Picked up first vintage bike 73 cr250

clayburns28
Posts
36
Joined
12/31/2016
Location
Corinth, MS US
10/18/2019 7:13am Edited Date/Time 10/20/2019 4:19pm
Been looking for a bike to race in the vintage races finally found one. Few questions
What is the best air filter setup for racing it doesn’t have one?
What all do I need to do to get it race ready upgrade wise?
Is race tech the best place to send the suspension?
Thx for any input

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newmann
Posts
24444
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
10/18/2019 10:36am
Nice find!

Air filter? Twin Air, Uni and DT1 all make stock replacements I do believe. Just make sure your original cage is in good condition. Filters and new air boots can be had through VMX Racing, Vintco, DC Plastics, Hotfoot moto and others.

Race ready?Look everything over for cracks in the rims, frame and swingarm.

The right foot peg mount bolts on, inspect it well. Larger pegs are available through VMX Racing or with a little effort and skill, late model YZ Titanium pegs can be made to fit. Cheap on Ebay.

The stock chain guide is pretty much junk. Weld on a bracket to the swingarm to fit a modern chain guide. I had a 92 KX125/250 guide on mine before switching to an aluminum swingarm.

Gear shift lever is probably starting to get loose on the shaft. File the gap so it will tighten up properly if needed. If the threads are buggered, file a flat spot on the backside so you can use a nut. Good shift levers are hard to find and expensive.

Jeff Clark at Badbrush Designs always has good cables in stock. Some brands of aftermarket ones have way too much stretch.

Use OEM Honda clutch plates and springs, never use Barnett Kevlars. They will wear out the hub and pressure plate in a hurry.

Inspect the fuel filter in the tank on the petcock to make sure it isn't plugged up or collapsed. It will restrict fuel flow.

Second and third gears are the trouble spot in the trannies. Make sure yours shifts good and baby it as long as you can. There are fixe$ for that...

A new firm seat foam is a must. Old clapped out mush will have you hating life. Stock seat pans are marginal at best, check the condition of yours. There are plastic repros available through DC and others.

Call or text Andy Cline at ACE Racing in Houston for a pipe first. Good guy, builds a nice pipe and very reasonable on cost. I think he has fixtures for the early CR. (281) 734-0228

Suspension? Yes, let Race Tech do the forks with new springs and Emulators. Wish I would have done that way back when instead of recently!

Rear shocks, I have always gone one inch longer than stock and slid the forks up in the clamps a small amount to help it turn better. Check your club rules to make sure you stay in the correct travel limit for vintage, usually 4 inches rear travel. Race Tech shocks sure are sweet but they can get quite pricey.

Those are some of the basics to get you started. If you plan to really start modding it up, the sky is the limit. I can help you spend plenty of money.Laughing






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clayburns28
Posts
36
Joined
12/31/2016
Location
Corinth, MS US
10/20/2019 6:04am
Thanks for all the info that is exactly what I was wanting to hear. I started working on it yesterday and cleaned the carb and tank. It wasn’t firing so I cleaned the points and got it firing but the spark looked weak? Also the Kickstarter is skipping gears or something when u kick hard? Is there a upgrade for the Kickstarter gear?
newmann
Posts
24444
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
10/20/2019 6:42am
A properly set up points system runs good in the old bikes but some do find them a pain. There are options out there with PVL and a couple others. Benefits of the PVL is retarded timing below idle speeds that make starting easier without it kicking back. They also run great.

Vintco makes a new kickstart gear if yours appears worn. First thing to check is the ratcheting pawl and spring to make sure it is not damaged and working as designed. Common problem.
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