Guys who do major bike rebuilding

Try AC racing

You just have to keep your eyes open on eBay and Craigslist. (You can set alerts on both sites for stuff you are looking for.) It takes time. And usually some bending back in place, welding and powder coating will still be needed.

Also https://www.drjohnsmfs.com/ is a great frame straightening shop.

I usually just fix the original parts
http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Tech-Help-Race-Shop,42/One-hour-subframe-…

KC

EBay alerts

ebay and facebook groups. I can't stand facebook, but I reluctantly signed up to check out some groups specific to my build and found stuff ebay did not have.. Example a near mint KX500 air box and boot.

It’s amazing what you can do with a little elbow grease and a few hundred bucks.

It helps to know people like machinists and such for the bigger jobs you can’t do in the shop alone.

I’ve found some pretty cool shit for my 01 yz right here on this site in the bazar section

I'm almost done with my '89 CR125 and we've spent months scouring eBay and other international sources for certain parts we needed. Sometimes you have to buy a whole assembly of something just to get one specific part that you need. And, sometimes you buy something like a fuel tank on eBay and it shows up in worse condition than the tank you are looking to replace...it's quite the scavenger hunt.

Always be on the lookout for your bikes parts...eBay, Facebook, Craigslist etc. parts pop up & you have to take a chance sometimes...I have always been able to find what I was needing for a build, sometimes you have to buy something & put some effort into refurbishment...right now YZ/YZF for parts are plentiful....try finding a pipe for an 88 RM 250!

The power of networking on Facebook groups is a very, very powerful thing. Not sure if you do the facebook thing; but rest assured that there is an endless wealth of both domestic and international networking capabilities for literally any niche of moto that you're into.

Also, as others have mentioned, setting eBay alerts is critical, if you're serious about getting your hands on the rare stuff.

Through Facebook and eBay; I have both found and shipped rare & sought after parts to nearly every corner of the globe... and met some really, really cool international moto friends along the way!

"He who hesitates is lost" Good luck!!

If I found a NOS alloy clutch cover to replace the rotted magnesium one on a 1986 KTM 250MX, not once (same part number, wrong year and not enough clearance for water pump impeller - bought it on eBay in Indiana, sold it on Facebook to a dude in New Zealand), but twice (found the right one, on Facebook, from a dude in the UK who bought it years ago on a trip to the USA.. can't make this up!!) ....than so can you!!! PS: Ended up having too many irons in the fire and sold the bike as is, with the NOS alloy cover, at Mid Ohio Vintage Motorcycle Days this year

Post a WTB in the For Sale (Bazaar) section, it's worked for me a few times.

Hey Markee- what sort of groups do you look for? Do you just punch in "motorcycle group" for your area
and search around? I'm still new to using FB Marketplace.

Dont buy any older bikes from GDR Honda though....

Another thing you have to get good at with the old bikes is cross referencing parts -- most platforms last 3-4 years and major parts can be shared across all of those models. It helps a lot.

Your 01 250f is sort of an odd man out, because it is too old to be new, while vintage racing organizations in general are trying to avoid building programs for the "modern" four strokes (and for good reason). But I'm sure there are YZ 250F groups on Facebook where you can scrounge stuff!

You just have to be vigilant. I've been doing a resto mod with 2 much older bikes, and while the search at first was hard, I have found 90% of the parts I needed, albeit it's taken 18+ months. There are several good facebook groups, use ebay alerts, check the for sale page here with wanted ads, usually for major parts somewhere they pop up, but you have to be patient and have the $$$ to pull the trigger at the right time.

You guys just made me feel so much better about my 02 rm 125 project , that thing has now been sitting for to long due to a cylinder issue ( that I now have a plan for). I see these bike builds and am going HOW do they do it so fast.

In my recent restoration of my ‘87 CR TooFiddy, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that about 50% of the OEM Honda parts I needed, were still available at Motosport.com. The rest I found on EBay, vintage motocross vendor sites and thru Facebook pages devoted to Honda CR’s. (Resto- Mod)

Doc Wob in the UK gets some cool stuff.

I was surprised what I could get for my '82 RM125 build at Bike Bandit, like OEM sidepanels. I got a cylinder from Ebay- always a good source. Problem is, if you want to ride it, breaking an old OEM plastic fender can cost $100. Maier here in Grass Valley makes stuff but I hear it doesn't look as good as OEM.
I bend subframes with a 3 foot or so metal pipe- just clamp it in a vise, stick the end in the pipe and go for it. And I can't believe people are buying old frames- maybe what you are seeing is powdercoated frames?

Don't forget your local dealers, I needed a part for my 89 honda and my local dealer accessed a database to find it from a dealer in Kansas.

Just checked ebay 70 listings for subframes came up. 01-02 yz250f and 00-02 yz426 subframe all the same. If you looking for main frame 01 yz250f has smaller swingarm bolt than the 02 yz250f other wise same frame. 2 listings for main frames for 01yz250f good luck.

Dang that looks very nice Rup my 87 was one of my favorite bikes of all time along with the 87 Hurricane that was a good year for Honda.

I'm currently in the middle of a restoration of my 2001 CR500 Dual Sport that I got from my good buddy Don RIP....

Haven't had any problems getting parts so far but damn got screwed on some shipping from Babbitt online all I needed was some top end gaskets and set of rings and they charged me twenty bucks for 2-day delivery that I did not ask for they go by the price of the item.