My primary bike is a 2023 RMZ450 that I love…except the rear shock. I was ejected and/or ball tapped more times than I can count. I planned on getting the stock stuff revalved, but this popped up on the good ole FB Marketplace for the right price back if February.
Original Owner estimated around 30hrs based on the bikes built hr system. The dude decided to put street tires on it to start doing wheelies…
That was short lived. Based on the amount of new tires spikes, I’d guess he made it maybe an hour before it locked up.
I bought this for the Kyb setup but me being me, i decided that i wasn't going to let this just be a parts bike. So the diagnose and strip down process began…
I went through all the steps before tearing it down to diagnose the issue. The engine would turn over, but would get hung up. Unfortunately, the owner changed the oil so I couldn’t see if metal was on the filters or in the oil.
From the photo above, you can sort of the tell the fun that was going to be had to clean this bike. It had been through some deep mud and not washed great so the internal frame, electronics, and components where caked in tar like mud.
To add to the fun…the new air filter was dry.
To be continued…
Got it stripped down and mounted the showa’s on for the time being.
After taking off the head assembly, it was pretty clear I would have to keep going. Couldn’t get the engine into tdc to check valve clearances.
The piston and valve side of the head definitely indicated that dirt had entered the engine through that beautifully DRY new air filter, but it wasn’t the culprit of the lock up.
I had great help from my little mechanic!
The bike building got put on hold because the Mother Nature decided gravity was going to be against me…
From one Suzuki rider #41 to another, get well soon brotha.
Appreciate it man. Should been clear from the beginning about when I started this…edited first post. Anyways, the crash happened in may on Kybs during a slick day on hard pack. Typically the super stiff stock rmz250 kyb worked great because I ride mostly sand, but not slick hard pack.
I hardly recall what happened, but from my injuries I gathered that my front end washed hard while landing (possibly OJ) a ~30ft 2nd gear blip double.
2ish minute dirt nap. Broken T7, C1, and nearly compounded clavicle. Also a small brain bleed. Surprisingly, no concussion. I also had heavy bruising and scrapping on the right side from shoulder down. I’m all healed up with some hardware on the clavicle and back riding.
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Free shipping: VITALMX
While I was couch-ridden for three months, I had plenty of time to research and buy parts. The neck brace and sling on my strong-side arm made it pretty difficult, but I made it work. I scored some awesome deals and picked up a lot of helpful tips along the way.
I found a full OEM cylinder head with crankshafts and everything included for $517 shipped. I also picked up a low-hour FMF 4.1 slip-on for $230, a new D’Cor graphics kit for $30, and a new MotoMaster Flame 260 rotor for $30. I grabbed lots of other new parts from Motosport and other sponsors of SGP Racing and the VeteranMX Foundation. I even had some planned RM-Z450 parts from Rocky Mountain fantasy cash that I decided to use on the 250 as well.
Now for my biggest tip: search Webike Japan if you’re building or need parts for Japanese bikes. Sometimes their OEM parts are half off (or more) compared to other sources. I paid about $75 for an OEM piston kit. It’s important to research which shipping option to use so you can avoid extra customs fees or headaches. I can look back at my order if anyone’s curious.
Curious to know more about this Webike Japan. How are their prices lower? Is it just the fact they're build in Japan and bought from Japan, the currency exchange rate is favorable? And the quality of parts seems legit?
Stoked to see how your RMZ250 build turns out. I love those yellow bikes.
It’s like the Rockymountain or Motosport of Japan. OEM parts that are made Japan don’t have the mark up that we see over in the US
I love Webike if you cant find the oem part here or they dont stock them anymore. Webike for the win. Damn you giving out the good secrets some of us horde lol
Warning many pictures ahead!
Here’s some of many photos I took during the build process. I cleaned all the engine parts using good ole elbow grease…oh how I would love having a vapor blast setup.
Of course,Ran into a couple of snags. One lovely case bolt decided to snap while torquing to spec. I, luckily, I have the correct tools to make splitting cases a 2 minute process. Was able to get the remains out with my awesome new snap-on pliers.
