Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

This may be pretty basic, but I'm new to working on bikes. I would like to replace the rusty chrome wheels on my MT250. Can I switch to an alloy CR250 hub and wheel assembly? Will it bolt right up? If not, what other options are there? I thought about maybe sand blasting the existing wheels and painting. If I do that, what is a reasonable price to relace the wheels? Is lacing something I can do myself?

Removing rims is a little tedious, but it's really not hard at all - I wouldn't hesitate to try it yourself. My friend pulled both rims off his MT250 (one for cleaning, one for replacement) having never touched a motorcycle wheel in his life - in fact, his method was faster than mine, although it required two people. He also sandblasted/repainted his hubs & brake backing plates and cleaned the spokes with steel wool, replacing the badly rusted ones.

I'd suggest finding aluminum rims from a 70's Honda with 18"/21" wheels - I'm almost positive they all will work fine. The MT front brake is pretty good, I'd definitely keep the hub.

Ray

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'74 CR125M (175cc), '75 MR175, '82 RM250Z, '08 YZ250F, '14 Zero FX electric, '14 Zero MX electric, '18 Alta MXR electric

Thanks Ray. That's what I was hoping. I was looking at some xl250 wheels on eBay. They appear to be aluminum and look like the hubs might work, so that if the spokes are good, I wouldn't need to relace.

It looks like practically all the early XL250's and XL350's used the same 44601-356-000 or 44601-356-670 (probably a different paint color) front hubs as the MT250, so the wheels should fit using the MT axle etc.

Ray

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'74 CR125M (175cc), '75 MR175, '82 RM250Z, '08 YZ250F, '14 Zero FX electric, '14 Zero MX electric, '18 Alta MXR electric

Excellent. Thanks Ray.

I bought an xl250 rim for my mr250,haven't done anything yet but it looks to be a real good match. I have had it so long I can't remember how I decided that was the one to get. Just be careful buying, get good pictures, the alloy ones seem to crack on their seam.
By the way what MG do you have,I have a MGA 1600 Coupe but have not been able to use it much lately.

'73 MGB. Those MGA coupes are gorgeous.

Thanks. I ended up with the coupe because my wife bought a new 79 B,it was nothing compaired to yours by then though. They as a brand here are becoming a distant memory.
I figured out how I came up that a mr and xl would fit and it turns out that the cr rear wheels are the same too,I just looked up the part numbers and they all the same.



and so I don't totally hijack this thread,here is my MR

Beautiful car and bike. You just can't beat the vintage lines. I appreciate you looking that up.

I wonder if a 1980 xl250 wheel and hub would fit. There's a nice rebuilt one for sale.

Sorry I can't help on that. I don't even remember seeing a MT in the flesh. Google ServiceHonda they have a decent online parts by year and model

I just went on their site by the looks of it the hubs and brake panels between 1975 xl250 and mt250 are the same. Distance collars and axles are different. Rims are different too xl I know are aluminium I think the mt are steel. Look for yourself, I think if you use your axles and distance collars you can use the xl wheel assembly at least at the rear. Front looks the same as well. Just looked, 80's xl are different

Thanks Gary.