Suzuki RGV250: Suzuki Screamer

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Bike Reviews

By JeffWare - 18 January 2022

Words: Jeff Ware Photography: Richard Collins

Memories of riding my RGV are still fresh and as I fire the red and white screamer up the past years vanish. This could easily be 1994, when I first jumped on my M model RGV to ride home.

The L is the second RGV, new colours, more suspension adjustment and 34mm carburettors.

Or 1993, when I was a first-year apprentice and the bike shop I worked in (Willing MC) had a second-hand red L model RGV in the showroom that I used to lust over every morning tea break. It’s a real thrill for me. Hell, in 1989 I remember having an RGV Pepsi brochure as the cover of my school folder…

Old school racer dash, love it!

Road shift, no quickshifters in 1990 unless your name was Kevin #34!

The familiar rasp of the RGV pipes overlayed by that unmistakeable ‘blender full of nuts and bolts’ sound an RGV engine makes at idle turns to a crisp deep braaaaap as I open up the 34mm Mikuni slides and launch off towards the esses. I instantly feel at home on the RGV, but I was 65kg last time I rode one – far from the 95kg old man I am now – so I don’t quite feels as compact.

Conventional forks for 1990. USD ones came in 1991.

At 128kg dry, the RGV is incredible light, nimble and gives a true sportsbike experience – in fact, after a lap I’m already satisfied that it’s the best bike I’ve ridden around The Farm after the TZ250 5KE I rode here once.

They wobble and weave but still achieve a fast lap time, a bit like Jeff!

Keeping the sweet 90º twin between 8000 and 11000rpm is a buzz and really, the bike screams. I forgot just how fast these things were and I’m also impressed with the pull from mid-range that the single stage powervale L model has off the slower turns. The brakes are stunning, and the chassis is a dream. Even the old shock is coping well.

No electronics, just a narrow powerband! These were Learner Legal in the day, hard to understand that!

High, narrow rearsets for ground clearance.

Early RGVs had the pipes one either side.

Remote reservoir shock.

Pushing the RGV hard comes naturally to me. I’m scraping my entire leg – toes, ankle, calf, shin, knee through the turns as I lean the bike over to impossible angles, carrying great corner speed as the bike gently two-wheel drifts about a foot to the outside between the apex and the exit of each turn.

Massive brakes for a little bike. No ABS back then!

This bike had an Eiback spring in it.

It’s a graceful ‘crab’ walk I remember from my proddie days – the absolute limit of an RGV. It felt good to get there and feel so in control and comfortable even at my age. Just shows how good these little bikes are…

One of the most planted front ends out there to this day! Amazing at 32-years-young!

SPECIFICATIONS 1990 Suzuki RGV250

Claimed power: 43.3kW[58hp]@11000rpm

Claimed torque: 37Nm@10800rpm

Dry weight: 128kg

Fuel capacity: 17L

Engine: Liquid-cooled 90° V-twin two-stroke

Bore and stroke: 56 x 50.6mm

Displacement: 249cc

Compression ratio: 7.5:1

Fuel delivery: Mikuni VM34SS carbs

Ignition: Suzuki Pointless Electric Ignition

Exhaust: Dual mufflers

Ratios: 2.454, 1.625, 1.235, 1.045, 0.916, 0.840

Final ratio: 3.066 (46/15)

Clutch: Wet multi-plate

Final drive: Chain

Frame type: Deltabox frame

Swingarm: Box-section alloy

Wheelbase: 1375mm

Rake: 25.75°

Trail: 98mm

Front suspension: Telescopic oil damped five-way adjustable forks, 120mm travel

Rear suspension: Full floating oil damped seven-way adjustable shock with Albach spring, 140mm travel

Front brake: Dual 300mm rotors with four-piston calipers

Rear brake: Single 210mm rotor with two-piston caliper

Front wheel: Three-spoke alloy wheel, 110/70, 17in

Rear wheel: Three-spoke alloy wheel, 140/60, 18in

Front tyre: Bridgestone Battlax BT003F

Rear tyre: Bridgestone Battlax BT090R

Seat height: 755mm

Overall height: 1065mm

Overall length: 2015mm

Overall width: 695mm

Ground clearance: 120mm

Instruments: Analogue dash

RGV TIMELINE

1983 – 1987 RG250 Gamma. An alloy framed parallel twin-cylinder water-cooled two-stroke that out-performed the RZ250 in almost everyway but was never as popular. 1983 model had only a bikini fairing. By 1987 the RG250 was fully faired.

1988 – RGV250J – the RGV hit the world by storm as Suzuki pushed the bike into many markets where the NSR was not available, instantly taking the 250cc two-stroke race replica market by storm. The bike was a no compromise production racer with lights. A 90º V-twin engine making 67hp@8500rpm, 128kg dry, 32mm Mikuni carburettors, single stage powervalves, 300mm twin rotors and Showa suspension went with the stunning GP styling.

Being the last of the gen one RGVs the L is a good one to collect.

1990 – RGV250L – the L model had new fully adjustable rear suspension, 34mm carburettors and new colours.

1991 – RGV250M – the M model was a major update, with a banana swingarm, new forks, new shock, two-stage powervalves, 17in wheels, revised exhaust pipes with dual exit on the R/H side for more ground clearance, weight was up 10kg to 139kg but the bike would become the most famous production racer in Australian history.

1993 – 1997 RGV250P – the P model had new colours and graphics, a 70º angle between cylinders, 15mm longer wheelbase, new braced swingarm, revised powervalves and second/fourth gear ratios.