wanted: 84 rm complete front end

sandman768
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3/29/2015 7:08am Edited Date/Time 4/2/2015 6:19am
as title states, paypal or cash if close enough for pickup. Upstate NY. need complete triples,forks,wheel, brakes axles ect. can be 125 or 250, thanks
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barkhard696
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3/29/2015 8:19am Edited Date/Time 3/29/2015 8:21am
Join FullFloater.com on FB. Also keep on eye on Mark's Vintage Site: http://www.vintagemx.us/cgi-bin/swapmeet.cgi

Don't know if you're set on using the '84 front end, but with a set of '82 RM500 or 83 RM250/500 clamps, the entire front end from an '82/83 Honda CR480 or '83 CR250 bolts right up. INFINITELY easier to find these plus the brake (particularly if you score the 480 front end) is worlds better than the pee-wee '84 RM DLS.

I had to search for almost a year to find my '84 RM125 front end to put on my '81 RM125 and the brake wasn't any better than the stock brake on my '81. I did get 43mm forks but that was about it.
BigAl
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3/29/2015 8:58am
I ended up buying a complete 84 125 for a few hundred bucks just to get the front end. I rebuilt the forks and put in heavier race tech springs and emulators for use on a 79 RM250. I'll probably use the rear wheel and the brake pedal tip, sell the rest.
sandman768
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3/29/2015 9:43am
Join FullFloater.com on FB. Also keep on eye on Mark's Vintage Site: http://www.vintagemx.us/cgi-bin/swapmeet.cgi Don't know if you're set on using the '84 front end, but with...
Join FullFloater.com on FB. Also keep on eye on Mark's Vintage Site: http://www.vintagemx.us/cgi-bin/swapmeet.cgi

Don't know if you're set on using the '84 front end, but with a set of '82 RM500 or 83 RM250/500 clamps, the entire front end from an '82/83 Honda CR480 or '83 CR250 bolts right up. INFINITELY easier to find these plus the brake (particularly if you score the 480 front end) is worlds better than the pee-wee '84 RM DLS.

I had to search for almost a year to find my '84 RM125 front end to put on my '81 RM125 and the brake wasn't any better than the stock brake on my '81. I did get 43mm forks but that was about it.
I have been looking for a Little while on those sites. I do see the 84's pop up every now & then. I wanted to keep parts all suzuki but not a big deal if I use honda front ends. I just happen to have an 82 cr 480, was picked up by my brother a few yrs ago as he thought I would be into it, for some reason I just never wanted to restore it, kind of rough as it sat outside at some point, but all there & runs. I tried to sell it last year, few guys interested but no one came to see it. I start looking at the forks.....measured them, 43"s, But no dls brakes, I thought 82 cr"s came with DLS brakes, then I see a suzuki sticker on the back of fork leg! Someone already took front end off this honda & replaced with what I"m guessing is a rm 465 front end as it does not have the DLS brakes, this is same setup I have on my 79 rm 250, really donot want to dismantle the honda, but looks like I have everything I need but triples, still would not have the DLS though...wonder if 84 rm 125 trpiples will work with these forks, long as they are 43 mm should work? .







notme
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3/29/2015 10:17am
The hub should have been a giveaway, the only brand that had that machined edge to the hubs.
The last photo, is that a crack in the rim?
Would be a bit of a shame to dismantle the 480. it looks pretty decent.

The Shop

barkhard696
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3/29/2015 11:42am Edited Date/Time 3/29/2015 11:48am
>wonder if 84 rm 125 trpiples will work with these forks, long as they are 43 mm should work? .

The place to ask would be FullFloater.com. IIRC we bolted up the entire '84 front end (including clamps) to my '81. I don't know if the '84 triples would work with the '82 RM465 front end you've got on the CR480.

Yes, I agree with NotMe, someone already swiped the front off the CR480, probably to get the DLS brakes. I wouldn't dismantle it either, the '82 and especially, '83 are highly prized post-vintage Open bikes. Heck sell it as a project to someone and use the funds to more than finance whatever you end up doing with your RM. You should be able to sell it easily on Mark's Vintage Swapmeet.

