89' 250r ??

[rigger]

I have run across an 89 250r for sale for $2000 in my area. I have not seen it in person yet, only pictures. It apears to be in fairly decent shape and mostly original. I still need to go look at it in person.

Questions on the 89 250R.

Parts. Can I still get everything I would need for it for a complete restoration? Or, are some things going to be hard to come by?

Ride. I have only ridden one 250R before. It is a full blown race quad with a motor that had so much power, it almost put me into some trees on the other side of a ditch :eek2:

I have ridden plenty of 250 two stroke mx bikes and I am assuming it will handle like my 400ex but with the power of that older 89 CR250 motor.

My ride question is, I ride trails. Will this make a good trail ride as long as I keep it in a milder tune?

Last question. Is it really worth getting and restoring an old 250R? Or should I just pass it up and look for a more modern machine.

Thanks for the input guys.

[beobe99]

As for parts you should have no trouble finding any of them, new, oem, and aftermarket. Some things like new oem plastics, headlight may be tuff to come by but you have a huge selection of aftermarket ones or used OEM in good enough condition for you to use.

For Parts use-

ebay.com (of course) "250r, trx250r, etc)

servicehonda.com

this site of course, and many more.

As for the power you should be fine, trails always aim for power adders that gear towards low mid range (it helps smooth out that PUNCH of the powerband). Also maybe get a powervalve top end. Also the R should handle better then your 400ex.

I think its VERY worth it to get an R and restore it. The trx250r's is what started it all in my opinion.

[custom R]

I had a 99 400 ex and I thought it was a pretty good bike back then, well I sold it in 2005 and in 2006 I got hurt at work and was off work for three months so I got boared and decided to build a 250r and I love it I ride mostly trails and its 10 times better than my 400 ever was alot of the guys I ride with have 450's and my 250r runs right there with them all day with the stock cylinder Im getting ready to put a 310 p/v on it in a few weeks I cant imagine how good its going to run after that

If you like to tinker and keep up on your maint. than I say get a 250r there easy to work on, a blast to ride, if you go through it when you get it make sure everythings in good shape there as reliable as anythig else out there, and with the right mods there really fast and handle great

I may be a little biased because I have one but I put alot of time and effort in rebuilding mine and It was worth every bit of it.I get alot of people come up and comment on how good it looks and alot of surprized faces when im go flying past them.

[GPracer2500]

Originally posted by rigger
....Is it really worth getting and restoring an old 250R? Or should I just pass it up and look for a more modern machine...

That's a really hard question for anyone to answer for you. I know some guys that would really take to 250r ownership. I know others who would be better off on something other than a 20 year old machine. Fundamentally, there's not a thing wrong with the 250r except the fact that nearly every one of them has been in use for ~20 years. And even the lightly used ones have been sitting around for that long. I'm leaving the someone-spent-$10k-on-it-at-some-point-mostly-aftermarket-250r's out of the picture here.

I like 250r's and own one of the 3 wheeled variety (85'). I might keep it "forever". But I'm not one of these guys that swears up and down 250r's are the best thing since sliced bread (I'm not necessarily directing that at anyone here). They are very good quads. The only reason your questions are even worth discussing is because they are very good quads. No one is gonna tell you to go spend $2000 on an LT250 that may need some work. :D But 250r's come with downsides--not the least of which is the possibility of needing to do a "complete restoration", as you put it, to make one into the nice, fresh quad that you want it to be.

Custom R made some good comments. Notice he said "...decided to build a 250r..." and "...If you like to tinker..." Build and tinker are the key words there. He obviously does like those things and going the 250r route has been a great choice for him. And I agree with him that they're easy to work with. But I'm guessing you'll need to work with it to make it what you want it to be. Sometimes we just want to ride, not replace old bushings or research which aftermarket piece is best.

Compared to a 400EX: expect a 250r to handle better--they're lighter and there's no way for the EX to get around that. Engine-wise, stock vs. stock they're fairly close. Intake and exhaust them both and the 250r gets an edge. Throw $750 of engine work at them and the 250r smokes the EX. I'm kinda generalizing with that assessment, but it's in the ballpark.

