WHAT!!! just checked out the suzuki website.

[VermilionX]

so i've been out of the loop.

i just checked the suzuki website and i saw the TU250X.

wtf! i wanted to buy that and put drop bars on it to make it look like a cafe racer but it's not available in california.

i guess i can't complain much since i ride a road bike as well. having clean-ish air is appreciated. but man, i want that bike. should be a gas saver too.

[Wrider]

Probably the only reason is that there's no room for a charcoal canister...
It is a pretty cool bike, saw one in person the other day and it's definitely good looking!

[HYPERR]

They should build a TU650 cafe racer using a hot rodded version of the thumper from the DR650.

[Wrider]

They should build a TU650 cafe racer using a hot rodded version of the thumper from the DR650.

Oohhhh, I like that, especially if it was FI like the 250 is!

[Thumper]

Yep...the first time I saw a picture of the TU250 I wanted to at least test ride one, but CA doesn't get a lot of bikes now. If it's a really good beginner bike, chance are CA will never see it :/

[Marvin]

If Suzuki was smart they would redesign the 400 and 650 Burgman or make a totally new 250cc scooter, the 250 scooter choices are far and few and 250 would be an almost perfect size, and the future of all motorcycles are pointing in the direction of scooters.
I always respected Suzuki, I believe they are the best dirt bikes, crotch rockets and atvs, their street-cruiser bikes are crap, the SV650-V Strom engines are an old outdated design that just doesn't work anymore.
Suzuki's dealer network needs to fire the current dealers and find new and better dealers, the current crooked, ripoff dealers they have now makes Suzuki's product look bad (always loved the Suzuki brand but hated their dealers)
But we all know the big 4 Japanese motorcycle manufactures stick and work together they all use independent engineers and many of their engines and frame sub assem are made in the same factory under the same roof

[storysunfolding]

Ha- I was about to respond but realized it was Marvin.

Verm- the tu is a fun bike. We have a few at our training sites. It's also VERY easy to wheelie and stoppie so a cafe setup would be cool. I'd love to see it with a bigger motor.

[jstark47]

It's also VERY easy to wheelie and stoppie so a cafe setup would be cool. I'd love to see it with a bigger motor.

Wonder if a S40/Savage motor could be shoehorned into the TU frame?

[Marvin]

a co-worker wanted to buy a first time motorcycle, never been on a bike before, he asked me to recommend a first time beginner bike, I said: Kawasaki 250 Ninja! ,, no, he wanted a cruiser bike, I said the best cruiser is the Honda 750 Shadow,,,, no, he said thats too big.
He went to the Yamaha Dealer and set his heart on the V Star 250, asked me about it, I told him its too underpowered for the steep mountain highways and would not keep up the speed limits on steep mountain roads, told the dealer what i said and the dealer told him I was full of it!
He changed his mind and went with the Yamaha 650 V Star, I told him thats a much better choice, good bike, but not as good as the Honda 750.
Now after owning the 650 Yamaha for a while he told me he's glad he listened to me and went with the bigger bike cause as he gets more and more experienced on the 650 he now feels its slighly underpowered and he's ready for a more powerful bike, and if he owned the 250 V Star its would be much less power and he would'nt like it.
The moral of the story is every beginner always goes with a too small bike and once they get experienced they always need a bigger bike and they always regret buying it.

note: at the time he was confused why I said a 250cc Kawasaki Ninja was powerfull and would keep up highway speeds when a 250 cc cruiser bike was underpowered. Thats why he was looking at the 250cc cruiser bikes in the first place.. I tried to explain to him its a totally different engine design with much higher rpm's, or a racing design engine in the Kawasaki, but whats more important is the Kawasaki Ninja is a much easiser bike to ride and handle for a beginner,,, he kinda gets it now, knowing that a 650 sport bike is much faster and quicker than his 650 cruiser bike, and i also told him that the Kawasaki Ninja has a much higher resale value later when he trades it in for a bigger bike.

The Kawasaki 250 Ninja is the best buy, the best value for the money, the most bike you can get for $3600,, you pay less for it and it has an excellent resale value cause new beginners are always looking for a used 250 Ninja, it looks and performs as a bike twice its size, super reliable, excellent gas mileage.

[Trobairitz]

I had a 2009 TU250 and rode it for a year prior to my Gladius. Great motorcycle. 81 mpg. I miss it sometimes.

Little tough passing cars on the mountain roads but it would do it if you were in a full tuck with the throttle WFO. I didn't realize how much of an attention getter it would be when I bought it. People thought it was an old Triumph and couldn't figure out the year.

Team Oregon now uses them in the basic rider training classes. They are quite popular around here. Sure wish they'd have put a 500 cc motor in it. I'd still have it.