What is this??? Worth buying to restore?

mwarren
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mwarren
Edited Date/Time 7/1/2015 2:48am

Saw this bike on Craigslist and not sure what it is. It is fairly cheap. Would it be a decent bike to buy and restore if the price is right???



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project racer 6/27/2015 8:05pm
6/27/2015 8:05pm Edited Date/Time 6/27/2015 8:12pm
1982 Yamaha YZ250J. Not sure, but if the coolant runs through the steering stem like the '81 YZ125, that can lead to a rusted out steering tube on the frame.

Seals for that type of cooling system are rare and expensive for the 81 125. If the frame is not rotted, a by pass could be done to get away from the stem routed cooling setup.

That bike was only a busted front wheel away from the 250 National Championship in 1982.

Just took a look at the parts diagram. The coolant routes through the stem on that bike. Seals are tough to find.
BigAl
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BigAl 6/28/2015 6:25am
6/28/2015 6:25am
I think there are better choices out there for a restoration project
MaxPower
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MaxPower 6/28/2015 6:58am
6/28/2015 6:58am
Depends how bad you want it. If you don't have some kind of emotional tie to the 82 YZ250 you probably don't want one. It baffles me every time I think that Team Yamaha raced those bikes and nearly won the 1982 Championship on one. Unless you really want that bike. In the end it doesn't matter. Spending thousands to race 30+ year old dirt bikes with poor suspension and bad brakes doesn't make sense on any level. Except we like it
ATKpilot99
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ATKpilot99 6/28/2015 8:01am
6/28/2015 8:01am
Like Max Power said unless you have an emotional tie to it there are better options. For instance I bought a running 1980 KX 125 earlier this year and am in the process of going over it to get ready to ride/race. Almost no one else wants one of these turds but I raced one in the early 80s so I had to have it. If it's worth it to you then it is indeed worth it.

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mwarren
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mwarren 6/28/2015 11:05am
6/28/2015 11:05am
Thanks for the info. I saw it on Craigslist locally for $100 and wondered if it was worth checking out. It says that the motor is locked up. I'm sure that it isn't worth the effort but anytime I see something for $100 I have to at least take a second look. Thought about buying and parting but not sure there is much of a market for the parts...

Ideally, I'd like an 87 Rm. As a kid I had an 87 rm80. It was my favorite bike. Although I'm too big for an 80, an RM125 would still bring me back to that time period. I'll keep my eyes open.

Thanks for the feedback.

Mike
FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 6/28/2015 12:09pm
6/28/2015 12:09pm
Isn't that the bike Hannah walked away from Yamaha to get away from?
ATKpilot99
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ATKpilot99 6/28/2015 12:42pm
6/28/2015 12:42pm
FreshTopEnd wrote:
Isn't that the bike Hannah walked away from Yamaha to get away from?
Yes it is .
Paul333
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Paul333 6/30/2015 7:20pm
6/30/2015 7:20pm
Actually works Yamaha's OW250's in 1982 were air cooled.

Ricky Johnson rode an almost stock 1982 YZ250 and just missed being 250 National champ. Only a brroken wheel in the last moto of the season cost him the title.

Hannah hated the water cooled OW125, and moved to Honda for 1983.
barkhard696
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barkhard696 7/1/2015 2:48am
7/1/2015 2:48am
If you're looking at building one of these early LQ YZ125/250s, the guy to talk to is Rob Boucher, either here or on FB. He did extensive work on his '81 125 and knows every last aspect of making these bikes run affordably, incl. seals and other things. IIRC he claimed to have completely eliminated leaks on his '81 and had even gotten the weight down by quite a bit using different parts, back-dating and other tricks. He knows these bikes inside and out.

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