yz250 year OLD SCHOOL

yamaha 4 life
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yamaha 4 life
Edited Date/Time 1/8/2013 7:40pm
I recently picked up what i think is a mid to early 80's yz250 does any know how to tell the year of a bike by vin or something on the bike? tryed looking up vin with no luck. bought it as a basket case will be posting pics in next couple of days!!!!!!!!!! to show what happens when a needle bearing gets lodged between a piston and cylinder. thanks for any answers to my post
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MaxPower
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MaxPower 1/1/2013 12:33pm
1/1/2013 12:33pm
Post a pic of the side number plate.
If someone is hanging in this Old School forum, they know just what a cylinder looks like when it's lubricated with needle bearings
bronc3
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bronc3 1/1/2013 4:51pm
1/1/2013 4:51pm
Check the 10th digit of the VIN# :



1980 = A 1981 = B 1982 = C 1983 = D 1984 = E 1985 = F

1986 = G 1987 = H 1988 = J 1989 = K 1990 = L 1991 = M

1992 = N 1993 = P 1994 = R 1995 = S 1996 = T 1997 = V

1998 = W 1999 = X 2000 = Y 2001 = 1 2002 = 2 2003 = 3

2004 = 4 2005 = 5 2006 = 6 2007 = 7 2008 = 8 2009 = 9
Wandell
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Wandell 1/1/2013 5:35pm
1/1/2013 5:35pm
What color is it? Is it air cooled or liquid cooled? Does the rear suspension have a linkage?
project racer
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project racer 1/1/2013 5:46pm
1/1/2013 5:46pm Edited Date/Time 1/1/2013 5:47pm
Look for the 3 digit prefix code on the frame and cases. The first three numbers of the serial number, before the hyphen , will identify what you have.

80 YZ250 will be 3R4.
81 - 4V3
82 - 5X5
83 - 24Y
84 - 39X
85 - 56A
86 - 1LU
87 - 2HH
88 - 2VM
89 - 3JE

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yamaha 4 life
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yamaha 4 life 1/2/2013 1:14pm
1/2/2013 1:14pm
thank you. it is a 82 .
project racer
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project racer 1/2/2013 1:55pm
1/2/2013 1:55pm
yamaha 4 life wrote:
thank you. it is a 82 .
Ugh. Check the frame in the steering head area before spending any money on it. The 82 model had the coolant routed through the steering stem / head, and are very prone to rusting or rotting in this area of the frame.
yamaha 4 life
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yamaha 4 life 1/2/2013 2:32pm
1/2/2013 2:32pm
yes i noticed that when looking at it before i bought it. wire wheeled the entire frame no rust or cracks in the frame. i ride nothing but yamaha and i think that was the stupidest idea they had
MaxPower
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MaxPower 1/3/2013 6:39pm
1/3/2013 6:39pm
That year wasn't known as one of the 250s best year but Rick Johnson nearly won the Championship in 82 against the Donny Hansen on a trick works Honda with a YZ that was so close to stock it was scary
yamaha 4 life
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yamaha 4 life 1/4/2013 2:28am
1/4/2013 2:28am
from what I can tell they had a good motor just bad ideas on the early models. you noticed it was quickly changed to what we know now
qtrracer
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qtrracer 1/8/2013 4:04pm
1/8/2013 4:04pm
82 YZ's were one of the poorest performing 250's. The YPVS made the motor soggy on the bottom then a wheel spinner. The dog bone rear suspension felt like the tire was flat. Sorry but almost any other 250 made that year was a big step up.
Wandell
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Wandell 1/8/2013 7:14pm
1/8/2013 7:14pm
I agree. The 1982 YZ250j wasn't one of Yamaha's best efforts. But it does have some historical interest in that it was Yamaha's first watercooled 250, their first linkage rear suspension and the first powervalve.
qtrracer
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qtrracer 1/8/2013 7:40pm
1/8/2013 7:40pm
Wandell wrote:
I agree. The 1982 YZ250j wasn't one of Yamaha's best efforts. But it does have some historical interest in that it was Yamaha's first watercooled 250...
I agree. The 1982 YZ250j wasn't one of Yamaha's best efforts. But it does have some historical interest in that it was Yamaha's first watercooled 250, their first linkage rear suspension and the first powervalve.
Yes, is does have some historical value to a Yamaha aficionado but it was a sad race machine.

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