82.5 cr500

Picked up this 82 CR250 just before Christmas. Bike is in better shape than it looks and actually ran with 80 psi compression! I have a 82-CR250 that I just got done for a racer so I decided to build a "Silver Streak" replica. I have a 83 500XC with a bad rod and a 84-WR500 with a good engine. I dont feel comfortable on the 83-84's as the shocks/side panels make me ride bowlegged. I'm not bashing 83-up as I love my 84-WR250 for a trail bike were I'm not "up on the pegs" so much. So I looked at the three and decided on building a 82 500. Plan is to use the 500 engine-pipe, 83-84 wheels for the DLS front brake and 18" rear wheel. Have a set of 87 forks, triples.

Progress

Got the 82-CR250 tore down yesterday after a hour of steam cleaning. Looked the frame over and it looks great, no dents in under engine tubes. Upper shock mounts look good also. Pulled engine and found reason for low compression, previous seizure. Good spares for my other CR250, pipe was in great shape also. Fitted 83 500 engine in it to start fitting the pipe. Before I get banned for life, the Red Honda belongs to a friend and I'm working on it. Blue TTR 125 with pink seat is my 10 year old daughters and NOT my pit bike.

Fleet,
Nice find. Post up repairs/improvements. I'm watching.
Rick

Pipe fitting

83 up pipe is close but not close enough. Rear cone and stinger wont work but head pipe and expansion chamber will. Compared 83-500 pipe to the 82-250 pipe and found the rear cone to be the same diameter were they meet the expansion chamber. I'm looking for a 82-250 or 430 pipe that is near death in the front but has a good rear cone/stinger. the 82-250 pipe I have is too nice to cut. Cut weld on the 500 pipe and I have it ready for the 82 parts.

what you need my man is the home made power now blade.....

wow.......

Rev fast and pull hard....

HR

keep posting the progress!!!

Pipe pics

Here are some of the pipe modification pics. blasted one is stock 83-500XC. Black one is Asch 83-500XC. Modifying the Asch for my 82-500 project. Need to modify rear cone to go inwards and use 82 stinger. Fits great everywere else.

Pipe fits

Rough draft of pipe fits great. Need to add front hanger and fab. new "smoother" rear cone transition to stinger. Been awile since I have oxy-acet. welded so dont pick on me too hard! I was going to TIG it but my purist friend talked me out of it. Had a friend come by and comment on why everything was scuzzy I was putting on it? I explained to him about how nothing ever fits right and especially if its been painted or powdercoated. Assemble whole bike then tear down for making it look pretty-hint, triples have been polished/wrapped in newspaper since Christmas vacation. Scott

Well?

Next?

She done yet?


Talk to me Scott......

oh, have an email into Mat at RT

Gold Valve kits for the rears....or, just get the RT -3 shocks....

HR

Well? I'm a hurrying! Got new tires mounted up over weekend, DLS front and 18" rear off of my donor 84-WR500, repacked wheel bearings. Forks are done, triples with new cup/cones ready. Brake shoes came in today

Next? Going to sandblast frame this weekend and get some paint on it now that everything fits, color? Have a set of rebuilt Ohlins coming at end of month. Hopefully get crank/rod back from machinist by weekend. Will have to mock up engine to check ports and squish. Going to port the piston this week and clean up ports in cylinder. Got my Wing done yet?

She done yet? Read above

Why not? Life! Had to tear into my 82 CR250 after last weekends ride, suspicious of kicker gear and needed clutch adj. Looks good. O-yah, finished up putting new plastic on 2001 CR250R Honda I was working on for a friend that actually coughs up a few "garage bucks"

Well

its an excuse, not a GOOD one mind you, but for now, we will let it slide.

Paint dry yet?
huh?



HR

Forgot to add, sold gutless 250X and got carb put back together on my 82-430! Big project is going to be the tank-its rough and leaking around were seat has rubbed it. Good enough excuse yet?

Fleet,
You sound like my fourteen year old daughters - there always a reason. Just kidding.

I've come to learn these rebuilds are not "over night" restos. I'm w/ you, fix the probelems as they arise. Better to do it now vs being out away from the garage/tools. Any progress, no matter how small/slow, is progress.

Now, on to a serious matter - get the dang camera out and post up some new/more photos. Love new pictures.

OK OK here they are! New tires/tubes mounted on 84-WR500 wheels, Wheel bearings repacked,18" to replace stock 82 17". Rims were pinned which was a new one on me. I have a 87 430XC front end to put on it, they say 87 forks were an upgrade over the 82's. Has some time over the Christmas holiday so I polished the triples. I like the 87 triples as they move the forks ahead some and have straight bar mounts- non isolated though! Ouch on a 500's vibration.

Buffing

I bought a Dayton variable speed 8" buffer and use the rouge sticks. Black to start with then red to finish, final finish is dry pad. I glass bead first then if I have room with my DA up to 400, 400 finish in shop sink with trickle of water to keep paper clean. Nooks and crannies I use a "mouse" sander, they work great. I had at one time thought about doing a set of cases but that was before I polished the tunnel ram on my 39, never again!!! I spray the raw and polished magnesium with WD40 to keep it from staining. Just dont get it near anything you are going to paint soon-fisheyes.
No 500 progress today. Installed new clutch in the 82-CR250 and found clutch cover cracked at rear dowel, put spare on while I cook this one before welding. While I was being uninterupted in the garage I put the carb back together on my 82-430XC and got it running again! Tomm. going to ride the 430 for first time-other than around block since getting it done.

A little progress

The original rear brake backing plate was shot, bushing bad and boss cracked, other spare wasn't much better. Some bonehead had also drilled front brake stay mounting bracket out because bushing was gone. Rear wheel is off of 84 WR so I decided to use the WR rear backing plate/brakes. This meant adding a swingarm mounted brake stay. I had a dead 83-up swingarm so I poached the stay mounting tab off of it and welded it onto the 82 CR swingarm. Going to use a later model chain guide and swingarm protector/pad also so more swingarm mods. to follow.

Well............

Made a decision over the weekend regarding this project. First excuse is as follows, I'm 43, had very bad back injury in 01 and still can only lift 25lbs on a good day, just got back to riding last spring, both knees are shot also. Back deal was no fun and I still do most stuff stupid neurologists say not to. Second excuse which is the best- I'm still sixteen at heart not the 43 yr old 265 pounder! I cant stay off the throttle for nothing- tell myself in the pickup dont ride stupid, stupid! and go right out and ride stupid?
My 430 has more power than I'll ever use and I really only ride it in open country. My CR250 has plenty on the MX track, mild porting,Ashe pipe and I know I dont ride it to its potential. With that I think I'm going to abandon the CR500 project. The chassis is in awesome shape and will take the best of both (82 CR250) to make one. This will free me up in both time and $$$ for what I really want to build, the 72 CR400 that I got awile back- not like that will be any good on my back, but it'll be cooler!

Decided I'm never too old so I'm back on the project! Still waiting on my machinist to finish the crank project...snooze. Collected more parts so I'll be busy this winter, hint... building new pipe that fits better from scratch with Harry Taylor "instructing me"

Cool

I was very disappointed that you were dropping it. Good luck. It looks great!

Lucien

I'm in and still watching. Love project builds. Keep updating.
Rick