78 250 Beamish.

[steve shakeshaft]

LOL Tim!

Subira, many thanks for your help! Yes, the WES silencer was added a couple of months ago by the last owner. The mudguards are not standard OEM.

One person who I have tracked down who owns a pukka 78 RL250 is saying to me that the end of the pipe should be oval on a 78 exhaust and would be round on earlier years. I have the bike at home and I'm now going to take some pictures. I would be amazed if it was totally 78! After 27 years, some pieces MUST have been changed.

Finding out definitively what a 78 bike "should" have/not have is proving difficult. So far, for example, I've seen pictures of "genuine" 78 bikes with the following side panels- 1 Alloy, no logo. 2 Black Plastic with red "S" logo. 3 Red with inset moulded "S" logo. 4 Black with "Works Replica" logos.

So which is correct? I do not know. If anybody has a good, genuine picture(s) from 1978 I'd appreciate looking at them. This is becoming something of an obsession. Sorry.

[toofasttim]

This is becoming something of an obsession.  Sorry.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This type of obsession is tolerated if not welcomed here. We've been tolerating Big John for years

[steve shakeshaft]

Thank you. It's nice to know that if I go completely nuts worrying about the shape of my exhaust's tail pipe and the colour/logo's on the side panels. Then I'll be gently "humoured".

It is hugely frustrating that I've thrown lots of press and trade stuff away over the years that would have told me what I need to know. I was a Yamaha person back then though.