Classic Steel on the 2004 Kawasaki KX250F and Suzuki RM-Z250 is up for your reading enjoyment

They won a couple of championships but they are remembered for making all of the "worst mx bikes ever" list. 250f's have come a long way!

What the hell was that?!
Interesting article topic but after I read the same thing, just slightly re-worded, for the third time I couldn't keep going.

Classic? That may be stretch.

Loved my 05, except for the forks. The forks sucked!!! Oh and the transmission went twice on it, but that was more rider error than anything and lots of time on the bike. Still have it. That thing is bulletproof

Ray_MXS wrote:

What the hell was that?!
Interesting article topic but after I read the same thing, just slightly re-worded, for the third time I couldn't keep going.

I’m sorry you did not enjoy it.

Ray_MXS wrote:

What the hell was that?!
Interesting article topic but after I read the same thing, just slightly re-worded, for the third time I couldn't keep going.

tblazier wrote:

I’m sorry you did not enjoy it.

I dug it. I never knew about the little reed valve in the motor or the fim regulation on stingers on exhaust. Cool read

murph783 wrote:

I dug it. I never knew about the little reed valve in the motor or the fim regulation on stingers on exhaust. Cool read

Agreed . Good stuff . I see a decent number of these for sale and despite their reputation I may pick one up if the price is right.

Had an 04 rmz250. Thing wasn’t bad at all. Just had to keep an eye on the oil and coolant. Other than that it railed.

Ray_MXS wrote:

What the hell was that?!
Interesting article topic but after I read the same thing, just slightly re-worded, for the third time I couldn't keep going.

tblazier wrote:

I’m sorry you did not enjoy it.

Very nice, detailed article. Yep, those bike had issues. I've warned several people away from them after working on a few.

My brother has one. You could not pay me enough to throw a leg over it. At the times it ran well, it still was not enjoyable.

Great read, I bought a new 05 KXF back then, ridden about 5 hours on it and sold it. I hated that thing, went back to KTM SX125. and later bought a KTM SXF250 07 in late 06 which was miles better.

My brother had one and it used to stretch the valves something chronic... even when we put stainless steel ones in it... it was great when it ran though, it handled superbly.

Ray_MXS wrote:

What the hell was that?!
Interesting article topic but after I read the same thing, just slightly re-worded, for the third time I couldn't keep going.

You should add a lemon to your avatar.

Ray_MXS wrote:

What the hell was that?!
Interesting article topic but after I read the same thing, just slightly re-worded, for the third time I couldn't keep going.

tblazier wrote:

I’m sorry you did not enjoy it.

As I said, the topic is interesting and it's written good, but the information in it just repeated itself 3,4 or even 5 times.

Ray_MXS wrote:

As I said, the topic is interesting and it's written good, but the information in it just repeated itself 3,4 or even 5 times.

via GIPHY

Thanks for the article. I have read about the bikes in the past. I am more knowledgeable on some general bike stuff now, so info on them sinks in further now.

I think 2006 may have actually been the last year for the Alliance models. I know they had a 2006 KDX50 and a 2006 KLX125(L), both as green Suzukis.

Sidecar wrote:

My brother had one and it used to stretch the valves something chronic... even when we put stainless steel ones in it... it was great when it ran though, it handled superbly.

The valves were crazy man. I can't count the number of times we had to pull my bike behind my dads truck at the races to bump start it because the valves went out of tolerance and we didn't have time between motos to add shims.

The final nail in the coffin was exhaust valves grenading the top end. The last two times we rebuilt the head it would run for 20 minutes and then throw the right side exhaust valve when taking an engine load on the landing of a jump. Somehow the valve spring would compress enough to release the spring keeper and shit would go flying through the head, destroying it. I spent the third rebuild money on a used 05 KX250 that I still ride to this day.

I loved mine. I have a history of wrecking engines and this was the only bike that I never grenaded. LOL

KDXGarage wrote:

Thanks for the article. I have read about the bikes in the past. I am more knowledgeable on some general bike stuff now, so info on them sinks in further now.

I think 2006 may have actually been the last year for the Alliance models. I know they had a 2006 KDX50 and a 2006 KLX125(L), both as green Suzukis.

In 2006 suzuki used the 05 250F because they didnt have their own yet. Kawasaki had made an all new bike that was miles better. I'm not sure about other models, but maybe suzuki was trading play bikes for the moto bike.

Yep. I remember Jason Lawrence saying that his 06 was slow.

The Kawasaki 06 was indeed a whole lot better. Thankfully Villopoto only had to race the '05 about 3 or 4 times.


Back then, Kawasaki dealers had green Suzukis and Suzuki dealers had yellow Kawasakis. It was weird to see one in the local Suzuki dealership that had a head badge... MADE IN JAPAN, KHI or whatever they say. (Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. in case someone does not know)