89 YZ490 Rebuild

vmx3
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vmx3
Edited Date/Time 5/2/2016 6:40am
I picked up this '89 490, so I am going to strip it down and go through it and then I plan to race it in some Midwest VMX races this Summer. It's missing some parts and doesn't run but for the most but for the most part it is not too bad so hopefully it will be a handy enough recommission.





























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pete24
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pete24 3/22/2016 10:19am
3/22/2016 10:19am
i got a 87 490 and im doing a wr500 rite now if u need something let me know, i see the previous owner "deleted" the boost bottle and im sure you can pull the clutch in with one finger with those sweet prostyle levers
vmx3
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vmx3 3/22/2016 10:31am
3/22/2016 10:31am
pete24 wrote:
i got a 87 490 and im doing a wr500 rite now if u need something let me know, i see the previous owner "deleted" the...
i got a 87 490 and im doing a wr500 rite now if u need something let me know, i see the previous owner "deleted" the boost bottle and im sure you can pull the clutch in with one finger with those sweet prostyle levers
Thanks for the offer but I think I have what I need for the most part, I have a bunch of 490's and a WR500 so I have collected parts and pieces over the years. I dunno what it is about these things that I dig.









Aceofspades 3/22/2016 10:39am
3/22/2016 10:39am
I seriously think the wr500 was one of the best looking dirt bikes ever. I'd love to find a yz490 for a trail bike since it's air cooled.
Bigfoot
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Bigfoot 3/22/2016 11:53am
3/22/2016 11:53am
I know where a decent '86 is that's been sitting for at least ten years. The owner never got it to run well. I've thought of taking it off his hands a few times over the years but alway resisted. What's the secret to getting these beasts to not ping and fart?

The Shop

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pete24
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pete24 3/22/2016 12:07pm
3/22/2016 12:07pm
pete24 wrote:
i got a 87 490 and im doing a wr500 rite now if u need something let me know, i see the previous owner "deleted" the...
i got a 87 490 and im doing a wr500 rite now if u need something let me know, i see the previous owner "deleted" the boost bottle and im sure you can pull the clutch in with one finger with those sweet prostyle levers
vmx3 wrote:
Thanks for the offer but I think I have what I need for the most part, I have a bunch of 490's and a WR500 so...
Thanks for the offer but I think I have what I need for the most part, I have a bunch of 490's and a WR500 so I have collected parts and pieces over the years. I dunno what it is about these things that I dig.









you have any wr parts? i see you have some trick silencers, im looking for an ohlins, a pipe and silencer or any other cool stuff
vmx3
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vmx3 3/22/2016 12:15pm
3/22/2016 12:15pm
Aceofspades wrote:
I seriously think the wr500 was one of the best looking dirt bikes ever. I'd love to find a yz490 for a trail bike since it's...
I seriously think the wr500 was one of the best looking dirt bikes ever. I'd love to find a yz490 for a trail bike since it's air cooled.
I think so too, seeing Bradshaw in the mags on one when I was growing up did it for me

vmx3
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vmx3 3/22/2016 12:16pm
3/22/2016 12:16pm
Bigfoot wrote:
I know where a decent '86 is that's been sitting for at least ten years. The owner never got it to run well. I've thought of...
I know where a decent '86 is that's been sitting for at least ten years. The owner never got it to run well. I've thought of taking it off his hands a few times over the years but alway resisted. What's the secret to getting these beasts to not ping and fart?
Race gas helps a ton, a good pipe helps even more and if that doesn't stop you can remove the paint from the dome of the head or get the dome modified.
vmx3
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vmx3 3/22/2016 12:27pm
3/22/2016 12:27pm
pete24 wrote:
i got a 87 490 and im doing a wr500 rite now if u need something let me know, i see the previous owner "deleted" the...
i got a 87 490 and im doing a wr500 rite now if u need something let me know, i see the previous owner "deleted" the boost bottle and im sure you can pull the clutch in with one finger with those sweet prostyle levers
vmx3 wrote:
Thanks for the offer but I think I have what I need for the most part, I have a bunch of 490's and a WR500 so...
Thanks for the offer but I think I have what I need for the most part, I have a bunch of 490's and a WR500 so I have collected parts and pieces over the years. I dunno what it is about these things that I dig.