I still have my '82 RM250. I have the '83 43mm RM250 triples and have an entire '83 YZ490 front that I will be putting on (1983 was the last year before Yamaha went to the Z-spoke disaster). I'm pretty sure I'll have to mod the front axle or have one made, but I got the entire thing for $200 -- WAY less than the '84 RM front ends go for.
MaxPower
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3/29/2015 12:28pm
Im over dls front brakes. They look trick. Work good when they are set up right. But ive never seen but one or two set up right. 95% of the bikes that run them feel like the front brake cable is connected to a bag of marshmallows. Id rather a Honda 125 front brake and make the effort to keep it fresh
sandman768
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3/29/2015 1:50pm
notme wrote:
The hub should have been a giveaway, the only brand that had that machined edge to the hubs. The last photo, is that a crack in...
The hub should have been a giveaway, the only brand that had that machined edge to the hubs.
The last photo, is that a crack in the rim?
Would be a bit of a shame to dismantle the 480. it looks pretty decent.
I never looked close enough at the hub to realize its a suzook hub! rim is not cracked just a nice dig from a tire change. I dont need another immobile bike in my heard! Thought about parting the cr out but, I would rather see it rebuilt.

sandman768
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3/29/2015 1:55pm
>wonder if 84 rm 125 trpiples will work with these forks, long as they are 43 mm should work? . The place to ask would be...
>wonder if 84 rm 125 trpiples will work with these forks, long as they are 43 mm should work? .

The place to ask would be FullFloater.com. IIRC we bolted up the entire '84 front end (including clamps) to my '81. I don't know if the '84 triples would work with the '82 RM465 front end you've got on the CR480.

Yes, I agree with NotMe, someone already swiped the front off the CR480, probably to get the DLS brakes. I wouldn't dismantle it either, the '82 and especially, '83 are highly prized post-vintage Open bikes. Heck sell it as a project to someone and use the funds to more than finance whatever you end up doing with your RM. You should be able to sell it easily on Mark's Vintage Swapmeet.

I still have my '82 RM250. I have the '83 43mm RM250 triples and have an entire '83 YZ490 front that I will be putting on (1983 was the last year before Yamaha went to the Z-spoke disaster). I'm pretty sure I'll have to mod the front axle or have one made, but I got the entire thing for $200 -- WAY less than the '84 RM front ends go for.
just looked at some 125 clamps, I"m sure they would work but not rubber mounted, something tells me the 82 needs all the rubber mounting it can get! I may pick up a set of 83-84 250 clamps & look for a honda fork & wheel setup as you have suggested.
sandman768
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3/29/2015 2:02pm
MaxPower wrote:
Im over dls front brakes. They look trick. Work good when they are set up right. But ive never seen but one or two set up...
Im over dls front brakes. They look trick. Work good when they are set up right. But ive never seen but one or two set up right. 95% of the bikes that run them feel like the front brake cable is connected to a bag of marshmallows. Id rather a Honda 125 front brake and make the effort to keep it fresh
all the drum brakes feel weak coming off my modern oversized disc bikes, I just figured the DLS off the 84 would be the best upgrade I could make, for the amount I end up riding these old bikes I could just as well live happily ever after with the rebuilt stockers. I"m not going to lose any sleep if I cant find the 84 front end for a reasonable price
barkhard696
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3/29/2015 2:41pm
The DLS is basically the winner of the world's tallest dwarf prize. We're talking drum brakes, they all are pretty puny. DLS can be less puny but on the '84, Suzuki shrunk the hub figuring the DLS would compensate for the reduction in swept area. Bad compromise. Go with the Showa front off a 480 and live happily ever after. Should be cheaper, too.
sandman768
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3/31/2015 8:18am
The DLS is basically the winner of the world's tallest dwarf prize. We're talking drum brakes, they all are pretty puny. DLS can be less puny...
The DLS is basically the winner of the world's tallest dwarf prize. We're talking drum brakes, they all are pretty puny. DLS can be less puny but on the '84, Suzuki shrunk the hub figuring the DLS would compensate for the reduction in swept area. Bad compromise. Go with the Showa front off a 480 and live happily ever after. Should be cheaper, too.
looks like going to be just as hard to find honda fork/wheel/brake set as well. not seeing much on all the usual sites. Just ebayed some 84 triples, I will use the 81 465 43"s I have on the honda for now. does anyone know if there is a difference between 81 rm 465 43"s vs 84, 250 43"s? need to buy a fork rebuild kit & not much popping up for the 1981 465 forks, but the 84 fork kit is avail.. from allballs
barkhard696
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4/1/2015 6:28am Edited Date/Time 4/1/2015 4:38pm
That may just be the first year AllBalls tried them on. These forks are all basically the same internally. KYB forks for Yamahas, Suzukis and Kawies are essentially the same during the pre-cartridge years; Showas for Hondas are essentially the same during this time frame. In other words, KYB stuff should largely interchange with other KYB; Showa stuff should largely interchange with different year CRs.

