1986 CR250 was that a good year bike??

[ERBE]

I found a 86 CR250 pretty cheap, the motor has been torn down but not re assembled yet, all stock he had a bent shifter rod and wants 500, I have a guy that re assemble for less than 300 not counting parts is this a fair price or is this a headache to happen?
Frame wise looks great almost new
BTW its for my 15 year son

 

[76GMC1500]

It's a great bike. Very useable power with a strong midrange and very fast overall. The suspension on the 87 model was adequate, I can't speak for the 86. The drum brake in the rear is the only real downer on the bike. The front brake is the same as current models. The bike is pretty much modern in all aspects which makes maintenance easy. The only problem is the power valve. They are very difficult to set up on these years and the procedure in the manual doesn't quite seem to work so you'll have to figure out your own way. The power valves do require frequent cleaning. They are fairly easy to remove, once you develop your own technique. Running high quality synthetic oils really helps. Bel-Ray HC-1 has, by far, caused the least carbon build-up of any of the oils I have tried so far. I have been running Amsoil Dominator with very little build-up and am going to try Amsoil Interceptor this time around. Expect to pay about 20-50% more for most parts through the dealer for the older bikes than you would on a more current model.

 

[mx547]

yes, the '86 had a very good reputation.