The oddest thing about this bike was that I saw it at Road America many years ago and was interested in buying it.  I even called the owner, Mike Sherman, who was living in Chicago at the time and he told me all about it.

Fast forwards a few years and I'm over in Ohio at Rick Merhar's Accu-Products shop working on a bike for Chip Larkby to race at Daytona.

Rick had way too much work on so I helped him do some work on a TZ250E that turned out to be the same one I had looked at at Road America.  At that stage I didn't realize it was being prepped for Mike Waldmann, another Chicagoland racer.

Fast forwards a few more years and one or two engine rebuilds and suspension and brake changes later and there I am sitting in my garage looking at the same bike and that was when I realized it was the same bike that kept crossing my path. Must be fate.

Well, it's time for this bike to find a new owner. It has been fully rebuilt from the ground up and is ready to race or to put in your private museum.

The motor is back to its original specification - just like Mr. Yamaha intended. It has the correct 250E barrels and pipes and the original carbs and ignition. 

Crank rebuilt.  Transmission stripped, cleaned, inspected and reassembled and shimmed. All new seals and gaskets. 

All those shiny bits are hidden deep inside the motor. Some are new and all are as close to perfect as it comes.  Seems a shame to hide them away in a dark oily place. 

You looking at me? 

There is something "just right" about the lines of a TZ race bike. 

See, it's eco friendly.  Don't try to tell me that 2 strokes are anti-social.  It just isn't true. This one seems perfectly at home in the garden being at peace with the world. 

Naked and unashamed. This bike is not scared to show what it's got. What is that saying?  If you've got it flaunt it.  Yeah.  That's it.

The front engine plates are mounted inside out to create more clearance for  the fairing. 

No unnecessary bits or doo-dads or bling.  No road gear - a pure purpose built road race bike. Gotta love it.

TZ250A and TZ250E.  In many ways so similar and yet they are a generation apart in chassis design. Soon both will go to new homes, so I can clear some garage space.  They are nice to look at, but I enjoy building them - and I already did that, so it's time to send them on their way.

That stock single disk is quite enough to slow it from quite incredible speeds.  Fortunately a prior owner had this one drilled to lighten it which also happens to improve brake performance and makes it slightly lighter steering.

Does this angle make my butt look large?  From any angle, a TZ looks great. Svelte. sleek and ready to do what it was designed to do - to go fast.

Loaded onto the back of a pickup truck, it heads south to a new home in Texas. Don't worry buddy.  I'll be down to see you soon.  Sniff. 

I miss that bike.  Now where's my tools.  Time to get on with the next project?