If the alternative is a 400EX or a Z400, I'd say many people would be happier with the 250r. If the alternative is YFZ or Raptor700 (for example) my thoughts would be different.

I say go look at it. If it seems decent and you can get a good price then buy it. Ride it for a while and decide for yourself if that is really what you want. Then start putting money into it or sell it for about what you paid and move on to something else.



BTW, the 89 CR engine is not the same engine as the TRX engines. A stock CR engine is stronger than a stock TRX engine. AFAIK, they don't share any parts. The CR's had no counterbalancer, a powervalve, Nikasil'd bores, larger carb, etc. As you've experienced, you can make a TRX engine as strong as you want it to be. But don't expect a mostly stock TRX engine to feel like a 250 MX bike engine. It doesn't take much to make the TRX engine pretty darn fast though.



Just $0.02!

[rigger]

Good answers guys, Thanks.

I need to go look at in person and see what it is really like in person.

As far as a restoration goes, I would enjoy that part of it. Wether it took me six months or two years. I do like to play with the machine other than just ride it.

What I have right now is a lightly modded 04 400ex that I really enjoy. I want to add another sport quad to the garage for my wife to ride too. She can ride my 400 just fine so I could get this 250R for me to ride when we do ride together and I could still ride the 400 when ever I want.

I was just thinking that it may not be worth getting dollar wise. If I get it for 2000 and lets just say I put another 1000 in it. Is that old 250R worth 3000. Could I ever get that back out ot it if I went to sell it?

Thanks for the input guys. I will keep you posted on it if I get to go see it this weekend.

[atvmxr]

you have a 50/50 shot of getting your $$ back. If it looks mint you could probably get someone to pay that for it, maybe. me personally, if I found a 89 250r for $2k it be at my house tonight :D

I have a LRD everything MX 250r and I have no problems trail riding it.

[250Renvy]

Here's my .02

Go look at it, ask the guy a ton of questions. These are what I always like to ask, so this will be long.

1. How long has he had it? -> gives an idea if I will get the true history of it because that matters. Was it sitting, did an old guy have it and didn't ride until a few years ago, has it been passed down to 20 different guys etc

2. Has it ever been raced? -> lets me know a lot (hard to get into detail here)

3.When was the last topend job? Has it ever been rebuilt?

4. Depending where you are from - has it ever been titled?

There are a bunch of other questions, but I always look at the frame for cracks and repairs, original paint -> I like original paint because it means it's never been repaired and covered up.

Check for rubber bushings all over and if they are dried out.

If the quad runs alright but has not been maintained properly or just sat most it's life, a complete overhaul will be needed or it will break regularly.

A complete overhaul will run you $3000+. If it has stock A-arms and shocks then put that up more because they will be junk even if they look good.

Bearings for the whole thing will run you $350+ depending on who you go with.
250R's are still the best quads IMO but they become addictive once you start modding because there are endless combinations of stuff for them still. Many OEM and rare parts can be pretty pricey so it's not hard to drop $5000 into a quad -> Just know that getting in and realize that your return is pennies on the dollar and you are doing it because you want to and that money is gone, not because you want to get that back out of it.
If it has original plastic, odds are it is spiderveined and brittle which means the slightest hit from a branch or rock or anything and it'll likely crack all the way through. New plastic runs $350-$600

Just keep all this in mind. Sometimes price is deceptive $1800 may seem like a deal, but when you can buy 05 400ex's for $3200, it may be more ride ready.

Hope this helps.

