Ultimate Beach Bike: Yamaha TTR250 Scrambler

Purpose Built Moto’s 250cc Yamaha Scrambler…  

Introduced in the 1990s, the Yamaha TTR250 was an air-cooled 250cc trail / enduro bike designed to be rugged, reliable, and long-lasting. Not only did the bulletproof TTR excel on those fronts, it was a surprisingly capable single-track weapon:

“The Yamaha TTR250 is a hardy wee beastie. As an undemanding, unfussy enduro bike for newer riders it excels, with a never-say-die single cylinder motor that has just enough pep for muddy fun.” –MCN

Veteran enduro riders were even surprised at how fast and fun the unimposing 19-hp four-stroke proved to be:

“Once I had the momentum up the TTR was capable of maintaining a serious trail pace and again was doing it while continuing to provide the most comfortable of rides. I was blown away by how fast you can ride a TTR without any worrying moments. I was blown away by how much fun it was doing it too.” –Barry Ashenhurst

Our friend Tom Gilroy and the crew from Australia’s Purpose Built Moto picked up this ’99 TTR250 as a poorly executed scrambler project:

“The previous owner had stripped all the plastics off the bike and fitted up the ever popular CG125 tank, while the idea was there the execution was lacking with an ill fitting seat, flimsy tank mounts, some questionable fabrication work, and some even more questionable wiring.”

PBM continues to produce some of our favorite customs, including the Yamaha DT400 restomod we featured last year — one of our favorite builds of 2022 — so we were excited to see what they’d do with another enduro to scrambler conversion. Says Tom:

“There was potential lurking beneath the surface of this poorly built beach TTR250 scrambler, and we were about to let it out. “

Out back, they modified the frame to allow the installation of a new saddle, upholstered by Timeless Autotrim with thick foam, Alcantara sides, and a black gripper top. They retained the OEM airbox, meaning this bike can be ridden down dusty trails without fear, and fabbed up some aluminum side covers.

They spent a good bit of time making sure the CG tank was mounted properly with factory-style rubber mounts welded to the frame, and sent the rear shock out to Costanzo Racing for a rebuild and upgrade.

After rebuilding the forks, they realized the engine itself was in need of some TLC:

“If this bike’s childhood was anything like mine, this was likely a symptom of countless weekend barbeques on the farm with dad’s mates, and all your uncles doing time trials around the paddock.”

Fortunately, they’ve recently brought an engine builder / performance mechanic in-house, operating as Purpose Built Performance.

“The TTR was treated to a completely new top end, including new valves, springs and some porting work to get it breathing a little easier. We’ve also rebuilt the standard carb back to new condition.”

They fabricated and ceramic-coated a custom exhaust, capping it off with one of their torpedo mufflers, and the MX-style front fender is handmade. The stock hubs with laced to a set of 19/18″ Excel rims with Continental TKC80 tires.

The lighting and electrics were overhauled with 3 button PBM switches, which run to a Black Box module under the seat and control the 5.75” Flashpoint LED headlight and 3-in-1 indicators. For any Yamaha build, it’s hard to beat that iconic speed block pattern, and we love it here with the glossy silver paint.

Tom says this TTR scrambler might not be the fastest bike on the street, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun:

“The end result is a super light weight, well balanced bike, with enough power to get you where you need to go and loads of style to boot.”

Build Video

Follow the Builder

Web: www.purposebuiltmoto.com
Instagram: @purpose_built_moto
Youtube: youtube.com/c/purposebuiltmoto

More PBM Builds

Big Bore Virago: 1050cc Yamaha XV750 Custom Fighter - Yamaha “XV1050” Virago from Purpose Built Moto…  There are certain donor bikes that turn up again and again in the custom world, and the Yamaha Virago (XV) is one such platform. Many years ago, builders […]

On The Mark: Harley Sportster 1200S Scrambler - MX-inspired Sportster scrambler from Purpose Built Moto…  Last week, we featured the Sportster 1200 Adventure Scrambler from Australia’s Purpose Built Moto, built for workshop owner Tom Gilroy to ride across Tasmania for the film Wide […]

Tasmanian Tractor: Sportster Adventure Scrambler - From Purpose Built Moto: The Ultimate Adventure Sportster Scrambler… Back in 2019-2020, Tom Gilroy of Australia’s Purpose Built Moto faced the challenge of building a custom scrambler capable of handling one very strenuous cross-country test […]

Racer Reborn: Yamaha XS650 Café Racer - Purpose Built Moto builds a 700cc vintage twin café…  Tom Gilroy of Australia’s Purpose Built Moto has climbed into the elite echelons of the custom bike world over the past several years, and his Signature […]

Ultimate Beach Bike: Yamaha TTR250 Scrambler - Purpose Built Moto’s 250cc Yamaha Scrambler…   Introduced in the 1990s, the Yamaha TTR250 was an air-cooled 250cc trail / enduro bike designed to be rugged, reliable, and long-lasting. Not only did the bulletproof TTR […]

Viva Vinduro! Yamaha DT400 Restomod - Purpose Built Moto builds a two-stroke ripper…  The Yamaha DT400 is one of our favorite two-stroke enduros of the 1970s — a wolf in wolf’s clothing and a howling fury to ride. The factory bike […]

GRID Cycles: Zero SR Street Tracker - “We want to get people excited about electric motorcycles.” Love them or hate them, electric motorcycles are going to be part of the two-wheeled future. Kawasaki has announced plans to go all-electric by 2035 in […]

Straight Outta Compton: 1972 Ironhead Chopper - “Bad Boy Hogging never felt so good…”  Australia’s Purpose Built Moto have quickly built a strong reputation both for their custom builds and their parts line. Though they’ve consistently displayed a broad range of styles […]

Win This: Husky Vitpilen 401 Street Tracker - Purpose Built Moto is giving away this Husqvarna Vitpilen 401! The Husky Vitpilen 401 sports the same single-cylinder engine as the KTM 390 Duke, wrapped in a lightweight steel-trellis frame and four-piece plastic body kit […]

Creativity Mechanized: Suzuki GS650 by Purpose Built Moto - “Hard work or good luck is what you need, and you can only control one of those things.” Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of watching small, one-man operations grow from part-time gigs and […]

Triumph Café Racer with Sidecar! - Purpose Built Moto is quickly gaining a name as one of the best custom shops in Australia. They consistently turn out high-quality machines in a wide array of styles, constantly challenging themselves, and were recently […]

Feature Film: HANDCRAFTED -  Recently, we were given an early look at the new film Handcrafted — an insider’s look at the Australian custom motorcycle community created by Electric Bubble and Purpose Built Moto. The filmmakers followed Tom […]

Yamaha XSR900 Custom by Purpose-Built Moto - In the 1970s, the Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM) revolutionized the industry — a general-purpose, rider-friendly machine that made motorcycling more accessible to the public. These naked/standard designs had upright ergonomics and powerful, reliable engines. Within […]

Yamaha SR400 Scrambler by Purpose Built Moto - Tom Gilroy of Purpose Built Moto has quickly made a name for himself in the Australian custom motorcycle world and beyond. His scrambler builds have been hugely popular and both amateur and professional builders around […]

Suzuki GN250 Scrambler by Purpose Built Moto - Old Soul, New Tech…Suzuki GN Scrambler from the Gold Coast Tom Gilroy, founder of Australia’s Purpose Built Moto, is on a roll. Not only has his Gold Coast shop been turning out a stable’s worth […]