Posts
334
Joined
1/27/2011
Location
Oakley, CA
US
Edited Date/Time
5/12/2016 5:53am
Well the title may be a little deceiving.
So I used to have a 1987 Yamaha YZ250 back in 1991 that I had Eric Gorr Big Bore and Port for me. I have posted about the bike many times on Motocross Sites throughout the internet. Something about a YZ250 Big Bore motor was just magic to me, and this is before Ohlins starting mass producing a Kitted Cylinder and distributing it through Noleen.
So long story even longer (anyone still reading?), my buddy being tired of me always talking about my Yamaha YZ250 done by Eric Gorr, decided to call my bluff. I get a call saying "I found a 1990 Yamaha YZ360 Ohlins Kitted bike and I will buy it for you just to see if you are as good on it as you say?". Well I never once said "I" was good on a Big Bore YZ250, I just said the Motor was magic. I actually did the worst I have ever done racing the 1987 Yamaha YZ250 Big Bore. The Motor was magic but I was a normal 125cc Intermediate at the time and I rode that bike (and my buddies 1991 KX500) like they were 125's and I actually was knocked out racing the Yamaha (and broke my arm on my buddies KX500).
All that said I text the guy for about 3 weeks. Missed being able to go get it once. All the time wondering what is wrong with it that has the bike sitting there WITH PINK SLIP and CURRENT GREEN STICKER at $200?
Well I finally get to meet up with this kid, and you couldn't tell for the pictures but he had painted everything Black (Forks, Swing Arm, Cases, Everything!), and not just rattle canned it, the kid works for a BMW shop and so he used a 3 part expensive BMW paint (so this stuff is on there), the bike had seized the Ohlins 360 Cylinder and he had put on a Noleen Cylinder and Head, that is a 295. I had never known of Noleen to cast their very own Cylinders and Heads, but it is cast, not ground or etched in but cast into the Parts. It has a Ohlins Shock, Noleen Pipe (painted black), FMF Spark Arrester (painted black), Winner Racing Aluminum Radiators, New Seat.
I knew the old Ohlins cylinder alone was worth $1,000 so I offered the kid $180, he signed over the Pink Slip and I loaded it up. When I get it loaded in the back of the Truck the kid says "I kinda feel bad because I really only wanted $150 for it".
The kid was very nice and may even come on here and read this. He has a 1981 Yamaha YZ250 also and was searching around for Vintage and Post Vintage sites to join. I sure do wish he wouldn't of painted everything black. Funniest part about it was he couldn't understand why older guys would come and say "it is too much work just to get the paint off this thing". He said very proudly "man I painted this thing up nice. The paint I used is some of the most expensive automotive paint you can purchase. I used a real gun and booth, it looks sweet. Why would you strip the paint off?". Oh to be young. I enjoyed chatting with him.
I will post up pics most likely tomorrow. Question. I absolutely hate Red 1990 Yamaha YZ fork uppers (kinda glad that he painted those), so is there any product out there that strips off Anodising?
So I used to have a 1987 Yamaha YZ250 back in 1991 that I had Eric Gorr Big Bore and Port for me. I have posted about the bike many times on Motocross Sites throughout the internet. Something about a YZ250 Big Bore motor was just magic to me, and this is before Ohlins starting mass producing a Kitted Cylinder and distributing it through Noleen.
So long story even longer (anyone still reading?), my buddy being tired of me always talking about my Yamaha YZ250 done by Eric Gorr, decided to call my bluff. I get a call saying "I found a 1990 Yamaha YZ360 Ohlins Kitted bike and I will buy it for you just to see if you are as good on it as you say?". Well I never once said "I" was good on a Big Bore YZ250, I just said the Motor was magic. I actually did the worst I have ever done racing the 1987 Yamaha YZ250 Big Bore. The Motor was magic but I was a normal 125cc Intermediate at the time and I rode that bike (and my buddies 1991 KX500) like they were 125's and I actually was knocked out racing the Yamaha (and broke my arm on my buddies KX500).
