Michael Derderian's TZ250 Street Fighter
Steve Biganski built, pro GP/Street TZ250
Yes folks, that is a headlight where the number is
supposed to go! If you had the desire, money, & connections to build
the ultimate canyon weapon, this would be it! It all began with the dream
of an aerospace machinist & avid 2-stroke enthusiast, Michael
Derderian.
Just imagine a 220 lb., 80 horsepower gp bike built to
hunt down the squadrons of Ducatis, GSXRs & R1s that tend to frequent
the popular Angeles Crest highway. It would be hard to wipe the smile from
your face while banging the close-ratio gearbox at 12 grand leaving behind
the intimidating scent of Motul 800 & a screaming exhaust note that
makes most 4-stroke riders sweat with fear. Able to embarass bikes 4 times
it's size, it delivers more than just a thrilling ride, it gets instant
respect. |
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The project began as a 1991 Yamaha TZ250 that needed
a thorough ground-up rebuild. Lucky for Mike, possibly the best man in the
west for the job just happened to be his neighborhood friend, nationally
renowned tuner Steve Biganski. Biganski's Extreme Lean Motorsports has
been tuning & developing top national level TZs & RS Hondas for
over 10 years, including several years tuning for Nick Ienatsch. Steve's
reputation for precision & attention to detail speaks for itself with
87 consecutive national races without a mechanical failure. He has done
ground up restoration work on such bikes as Kenny Roberts' personal YZR500
championship bike, actually hand fabricating many of the missing one-off
parts! |
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Biganski had to take the high-strung TZ250 powerplant
& not only make it reliable enough for street use but he had the
challenge of building the motor to deliver useable horsepower at lower
rpms. Steve started with a '92 powerplant, altered some factory 'A' kit
cylinders, heads, & intakes. He modified the stock TZ pipes, altered
the timing & used 38mm TMX mikuni powerjet carburetors to get the
motor to produce 75-80 hp with plenty of mid-range. The bike will idle,
pull smooth at low revs & still come alive at the top like a GP bike
should! |
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Rather than load the crankshaft with a heavy TZR
ignition just to have a charging system, Steve opted for retaining the
stock race ignition & used a total-loss electrical system with a
custom battery box. It packs enough juice to keep the lights on for a good
3 hours. No need for any more than that, after all, this is no Goldwing. A
couple of exciting hours at a time in the slightly padded gp saddle are
more than enough for anyone. It's 4.5 gallon tank is large enough for a
good 100 mile ride. The project took over 200 hours to complete not
including the incredible finish. Jim Granger of Granger Classic Auto Body
in Reseda, CA handled the finishing touch. All graphics were actually
painted onto a paint job that is truly second to none. These photos do
little justice to the incredibly beautiful finish. In a word,
stunning. |
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The bike is shod with Dunlop intermediate racing
tires. Top speed with current gearing is 140 mph. Thanks to Afam
sprockets, Motul, Dunlop, Regina chain, Granger's Classic Auto Body, for
their support on this project. Michael Derderian is one happy & lucky
man. While just watching the bike take a blast up the street behind Moto
Carrera in N. Hollywood, the hair stood up on the back of my neck! The
smell of Motul & the crisp exhaust note made everyone watching simply
look at each other & just smile. The bike did all the talking!
Michael, who is one of the nicest men you will ever meet, is assuredly is
looking forward to a little vacation time in the saddle of this awesome
machine. |
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With VP C12 race fuel & Motul 800, this baby
smells as good as it sounds! |
Above left: a very proud Michael Derderian flanked by 2-stroke master & true gentleman Steve Biganski.Our photo shoot was quite a pleasure. |
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Above: Long-time Moto Carrera technician Steve
Fuentes. I'm sure he wishes his TZ was this nice! Thanks to Steve for
photos. |
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