OzVMX Forum
Marque Remarks => Yamaha => Topic started by: Graeme M on November 03, 2008, 10:20:47 pm
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OK, this is my YZ250G that sent me into a tailspin after I got it home... I spent far too much buying it, sight unseen, on the basis that it was better than it is.
It does have a few positives.
Very complete and original bike. Many hard to find parts are still on it, including things like the translucent cover over the airbox, original exhaust system, rubber boot on the carby and so on. Pegs and brake lever/shift lever are straight and original and there are no bad dings in lower frame tubes or pipe. The head is in great condition, and the barrel looks good too. Piston measures out at around 1.00 mm over, so next bore will be 1.5 mm over. The tank is good, seat base and foam are great. Bars are straight etc. No evidence of any butchering of nuts and bolts. No welded on bits. Steering tube bearings all look great. Matching numbers.
The downsides. It's got a lot of corrosion, however this is in most cases not as bad as it looks. I was worried about rot in the frame tubes but I've had a good look inside and everything looks OK. Generally it needs a lot of cleaning up and the frame blasted and painted. The forks have the chrome flaking off around the wipers, so will need work, or replacing. The bottom end is shot and needs bearings and possibly a rod kit, however it all goes round and I suspect the gearbox is good. Sidecovers missing, front guard wrong for this model and 'adapted' to fit. Rims all stuffed - cracks and flat spots. The shock seems OK and works, even the damping adjuster, but there is corrosion on it (see pic). I have a spare shock spring for it.
I am trying to decide whether or not to persevere with it...
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250g.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/frame1.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/frame2.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/frame3.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/seat1.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/seat2.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/seat3.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/tank1.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/tank2.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/pipe1.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/pipe2.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/shock1.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/arm1.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/arm2.jpg)
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/classies/yz250/head1.jpg)
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Dibbs on the gearbox!
Wanna buy sometihng with real class? Like a 79 PE175? ;)
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Hey, I've seen that PE remember!
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Touche! :D
I was hoping that you'd be blinded by your apparent soft spot for yellow. Or has that phase passed?
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Yes, I do have a soft spot for yellow. How'd you know? But I started out on Yamahas, and have owned more of them than anything else over the years. So a Yamaha phase was always on the cards. And after staring at this thing for half an hour again yesterday I am feeling guilty for trying to get rid of it. It wouldn't take *that* much work I guess... Maybe if I just leave it in the back shed for a few months, I'll feel a whole lot better?
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It doesn't look that bad Graeme, The pin freezing into the swingarm is common, send it to me and it will come back apart, I think it could be a realy good thing, my suggestion would be to hang in there with that one, with some help of some forum members I think it could come together nice!!
I have a set of perfect forks with emulators fitted for a great price, I have NOS spokes and decent rims, snowflake at windsor will blast and powdercoat the frame and swingarm for under $200, Vintage plastics have the sideplates and I have a correct front guard, maybe you should spend a weekend at my place!
how much to sort that shock out Walter? surely you can do Greame a deal on the shock,as I would never has found you or spent money with you if I hadn't found you here!
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Yeah, I have to admit I am feeling more positive towards it after not thinking about it too much for a few days. My problem is family circumstances mean not much time or money available for it. Still, I guess if I just nibble away at it...
PM sent.
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It looks good to me. What more could you want?
Stick with it. It will be a great Evo 250.
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graeme probably won't thank me for doing this, but he's really under it as a result of this purchase. the bike is just not anywhere near the condition as was described pre-sale, pure and simple. as a result, he's done some decent dough, with plenty to spend to get it anywhere near rideable. any assistance from forum members would help him get out of this hole (and restore his faith in human nature). think of the mega-hours he's put in to give us our daily vmx fix!!!
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depending what you paid for it graeme i reckon it's a good project. it looks mostly complete and the bit's that you need should be easy to get. the issue will be time and a little money. i guess the usual story would be the less time you want to spend the more money you will spend. hang onto it.
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Hmmm... thanks Twisty! I'm not nearly as needy as that makes me sound! Yes, I'm a bit disappointed in what I found, but it's more a question of deciding whether to keep going, or cut my losses and bail on it.
Yep, the bike is pretty complete and of course it will restore up nicely. Finding the required time and money is more the issue. She Who Must Be Obeyed says move it on. But I am thinking I'll keep it and we'll see what happens. So maybe this thread will become a (very) long running story of progress with the resto!
Watch this space?
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Graeme, I can understand the disapointment and frustration in finding that the new toy isn't what you had hoped it would be, there are many of us who have fallen into the same trap. The way I see that bike is that while it is indeed rooted and less that you expected, you'd be letting yourself and the bike down by breaking it up and selling it off for peanuts. No matter what condition the bike is in, you still would have had to blast and paint, renew bearings and bushes, rebuild the suspension and tidy up the engine so the less than expected condition doesn't really matter as much when a full resto is going to undertaken anyway. You would have had to have been the luckiest punter in Vintageville if you expected to buy a second hand VMXer and get it onto the track without pumping some money into it.
As these bikes get rarer it becomes more of a 'crime' to break up a complete bike and sell it off as parts, especially at a loss. I'd be taking 'her indoors' to a nice little restaurant and over a nice bottle of Pinot and a plate of Scampi Tortellini, unveil your plans to build the worlds nicest Yamaha YZ250G as an on the cheap online project utilising the skills and advice of your many contacts and friends within the sport and explain that her help and cooperation are important to the projects success! If she has any heart it'll work a treat and she'll actually feel that she's a part of the project! It's worked for me!
