Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

Hello everyone.

A little back ground first regarding my 1975 Honda CR250M. It was bought back on Dec 04, 1976 and was a Christmas gift for me on Dec 25, 1976 (I just turned 14) from my Mom and Dad . I still have the original owners manual, all original sales receipts/contract, original DMV registration, etc.

The last time it was ridden was back in 2005 when I thought I wanted to restore it to its original showroom condition. So, I dismantled it completely and have had everything stored since then (inside and protected). The bike has probably 90-95% of the original equipment it came with when I got it with just a few exceptions (original number/side plates were lost, original tires replaced, air filter fell apart, some cables broke).

The bike itself has VERY little rust (mostly around foot pegs), both fenders are good, gas tank still great shape with all original decals n paint job, seat still completely intact and no rips, handlebars straight, chain great, both rims have a dent in them but otherwise good shape, engine is in good shape / compression good, paint (frame, engine, pipe) isnt too bad either and exhaust pipe / silencer great shape.

Back in 2005, I began to order as much as I could from the local Honda shop knowing back then that OEM parts were becoming scarce...so I bought a couple pairs of OEM grips, levers, Air filter, some gaskets, fork seals / dust caps, points, condensor, side plate bands and a few other items I kepted sealed in the original Honda parts bag they came in.

In 2010, I found a couple used OEM side plates (2 right-1 left) from the same year/model that were in good shape.

In 2013, I found a replica front plate (the guy did an outstanding job making it and included all needed mounting hardware and cable guide, paint job and blk number decal), I bought a new clutch, throttle and front brake cables, complete replica decal set, another used oem complete rear rim and some other odds and ends.

My delima is this: I was originally considering to restore my bike back to showroom condition, but am concerned if i do, I will lose all of its history and appeal (to me at least) and that I may not want to ride it once it was restored and I will lose that "old vintage look" it has now.

So lately, I have been considering three (3) options:

First: Do a complete showroom restoration just like the day I got it.

Second: Do a partial restoration that would just include repainting the frame, pipe, silencer, airbox, swing arm, handlebars and clean/polish the rest the best I could ( I would leave the tank and seat just as they are).

Third: Just clean/polish the entire bike the best I could and put it back together as is (However, either way, I am going to restore the side plates I have back to OEM NOS look).

ANY thoughts would be welcomed.

Here are some pics when I disassembled it back in 2005:

Thank you

I went through the same decision. I decided to do a major clean up , painting what really need it. Which the tank needed, since the tank was getting new paint then the rest of it would need to match.

I left the engine with the scuff areas alone. I plan on riding it ,not displaying it.

Some little things like dog bite marks in the fender i left a few of them there. From a dog i had when i got the bike back around the same time you got yours. So that was a rememberance of my younger days and a dog a had.

I understand what you mean about the memories and trying to preserve them.you'll just have to decide how you want to do yours. I left some of the memories showing on mine.

I think many people go through this conundrum.

When I started my vintage Elsinore projects, I had every intention of riding and maybe
even racing them. What changed my mind was the amount of labor, the scarcity of
parts and knowing if/when I crashed one, it would be next to impossible to replace
some of the parts if damaged (alloy tank, pipe, plastic, etc.). I changed mid stream
with my 73 (had already cut the kickstand mount off), and it cost me a lot of time and
quite a few aftermarket parts I wasn't going to need anymore. I decided to restore the
bike back to showroom so that I could relive that great feeling I had the day I brought
it home. I did the same with my Red Rocket.

To make up for the loss of the rider/racers, I started restoring later model CRs and then
building hybrid conversions (CR engines in CRF frames). This way I get to keep racing
two strokes without the worry of damaging a fragile vintage icon. It's a lot easier on the
body too.

dogger

_________________
1973 CR250M
1979 CR250R
1993 CR250R
2008 CR500R
2009 CR250R

Heres what I do:

I put the bike in the middle of my shop on a stand then I get my roll around chair and look at the bike for a while.
Study the bike and see what it tells you to do. You will discover all kinds of things about the bike that you like and dislike.
Sitting there looking at the battle scars, rust, dirt etc will bring back memories that will guide you in your decision.

