thing to look for when buying 250r?

[dmopar74]

ok i will be buying a 250r next tax returns, and am wondering things i should look for? i havent been into quads for 10 years, and even 10 years ago i remember hearing about frames cracking at the steering bulkhead? i just need some info on years to look for(i see the 86, then 87 for sale the most,almost never 88,89) and areas on the quad to pay attn too.

thanks in advance!

[all250r]

Originally Posted by dmopar74

ok i will be buying a 250r next tax returns, and am wondering things i should look for? i havent been into quads for 10 years, and even 10 years ago i remember hearing about frames cracking at the steering bulkhead? i just need some info on years to look for(i see the 86, then 87 for sale the most,almost never 88,89) and areas on the quad to pay attn too.

thanks in advance!

I'll take a stab at what I think are some issues. Try a search too on here. I woudln't be surprised if the questions already been answered a couple times.

There are R's out there that have few hours or were ridden lightly. Here in So Cal there are R's sitting in garages that have only ever been to Glamis. I bought an 89the other month that was one of these quads. Anywhere in the southwest I think has an opportunity with some patience for some nice, rust free, low hours R's.

Otherwise, the frame is the most crucial part to be intact. Right now most other components like case halves, cranks can be replaced or repaired, but if hte frame is shot or been ridden hard it could be expensive or time consuming to find a replacement. Plus if your state requires a title, then you may have lost your registration and title fees.

I think you can get an idea how much life has been drained from the bike the easiest when the paint is original. From here you can look at welds and see if there are a) cracks b) paint flaking from around the welds indicating flexing and/or metal fatigue. Mechanical failure happens when the steel (or aluminum, 88-89 swinger) has been flexed too hard too many times. At that point the overall integrity of the chassis is in question because the metal is getting "tired".

Of the various frames I've seen over the years the ones that have been around start to show evidence of stress:
* like you said, at the upper stem mount
* around the bolt holes in the front engine mounts. it seems bikes with nerf bars attached or pipes mounted here have this problem more frequently - just a guess though
* at the rear engine mounting cross bar on the 88-89
* of lesser importance is the subframe at rear most end. could indicate wheeling or roll overs.

I think those are the first places they crack. Obviously damage can appear anywhere though. Your best bet for a long term investment is to hold out for a low hours or one that hasn't been ridden/stressed hard.

In my opinion the engine will last the longest if you just tear it down and spec all the internal components and repalce all bearings and seals. If yo'ure confident the bike was owned by grandma and hasn't been ridden hard, you can get away for a while probably with a compression test and maybe a fresh piston.

Also, plastics. Good OEM plastics are the best you can mount to them for fit and in my opinion looks as well. They're also pretty expensive. You can save a sold amount of cash by picking one up with plastics you can live with for a while.

Lastly, TRX's that have been around the block with any number of aftermarket parts attached and any number of circus tent colors are in my opinion like shooting in the dark. The market shows it as well. Unless it's race condition and totally clean, these bikes are probably the cheaper variety. If it doesn't have the original paint, you have to take the owner's word on the condition and history of the frame. The engine could have had hack porting, bad crank and old or previously blown bearings. These bikes could be great or could be a dissapointing money pit that may or may not ever run the way you would want. Conversely a well maintained TRX can feel and corner like brand new and run like an friggin beast.

[kxrider]

well said and actually these are good things to look at when ur planning to buy any quad or bike

[bean86]

Could put it any better

[dmopar74]

thank you for that very informative reply! ive bought many used vehicles/ atvs and always had good experiences, but there are some points like flaking paint that i would have never thought of. just want to be carefull with buying a 20 year old toy.

[dmopar74]

so do you think i will be able to pick up a good 250r for around $2500? im in the seattle area, seems to be quite a few 250r's in my area, including oregon, around that price.

[Bad Ass Honda 250r]

whoa ya... in my area you can buy a hell of a 250r for that... dont know about where ur at though

[all250r]

Prices where I live are probably high on the national average. Run of the mill 86-87's go for that easily, but with a little shoping you can find something in the 88-89 variety. For example the last 89 I bought is all original except a pipe and low hours. The seat has supple vinyl, plastic is excellent and missing only small amounts of red paint from boots. I landed it for $2650. It however wasn't the quad advertised. I saw it in the picture in the background and I made a deal with him. So if you're resourceful, you can do it.

[LongTravel250R]

Also check for regular maintenance like bearings being greased, how tight the bearings are.Over all cleanliness of it, did they wash after every ride?Did they lube the chain regularly?Are the sprockets in good shape and not fish hooked?.. What kind of oil they ran in it is another indication to me,someone who runs the very best fluids in their machines cares about them, you wouldn't believe the cheapy's that stingy on the oil to save a couple dollars ...Aftermarket parts are not always a bad thing, there are things made with todays technology that are better than they were back in the 80's period.....

[all250r]

Originally Posted by LongTravel250R

Aftermarket parts are not always a bad thing, there are things made with todays technology that are better than they were back in the 80's period.....

I know what you're saying. I'm not saying all aftermarket parts are "bad". One of my points is judging the condition of the quad, another is about irresponsible modification. But I do not think even more than a couple parts on the 250R are a worse technology than was is put out today purely as a function of "advancement in technology". Most of the advancements are in the aftermarket parts themselves like maybe shocks and carburetion. The 250R including some of the more dull charactierics it had, were designed the way it was on purpose for reasons other than lack of technology.