Vintage Fun on an Old-fashioned Budget
50-Year-old DT250 Still Delivering Riding Joy
When it comes to bang-for-buck motorcycling, there isn’t much to beat vintage dirt bike racing. Sure, you can spend top dollar on a show pony, but you can also buy a beaten-up 1975 DT250B and head straight for the track. That’s what Yamaha Motor Australia’s Marketing Manager Sean Goldhawk did, and despite not hitting the ground in race-competitive form as he had hoped, the journey has only amplified his enthusiasm for the sport. “Unfortunately, buying a bike for $1800 and then throwing $250 at parts does not necessarily leave you with a race-winning machine or even a machine that runs well,” explained Sean. “The great thing is that the challenges I’ve experienced have connected me with many amazing people I now call friends.
Sean's first race at Nepean dirt track in Western Sydney ended in a long walk back to the pits. The oversized 34mm carby did not want to deliver the right mix to the old chook chaser. And then the coil failed to provide a spark. Fortunately for Sean, the vintage dirt track community – aka the Jerkyls - gathered round, donated an emergency coil and Sean managed to ride a few laps. Slowly.
With no time to fix the carb issue, Sean then rocked up at the Sunday Slide in Somersy, NSW. His first lap resulted in another long walk across the infield, pushing the lifeless DT. The carb was removed off and a missing needle clip and oversized main jet was discovered. With more help from Jerkyl Brad in the form of a smaller main jet and a new spark plug, the DT250 fired into life and ran crisp for the rest of the day.
“This is the first time in 40 years that I’ve experienced the thrill of a two-stroke on full noise,” says the 62-year-old. “I thought my carby days were behind me, but fixing and riding this bike has been heaps fun and a real trip down memory lane,” adds Sean who was surprised to find that getting the bike running sweet was a big part of the enjoyment. “The brotherhood in the pits at events like Sunday Slide is next level – there are so many dudes happy to share knowledge, tools, parts, set up and riding tips. The experience proves you don’t need to spend big on the latest technology to enjoy motorcycling. And while the riding is still the main focus, it’s the people that make it fun."
