SUZUKI RGV250 VS HONDA NSR250

250cc race-replicas were the stuff of Grand Prix dreams. Suddenly, in a ‘two’-stroke, we were aping our heroes out on track

Jeff Ware rides the VJ21 and MC21 strokers.

These are two of the bikes that changed the lives of thousands of Grand Prix fans all over the world. Hugely popular in Australia, Asia, Europe and with you rev-heads in the UK, these small, but powerful two-strokes were the last of the true race-replica era, so I thought you might like to hear about my recent experience riding them 20-years on. I’m older and fatter, but these bikes sure made me feel young again for a day! It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of two-strokes. Sure, I own a few four-strokes and most of my racebikes have had valves and cams, but my roots are firmly planted in two-stroke territory. My first dozen or so bikes were oilers and I went from D to A grade Down Under racing RGV250S in the mid1990s. Believe it or not, I’d not ridden an RGV since 1996, so when this offer came up I was absolutely stoked. I knew it was going to be a highlight of my riding and journalistic career to date. So much so that I decided to lock in a day at the proving ground I use called The Farm to really make it special: two riders and two of the coolest bikes ever on the world’s most exclusive private testing facility – pure boy racer nirvana. Now there’s a band that comes to mind when I think back to my RGV days… I was

acting like a kid three days before Christmas in the lead-up to the test, hanging to feel 19 again, getting that powerband rush, inhaling the luscious twostroke fumes… Rocking up to The Farm on a perfect sunny day to find an immaculate RGV250 and an equally stunning Honda NSR250 is a mind-blowing experience. Close to four miles of tarmac perfection, brand new tyres, fresh kneesliders and full fuel tanks meant the day was going to be serious fun, not to mention an absolute blast from the past. If only I could have found my Pearl Jam 1992 tour shirts to wear! Memories of riding my RGV are still fresh and as I fire the red and white screamer up, the past 23 years vanish. This could easily be 1994, when I first jumped on my M model RGV to ride home. Or 1993, when I was a first-year apprentice and the bike shop I worked in 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 brochure as the cover of my school folder. 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 just 65kg last time I rode one – far from the 90kg old man I am now – so I don’t quite feel as compact. In fact, a picture of a gorilla humping an orange springs to mind… 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 I rode here once. I’ve yet to jump on the NSR, however. Keeping the sweet 90º twin between 8000 and 11,000rpm 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 30-year-old shock is coping well. I decided to ride both bikes in quick succession, then swap back again for a longer test. I’m impressed and as I park the RGV after a short stint and jump on the NSR, I’m still buzzing. The MC21 NSR is one sexy machine and I was really looking forward to riding it. I’ve heard so many stories about the sublime geometry and top-end kick. Just looking at the bike, I felt like a factory Honda 250 GP rider! With a lot more technology