Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

I was wondering if anyone has ever ordered from elsinores.com? I was looking at a pipe/silencer for my 78 cr250.

Thanks

I ordered some bearings and seals from them a couple of years ago. Everything went ok. Haven't talked to them in over a year though.

I purchased a pipe-silencer combo and Mikuni carb from them recently. Everything worked out great. The pipe was back-ordered and when it arrived they FedEx all of it to me. They also returned my phone call promptly.

J

_________________
#829 The "Factory Novice"

1988 Honda CR250RJ
1983 Honda CR480
1981 Can-Am 250 MX6-B
1979 Honda CR250RZ
1979 Kawasaki KX250 A5
1978 Husky 250CR
1978 Honda CR250R
1977 Yamaha YZ400D
1977 Suzuki RM125B

About 18 months ago I bought a Mikuni carb and a Pro-Form pipe and silencer from Don at Vintage Elsinores for my CR250R 1979. Everything went fine, and he followed up several times to check that the jetting had worked out OK.

I ordered a top end gasket kit from them a couple weeks ago. I waited a week, nothing, no emails, so after about 300 calls I finally get something other than the answering machine, they tell me it was backordered, and that it'd ship that day, and i'd get an email with the tracking number. It got here 4 days later (with no tracking number ever being emailed), with the right kit, although the head gasket wasn't right. The stud holes weren't big enough to fit all the way down, so I had to reuse the old one.

Needless to say I probably won't order from them again unless I absolutely have to.

Kalvin,

Maybe I just got lucky with Vintage-Elsinores.

I seem to be having the kind of trouble you had, but with Red-Racer. Ordered numberplate backgrounds and a set of numbers 6 weeks ago and nothing from them until I e-mailed them last week and they said they would check into it. A week later no response or explanation. I'm a very patient person, but there's a right way and a wrong way to do business.

J

_________________
#829 The "Factory Novice"

1988 Honda CR250RJ
1983 Honda CR480
1981 Can-Am 250 MX6-B
1979 Honda CR250RZ
1979 Kawasaki KX250 A5
1978 Husky 250CR
1978 Honda CR250R
1977 Yamaha YZ400D
1977 Suzuki RM125B

Yeah, I can understand the backorder, as the parts are for a 25 year old bike, but not telling me about it and not being able to reach the company doesn't leave a first-time buyer the greatest impression about them.

Greetings,

I just ordered a complete gasket set and a few cables from them two weeks ago. Got everything I ordered and was happy at that. You're right about the phone machine though.

The only thing that made me mad: I paid for 2-Day shipping to get the parts ASAP. Order was placed on the afternoon of the 14th, and didn't ship until the 19th, thus negating the reason for 2-day shipping.... and have you priced FedEx two day lately...??

But like I said, I got what I wanted and paid for.

-Pat-

I purchased a bottom end seal kit for a 73-74 CR-250M from them in March 2003. Kit was used in a 74 MT-250. Received a confirming e-mail right away. Seals were received right away. They were packaged professionally. When I checked the numbers 2 out of 5 seals were maybe .5 mm narrower than my Honda MT parts catalog called for. The difference does not impact performance. I can't say for sure that the seals should be the same in both bikes but I believe they are. Obviously there is no seal for the tachometer. Everything went together and runs fine.

On the other side I once submitted a question asking if they had a carburetor for the MT-250 and never heard back from them. I think this is their way of saying they only know the CR's.

I would purchase from them again.

Yeh I emailed them asking about a few parts for my CR about a week ago and still no response..... thats why I was wondering if they were legit or not.

I wouldn't hold your breath on a response. By the looks of it, it appears they don't check that email.. It'd be best to call them.

_________________
1979 CR125R

Well 3 months and still no numberplate backgrounds or vintage numbers from Red-Racer. Now I've been waiting 2 weeks for a swingarm bearing kit from Vintage-Elsinores with no phone call or e-mail confirming shipment or back-order notification.

I have ordered 3 items from Vintage Iron recently and recieved them all within one week!

This really sucks because the two sites with the parts I want to order seem to have bad business skills. Anyone else do business with them lately?

J

_________________
#829 The "Factory Novice"

1988 Honda CR250RJ
1983 Honda CR480
1981 Can-Am 250 MX6-B
1979 Honda CR250RZ
1979 Kawasaki KX250 A5
1978 Husky 250CR
1978 Honda CR250R
1977 Yamaha YZ400D
1977 Suzuki RM125B

This thread has being going on in parallel on the California Vintage Motocross web site. I have had good experience with Vintage Elsinores - some time ago - for a Pro-Form pipe, silencer and Mikuni carb. I have also bought successfully from Red Racer, but probably before Scott Steger sold the company. He was personally very helpful, well beyond what a vendor needed to do. Personally, I am surprised that the old Elsinore market can support two companies selling nearly the same stuff...

_________________
Michael Stiles
1979 Honda CR250R Elsinore | 2006 Husqvarna SM510R | 2007 Service Honda CR500R-AF

Don at Vintage Elsinore said they are moving to a new location and should be back to "normal" after the 3rd of June.

_________________
#829 The "Factory Novice"

1988 Honda CR250RJ
1983 Honda CR480
1981 Can-Am 250 MX6-B
1979 Honda CR250RZ
1979 Kawasaki KX250 A5
1978 Husky 250CR
1978 Honda CR250R
1977 Yamaha YZ400D
1977 Suzuki RM125B

Don over at Vintage Elsinores should start returning phone calls & e-mails. This is bad business practice! Understaffed? Hire someone!

I would not spend my money here.