All that said I text the guy for about 3 weeks. Missed being able to go get it once. All the time wondering what is wrong with it that has the bike sitting there WITH PINK SLIP and CURRENT GREEN STICKER at $200?
Well I finally get to meet up with this kid, and you couldn't tell for the pictures but he had painted everything Black (Forks, Swing Arm, Cases, Everything!), and not just rattle canned it, the kid works for a BMW shop and so he used a 3 part expensive BMW paint (so this stuff is on there), the bike had seized the Ohlins 360 Cylinder and he had put on a Noleen Cylinder and Head, that is a 295. I had never known of Noleen to cast their very own Cylinders and Heads, but it is cast, not ground or etched in but cast into the Parts. It has a Ohlins Shock, Noleen Pipe (painted black), FMF Spark Arrester (painted black), Winner Racing Aluminum Radiators, New Seat.
I knew the old Ohlins cylinder alone was worth $1,000 so I offered the kid $180, he signed over the Pink Slip and I loaded it up. When I get it loaded in the back of the Truck the kid says "I kinda feel bad because I really only wanted $150 for it".
The kid was very nice and may even come on here and read this. He has a 1981 Yamaha YZ250 also and was searching around for Vintage and Post Vintage sites to join. I sure do wish he wouldn't of painted everything black. Funniest part about it was he couldn't understand why older guys would come and say "it is too much work just to get the paint off this thing". He said very proudly "man I painted this thing up nice. The paint I used is some of the most expensive automotive paint you can purchase. I used a real gun and booth, it looks sweet. Why would you strip the paint off?". Oh to be young. I enjoyed chatting with him.
I will post up pics most likely tomorrow. Question. I absolutely hate Red 1990 Yamaha YZ fork uppers (kinda glad that he painted those), so is there any product out there that strips off Anodising?
But their is just something about the power delivery on the 87 yz250 motor its a complete blast to ride
I liked the stock rear suspension, yet the forks were soft and were damper rod deals. The ride compartment was cramped, but that was good because I was a 125 guy. I put Tall Bars on it to give it more room.
I had some support via DGY, so Eric Gorr did the Motor, and DGY did my Shock Revalve and did some modification to the damper rods in the forks.
With Eric Gorrs motor work the thing had power all the way through. From the crack of the throttle it was go, and it never stopped. Motor was like a tractor. It was before Eric only offered 3 basic porting packages. So I sent in a letter with exactly what I wanted from a motor and just sat back until the Motor came back.
Great memories as I type them out. Oh yeah 2 other funny things about the 1987 YZ250 when it came back from Eric Gorr, my buddy raced it at a race and I forgot to mention that it was no longer a 250. During the race (1991 Hangover Marathon at Sand Hill Ranch. Rodney Smith won the 250's with Orange Bunny Ears tapped to his helmet), the bike got away from my buddy, he was never coming around and I thought the bike broke. Next thing I know a guy comes up and says your bike is up at the top of Godzilla and your buddy in the back of the Ambulance and doesn't know who he is. Lol. Another story is a good friend of mine road it for an entire day at the track, and for the next 3-4 days he would call me and tell me that his upper back (rear deltoids and lats) were more sore then he had ever been. This is a guy who was playing College Football at the time and studying Kinesiology, so he had been through soreness in his life.
I hope this bike gives me a few fun memories also.
The Shop
The entire project plan before I saw it (and all of the Black paint), was to make a Replica of Rob Herrings #5 1988 Yamaha YZ250 (but with Upside Down Forks). I really liked the the 1988 bikes of Rob Herring and 1988 250cc World Motocross Champion John Van Den Berk. But Rob's bikes just seemed so much more well kept during the season (maybe because he was always hurt and never riding).
I had been in contact with Clark Jones recently about doing the Rear Shock on my 1984 Kawasaki KX125, so this is perfect that I obtained this bike.
Thank you sincerely for the link.
I hope this one turns out as nice. Funny thing is life has went backwards. I got a College Degree and make less money then before College, so my builds are done with limited funds.