Yamaha was an early adopter for 43m forks, they started running them in '82 on the 250/490 which IIRC was before anyone else, at least on 250s. Yamaha's DLS brakes are also pretty ubiquitous, they must have run them for several years before anyone.

All this means Yamaha front ends in general are cheaper and easier to find. They even angled the Shraeder valve so you can get easier access to bleed the forks, a pretty sweet detail. I scored a complete '83 490 front end for $200 on Mark's Vintage Swapmeet about 6 months back.

The only issue is axle length. It's easy enough to have one made, or the existing Yamaha axle modded to work with the 43mm RM clamps. For me it was a good trade -- I looked at Showa front ends and was disappointed in the prices as you also have found.
sandman768
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4/1/2015 1:39pm
That may just be the first year AllBalls tried them on. These forks are all basically the same internally. KYB forks for Yamahas, Suzukis and Kawies...
That may just be the first year AllBalls tried them on. These forks are all basically the same internally. KYB forks for Yamahas, Suzukis and Kawies are essentially the same during the pre-cartridge years; Showas for Hondas are essentially the same during this time frame. In other words, KYB stuff should largely interchange with other KYB; Showa stuff should largely interchange with different year CRs.

Yamaha was an early adopter for 43m forks, they started running them in '82 on the 250/490 which IIRC was before anyone else, at least on 250s. Yamaha's DLS brakes are also pretty ubiquitous, they must have run them for several years before anyone.

All this means Yamaha front ends in general are cheaper and easier to find. They even angled the Shraeder valve so you can get easier access to bleed the forks, a pretty sweet detail. I scored a complete '83 490 front end for $200 on Mark's Vintage Swapmeet about 6 months back.

The only issue is axle length. It's easy enough to have one made, or the existing Yamaha axle modded to work with the 43mm RM clamps. For me it was a good trade -- I looked at Showa front ends and was disappointed in the prices as you also have found.
thanks Barkhard, my 82 front wheel is pretty clean, so I may end up going with the 81 465 forks, which have the brake lug setup for the 82 wheel. at least I will have the 43 mm forks on the bike. I will keep searching for the DLS front end wheel assy while I rebuild engine & rear shock. I"m amazed I was able to get all oem parts for the bottom end, even a new rod, pin, bearing & washers! had to order a water pump drive gear as the shaft is heavily pitted & grooved from having leaky seals for a long time. eta from Suzuki is 4-22, agree on yamaha forks, I had no problem locating a set for my 79 yz 400, if memory serves me correctly, yamaha does not have the brake lug location issues that Suzuki forks do, as my yz already had DLS brake setup wheel with 38 mm forks & the 43 mm forks fit the same wheel, axle & spacers
CamP
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4/1/2015 4:49pm
MaxPower wrote:
Im over dls front brakes. They look trick. Work good when they are set up right. But ive never seen but one or two set up...
Im over dls front brakes. They look trick. Work good when they are set up right. But ive never seen but one or two set up right. 95% of the bikes that run them feel like the front brake cable is connected to a bag of marshmallows. Id rather a Honda 125 front brake and make the effort to keep it fresh
I must have just gotten lucky, but the '84 RM front brake installed on my '82 is almost as good as a disc brake.
barkhard696
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4/1/2015 5:13pm Edited Date/Time 4/1/2015 5:14pm
You still racing the '82 RM, CamP? What happened with the bikes/cars you were selling (hint: I want to get an '07 CR250)?

