Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

Who,else, has an mr 250? Lordy, I thought cr's would be the deal. But, there must be a ton of mr's looming out in the darkness. Tell me who's got one and what you've done to it/them. We must rise up and declare our independence Shake free the bonds of excessive speed and thrills found in the cr belief and make the world a better place!!!

I have a couple of MR250s and love them for what they are, a mellow trail bike. Often folks want to modify them to be more like CR250s but this is not a good idea. Even though it was based on the 75 CR250 the MR250 has many mods to make it quieter among other things. Getting the bike jetted right is the biggest problem since it is a bit overcarberated. I found a 48 pilot to replace the 55 I got with mine which makes it idle and run much better. Once you get that right they are a pleasure to putt around on.

My MR250 isn't even a roller yet. Came w/o rims and two busted up engines. Part of a deal that got me a 74 CR250 in worse condition w/o engine and a 76 CR250 with a toasted engine but all there. My MTs run well enough.

My MR is really low man on the totem pole. I just got a new cylinder for the CR and if my case repairs go well it will be my first priority. I've got a few more projects that are more interesting to me, for instance I am really long on 2 stroke bikes so I am piecing together a rat bike from ~1971 Husky frame with a Honda 250XL engine.

I'm not a skilled rider. In January I only rode twice for maybe 20 minutes total => I am not going to get skilled anytime soon. Too old and take to long to heal. I will eventually get the MR going as it is more suited to my skill level and probably has a better fun factor for me then the CR.

The Husky sounds like fun! I traded 2 old sbc 350's for a pile of old bikes and all I got was a pile of old parts. I do have have making's for a GS 750 bobber project that I want to start after the MR is up and running.And I get a new welder! My boy started welding school this week and will finish at the end of August so I told him that he owes me a new tig machine AND he WILL teach me how to tig as soon as he gets a job and a little money in the bank. I've been going to every swap meet I an find in the area trying to sell parts but, have the most success with harley parts a buddy of mine couldn't sell in his shop. I've been told that the "good" dirt swaps are in the summer which doesn't make any sense to me but, I will find out. I am a swappin' fool just ask my wife.

Yeap, my desires and burned fingers went up proportionately to my MIG and oxyacetylene expenditures.

Most of the stuff I own is bone stock. Only rat bikes I have moving under their own power are a Yamaha DT100 engine in a Kawasaki G5 frame and TM400 engine in a Suzuki TC250 frame. A Rickman 6 day trial is getting an Honda SL125 engine and the aforementioned Husky/Honda should be done this summer.

I have parts for one more but want to go a bit unusual. Something like a super motard with a 4 cylinder Honda engine.

So what do you find first? the frame or the engine? What is the deciding factor for these creations? Do you get the idea ,then go gather parts? Or, do you have a part, get an idea and then get the others to finish the thought? Which brings up another question. You got a "barn-o-bikes" or do you have to get out and search for these pieces?

Mostly I eBay under parts bikes and look at the stuff that is local to me. If something is less then $50 and *usually* of the set [Honda, dual sport, MX] I am there. Occasionally I find something so cheap I can't resist. I think the roller Suzuki TC250 frame was ~$12, the G5 ~$10.

One of my MTs led me to a package deal for the MR and two CRs. The MT was ~$52 on eBay and badly busted up: Looked like someone ran it w/o oil and hit a tree. When I picked it up the guy said he would sell me the MR/CRs for ~$350 so I bit.

I do have some other junk that is only of interest to me. I picked up a Honda ~CB650 for $4.99 and a VT500<Traversely mounted V-twin> off eBay for $2.99 but every day I wonder what for.

I'm getting better though. Passed up a couple of bikes recently because they were street bikes and not Honda. Not that I have anything against other makes or street bikes, just that I don't ride on the street and I have enough projects.

That sounds interesting, is it running, any pix.
I am looking for a TS400 myself.
I was thinking about trying to find a TM400 motor and sticking it in a street legal frame.

Man have you 2 got the creative juices flowing! I have been searching parts bikes like a wild child. I have flowed your advise and kept my search close to home. I don't want to step on your toes (where ever those toes might be) and am looking for the "cheap" iron that no body seems to want. Spuncrazy, the TM was a Bastard wasn't it? I was working for the local suzy shop in 73/74 when the TM/RM change started and I always loved that bike. It was a white knuckle'in SOB in it's day. I remeber stating that someday I would own a TM and a Maico 450. Maybe that day is finally coming. Although, I'm not sure about the Maico. Parts and prices have separated tremendously since 74.

Back in the day, my dad bought a new- leftover 74 TM400 to use in the woods. He put the flywheel and lighting coil from a TS400, put ossa head and tailights on, along with a big steel skidplate. I think he spent lot's of time messing with the timing, trying to calm it down a bit. Man, that bike was scary fast. I used to ride it, I was 13, but if I stalled it, I couldn't kick it over. i always liked the classic lines of the TM too!

No picture and I disabled it last summer: I am carb short so I pulled the carb off it to put on my Husky.

Just as well because it was kind of tearing itself apart. I have to make some additional bracing points. I'll work on it some more this summer now that some of my other projects are winding down.