I should stay off of Craigslist...

[MojaveRider]

My garage is already pretty full of trikes and other assorted Honda implements, but while browsing Craigslist this morning I stumbled upon an '86 ATC250R. Ad originally said non-running, but the owner got it running with some fresh gas and a plug change. Neither the front or rear brakes work, and the front master looks like it's seized in the bore. He also said the clutch is stuck together and won't release, but claims it was changed before it was stored for a few years.

The plastics are all OEM and uncracked, except for some cracks to the left radiator shroud. Gas tank looks pretty good, only minor surface scratches. It still has the original seat cover and toolbox. Only mods appear to be an FMF Gold Series pipe and silencer, bolt on rear wheel spacers, and handlebars. The engine looks pretty unmolested and still has the original chain guard, but seems corroded for some reason. There doesn't appear to be a lot of other corrosion on the bike though, so I'm not sure what's up. Fork seals are leaking, but both boots are mostly there. Front tire is nearly bald and cracked, but it looks like the original. Hopefully I'll get some better pics sometime this week.

I got it for $900, which seemed like a pretty good price with the decent OEM plastics.

185139

[Marty]

very good buy those parts that are in need are common but the hard to find parts all there and in tact good job

[knsmodels]

Looks like you stole that one in parts alone......should make an awesome bike....

[nd4speed]

i wish i could buy that for $900 off craigs here! nice score

[CRAZY70MAN]

Jokingly of course I would like to kick someone on the west coast in the nuts for deals like that:lol::lol: Sincerely, The rustbelt:cry:

Nice score for sure.:beer

[MojaveRider]

Good to know I'm not crazy :)

[CRAZY70MAN]

Good to know I'm not crazy :)

Great deal you got there man.....seriously. That R cleaned up and running here would fetch twice what you paid easily........ Smart investment friend! You are not crazy.....

[slashfan7964]

Holy hell what a steal man! I'm jealous.

[110 atc]

How do you sleep at night stealing like that?

[MojaveRider]

How do you sleep at night stealing like that?

Lol, as always the pictures make it look a bit cleaner than it actually is. I didn't even really talk him down much. He was original asking $1000. There was someone else interested but the guy selling thought he was going to part it out, but it worked in my favor. It was a tense 1.5 hour drive to get it to see if he was actually going to hold it for me or sell it to someone else.

[DohcBikes]

Nice!! I like the trailer too lol

[MojaveRider]

Nice!! I like the trailer too lol

I found the trailer on Craigslist too a few months ago. It is pretty slick: the last 1/3 of it folds up and it will stand on end in the garage to take less space. There is also a wheel chock at the front which makes it ideal for hauling a trike.

[DohcBikes]

Definitely looks good and looks like it works great, looks built just for a trike!!

[6speedthumper]

Super good find pal! I highly doubt it'd take much to get it right once more.

[MojaveRider]

I've been working on this a lot lately. I got the front and rear brakes working. The front master was seized up and got replaced with a used 300EX unit, but the caliper and pads were good. I cleaned and lubed the front caliper and it's good to go. The rear master was also seized, and the rear caliper was in bad shape. One of the pads was bent up, and both pins were jacked. One is stripped out, and the other broke in half when I tried to remove it. I replaced the rear master with a used one from a KFX400, and the rear caliper came off of a YZF250. The air filter had turned into an oil foam pile at the bottom of the airbox. I had to remove it and scrub to get it cleaned up, and installed a new Uni air filter.

Next up was the clutch. It was clear from rolling it around that the clutch was not disengaging. I pulled the right side cover and the transmission oil looked terrible. It was very thick and light colored, almost milky. My first guess was water intrusion, however there wasn't any rust inside. I would have thought the water and oil would have separated after sitting so long. The clutch was stuck together but I got all the plates apart. I soaked the friction plates in oil and put it back together. I had to adjust the cable practically all the way out but I got it disengage. Next I gave the carb a once-over. It was actually pretty clean and appeared to be in good shape.

I mixed up some fresh pre-mix and gave her a few kicks and she came to life and ran well. The clutch worked as it should, and after riding a bit I was able to adjust it back in a bit. I only rode it around the yard for a bit with no rear seat or fenders, but the engine definitely sounds healthy. I noticed the chain slider and upper chain roller are gone, so no more riding until I can get those to protect the frame/swingarm. I need to change the trans oil a few more times and see if it will clear up. It doesn't appear to be leaking coolant into the crankcase or out the weep hole, fingers crossed.

I also ordered fork boots, fork seals, factory grips (I like the factory look!), and some radiator shrouds. The handle bars are bent, so I'll be on the lookout for a good set of stock bars.

[Dirtcrasher]

I think you did VERY WELL!!

Someone was watching you and helping you out!!!!

[dmfaulks85]

Great find!

[MojaveRider]

Thanks guys.