pete24 wrote:
you have any wr parts? i see you have some trick silencers, im looking for an ohlins, a pipe and silencer or any other cool stuff
I have some trick parts but I don't want to get rid of any as I have so many of these things, I have 2 more 83's, an '84 and another 86 and I'd like to get another WR at some point, so I need to keep everything I have, not to mention keeping on top of what I have in the pics and the other Farleigh team bikes. The pipes on those in the pics are all either Pro-Form or Pro Circuit except for the 87 as it came with an FMF and all the silencers are either Pro-Form or Pro Circuit. An Ohlins would be cool as hell, I have been looking for one of those forever, I do get Carbon fiber Air scoops made that are pretty trick and those I do sell. Yeah those pro style levers are quite funny looking i'm not sure how they work and won't find out as I'll junk those for Works Connection stuff and I'll be putting a YEIS bottle back on it just because if anything the bike looks really odd without it and in my opinion that is a huge part of a 490 looking like a 490.
pete24
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pete24 3/22/2016 1:10pm
3/22/2016 1:10pm
thanks, im kind of a parts hoarder myself when it comes to mid 90s RMs , and i have plenty of stock yz stuff
the wr will be the first vinage bike ive ridden in a while , and i dont want to run a disco pipe on it, so i was going to get a PC and have the nickle stripped but ill look into the pro form
do you know if the 490 and wr pipes and silencers are the same fitment?
Uncle Tony
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Uncle Tony 3/22/2016 4:29pm
3/22/2016 4:29pm
Ace I think there is a WR500 for sale in upstate New York on Craigslist, VMX3 where the hell do you find these 490's? They are scarce around here, good luck with your next build I'm sure it will be really nice
Aceofspades 3/22/2016 7:16pm
3/22/2016 7:16pm
vmx3 wrote:
I think so too, seeing Bradshaw in the mags on one when I was growing up did it for me[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/03/22/128912/s1200_DAMON_BRADSHAW_1992_YAMAHA_WR500Z_1991_US_500_GP_3.jpg[/img]
I think so too, seeing Bradshaw in the mags on one when I was growing up did it for me

If yamaha released this bike right now it would sell out, no question. The perfect bike for play/trail/desert riders/vets.
Aceofspades 3/22/2016 7:19pm
3/22/2016 7:19pm Edited Date/Time 3/22/2016 7:20pm
Uncle Tony wrote:
Ace I think there is a WR500 for sale in upstate New York on Craigslist, VMX3 where the hell do you find these 490's? They are...
Ace I think there is a WR500 for sale in upstate New York on Craigslist, VMX3 where the hell do you find these 490's? They are scarce around here, good luck with your next build I'm sure it will be really nice
I'm as broke as a hobo, tony. My wife is expecting a sizeable settlement for a car wreck someone else caused so she's promised me a new bike lol. If I can't find a yz490, I'm buying an RM250 or three lol.
vmx3
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vmx3 3/23/2016 5:37am
3/23/2016 5:37am Edited Date/Time 3/23/2016 5:39am
pete24 wrote:
thanks, im kind of a parts hoarder myself when it comes to mid 90s RMs , and i have plenty of stock yz stuff the wr...
thanks, im kind of a parts hoarder myself when it comes to mid 90s RMs , and i have plenty of stock yz stuff
the wr will be the first vinage bike ive ridden in a while , and i dont want to run a disco pipe on it, so i was going to get a PC and have the nickle stripped but ill look into the pro form
do you know if the 490 and wr pipes and silencers are the same fitment?
Hoarder is such a strong word lol, I just buy stuff that I think I'm going to need to keep these things running, everything I build or fix up I ride and race and on these old things when you race them they always need something. The problem is nowadays parts are as cheap or as easy to find as they were in 2004 when I started buying 490's.
The WR500 and '84 on 490 pipes and silencers are the same from FMF and PC, the Pro-Form pipe and silencer won't work on a WR as the top pipe mount is in a different place and the WR tank is a lot bigger so it gets in the way.
vmx3
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vmx3 3/23/2016 5:44am
3/23/2016 5:44am
Uncle Tony wrote:
Ace I think there is a WR500 for sale in upstate New York on Craigslist, VMX3 where the hell do you find these 490's? They are...
Ace I think there is a WR500 for sale in upstate New York on Craigslist, VMX3 where the hell do you find these 490's? They are scarce around here, good luck with your next build I'm sure it will be really nice
They seem to find me for the most part, I bought my first one in 2004 and back then it was pretty common to find one running for $300 or $400, now they are more but still the most I have ever paid for a 490 or a WR was $800 which is what I had to give for this '89 I just got, I was gutted handing that much over for one. There is still a bunch out there, the MXA articles on them killed the demand and the used prices compared to a CR500 or something like that, which worked out pretty well for me I guess and anyone else that digs 'em.
vmx3
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vmx3 3/23/2016 5:46am
3/23/2016 5:46am
Aceofspades wrote:
If yamaha released this bike right now it would sell out, no question. The perfect bike for play/trail/desert riders/vets.
I guess that was the idea with the WR500 when it came out, but I think it cost $100 more than a CR500 or was pretty close to the price of one back then which I would think hurt sales.
vmx3
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vmx3 3/23/2016 5:50am
3/23/2016 5:50am
I got busy and washed the thing up pretty good and stripped it down to a bare frame so that I can get the frame out to be powder coated.











