parts.

I too believe these 250 2stroke bikes are going to be great bikes to learn on.. if i get the nsr, i probably will keep it for long time as I would like to preserve it in classic styling..

all in all, you guys are being of great help so far, thanks a lot again!

The RGV is a good bike, but for similar reasons to Rich, I would not own one again. I had two of the VJ22s, and I feel the NSR is a bike that you can enjoy without having to spend half your time fixing it

The RGV VJ22 shares the same engine with the Aprilia RS250. Different porting and expansion chambers are essentially what's different.

What model RGV is it? If it is a VJ23, then it might be worth considering. Suzuki improved their equipment reliability a lot for them, but then I believe parts would be harder to find.

I'm sure there would be a few local suppliers for NSR parts, it's just a matter of talking to people in the bike scene, and posting on local bike forums.

Andy or one of the other guys wil be able to answer your gasket question, I haven't owned an 18 before so what I would say would be based on what I have read (and barey remember).

2 stroke 250s are banned as learner bikes in most states in Australia because they have a reputation as a "kid killer". Most of the learner riders bought one because it was the most powrful bike they could get their hands on. They also didn't realise what would happen if you hit the powerband mid corner, or when they weren't expecting it. If you learn how to ride the bike correctly, then I do believe that they are great bikes

If you get a chance, you should post up a couple of pics of the bikes you are thinking of buying.

Let us know what your final purchase is

Good point nxrsr20. A novice should be aware of the powerband of a 250 2T, especially if its derestricted.

I graduated from 1000's miles on a TZR125, full power with YPVS. Was riding with guys on much bigger bikes so learnt the art of corner speed and not much braking. The RGV was a natural progression, just more power + speed but same riding style. For me, it then made riding larger 4T bikes hard much easier. (don't even get me started on 50 yr old born again bikers who go out and buy the latest most powerfull CBR/R1/GSXR 1000 and wind up in the ditch on the first bend they get, 30 MPH too fast).

But if you are new to bikes, and have not come up from the full power 125cc ranks where you have been 'wringing the bike's neck' yes...be aware of the full power 250 2T powerband in mid conrners, especially if the tyres are cold.

If you just take it step by step, its a great size of bike to develop your skills on.
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Rich
MC21 Track Bike / RS250 NF5 'Spencer', NX5 'Cadalora' & NXA 'Aoyama' / RS500 / Two Brothers Racing RC30

Hey guys, thanks much for the interest on my post.. I'm grateful for all of your supports...

So, I ended up buying the VJ22 RGV yesterday.. it's 96 i think? but the chassis code says vj22..

I really wanted the rothmans color NSR but here are few reasons I decided
not to buy it...

It was wayyy too old, and from MOST of the people i've spoken to who specialized in the NSR's around here, or whom owns them currently, said
most of the engine parts are now UNavailable... nor do we have a lot of shops around here that knows how to work on them.

2nd reason is that the bike didn't have working speedometer....
the miles on it read roughly 20,000 miles.. but the seller said that
he got the bike that way... now that means.. i have no clue how many
miles HE drove or the owner of the bike before this dude drove...
so that really really made me hesitate, because i really dont feel like
spending an extra grand on the bike right after i buy it....

I gotta tell you tho.. i really love the nsr's but right now for someone at
my age and my financial position, i need reliability over performance.

And as for my bike experiences, I've driven 600's about 4 times and i've rented a cbr 1000 once after i got my motorcycle license.. and i used to race
with cars.. for long time.. so i know that i shouldn't mess around on cold tires and I am really going to take it slow, learn step by step on the motorcycle.. and as for this bike, it seems completely stock, and in good shape.. its got 10,000miles on it. chassy seems very clean.. power band
isn't extremely strong, but its good. It almost feel like im driving a 600cc
bike.. so i will take it very slow with getting used to it. I'm not in hurry to
get my self into the harm's way, you know? lol

And for more safety, i'm buying full motorcycle gear today.. helmet/jacket/pants/boots/gloves and a bike lock.