[chris46250r]

I'm one of those guys that thinks 250r's are better than sliced bread like GP referred to so take what I'm gonna say for what its worth. You have to appreciate a 250r to think you are getting your moneys worth. If you are just needing an extra fourwheeler then a 250r is not for you. If you are worried about getting your money back then any fourwheeler made is not for you. Like already mentioned you have to like working on, messing with, tinkering with, customizing, fabbing up, looking for parts, waiting for parts and just plain ole getting pissed off sometimes to "redo" a 250r. They are fun. There's nothing that compares and nothing that will ever replace them. I've had many 3 and 4 wheeled 250r's and right now I've got two. Both of them have been completely gone through, over and under. One I ride and the other hasn't been started in over two years. But I can actually look at that one and say I have held in my hand every bolt, bearing, seal, etc... that that sucker has in it. And yes it is very addictive once you start.

[250r4life]

Originally posted by 250Renvy


A complete overhaul will run you $3000+. If it has stock A-arms and shocks then put that up more because they will be junk even if they look good.

Bearings for the whole thing will run you $350+ depending on who you go with.
250R's are still the best quads IMO but they become addictive once you start modding because there are endless combinations of stuff for them still. Many OEM and rare parts can be pretty pricey so it's not hard to drop $5000 into a quad -> Just know that getting in and realize that your return is pennies on the dollar and you are doing it because you want to and that money is gone, not because you want to get that back out of it.
If it has original plastic, odds are it is spiderveined and brittle which means the slightest hit from a branch or rock or anything and it'll likely crack all the way through. New plastic runs $350-$600

Just keep all this in mind. Sometimes price is deceptive $1800 may seem like a deal, but when you can buy 05 400ex's for $3200, it may be more ride ready.

Hope this helps.

im not sure what you meant by a complete overhaul... but i think $3k is a little steep... not to sit here and argue with you, but for the original poster... i dont want him to have to change his mind, thinking he is going to have to drop a ton...


my buddy bought an 88 R back in '97, and he sold it last year, but until he sold it that engine was stock original- never even had the head off, and that thing ran like a son of a gun... i bought an original 89 R back in 2001/2002, and had i not taken the stock top end off to put a big bore on, i have no doubt it would still be running strong on the stock top end...

to completely restore it to ride it, yes, that will cost you some cash... but if you plan on riding it, why completely restore it?

put a pipe and filter on it and it will be considerably faster than your 400ex, and should run forever like that... then you can replace/upgrade other components as you like or as they wear out...

FYI- new OEM plastics will run you upwards of $900... i wish they were only 300-400...

ANY quad that you dump a bunch of money into, youre not going to get it back out of... ANY quad... a couple months ago i bought the 04 Raptor that is in my sig. it was kinda rough, and hadnt been maintained the best, where as my 05 raptor was like brand new... so, i took every single aftermarket part off the 04 raptor (ended up being nearly $7k worth of parts) and switched it over to my 05, and last week sold the 04 for the same price i had bought it for with all those parts... no obviously i got a good deal on it in the 1st place, but...

my advice... if you decide to buy it, replace what requires replacing, and if it doesnt have a pipe and filter, then get those... other than that just ride it... i wouldnt go bother doing everything... and after several years of riding, you should get your money back out of it should you decide to sell it, and if not, what've you lost- a couple hundred dollars for a couple years of riding...

my $.02 or $.03 :D

[250Renvy]

250R4life, I'm not going to argue with you but you forgot one very important factor in what you stated.

Arizona!!!

He is in South Carolina. Also you didn't say what you paid for yours or what he paid for his. I bet it was more than 2K.

But I'll break the 3K down for you.

Bearings and seals $350
Tires (because they always need tires)
$250
Chain/sprockets $100
Plastic (optional) $385 - Maier
Shocks (used) $600
Brake pads $ 50
Pipe (used) $100
---------
$1800ish
That's not touching the motor or A-arms
or doing a anything else. Or including labor if he needs help with seized parts, but if it could be a gem that the guy doesn't know what he's selling in which case it could be a great buy, but most likely for 2K it needs lots of work.

