77 WR250 back from the dead

Hi guys I finally got access to post. In July I bought a 77 WR250 for $325 but it was in a state of dismantlement. The engine was off but all the parts are there. I sent the engine to John L at VintageHusky for a complete rebuild. I'm also upgrading to electronic ignition.
He had to repair one of the crank bearing supports in the case but everything else was fairly regular. All seals/bearings replaced; cylinder honed/new piston; various parts replaced; exterior painted and new WR250 decal.

I forgot to mention I have the original warranty card filled in, owners manual, and all the maintenance receipts.
I also had the frame/swingarm/kickstand bead blasted and applied epoxy primer. I will probably go with the DupliColor engine enamel so I can touch it up as needed.

Also a question, what is the normal cost for doing the engine work described?
I got a quite a shock when he sent me the final total cost.
It was over 2k without the ignition parts.

crank and rod replaced too?

He used the old rod but had to change some parts on the crank.

yikes...a good reason to buy a universal splitter and crank puller and do the labor yourself.

I think the price is excessive but I have no point of reference.
That's why I'm asking you guys.
To put it in perspective I have a 1970 Datsun 240Z that I'm having the head milled/ported/new cam and rockers with installation and it was only $1200.

IT COST THAT TO REBUILD A LATE MODEL 450F

1977 WR250

What's the same bike selling for anyway?
I don't want to spend more than it's worth.

perhaps you could provide us with a list of what all was done, 2k parts and labor is a chunk. im trying to understand what all could have cost that, and what the labor cost was, per hour

Here's the email I got:

"I have just finished your engine complete now and just need to install the Ignition when it gets here. It looks like brand new. I have installed new bearings, Gaskets, Seals, A piston with a fresh cylinder bore job. All new clutch plates, A new kick start spring, everything has new black paint on it, The crank I rebuilt with replaced parts and a new big end bearing and pin and top bearing. I replaced the counter sprocket and engine displacement sticker. The total comes to 2575.00"

I know, it's a Sh*t Ton for a single cylinder 2 stroke. IDK the hourly rate but he does have all the parts on hand.

You need to understand that vintage labor falls into the luxury tax that is attached to anything attached to exotic auto, marine, aircraft, and in our case vintage non current motorcycles. The common situation in this forum with few exceptions is that we know where to get parts, and those are expensive because they went out of production years ago. The cost of reproducing anything not commonly universal is very high. The labor cost is high because shops like John LeFebve do it for a living. If you do not like the cost of the labor, buy the tools we recommend and we can help you get the job done. You would find the same situation for support for most anything from the 70's. OEM parts are scarce and expensive even for Honda and Suzuki.

Unfortunately that's the way it is with most shops that do this kind of work. Probably getting close to a 100 bucks per hour. This bike has a wide selling price range could go from 1200 to 3000 and the high end would be a complete all over restore. Sounds like you have a guy that actually knows what he's doing tho, I hope all ends well with it running at the top of its game...

Think yourself lucky ! I had a re-fresh done on my '73 CCM about 7 years ago. That cost me $3000. No major parts replaced. My motor for the other CCM is around $10'000 plus !!
Yes, buy the tools to disassemble and rebuild and it will save a fortune. But in defence, you can't beat experience in assembling a motor. John has all that in abundance.

I had a long talk with John and he explained line by line what the costs were and why.
I'm satisfied that the parts and labor costs, while high, are legitimate.
Inspection and assembly have been done by a seasoned professional who knows all the ins and outs of these machines.
If I think about the costs incurred so far and what it would cost to buy a restored bike it's still a bargain.
Plus I have the satisfaction of doing some of the work myself.
Thanks for everyone who added a reply.

Does anyone know if the rear shocks on a 77 WR should be 13 or 15 inches?
The ones I took off are 13 but from what I can research they should be 15.

2k+ for a full engine rebuild and paint up sounds fine to me.

Sounds like you are gonna be right up there with costs. It will still be worth it though. I'd say the cost of the engine work is right inline with what I would expect. This is why we do what we can ourselves. Have fun with your project, it will be nice when complete.