9. 1968 Suzuki TM250
This 1968 Suzuki TM 250 is already as rare as hen’s teeth, but it’s also a reminder of a bike that Tom White just missed out on while amassing his collection.
Suzuki was actually the first Japanese manufacturer to produce a motocross bike. In 1966 the company sent two engineers and a road racer to Europe to begin development of a motocross machine, and two different models were put together during the effort: a single-cylinder and a twin-cylinder, both in two-stroke engine configuration. As the project moved forward, the twin-cylinder design was abandoned in favor of the Single, which Suzuki patterned after CZ’s World Championship-winning twin-pipe 250. Thus the Suzuki RH67 born, and Suzuki built approximately 200 of them in 1967, 65 of which made it into the United States. That’s the model that White missed out on buying.
However, the more production-based 1968 TM250 shown here, although still rare, was arguably the more successful model. While the RH67 floundered with poor handling and unreliability, the more sorted TM250 actually enjoyed some success in America in the hands of Preston Petty, Walt Axthelm, and Gary Conrad. Suzuki was also the first Japanese manufacturer to sell its motocross machine with a complete spares kit that included pistons, rings, replacement clutch parts, gearing and carburetor jets.
This TM250 may be the nicest example in the world, but if you happen to know where there’s an RH67 for sale, give White a call. He claims that he is finished with collecting vintage motocross machines, but…
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