[250r4life]

actually i bought mine for that exact dollar amount- $2k...

mine had maybe 30 hours on it, but had been sitting out in the sun for years and years... the plastic was faded, the tires were flat...

i drained the gas, went through the carb, changed the oil, sprayed some wd40 through the plug hole, and put a new plug in, and it started on the 2nd kick...

i got a couple hours out of the tires which had great tread, but had rotted in the sun and split on the sides...

i rode it for several months, and then it sat in my garage for two years without being touched...

and then i rode it... i think after the 2 years off, my 1st dune season back i took it down for 12 trips, and didnt replace a single thing on it. ran like a champ... the only things that werent aftermarket were the pipe, filter, handlebars, and tires. i didnt change a bearing or a seal...

in fact the 1st thing that actually went out on my bike was a year and a half later, when my rear end went out...

point being, it isnt guranteed youre going to need all that stuff... and you certainly dont have to do it all at once...

who knows, you could very well have it and not have to change a thing on it for years...

my 250r is back to the stock cylinder and bore, and a guy is making payments to me on it right now... it is ready to ride, and he shouldnt have to do too much with in the next couple years to keep riding it... maybe the rear end will go out again, but the crank assembly is new, the piston is fresh, the clutch is rock solid and will stand up to a stock bore for years... he certainly isnt going to have to dump $3k into it just to be able to ride it...

[rigger]

I have no problems at all with doing all the work for a restoration myself. I would never pay someone else to work on my machine anyway. With the exception of taking something to a machine shop. And I would be building it as a trail machine, not an mx bike. Guess that is why I like my 400ex so much. It just works well in the woods, easy to ride and easy to maintain. I am always looking for stuff to do to it but it never seems to need anything.

Like I said before, I have not seen it in person yet and I am assuming it needs a good bit of work or I would think that it would sell for more than 2k. I will go check it out and see what it really is for the money. If it is not worth messing with then I will probably just look for another 400ex to put in the garage for my wife to ride.

Thanks again for the input.

[Rich250RRacer]

Originally posted by rigger
I have no problems at all with doing all the work for a restoration myself. I would never pay someone else to work on my machine anyway. With the exception of taking something to a machine shop. And I would be building it as a trail machine, not an mx bike. Guess that is why I like my 400ex so much. It just works well in the woods, easy to ride and easy to maintain. I am always looking for stuff to do to it but it never seems to need anything.

Like I said before, I have not seen it in person yet and I am assuming it needs a good bit of work or I would think that it would sell for more than 2k. I will go check it out and see what it really is for the money. If it is not worth messing with then I will probably just look for another 400ex to put in the garage for my wife to ride.

Thanks again for the input.

No offense, but I really hate when the word "restoration" is thrown around when talking about 250R's. In my eyes, when you change the frame color, add an aftermarket pipe, buy aftermarket plastic or a seat cover, change the type of tires, or anything like this, you are not restoring a 250R. You are modifying it and renewing it to be ready for everyday riding. A restoration means that quad will look exactly as it did when it rolled off the showroom floor. And what that means to you, especially now, is that a restoration will be VERY expensive and VERY difficult. Something you would not want to ride when finished. Trust me, I KNOW.

[Fordtrax]

I just wanna say if it runs and rides snag it up !!
2000 dollars for an R is is a steal if it atleast runs!
Hell id even take a stock one if it came in a box!!lol(providing everything was there?)


I just bought a very stock looking 88r a month ago for 3000 that runs like a million bux and im afraid to change anything on it because of their value in stock form!(except for pipe and silencer! heeeheeeee!)


But im a bit Biased because ive owned many 4 trax Rs and the sweeetest thing ever is when you got it soooo tuned that you actually have smoke rings coming out the exhaust!!lol
Let us know what happens!

[rigger]

Just to let you know,

Never could get the guy to call me back. So oh well. Guess he sold it or decided not to.


I did just run across another 04 400ex though. Maybe get it for my wife and fix it for her. It is lightly moded, just a pipe and so forth. It is a little rough in the looks but is suppose to run and ride great. He needs to move it real bad and told me I could have it for 2300. I think I could get it for 2000.

It could be that project quad for the wife. She does not care about it being all that fast but she does want it to look good. That is easy to do.

Thanks again for all the input guys.