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70's enduros

651 views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  toates89 
#1 ·
I am looking at a dt250 next weekend.its got 3000 miles on it, looks like a 7/10 on condition. been sitting for 15 years(heard that this is bad for 2 strokes).

Shes asking 2000. I think its too high. I am looking to pay 1200 but i would go 1300.

Is this too low of an offer for said bike.

this isnt the exact bike but it is in similar condition

http://www.bikez.com/pictures/yamaha/1977/10720_0_1_4_dt 250_Image credits - Rick.jpg

What is a reasonable offer on something like this?
 
#2 ·
I had a DT175 I paid $800 for and it took three years of hard use like a champ before it went off to a new owner. As far as I know it is still going today. I had to bypass the oil injector it was horribly unreliable. After that I never had a problem with it again.

The asking price is way to high for me, but I don't know the market in your area.

DTs are great bikes though. Even the Harley riders would way to me.


Sitting is hard on any vehicle but it can be elbow greased back to happy.
 
#5 ·
While it looks like it is in good condition, pictures lie. For $2000, it should be running, otherwise that is a $1000 bike IF it has a clear title. No title, half that. Unfortunately these bikes are becoming increasingly popular with hipsters and it is driving the prices up. So many of these bikes are consequently snapped up at inflated prices, chopped and hacked into poorly executed cafe racers and then dumped when they can't them tuned correctly.
The problem with old two strokes sitting is the crank seals. These are rubber seals that prevent air leaks into the crankcase. When they dry out they crack and leak, causing the engine to run very lean and overheat, causing a piston seizure. Bad things. Plus the bike will run like hell until that happens. Replacing them may or may not require splitting the engine, some bikes this is necessary and others not, I am not familiar with the DT series bikes to say for certain. In addition, the oil in the oil lines from the injector pump can harden into goo, which will block fresh oil from getting to the crank bearings and piston again causing the engine to lock up. Lots of people advocate removing the oil pump and blocking off the ports, this is usually a bad idea. By the late 70's, technology had made these things dead reliable and probably one of the last parts to fail on a two stroke. Removing them could prevent oil from getting places that premixed oil/gas through the carb cannot get to like the crank bearings. Cleaning or replacement may be necessary, not a huge burden but they can be hard to find. Then the usual a old bike stuff, stuck clutch, old degraded wiring, rust, gummy fluids in the forks and transmission case, old tires, etc. It can be fun and rewarding to get one of these old bikes running properly, I enjoy it as a hobby, but it takes more than just a carb clean and an oil change.
 
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