1980 Yamaha YZ250G Challenge

[Graeme M]

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...

[Nathan S]

Dibbs on the gearbox!

Wanna buy sometihng with real class? Like a 79 PE175?

[Graeme M]

Hey, I've seen that PE remember!

[Nathan S]

Touche! 

I was hoping that you'd be blinded by your apparent soft spot for yellow. Or has that phase passed?

[Graeme M]

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?

[E74]

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!

[Graeme M]

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.

[mboddy]

It looks good to me. What more could you want?
Stick with it. It will be a great Evo 250.

[Gerard De Ruyter (Twistandshout)]

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!!!

[Paddles]

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.

[Graeme M]

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?

[firko]

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!

[E74]

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.

[Graeme M]

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.

[Rossvickicampbell]

Grum - its certainly in better nick than the CR I bought - I would love to see progress on it and the final result?

Rossco