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To buy or not to buy.... 1987 CR250R

By ove,
in Honda 2 Stroke

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ove

Posted
Posted

Need some help deciding on what to do.

Here's the case:

Got offered to buy a basket case 1987 CR250, owner thinks it's a 1986, but it has the rear disk brake...

It's in boxes... lots of them...But complete (he says..).

He has two and a half engines for it, and it should be possible to get one good out of them.

The inner clutch cover water pump housing is of course wasted and repaired many times over... on both engines..

It has a blown out Öhlins shock. Forks looks like it has good chrome still.

Problem is I know it will cost an arm and a leg to get this to the standard I would like, but I think the '87 CR250 was one of the coolest looking bikes ever!

He is not asking too much for it.

What to do?

I need to be pushed one way or the other .... ?

1987.jpg

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XCRIDER21

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I wouldn't pay much more then $100 american for an 97 in boxes. It is going to cost about $3000 amercan to restore it and you are going to have a bunch of trouble getting parts for it.

It would take that much to completely make a show room bike, but a mild restore would not cost near that! I say go for it!

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Grand Master

Hans Schmid

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I wouldnt. Bikes in boxes usually turn out to be headaches. Bolts and pieces are missing(usually hard to get ones). If the bike was together, I wouldn't hesitate but it's in a box so I tend to shy away. It will just nickel and dime you and unless you plan on keeping the bike and restoring it to mint then I would say its worth it.

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Zaz

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They were such good MX bikes that finding one that is not completely thrashed is very difficult. I use the 87 forks on my 85 250 and 83 480. IMO, they are better in stock form than my 06 yz 250 forks.

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Grand Master

Piney Woods

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They were such good MX bikes that finding one that is not completely thrashed is very difficult. I use the 87 forks on my 85 250 and 83 480. IMO, they are better in stock form than my 06 yz 250 forks.

Right on concerning the forks. I had an '86 and the line I took was irrelevant. By FAR the best stock suspension I have ever had. Nothing but oil changes for 3000 miles.
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bigpaul

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It would take that much to completely make a show room bike, but a mild restore would not cost near that! I say go for it!

I have restored basket case bikes. There is no such thing as a "mild restore". Like it or not IT WILL cost $3000 (US) to put this bike back together, especially since this bike and potential new owner reside in Norway.

For every bike you think "this will be cheap to get running" you find things you did not expect. Parts will be missing or broken or expensive to find.

Bent rims or destroyed hubs along with tires, rebuilding brake calipers and master cylinders, missing brake lines, new plastic, rebuilding the motor, control cables, handlebars/grips, seat covers, repairing or polishing gas tanks, missing chain guides and swingarm sliders, swing arm bearings, suspension bushings, fork seals, shock rebuilds and suspension set up, frame painting/powder coating, air filters, carb replacement/rebuilding, missing ignition parts, cylinder boring, new pistons/rods/cranks, engine seals, kick starters missing/broken, clutch hubs, clutch springs, clutch plates, foot pegs, fork boots, silencers and exhaust pipes and exhaust springs, missing power valve parts etc all cost money when they are broken/missing/not present. This bike did not end up in multiple crates because the owner had a running bike!

In regards to the water pump cover, you can use a water pump cover from a 1989 CR250, it will bolt right up and it is now made of aluminum. Also, better get the radiators cleaned out as they are plugged up with magnesium from the water pump cover.

I would say if you can get the bike for less than $200 for it, especially if you can the motor rebuild yourself. With rebuilds like this you do it because you love the bike not because it makes financial sense.

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ove

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Posted

Very true Bigpaul!

Just went through a complete restoration on a 1990 CR250R, and that was a bad looking but running bike.

Had to do all of the things you describe.

I went to look at this basket case, and almost went for it, because I love the looks of the '87 CR250.

After reading the posts here and thinking with the head not the heart, I decided to let it slide.

And as you said, me living in Norway makes this even more expensive.

The '90 CR250 got put togheter because I loved the engine and looks of it when I raced one back in the day.

I could probably have bought a pretty new bike for the money I dumped in this bike, but the fun and enjoyment of making this bike can not be valued.

It's a keeper

CR250R014.jpg

I have restored basket case bikes. There is no such thing as a "mild restore". Like it or not IT WILL cost $3000 (US) to put this bike back together, especially since this bike and potential new owner reside in Norway.

For every bike you think "this will be cheap to get running" you find things you did not expect. Parts will be missing or broken or expensive to find.

Bent rims or destroyed hubs along with tires, rebuilding brake calipers and master cylinders, missing brake lines, new plastic, rebuilding the motor, control cables, handlebars/grips, seat covers, repairing or polishing gas tanks, missing chain guides and swingarm sliders, swing arm bearings, suspension bushings, fork seals, shock rebuilds and suspension set up, frame painting/powder coating, air filters, carb replacement/rebuilding, missing ignition parts, cylinder boring, new pistons/rods/cranks, engine seals, kick starters missing/broken, clutch hubs, clutch springs, clutch plates, foot pegs, fork boots, silencers and exhaust pipes and exhaust springs, missing power valve parts etc all cost money when they are broken/missing/not present. This bike did not end up in multiple crates because the owner had a running bike!

In regards to the water pump cover, you can use a water pump cover from a 1989 CR250, it will bolt right up and it is now made of aluminum. Also, better get the radiators cleaned out as they are plugged up with magnesium from the water pump cover.

I would say if you can get the bike for less than $200 for it, especially if you can the motor rebuild yourself. With rebuilds like this you do it because you love the bike not because it makes financial sense.

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yellowdatsun

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Posted

To restore the bike would cost a lot, to just reassemble it and ride it could possibly be very cheap. I took home a basket case 84 cr250 for free, and got it running/riding for about $400, and that included bond title fees and a new front tire.

But, you'll have the same problem i did, the dreaded water pump issue. Because of this problem theres no way id spend $500 on it. Even if you can find another cover, or even a new one, it will likely end up costing you what you paid for the entire bike, just for that one piece.

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  • 3 years later...
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lehand80

Posted
Posted

That 90 Restoration looks good. I am currently finishing up an 87 that I purchased awhile back, Ran into all of the same problems you listed. I bought the bike in a card board box in pieces, case was split, transmission parts that were missing exc. Complete nightmare to get to the point I am now. Ive got the bike almost complete and have to tear the motor back out because I must have missed something in the gear shift mechanism. When I put the case together everything worked fine, now that I have it on the bench and shift lever installed I cannot get the transmission in neutral. Im dreading splitting the case again. Did you rebuild your tranny or just put the top end back together?

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