I imagine that '82 looking like a mini with a 6'5" giant riding it around the track! You also used Emulators and had custom springs IIRC correctly. Did you get a JEMCO pipe?
450exc115
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4/1/2015 5:16pm
My 79 YZ 400 front brake is way better than the DLS on my 81 cr250 but I also have a DLS setup and 43mm forks for the yz but I'm scared to change it lol. With patients drum brakes can be made to work really well.

PM me what you think you want for the cr480 as I may be interested. We may be able to work something out as I also have a full 98 RM 250 front end if you wwanted to go to disk brakes and still keep the conconventional fork look. Smile
sandman768
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4/1/2015 7:38pm
450exc115 wrote:
My 79 YZ 400 front brake is way better than the DLS on my 81 cr250 but I also have a DLS setup and 43mm forks...
My 79 YZ 400 front brake is way better than the DLS on my 81 cr250 but I also have a DLS setup and 43mm forks for the yz but I'm scared to change it lol. With patients drum brakes can be made to work really well.

PM me what you think you want for the cr480 as I may be interested. We may be able to work something out as I also have a full 98 RM 250 front end if you wwanted to go to disk brakes and still keep the conconventional fork look. Smile
If I can locate an 84 rm front end the cr will stay complete & be sold, figure its worth 700$, it is a running bike, but needs the usual items on a bike that has not seen much love in the past 25 yrs. If I cannot locate the front end I want & everything else on the bike is done, I will take 43 mm forks off cr, use existing 82 rm wheel & brake assy & part out rest of cr. I"m sure there is some guy with an 84 rm basket case in his shed 2 towns away from me, thinking...I have to get rid of the junk in my shed!

CamP
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4/1/2015 9:01pm
You still racing the '82 RM, CamP? What happened with the bikes/cars you were selling (hint: I want to get an '07 CR250)? I imagine that...
You still racing the '82 RM, CamP? What happened with the bikes/cars you were selling (hint: I want to get an '07 CR250)?

I imagine that '82 looking like a mini with a 6'5" giant riding it around the track! You also used Emulators and had custom springs IIRC correctly. Did you get a JEMCO pipe?
I raced the RM 4-5 times last year. I did install Emulators and Race Tech .46kg springs in the forks, and a custom wound 5.2kg spring in the back. I'm running the stock pipe, which is still in excellent shape. I really love that bike.

I haven't sold anything lately but the NOS CR tank to Jim. I still could stand to liquidate some stuff and free up some space. I might sell the 07 at some point. I've made my 05 CR the main rider, and was planning to restore the 07 to showroom stock, which will be a pretty easy job.

450exc115
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4/2/2015 4:08am
Thanks for the ball park price and I hope you do score the cheap barn find to finish your project. If you don't keep me in mind as I will be up your way for a vintage race in mid May.
barkhard696
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4/2/2015 6:19am Edited Date/Time 4/2/2015 6:25am
>I raced the RM 4-5 times last year.

Glad to hear you're still enjoying it! I will never sell mine, but I did sell the Simons UDX-60s recently.

> I might sell the 07 at some point.

I'd most definitely be interested -- I'll send you my contact info via FB; if anything changes we be in touch. I REALLY want to get an '07.

(Apologies for the thred hijack guys!)

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