mxracer106 3/24/2016 7:57am
3/24/2016 7:57am

Addict (noun) 1. an enthusiastic devotee of a specified thing or activity:

You my friend....are a YZ490 addict! Your bikes are amazing, and I am looking forward to seeing what you do to this project! Fix'em and rid'em!!
sands-cr250
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sands-cr250 3/24/2016 12:36pm
3/24/2016 12:36pm
490's kick ass! I was always to weak to ride one. I agree seeing Bradshaw as a kid did it for me. Can't wait to see this unfold!

Pit Row

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shue415
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shue415 3/24/2016 12:56pm
3/24/2016 12:56pm
vmx3 wrote:
Hoarder is such a strong word lol, I just buy stuff that I think I'm going to need to keep these things running, everything I build...
Hoarder is such a strong word lol, I just buy stuff that I think I'm going to need to keep these things running, everything I build or fix up I ride and race and on these old things when you race them they always need something. The problem is nowadays parts are as cheap or as easy to find as they were in 2004 when I started buying 490's.
The WR500 and '84 on 490 pipes and silencers are the same from FMF and PC, the Pro-Form pipe and silencer won't work on a WR as the top pipe mount is in a different place and the WR tank is a lot bigger so it gets in the way.
Hey vmx3
I was told by a couple guys that a YZ 490 pc pipe will not fit a WR 500
It will bolt on?Cool
Did you use a WR or YZ silencer?
I have a PC silencer now on my WR
Thanks
vmx3
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vmx3 3/25/2016 8:19am
3/25/2016 8:19am
mxracer106 wrote:
[b]Addic[/b]t (noun) 1. an enthusiastic devotee of a specified thing or activity: You my friend....are a YZ490 addict! Your bikes are amazing, and I am looking...

Addict (noun) 1. an enthusiastic devotee of a specified thing or activity:

You my friend....are a YZ490 addict! Your bikes are amazing, and I am looking forward to seeing what you do to this project! Fix'em and rid'em!!
I dunno about all that, the 490 thing just kind of happened basically I'm just a dude that loves motorbikes and I may be a bit partial to Yamaha's and Cagiva's and TM's.
vmx3
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vmx3 3/25/2016 8:28am
3/25/2016 8:28am
shue415 wrote:
Hey vmx3 I was told by a couple guys that a YZ 490 pc pipe will not fit a WR 500 It will bolt on?Cool Did...
Hey vmx3
I was told by a couple guys that a YZ 490 pc pipe will not fit a WR 500
It will bolt on?Cool
Did you use a WR or YZ silencer?
I have a PC silencer now on my WR
Thanks
As far as I remember the pipe that is on my WR is off a 490, I had a couple and just put it on when I redid the bike.
vmx3
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vmx3 3/25/2016 8:37am
3/25/2016 8:37am
Yesterday evening, seeing as how the frame is at the powder coaters I cleaned up some of the bigger parts and went through the wheels and mounted up some new Bridgestone Tires & tubes, I also mounted a new EBC front rotor and rear Renthal Sprocket so things are getting done a little bit here and a little there so hopefully I will have this thing done by the Indy SX and if it is I will be putting it in the legends and heroes display. I am quite stoked though as it was surprising how well maintained the bike actually is, everything came apart really easy and all the grease looked pretty clean so whoever had it before me looked after it but I never would have guessed that from how it looked when I picked it up.