Thanks so much for your supports again, I'm still going to stick around on nsr world, to learn more about the nsrs... heck i might even trade my rgv for a nsr if i find one thats in just as good condition.. and to learn more about 2t 250's.. I'll post pics of the rgv within this week or so. Thanks again guys!

P.s. what does 2t stand for? i know it means 2 cycle but why is it called 2t? not 2c?

its sounds like you bought the better bike mate, plenty of sparea round for the rgv's. Have fun

Congratulations on the purchase. Are you a part of the RGV forum? They are a wealth of knowledge there.

The first things I would do to the bike is to service the power valves, those have a very nasty habit of doing a lot of damage if you don't love them.

Keep your eye out, I'm sure there'll be an NSR that pops up for sale and you'll be able to get it

Yes do join the RGV forum, and do get those powervalves checked / replaced. 10,000 miles is a typical mileage that the engine tries to eat the powervalves on a RGV VJ22. Ask on the RGV forum about getting hold of Stan Stephens (UK tuner) modified powervalves. They are designed not to fall into the pistons! I'm sure someone on the RGV forum would help you in getting a set. Good luck and happy riding!
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Rich
MC21 Track Bike / RS250 NF5 'Spencer', NX5 'Cadalora' & NXA 'Aoyama' / RS500 / Two Brothers Racing RC30

thanks for the interests again guys!

first of all.. i used to work on the cars but
i have absolutely no knowledge on how to work on bikes yet...

so how should a first timer go about this power valve checking??

and could u specify which rgv forum that i should sign up for?

and could u guys recommend any other checkings that I should do?

i'm sort of scared to break a bolt off or something while im working on

the bike... and i haven't got tools right now because I moved 2 years ago

(from USA to South Korea).. I used to change shocks/springs, mufflers,
brakes and other neato stuff.. and regular maintenance repairs (air/fuel
filters, oil changes) on the car.. so im a bit familiar with what to do on
machines.. but im sure these bolts are very sensitive to breaking off
if i over tighten.. any suggestions for me??

I hope you guys don't think of me as a traitor.. i really wanted the nsr =/
but now im in the 2cycle family atleast.. i really wanted to buy the nsr
and keep it for many years as a collectors classic bike

p.s. anyone have an answer to my older p.s.? what 2t stands for?? and why its not called 2c? heh

thx guys... u guys are the most friendliest forum people a fella has ever met... must have buncha nice folks in england or something.. cuz american forums have lots of dicks there.. lol

oh and also.. when i probably have spare money, and once i get familiar with the 2stroke 250's.. im probably going to pick up a NSR heh.. i like them 4, 5x better than rgvs heh..

besides.. i've never been too big fan of suzuki

so it was a tough choice for me, really.. couldn't follow the heart.. had to follow the head... what can i do.. im only in my 20's


and a editing note : it's vj22a not just vj22.. i remember i've read that
the two had few differences..

Click here for the RGV forum

I think someone born in the 1920's would be able to answer why it's 2T.

I was wondering why for a Korean your English was quite good (I have a few Korean friends).

There are a few other people too that sell the billet power valves, so spend a bit of time researching them.

The forum will have a workshop manual you can download from there, it will have all the torque settings for bolts, and you'll be able to get an idea of the sort of tools you'll require. you'll basically need an assortment of screwdrivers, allen keys, sockets and spanners, torque wrench, impact driver, screw extractors (if you snap bolts).

PV servicing is covered in the forum over there, when you get there, do a quick search. Once you get the PVs out, definitely replace the screws with cap heads (I think M4x10 or some small size), so you won't have to deal with rounded out philip head slots.

Other checks you should perform? If you're paranoid like me, I start with fresh fluid so I have restarted the service history: New brake fluid (check pads and rotor wear while you're there), coolant (check hoses while you are at it), new gear box oil (check no metal shavings or "shiny" oil). Keep using the same two stroke oil the previous owner was using.

Do you know how many k's the bike has done on the top end? If not, factor in a rebuild ASAP, or do a compression test, both dry and wet.

Also check the lower shock mount on the frame, if the bike has really been abused, these have been known to fail.

You're lucky that most of the GSXR stuff (late 90's) will bolt in as a replacement, or with a bit of work the K series GSXR stuff fits in