Zilla Questions?

[89trx_250]

i have been watching these bike at glamis and now im hankerin' to get me one so it can join the ranks of my 250r! the only thing i want to know is what to look for in a good and well take care of zilla. things that i should watch out for. i was going to bore out my honda but i think spending that money on another bike would be a better idea since two toys are better than one. and what can i expect to pay for one? i dont want to spend more than three grand and also havign to dump money into i dont want to do if i have to pay 3g's just to get one.
also when i get one waht should i carry as spares? and what are the most commonly broken parts on these bikes. cuz 500cc of pure 2 stroke power is alot and there is something that breaks or wears out alot on these bikes. and also waht year shouldd i look for that is good? is 89 a good year? taht way it matches my R. thansk alot for any help.

[Kane]

While there are differences between the years besides the upper A-arms, they are so minimal that people who enjoy riding them more than just yappin' about em almost never notice.

I can't say what price you'll have to pay. I have 6k in one and I regret not a single penny. I have half that in another. I have a third that I have no idea how far I'm going to go with......but it's gonna be sweet. And initial cost of quad purchase is going to depend on several things. Where you are, condition of machine, intelligence of seller, intelligence of buyer as well, on and on.

I'll have to let others finish this as I just noticed the time and gotta run.

[FPMXer]

Welcome to E2S fellow IE neighbor. I just picked up an 88' last month. It ran but not very well. Found out later that the base gasket blew out and was sucking coolant. The engine just got a fresh bore and piston kit, new gaskets, seals and crank bearings. I will have it together hopefully by the middle of this coming week. You can find alot of information in the LT500 subforum under the Suzuki link and also quadracerHQ.com. Have you been looking on craigslist.com for a zilla? I have seen plenty of them in there. Most of the one's that I've seen are priced between $2500-$4500. You will just have to look at the bike and fire it up.

[miatv]

most important thing i can think of is pulling stator cover and checking for crank bearing movement. a weak spot on these bikes. bearings can hog out the case and a little costly to fix. check for welds on the frame, swingarm bearings, and back left side of motor. where swingarm can run rub. just check the normal stuff otherwise. 88 and newer may be a little better? stronger a-arms, seven head bolts, and better trans ratio. but 87s are supposed to make a little more power. price like kane said will vary. they seem to go for more money out west? good luck.

[evil_stroke]

talk to bomb he has a project bike for sale and it looks sweet powder coated frame im not sure how much he wants for it, plus to, its an 88 he has pics he can send ya so get ahold of em

[874Q2]

I paid 2 grand for mine and it didnt need a thing but tlc. I would get a bike thats running at least you know what your starting with, you should change all the bearings first thing. I think if you really want one then they are worth it, but you have to show some commitment and concentration on upkeep, if yur one of those people that say ill do that later then it wont be running well for long. they are not yur typical beater

I have had 2 and they were both close to stock and have never had any real problems with either, Attachment 11553

[89trx_250]

thanks alot. i guess im going to go shop around in the cycle trader for one. they look sweet and im not the type of person that lets things break. during the off season i do lots of stuff to my honda to get it ready for nex season. but i know i wont be able to take apart the bike before i buy so how can i tell i have a good engine when i find a bike by justturning it on could i tell the condition of it?

[FPMXer]

Cycletrader is not as updated as craigslist.com is so you might call on bikes that have been sold for over a month. I have better luck with deals on craislist than I ever had on cycletrader or atvtrader.