Guy Cooper's Factory 91 RM250 sx bike resto

sgthubbard#60
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10/6/2014 10:51am Edited Date/Time 4/29/2015 12:07pm
Finally getting around to restoring Guy's 91 Factory RM250 SX bike that I bought from him last spring. Not really a restoration but more of a freshening up. Lots of cleaning, repainted the frame and engine covers, polishing corroded spokes and bolts, etc... Only part that needed serious attention was the pipe as Guy clearly never had any support from WD40. Lol. I don't have the time to do the detailed step by step photos that some of you guys do but here is where it's at as of now.




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sgthubbard#60
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10/6/2014 11:06am
Some before and afters of the pipe. Got a solid 20 hours of labor into cleaning it up by hand with various stages of sandpaper down to various stages of scotchbrite.




pete24
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10/6/2014 11:39am
as a long time suzuki rider i think its only rite that i break it in for you, ill get it back to u after a couple months and you should be good to go, let me know when your done busting your ass on it so i can beat the shit out of it for ya
sgthubbard#60
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10/6/2014 11:55am
pete24 wrote:
as a long time suzuki rider i think its only rite that i break it in for you, ill get it back to u after a...
as a long time suzuki rider i think its only rite that i break it in for you, ill get it back to u after a couple months and you should be good to go, let me know when your done busting your ass on it so i can beat the shit out of it for ya
Lol, I'm not sure even a Works Suzuki can handle a couple months of riding.
MXM
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10/6/2014 12:34pm Edited Date/Time 10/6/2014 12:35pm
I know it's a works pipe, but I would have throw that thing in the garbage! Holy cow nice job on that! Speaking of pipes, I have one off that 87 CR 125 if you want it, it's oem with rather large dent in it, but other than that is like new with way less rust than that thing. I will start a separate thread for that, don't want my photo's messing this one up.

The Shop

MaxPower
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10/6/2014 12:37pm
Guy Coopers SX bike? That frame must have as much metal fatigue as a 30 year old DC9
For real that is a cool bike to own
chuckdavies
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10/6/2014 12:50pm
Awesome job on that pipe!! Be cool to see it done, keep the updates coming!
sgthubbard#60
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10/6/2014 2:02pm
Thanks guys. Yeah the pipe was pretty crusty but being that it's the real deal works suzuki pipe I felt I had no choice but to restore it. It's paper thin and wicked light. Was pretty nervous blowing the dents out of it being so thin and all. I re pooled all the welds with the TIG to get the proper width bluing again. Still has some pitting in it but from 2 feet away it looks new. Should get some more work done on her tonight.
Manbearpig
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10/6/2014 4:26pm
I gotta say... I will be glued to this thread man! Being a huge Cooper fan and die hard Suzuki guy..... even through the shit years..Smile Im stoked to see how the bike turns out for you. And amazing work so far..... slow clap.....
YZ302
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10/6/2014 5:52pm
Looking good Hubbard. How about I race it in the Can-Am Cup 2015? I need a ringer bike for next year.
MaxPower
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10/6/2014 6:09pm
I have a cone pipe for my bike I want to use sgthubbard. How can I get the fresh weld look?Actually what was the process? You got amazing results. On the pipe on my bike now I stripped the paint. Then sand blasted then a kinda aggressive scotch brite. I was happy with mine until I saw what's possible from your work
sgthubbard#60
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10/7/2014 4:50am
That pipe was so rusted that I submerged it in CLR for about 6 hours then hand sanded it starting with 220 working my way down to 1000 grit wet (WD40 not water). Once you get it to that point it is way too shiny so dull it back down to a natural steel look with scotchbrite. For that I started with the grey scotchbrite then finished it with red scotchbrite, again wet with WD40. Once it was as good as I felt I could get it I reblued all the welds with a TIG welder. To get the proper width heat signatures I dialed the welder in on pieces of sheet steel the same thickness as the pipe then repooled all the welds. I no joke have at least 20 hours of labor into that pipe. It was all worth it in the end as it would have been as wrong as two boys kissing to put anything but the orignal works Suzuki pipe on the bike.
sandman768
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10/7/2014 5:10am
nice job on that pipe! I had similar condition pipe on my 88 rm 250 restore, when they are done it makes the bike! a factory pipe Must be saved! looks like motor is done? anything trick inside motor? is that a carbon fiber silencer? more, more! I had kx"s in that time frame, loved the look of the rm"s but after owning/racing an 87 rm 250, I swore I would never buy another rm !
sgthubbard#60
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10/7/2014 5:40am
sandman768 wrote:
nice job on that pipe! I had similar condition pipe on my 88 rm 250 restore, when they are done it makes the bike! a factory...
nice job on that pipe! I had similar condition pipe on my 88 rm 250 restore, when they are done it makes the bike! a factory pipe Must be saved! looks like motor is done? anything trick inside motor? is that a carbon fiber silencer? more, more! I had kx"s in that time frame, loved the look of the rm"s but after owning/racing an 87 rm 250, I swore I would never buy another rm !
Thanks. Yeah engine is done, I just cleaned it up and replaced the gaskets and seals. The SX engines were very stock sadly. Some works parts but nothing that looks "Trick". I have his mechanic's spec sheet for the 91 New Jersey SX round and it lists what everything is, pretty cool. The piston, reeds, intake and ignition are all listed as works. Everything else in the engine is listed as stock. Yes the silencer is carbon fiber and weighs about 8 ounces, super thin carbon fiber with a sheet aluminum endcap. All the linkage bolts, swingarm bolt, chain adjuster bolts and sprocket bolts are titanium, rear hub is a huge sandcast magnesium unit, Works Showa shock and forks, triple trees are skeltonized to the max and super light. Chassis wise the bike is pretty trick. I will post up pics as I go along.
pete24
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10/7/2014 6:37am
extreemly cool carbon slinecer! i had a line on one once just recently, but i think the guy forgot about me
sgthubbard#60
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10/7/2014 6:40am
pete24 wrote:
extreemly cool carbon slinecer! i had a line on one once just recently, but i think the guy forgot about me
Lol, your unforgetable Pete! Still working on it for you, I promise.
pete24
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10/7/2014 7:10am
your work on that pipe is admarable but this is what 20 hrs of searching ebay europe gets you a brand new works pipe, it had some surface rust when i got it so i cleaned it up and im going for the "race ready" look on the 95 lusk replica, ok ill stop hijacking your thread,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,as soon as u cough up my god dam silencer