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/member/1990-Yamaha-YZ360,38800/1990-Yamah…
The Bike a few minutes ago:
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/member/1990-Yamaha-YZ360,38800/1990-Yamah…
Noleen Head: I have never seen a Head with Noleen Cast into it. For those of you who have Noleen bikes (I know someone has Larry Wards, and someone has Tim Ferry's) do yours have this?
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/member/1990-Yamaha-YZ360,38800/1990-Yamah…
Ohlins Shock:
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/member/1990-Yamaha-YZ360,38800/1990-Yamah…
Noleen Pipe:
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/member/1990-Yamaha-YZ360,38800/1990-Yamah…
Winner Racing Radiators: These things are built well. I have never seen better built Radiators, yet they do not fit correctly. Not even close. And I have seen people post about it taking hours and hours to put on the Radiator hoses to them. I can now relate. I saw a youtube video of a guy who also put them on his 1990 Yamaha YZ250 and he had to have them cut and rewelded and all kinds of stuff. I am going to source so used stock ones in time.
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/member/1990-Yamaha-YZ360,38800/1990-Yamah…
http://m.vitalmx.com/forums/Old-School-Moto,22/Yz250T-1987-restoration-…
Then I find a sticker that says Holley. So I don't know if Al Holley (R.I.P) did work on it, or if this bike did at one point belong to Jim Holley.
You most certainly made that 1987 your own.
I know many will be disappointed that I will be doing sort of my "own" thing with my 1990 Yamaha YZ250, but hey it is mine. :-)
Under the Red Anodizing is material that looks like a Scratch and Brown coat from a stucco job before it is floated and color coated. Really strange material. I will be prepping them and repainting them. I will "in time" look for a set of 1991 Yamaha YZ250 forks (I am not Justin Barcia so I don't need newer Technology then 1991's) to replace these.
I will start later today on stripping the swing arm. This paint is really on there so it will be a lot of work and will look worse before it looks better.
Pit Row
He was a nice kid. I enjoyed talking with him in person. I am hoping to connect with him again. Maybe go riding with him on his 1981 YZ250. I may even throw him my 1980 Yamaha YZ465 project.
I am amazed at the sum of expensive and the time exotic parts on this bike.
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/member/1990-Yamaha-YZ360,38800/Ohlins-Exo…
Northern California really has some great bikes available dirt cheap. There is a 1999 Yamaha YZ250 with Pink Slip that I came across for $150. I am putting my other Mercedes Benz up for sale tonight, and if it sales I will grab the 1999 also.
Basically all that will be left is 1991 Radiator Shrouds, Rear Fender, New Chain, New Rear Sprocket and Custom Created Graphics.
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/member/1990-Yamaha-YZ360,38800/1990-Yamah…
1984 Kawasaki KX125 (worth what I was asking for all of them by itself alone)
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/member/1984-Kawasaki-KX125,38756/1984-Kaw…
1980 YZ100 with 1976 YZ125 Motor (many people have been after this to put a 100cc Cylinder back on it)
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/member/YZ-Project,36142/Putting-It-Back-T…
1989 Yamaha YZ125
and
1987 KTM 250
all for $700 in one of those nothing will be separated, you must take it all deals, just to be able to do this bike exactly the way I envision it.
Now that I have it running how I want, I am going to strip it down to the frame and build it all the way back up. First thing of business is to get rid of these Winner Racing Radiators and find a pair of decent stock ones to have Myler's build back up. I am not a fan of these Radiators fitment wise.
I have the 1990 Yamaha YZ250/360 running the way I want except for a little carb work and I would like a tiny bit more up top, so I am going to speak with a few companies about porting.
I have torn it about half way back down, with the rest coming off tomorrow to really give it a fresh look. Take my time with it.
Power is broad. Power is way different then before. Now it is just chunky everywhere without a hit. Nice enduro type of powerband. May look into a flywheel weight later.
1990 YZ360 Month of May 2016 Updates:
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/member/1990-Yamaha-YZ360,38800/1990-Yamah…
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