86-87 or 88-89?

[250rbest]

I am now just getting back into riding. I miss my 88 250r. I'm looking to buy another one. Wanted to know what the major differences were in the 86-87 vs 88-89. Should I try and find a later model one? Or is there not much of a difference in all the years to matter that much. Thanks for any input.

[250r4life]

plastic in 88...
short to long rod in 87...
shorter swinger and different a arm placement in 88
updated clutch in 89...
not too much else...

its a matter of opinion about getting the later years... my opinion is to go for the later years (88-89)

[400EX QUADER]

Didn't they also put the gears closer together or something to that affect in like 88??? Just a guess from what I remember.

[honda380]

i think they changed the gears a little when they went long rod, but i could be wrong, makes sense though. also, the 86-87 have that bracket that connects the swingarm and motor, on the 88-89 they just have a solid mount on the frame to eliminate that bracket. i would get an 88-89 in my opinion. Corey

[250Renvy]

If you are comparing stock machines to each other, the major differences are minor because they are all 250R's but

Chassis - 86-87 = 1" longer swingarm made of steel and a-arms 1" back
- 88-89 -1" swingarm made of aluminum
Front motor mounts on 86 are beefier

Motor - 86 - short rod motor but only by 5mm
- 87-88 slightly taller gears by 1 tooth on 5 and 6, 89 something similar but on 1 gear different.
89 had a different clutch that was better than the push rod but can be updated on any.
Some people say the 86 has a more powerful motor but stock for stock I think the 88 rips the more.

Graphics and colors are different.

86's most available and cheaper to find
87/89's are the least available and usually more money.
88's probably the best for availablility.

But the odds of finding one completely stock are minimal, most have mods which make up any difference, many 86-87's have an aftermarket swingarm that is -1" and most have aftermarket a-arms that are +1"

I don't see very many in MA, you may have to look to CT as well to even find one.

[trx-r#34]

I own both an 87 and an 88 250R. In my opinion, the 87 would be the best choice. It has the long rod motor, with the newer transmission and the frame is a lot stronger than the 88-89 model. Honda made the 88-89 framer cheaper to bring down the cost. The 88-89 footpeg puts a lot of stress on the mild steel frame and causes cracks in this area. The new rear motor mount also puts a tremendous amount of stess and strain on the frame and causes significant cracking. I fix this by cutting out the rear motor mount and adding mounts to the bottom of the frame, like an aftermarket frame. The only advantage to the 88-89 model is the shorter swingarm, which happens to be the single best handling improvement made to the 250R. Either way, any year would be great.

[svahle]

I have owned a few Rs of different years. I wouldn't get too hung up on the year. Rather, I would focus on the condition of the quad and the mods. I now have an 86 and had an 87 before. My buddy had an 88 and now has two 87s. I believe my 86 handles better than any of them but is has +2 Laeger a-arms, LSR swing arm, LSR axle, and Axis suspension front and rear. The point is, so few of these quads are still stock and each one has been modified with different components. Also, many have forward a-arms or plus or minus swingarms. An 86 set up with quality components will handle better than an 89 that is not set up as well. If all things were equal the 88-89 might handle slightly better, the 86 frame might be slightly stronger, one year may have a slight power advantage, one year may have slightly different gearing. But, all things aren't equal because we can't really talk about each year stock for stock. Find a nice R with nice mods and forget about what year it is. Just my $.02