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Your a Legend Firko! if only everyone was as cunning as you!
Graeme, That thing is a treat, it will be something special when its done, the YZ250G was about the closest production bike to a works bike (the OW40) as Yamaha ever made, they are an awsome bike, and if it makes you feel any better about the cost of yours mine owes me $15K+.....so far.
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Orright, you've all convinced me. Not that it took much I guess, I'm as addicted to this stuff as anyone. I'll do the carefully pitched sell to the finance manager on Sunday with a trip to the beach for all sorts of sucking up.
Let's see if we can't make this sucker into something nice.
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Grum - its certainly in better nick than the CR I bought - I would love to see progress on it and the final result?
Rossco
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graeme my yz250 was in the same condition ....probably might have been worse...bought it for $500 but it got a complete makeover....
and it took me about three years to get it right....then on the 4th ride it lunchs the bolt that holds the clutch together... :'(
friggin metal everywhere inside the motor...now ive gotta start all over again...dont give up mate...they are a nice bike to ride
heres a piccy of the end result when i finished her...
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Come on Greame you know you can do it. Mine was far far worse than yours and I'm embarrased to say I paid $1000 for it. Everything was trashed. Swingarm pivots flogged out, piston slopping around in the buggered bore.
BUT... I perservered and now I'm stoked with the result.
Don't give up mate - she will be worth it. After all the "G" is arguably the best evo racer ever made - 1 more gear than the H and a kew kgs lighter.
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You're embarrassed? I'll NEVER reveal what I paid for mine. :o
But yes, it may just work out in the end. I think the motors not as bad as I suspected, and in fact every day my rose coloured glasses just get rosier and rosier! Will keep you all informed. I'll post some progress reports and photos, but don't hold your breath, there won't be much action for a while. First job, strip the motor and see what we have there...
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Graeme,youre making the right decision.Is there anything that your missus wants done around your home.I find that if the jobs get done it earns you big credits.I just built a pergola for mine,so Im looking to spring the old "I might like to ride more races on race day.I might need to look for another bike"some time in the new year!She'll be a good one when you finished!
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This was my "bargain" when I got her. Hence the embarrassment ;) Turns out forks from 125, front rim cracked, rear rim chipped to death, muffler incorrect and on and on it goes. Yours looks like a beauty in comparison.
I know what to look for these says, so I wouldn't get caught again. Lessons well learnt.
At the end of the day freight from down south is $700 so ......
Well that's how I justify it to myself ;D ;D ;D Still to see if electrics are OK.
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa49/tbarsby/compressed.jpg)
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Guys, just think of the pleasure your going to have when you are riding them. I know I had a blast on mine and there was power everywhere. 4th gear wheelstands.
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Yeah - Looking forward to that DJ. Motor back together this week-end.
The rate I do things Graeme you will be finished yours first ::)
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Graeme,
We've all been duded at one time or another. One of the first bikes I bought for Steve Sweeney (YZ400E) to do up for him turned out to be a real lemon and I test rode the thing. I wont tell you how much it cost but believe me it wasn't cheap. When I got it home and stripped it just about everything was stripped, broken or worn beyond repair. Virtually nothing was salvagable. Then a call out of the blue from Michael Hughes of Bendigo Dirt Bikes to say he had two for sale, one a goer and the other a rolling frame. I checked out the goer much more exactly this time and found it to be in good nick. A deal was struck for the pair, a good one for both parties and away I went back to the shed. Apart from someone welding a bashplate on it for Enduros it was in great nick and is the basis for a ground up resto I am doing for Steve. I also bought a bike for myself from a mate sight unseen and it turned out to be a waste of money not worth restoring but I dont blame my mate cause he hadn't looked at it either.
So I say stick with it and maybe some luck will come your way. From what I saw it's not that bad.
I managed to pick up one of these (YZ250G) complete but with a broken gearbox and missing the original cylinder and an H one in its place but original plastics in excellent condition for $150. I have since paid alot more for the said cylinder & box but my point is for every dud there is the deal.
Ferris wheels & merry go rounds. That's my motto.
Viva la YZ
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Short update. Good news today, finally had my engine guy strip the motor down. His findings? Like new inside, can't have done much work at all. There is some light rust on the flywheels but nothing serious. New bearings, seals and a rod kit and it's a goer! So that's made me a much happier camper.
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thats good greame i spose the fact that it is in a sorta bad way will make your resto very worth while because you have probably saved it from becoming a parts bike thats good news that the motor is in great nick thats always a good start good luck thanks Michael. :)
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Hi Graeme,
If you had seen my YZ when i bought it you would of burst out laughing just as my wife and kids did.
http://ozvmx.com/community/index.php?topic=2804.msg26258#msg26258
Theyre not laughing now....stick with it
If it was a 81 H i would take it off your hands in a heartbeat
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Thanks. Yes, she's a bit of a roughie but of course with time and money it can be brought back to worthy condition.
Nice YZ, Ted!
BTW I've got a set of YZ250H forks here in passable nick - some surface rust up around the clamp area but good sliding surfaces. I had them sent from a guy down the south coast - we weren't clear enough and he thought I meant an H and I thought he meant a G. I was just going to send them back to him, but if anyone's interested... He wants $150 for them. Happy to take a few pics if anyone wants to see them.
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looks decent to me, little blasting, splash of frame paint, easy engine rebuild and you are in clover.
Like most of them the more you have to give up to get them right the better it all feels.