| 1980–81 Yamaha SR250T Exciter II |
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| Performance |   |
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| The 20 horsepower the little SR puts out is nothing special, but it has a nice flat torque curve. |
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| Handling |  |
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| Light and extremely maneuverable, but tiny brakes and a generally insecure feeling at anything beyond a moderate lean make it less fun than it should be. |
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| Looks | |
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| The SR250 is a fairly clean, restrained design with some nice touches. The 'T' model's rear trunk is a funky-cool addition. |
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| Reliability | |
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| SR250s make little power, and are therefore flogged mercilessly; they held up better than anybody would expect for an economy 'beginner' model, but finding one that's been properly cared for will be tough nowadays. |
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| Practicality | |
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| The underpowered engine and flyweight chassis limit enjoyable range, but the built-in trunk makes it one of the best vehicles ever for a quick run to 7-Eleven. |
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| Desirability | |
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| The trunk on the 1980 model (called the 'Exciter II') was permanently bolted on; the next year the Exciter T had a removable trunk and optional quick-change passenger seat, which made it even cooler—although I would have no desire to ever ride an SR250 two-up. |
