Suzuki TR250 Replica

Originally obtained from a dealer in Markham Ontario in the fall of 1981 this was basically a modified T20 with TR250 barrels and heads. The frame was braced and chromed, the whole package being visually quite pleasing as you can see from the photograph. With Yamaha forks and the frame bracing it handled quite well but that monstrous Yamaha 4 leading shoe front brake made braking tricky and ultimately was the cause of Terry Swatten falling of the bike.

Mechanically the thing was a monster with a knack for seizing absolutely with no warning. It was so bad that Paul Bowyer, the bike's second rider, named it “Whispering Death” after the famous Suzuki factory 250 4 cylinder machine of the mid 60’s. Many of these problems were solved when the ignition was up-dated from the original points system to a magneto CDI unit. In 1984 it was judged reliable enough to be sent to the Isle of Man for the Manx Grand Prix to be ridden by Frank Whiteway. Frank did not race that year so the bike lay in Eddie Crooks’s shop for 6 months and was returned to Canada in October of that year. The machine was disposed of later in 1984, the new owner fitted a 4 bearing crankshaft to the engine and sold the machine to a gentlemen in Japan. As far as we know it’s still there!