Ive moved on from restoring bikes for my "other" love....farm tractors.
I was going to do a total resto on a nice Oliver I have, I started to remove an old orange triangle sticker from the seat pan and under that sticker was the original Attica Oliver dealer decal.
At that moment I decided to only rebuild the engine and transmission but to leave the balance alone. Im glad I did.\

Good luck in your decision.

This is how I found my Oliver in a salvage yard in Attica Ohio

_________________
1994 AHRMA National Champion Sportsman 125 Intermediate.
1996 AHRMA National Champion Classic 125 Expert.

In the end, it's your bike and the final decision will be yours, but I would just touch up the paint on the frame, give the pipe and silencer a fresh coat, and clean and polish the rest. Sounds like the bike is in great shape, and that way it will be more like you remember it when you were riding it as a kid, and you won't be afraid to ride it and have a little fun on it.
I had a fully restored bike once, and the first time I rode it and realized I was worrying the whole time about getting a dirt bike dirty, I knew that wasn't for me. I appreciate all the hard work that goes into a full restoration and I love to look at them, but I don't want one. I like a nice, clean bike, but it has to be able to be ridden and enjoyed. Good luck with your project.

My bikes all look horrible and there's a good reason for that. I can pretty much crash them as much as I want and you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. That's how I like them, able to be ridden. I wish they could look nice and be ridden, but that's not possible for me.

Every bike I own,76 MR 250,74 TL 125,69 CT 70 and a 69 z50, has the original paint on them with some nos parts. None are perfect but nice. The 50 is very dear to my heart since it's my first bike,got it for Christmas of 69. Many times I see restored ones and like you would like it to be like the day I got it. I have replaced things like seat,fenders, bars but got them in the early 90's when NOS was still easy to get. But if I did a complete restro it would be like any other restored one. Mine with it's scars is part of me and brings back many happy memories. You can always restore it but it's only original once. Just my feelings,but I hope what ever you do, works out.

Thanks to everyone that gave their own thoughts and perspective on my restoration. Everyone had good points and I appreciated them all.

Sure brings back the good old days of the early to mid 70's when riding was all we talked about in school and we couldnt wait to get home so we could go ride for a few hours before dark or like a lot of times, come back well after dark and my parents boiling mad at me (Luckily, they are both still with my family. My Mom is 86 and my Dad 89...I still take them camping with me to the deserts of Southern Califorina and they ride in my Rhino for hours at a time). Or the days at Indian Dunes they took us to for the day to ride or watch the races.

One last thing I left out was I met my first girlfriend with this bike. She was also 14, had a mid 70's TT500 and we would meet often in the hills around our homes. With no cell phones, all it would take was her riding in the nearby canyons and I would hear that bikes from miles away and that was my cue to put the gear on and go !!!!! Heck, we and our motorcycles were so close we "married" them to each other for life in a private ceremony with 2 witnesses and a friend (13 yrs old) who acted as the priest....my CR250M was the groom, her Yamaha TT500 the Bride. I still have the ring (just a black wire) we wrapped around each of our crossbars to signify the union on my handlebars after all of these years.

When I visit my parents house that they have lived in since 1970, I can still hear her TT500 "thumper" vibrating the canyon walls and would look for the dust clouds of her on the ridges and firebreaks across from my parents house. Sadly, she was killed about 25 years ago. But I still have the many letters we sent each other over the year (Jan 1977-78) we were together which talked often of going riding together. They are the ONLY letters I have ever kept from a past girlfriend....and they were/are kept in the same manilla envelope all of my CR250M papers came in.

I think I will have to go with option 3 with some painting. The history of the bike and the fact I would still like to ride it (not hard) just cant be ignored. Hopefully, I will have it done before the bikes 40th anniversary and will post pics. I just picked up a front rim/hub from E-Bay today too.

Thanks again !

Touching story about your first girl.