Chap58
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Chap58 3/27/2016 7:02am
3/27/2016 7:02am
Hi,
I picked up a 1983 YZ 490 last fall and have been working on it over the winter. I still have a long ways to go with it. Since you seem to have a lot of knowledge about the 490's, do you know of a source for a decent clutch basket? My bike had what appears to be a brand new piston in it, but unfortunately the last owner parked it about 8 years ago and the moisture got to the sleeve pretty bad and it is on it's last OS. The top end is on it's last OS, so I need to find a replacement as well. any sources/leads for parts and services would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Chap
vmx3
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vmx3 3/28/2016 5:46am
3/28/2016 5:46am
pete24 wrote:
thanks, im kind of a parts hoarder myself when it comes to mid 90s RMs , and i have plenty of stock yz stuff the wr...
thanks, im kind of a parts hoarder myself when it comes to mid 90s RMs , and i have plenty of stock yz stuff
the wr will be the first vinage bike ive ridden in a while , and i dont want to run a disco pipe on it, so i was going to get a PC and have the nickle stripped but ill look into the pro form
do you know if the 490 and wr pipes and silencers are the same fitment?
I worked on bikes over the weekend and I took the pipe off mt WR and tried to put it on a 490, the pipe will fit although the spring mounts seem to be further out but the silencer mounts differently so it will not line up with the mounting holes so shue415 is correct the pipes will not interchange.
pete24
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pete24 3/28/2016 6:11am
3/28/2016 6:11am Edited Date/Time 3/28/2016 6:11am
ok then i need a wr500 pipe and silencer
vmx3
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vmx3 3/28/2016 7:25am
3/28/2016 7:25am
Chap58 wrote:
Hi, I picked up a 1983 YZ 490 last fall and have been working on it over the winter. I still have a long ways to...
Hi,
I picked up a 1983 YZ 490 last fall and have been working on it over the winter. I still have a long ways to go with it. Since you seem to have a lot of knowledge about the 490's, do you know of a source for a decent clutch basket? My bike had what appears to be a brand new piston in it, but unfortunately the last owner parked it about 8 years ago and the moisture got to the sleeve pretty bad and it is on it's last OS. The top end is on it's last OS, so I need to find a replacement as well. any sources/leads for parts and services would be much appreciated.

Thanks, Chap
On the clutch basket Ebay is about the best bet. On the Cylinder, will a hone clean up the rust, if it's just surface rust it might, if not you could get the cylinder nikasiled and that way you can just keep putting the same size pistons in it when you do top ends.
sands-cr250
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sands-cr250 3/28/2016 11:32am
3/28/2016 11:32am
Uncle Tony wrote:
Ace I think there is a WR500 for sale in upstate New York on Craigslist, VMX3 where the hell do you find these 490's? They are...
Ace I think there is a WR500 for sale in upstate New York on Craigslist, VMX3 where the hell do you find these 490's? They are scarce around here, good luck with your next build I'm sure it will be really nice
https://stlouis.craigslist.org/mcy/5510032768.html

Nice one in the St Louis area.
sjsingle1
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sjsingle1 3/29/2016 11:19pm
3/29/2016 11:19pm
the PC pipe I have for my 86 490 does NOT fit my 92 wr500.......the stinger is at a different angle and will not work.....my .02
vmx3
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vmx3 3/30/2016 9:58am
3/30/2016 9:58am
sjsingle1 wrote:
the PC pipe I have for my 86 490 does NOT fit my 92 wr500.......the stinger is at a different angle and will not work.....my .02
I did it the other way around, I tried to put a WR pipe on a 490, I got the pipe on and we will just leave it at that haha
Tdub13
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Tdub13 3/30/2016 11:09am
3/30/2016 11:09am
I just sold my '87 after a few years of non serious racing and riding. I'm faster on my 125, but I'm starting to miss that beast.
FWIW: I ran 92 pump gas and Spectro at 40:1. Never pinged after performing the "Yahoo YZ490 Group" carb mods.

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