sgthubbard#60
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10/7/2014 7:16am
Lol, looks good Pete, will look even better when I finally come through with that silencer for you.
Kidkawie
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10/7/2014 9:01am
Subscribed!

Nice job so far! For the welds on the pipe you just trace them with an oxy/acetelene torch. No need to actually weld it. If you mess up with the torch you can sand it off and trace again.
Kidkawie
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10/7/2014 9:04am Edited Date/Time 10/7/2014 9:05am
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sgthubbard#60
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10/7/2014 9:14am
Kidkawie wrote:
Subscribed! Nice job so far! For the welds on the pipe you just trace them with an oxy/acetelene torch. No need to actually weld it. If...
Subscribed!

Nice job so far! For the welds on the pipe you just trace them with an oxy/acetelene torch. No need to actually weld it. If you mess up with the torch you can sand it off and trace again.
Thanks. Normally when I restore a pipe that is what I do but with this one being so rusted I had to sand it enough that some of welds were flattened. I just ran the TIG over the welds enough to puddle them back to normal. Prob overkill but hey, it is a works bike so no corner cutting. Lol.
Tdub13
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10/7/2014 9:38am
Wow, nice work Hubb! I thought the only yellow bike you'd own is that MR50 or maybe a Fox XR75! Smile

I hope you ran some Ar / Co2 mix inside the pipe while tracing the welds...
ReedyMX
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10/7/2014 1:16pm
I am watching this with great interest. I also have 1991 RM 250 that I am restoring.
When I was younger I had a 91 Rm80 and a 91 Rm125 so I thought a 91rm250 would be fitting
Do you have any pics of what the bike looked like when you bought it?
Also can you tell me how you painted the frame and what colour did you use?
sgthubbard#60
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10/7/2014 1:34pm
ReedyMX wrote:
I am watching this with great interest. I also have 1991 RM 250 that I am restoring. When I was younger I had a 91 Rm80...
I am watching this with great interest. I also have 1991 RM 250 that I am restoring.
When I was younger I had a 91 Rm80 and a 91 Rm125 so I thought a 91rm250 would be fitting
Do you have any pics of what the bike looked like when you bought it?
Also can you tell me how you painted the frame and what colour did you use?
I had a few pics on my old school flip phone which I smashed so I lost those, might have some close ups of a few things on my new phone though. I'll check. Coop had torn it apart and painted the frame white back in 92-93 then put it back together and shoved it in a corner. Lol. I'm doing my best to bring it back to its former glory. As for the paint, I had a friend mix me up some glasirut (sp?) single stage that he matched to a fender. Sprayed it myself and it came out pretty good. I guess back then his mechanic would just hang a frame from a tree and rattle bomb it with PJ1 frame paint. Lol
notme
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10/7/2014 4:28pm Edited Date/Time 10/7/2014 4:28pm
Yet another kudos to your pipe resto work! I picked up an unused and slightly rusty works Bills pipe and now Im inspired to get it minty again.
Will be following this thread.
MaxPower
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10/7/2014 8:20pm
For those results I don't feel 20 hours is a lot of time. For me the welds make it. It would still look good without it but it would look like a production PC pipe rather the hand built factory part it is.


Guy was always a favorite because of his determination and humility back in the day. Now I like him because he still races and you can see the passion he has for moto. If anyone had ever seen him ride his Bultaco at Unadilla they would see the natural talent he has on a bike
EL Sammo
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10/11/2014 9:16am
Awesome job, that pipe is fantastic!
sgthubbard#60
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10/13/2014 6:34am
Thanks for the compliments guys. Sorry I haven't posted more updates yet, been busy keeping other bikes going for my vintage cross country series. Broke some ribs yesterday at a modern cross country so I'll have nothing but time to work on the RM again now. Find the good in everything right? Lol.
Moto Mofo
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10/13/2014 7:07am
Great thread, looking forward to more updates.

What do you figure that Carbon silencer is worth these days? I know where one is...

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