1000 Bucks for a 98 RMX 250, good deal?

[FUSE]

Hello everyone. Well my chinese knock off of a Yamaha lasted me a whole two days on the track. What a piece of junk. Should have never thought that thing would be a decent bike.

Anyways, I have a friend of a friend that is selling a 98 Suzuki RMX 250 for 1000 bucks. He says it is great condition, has everything on it, skid plate, bush gards, ect...

He says it runs great.

Needs three things.

Said the rear shock could stand to be rebuilt.
The front fork seals leak a little. Thought he said just one side.
And he said it would be a good idea to go ahead and either rebuild or put on a new top end.

I am going to look at it Friday night. So with all that info, does 1000 bucks sound like a good deal?

Is there anything that when I go look at it I should look at or for? Keep in mind, I have never owned a two stroke bike before. I am new to dirt bikes pretty obvious I think with what I bought
as my first bike.

Please help me out, I really don't want to waste anymore money. I'm really straped but my son is learning to ride the tracks and he loves it. I need to be able to go with him. I won't be doing major jumps or anything on it.

 

[IZ 250]

The RMX is simliar to the yamaha wr in that its a rm with a wide ratio transmission, front light, rear light, and lighting coil tacked on . The 1000 bucks is a good deal if its not a pos. Good luck.

 

[placelast]

This would apply to any bike: Check the wheel bearings for wear by moving them around. Ask him if it were okay to remove the ignition cover, then move the thingamagig to see it there play of the up and down type, meaning if so then it would need the cases split for main bearings. If there is some oil, then the seals are bad although they can be replaced without splitting the cases (I've done both on my son's RMX). Remove the seat and take a look at the air filter; one that is torn or dirty indicates neglect. Check the underside-frame down tubes for damage, especially if it does not have a glide plate. The RMX came with case protectors; ask where they are if gone. Some remove them for no good reason other than to put one of those silly shovel-style aluminum skid plates which reflect engine noise and collect mud.

I've never lost a seal on my '97's forks so some dirt may have gotten in his or he tweeked the front end in a crash. Check the kick starter's knuckle for looseness/wear. Place the bike on a stand and spin the tires, checking for wheel wobble and missing/broken spokes. If the owner was a good wrench then it's a bargain.

If you do buy it, have Eric Gorr port it and do his work on the head when he reopens his business. (I have a spare FS on that on-line auction site; read it to see what he does.) The second most important thing is to install a PC pipe and S/A; FMF is fine but their fit stinks! A Kehin PWK 38 or 39mm carb is much easier to tune than the stock PJ (a new spare of mine will be up for sale shortly.)

If you want to tractor it around then get a Steahly fly wheel weight. The stock gearing is perfect for desert, use one tooth larger in the rear for singeltrack; this setup keeps the engine below the hit.

Do a new top end every year and clean the exhaust valve. Spring the supension for your weight if you are heavier than 175lbs or less than 145 or so.

Get an OEM manual (I'll have one of these up for sale soon.)

The stock top clamp puts the bars in your lap! Not good. If you can swing it buy a BRP top clamp - the only one who made them - to move the bars forward (a must) and up for agressive riding, even if trail riding only. They have only a few left; once they are sold that's it. Use your favorite bar - mine was ProTaper CR high. And buy your choice of tall seat foam (Guts, Ceet, Technosel - the latter is the best; contact Villa Racing Products in San Luis Obispo, CA) - even if you are not a tall guy as it will help put you in a better riding position to leverage the bike into corners and obstacles.

Plastic can be had from UFO and the RM250 stuff from '89-'92 fits. I had an RM tank from that year as I like being way forward when riding although the stock tank is not bad, and overall this bike is skinny even by todays standards.

It's a bit busy when going fast but that's the price for sharp turning. Get your favorite steering stabilizer if you want to maintain some pace.

Get your favorite brand of radiator guards - I used Works Connection, and you're good to go for a long time as this thing is bullet proof and over built to do enduros and cross country. The wide-ratio trans, slim body and overbuiltness makes it a real good off road mount.

My only compaint was the weight, which says alot about the bike for the 7 years I've owned it, and there's not much you can do for that.

Let us know how it goes.

 

[FUSE]

Thanks for the replies. I will definitly use the advice given when I go look at it friday.

Could someone tell me just how much money it takes to put a new top end on a bike and rebuild the rear shock and forks.

Are we talking a couple hundred or are we talking a couple thousand?

With the sugestion that I should do the top end every year, I hope that it isn't much.

 

[sick 96 250]

a $1000 sounds like a good deal for a RMX, those are kinda hard bikes to really come across in good condition. You can do a top end for less than $100 if you shop around a little as long as the cyclinder isnt destroyed. You can do it yourself pretty easily if you arent mechanically inclined and have somewhat of a clue how to turn a wrench, just get the manual for the bike before hand, it will help out a ton. As for the shock rebuild and fork rebuild, if the forks just need a simple new seals and oil maybe $100-120 and for rear shock bebuild prob around the same price although you can always find another used shock on the famous auction site for pretty cheap instead, thats including a top end kit from that also. Could luck with it

 

[Ryan12833]

well doing this stuff myself, it would cost this.

about $120 for a top end gaskets and all. Maybe a bit cheaper to like $100 but thats pushing it.
Front fork seals at a shop, about $125-$150. Do it yourself like i do, about $80 for a whole front fork rebuild seals bushings and all, which if you are riding track you should do anyway. And a rear shock i cant say. Ive taken mine apart to change the oil and got new nitro for $25 so you add another $50 to rebuild it. So about $75 to do it yourself. Probably $125 at a shopr or more. By the way i am 16 so if i can do it so can you.

So basically to do it yourself. about $275

to bring all to a shop $400.

 

[FUSE]

Well, I went and looked at the bike last night. It definitly is not a POS. The guy I'm buying it from works at my local dealership. That is how I found out about it. I have a friend that works there and asked him to look around for me. Came back with this guy. He said that if anyone could sell you a good bike it would be him. He was not lying.

Bike is in great shape, runs strong, feels good. I have confidence in this guy just by looking at his garage. He has a handfull of bikes and all the proper equipment to take care of them. For a thousand bucks looks like it's gonna be the best deal I can find in the area. I'm getting the bike, an extra 5 gallon tank, and a box full of assorted parts. Don't really know what's in there yet. I'll find out monday when I go to pick up the bike.

Thank you all for your advice. When I went there I did as suggested and looked at everything.

 

[ls1cameric]

Well, I went and looked at the bike last night. It definitly is not a POS. The guy I'm buying it from works at my local dealership. That is how I found out about it. I have a friend that works there and asked him to look around for me. Came back with this guy. He said that if anyone could sell you a good bike it would be him. He was not lying.

Bike is in great shape, runs strong, feels good. I have confidence in this guy just by looking at his garage. He has a handfull of bikes and all the proper equipment to take care of them. For a thousand bucks looks like it's gonna be the best deal I can find in the area. I'm getting the bike, an extra 5 gallon tank, and a box full of assorted parts. Don't really know what's in there yet. I'll find out monday when I go to pick up the bike.

Thank you all for your advice. When I went there I did as suggested and looked at everything.

Sounds like you got yourself a good deal. Good luck with it and ask questions if you feel the need. :cool:

 

[race_me]

do they sell 5 gallon tanks in black? everytime i see them thier always whiteand i am thinking about getting one