Engine build went smooth otherwise and the final photo is how she sat prior to some finishing touches
Haha well I’d guess the people that visit this side of the forums are fellow builders. Just trying to help bros out
Well ouch a thumbs down. Don’t like the beautiful clutch cover. I thought would be a fan favorite…
More of photos of the progress below!
The engines in! I pre installed the wiring harness. The push in zip ties were difficult to find for a reasonable price stateside. I tried Amazon and a local automotive shop, but didn’t have luck. If I recall correctly, they were around $4-5 a piece here for zip ties! Webike had them for about 50¢…
There was another delay before installing the swingarm. I had to either source a replacement or find a local aluminum welder as the prior owner had allowed the chain to eat through it enough maybe a couple millimeters to spare before hitting the bearing. Found an awesome local guy that fixed it up perfectly.
Shoutout to DT1 for hooking me up with filters for both bikes and Maxima oil/chemicals for this build
Testing the pipe here.
And fishing up with chain and sprockets for both bikes.
The bike got delayed a bit at this point. While going through the linkage I found the lower shock bearing completely rusted to shit. So a little teaser for what’s to come…
+One for the rings on the rack....Lol
Some details on the build so far.
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The crank and cylinder was sent to dh1mods. Crank was rebuilt and balanced with a prox rod. Cylinder was vapor blasted and honed.
All internals piston, seals, bearings, gaskets and hardware were replaced with OEM equipment from webbike Japan.
On to the ignition cover and clutch cover. Originally I was going to pick up a Hinson, but because of my upcoming move, the future of this bike was a bit unknown. So instead I used these parts to learn how to cerakote. I used the cheapest sandblasting setup I could manage. I finished up with burnt bronze which looks so good on RMZs.
my diy blasting cabinet was about $50 total with gun. Media was another $20. I searched for days to find a good deal on cabinet on market place, but had no luck. In the future (when I stop moving every 3 years) I will just buy a new one. I did get a great deal on 6hp 33gal Craftsman compressor for $40 from an older gentleman that hardly used it.
I tried to be as budget minded as possible for this build, but I didn’t cheap out. I used quality products and patience to find great deals.
And here’s the final photos!
The remaining build parts included JT rear 50t sprocket rear, Tusk front 13t sprocket, DID chain, Stainless braided front and rear brake lines, New pads f/r, Moto master front rotor, Turner rear rotor (this surprised me as it’s quite a bit thicker than stock), Acerbis plastics, Acerbis Skidplate, Dcor graphics ($30!), Fmf 4.1 slip-om, Linkage bearings replaced or greased, ODI medium Handgrips, Rental 827 fatbar, Renthal bar mounts w/ new poly bushings, No toil screen less filter cage, Pro taper profile clutch perch.
to go with screen less filter cage, I also trimmed the snorkels. The results worked well on my 450 and from research, it works well on the 250 as well.
It honestly turned out better than I expected! The stock photos of the graphics had me worried a bit, but for the $30 I gave them a try. I think the all yellow plastics really help the graphics pop just right for Zuk.
I did a few break in rides. This past weekend I took it to Jimmy Weinert’s and gave it a proper break in ride. The suspension honestly surprised me. I’m a good 200lbs dry weight so I was hoping for this result. the bfrc on the 450 would blow through the rear shock and it would buck at the most unexpected times. I never ran into this on the 250 and it feels much more balanced.
The 450 is much easier to ride on sand, but I will say the 250 is fun! Keep it pinned and it goes where ever you direct it. The FMF without the insert definitely barks.
The clutch and ignition covers really came out great on your build. I’m conflicted on mine to coat the oem ignition and valve covers, or bead blast them and leave them with a matte raw finish.
Enjoy the bike, it looks great!
I thought about doing that originally, but I found through the forum wikis that magnesium covers will corrode over time if not coated with something. So you’ll need to apply a clear coat
Took some beauty shots. Also found that the richer coupler starts better with airbox snorkels trimmed, fmf, and screen less filter cage. I’d assume with more air the engine likes more fuel. With stock coupler it seemed it needed to prime with a few kicks before it would start. Once warm, 1 kick is all that’s needed.
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