My first girl also died, but in a house fire at age 14. To this day, I still run 479 on my bikes her first, middle and last name spelled out in numbers.
My AMA earned life membership number I requested many years ago ends in 479.
Even my bracket drag bikes run ET 479

_________________
1994 AHRMA National Champion Sportsman 125 Intermediate.
1996 AHRMA National Champion Classic 125 Expert.

Ohio.

I have a soft spot for those old tractors too...especially the kind you have.

That is really cool how you keep your first GF memory alive by using her initials via numbers on your bikes. Funny how we become attached to certain things/people from times long since past.

My first GF met her death at the hands of a boyfriend she was dating in the mid 80's. I have tried at times to find where she is buried, but havent had much luck.

I know this isnt vintage tractor world but here is one more of the 1951 Oliver 77
and a 1940 Ford 9N im in the process of restoration.
Kinda odd me liking tractors, I live in Cleveland in the city and had no ties to farming.
I guess I needed a BIGGER challenge in restoring something other than bikes.

_________________
1994 AHRMA National Champion Sportsman 125 Intermediate.
1996 AHRMA National Champion Classic 125 Expert.

**May 22, 2013**I have slowly begun to re-assemble my CR250M. Instead of painting, I am just cleaning up each part the best I can.

I replaced the Ft & Rr rims with identical ones since my originals each had a big dent put into by me back in mid 1977. I also bought some new side plates and fenders from VMX and will eventually repair my originals parts (the OEM side plates & fenders each need a little work done to them and will be used in the future).

Bought new rubber & tubes for the rims and found some original NGK B9EV spark plugs to use once the engine has been placed back in the frame.

After sitting for 8 years in pieces, I am anxious to get this motorcycle of mine back together and ride it again while wearing my replica perforated Red, White & Blue Honda Jersey (VMX) proudly. But, at the same time, I will be going a little slow and make sure everything is in good shape (repair, cleaned or replaced) and as close to the original model as possible.

**May 28, 2013**I can't believe how many hours I have already spent on restoring my CR250M. With the countless hours (easy over a hundred) on-line looking up and buying parts on E-Bay or other sites, plus learning how best to restore certain parts, like the fronk forks shown below. It is time consuming, but at the same time, fun and rewarding.

I spent over 2 hours on just one of the forks and was VERY please with the results (they look even better after they were polished more after this pic was taken). Plus several more hours on the rear rim cleaning it and getting all of the grim off of it (a new tire/tube was added).

I have been using a combination of 3M Brillo Pads, Mother's Metal Polish & SOS Pads to clean and polish parts of my bike..especially on the forks and rims.

I also put my black oval decal (that I bought back in 2005 and haven't been able to find anymore since) and the "Elsinore CR250M" sticker onto both of my VMX side plates. I still have to drill the holes though the plate that hold the rubber bands in place. I am having a little difficulty installing the VMX rear fender on at this time. It isn't lining up properly...but I think I will get it to fit before I start drilling the holes needed to mount it. I ordered all new 22mm rubber gromments (OEM) for both the front and rear fenders and am waiting for those to be delivered, along with a slew of bolts/nuts (OEM) from Partszilla.com that I am replacing.

Ain't that purdy !!! well done.

A good friend of mine owns HMF exhaust which I drive the race support truck to the GNCC races. Its sure nice to have the run of his manufacturing facility one area of which is the polishing department.
If any of y'all make it out to a GNCC look for us, we always have an American flag and HMF banner hoisted high from our truck.

_________________
1994 AHRMA National Champion Sportsman 125 Intermediate.
1996 AHRMA National Champion Classic 125 Expert.

**June 03 2013**--Here is the new rim and tire after it was cleaned. Also, the VMX side plates after the oval decals and Elsinore decal was secured. I have since drilled the holes for the rubber bands for each and they are once again mounted on my CR250M !

I mailed the OEM side plates out today to be repainted (Tahitian Red) and will install the 'Elsinore CR250M" decals and attach the rubber bands at a later time.