Yamaha RT 180? What's it for?

[Colorado]

Hey all!

My buddy called me today to say he saw the bike I should by for my daughter (who has outgrown her XR100). It's at a pawn shop, with an $850 price tag. It's a '97 Yamaha RT180, missing a chain, left handgrip, and a couple other little things.

I guess I'm not up on my Yamaha's, but had never heard of the RT. It is apparently an air cooled 2-stroke with disc brakes. Bikepics dot com shows them with lights, though I guess this one doesn't have them. What niche did Yamaha build them for, and are they worth considering? The manager will be in tomorrow at the pawn shop, and I miught be able to pick it up for 5 or 6 hundred bucks, which seems pretty good for a '97. If it's more docile than a YZ it might actually be a good bike for my 14 yr. old daughter.

Can anybody give me any info?

 

[TimberPig]

It was mostly a cobbled together parts bin special with a few updates. It was a late 70's DT/IT 175 engine, with a late 70's style Yamaha monoshock frame, a big fat seat and a huge honking steel gas tank, when everyone else was using plastic. It was a playbike made to compete with the Honda XR 200. The Yamaha had a little snappier motor, and a better front brake (disc front, drum rear), but the Honda was a much better finished, smoother bike. It was dated when introduced in the late 80's, and hasn't improved with time. I'd buy an XR 200 if it was me, but your opinion might vary. The fact it is sitting at a pawnshop, with parts missing and damaged wouldn't inspire confidence in the way it has been treated.

 

[RM_guy]

I had one when I got back into riding in 1991. It's not a bad play bike but I rode it too hard and broke the frame a couple of times. I agree with Timberpig about the condition. It probably isn't worth $850 in good condition, much less with stuff missing.

 

[mtk]

Actually, the bike is basically a warmed-over MX175 from the late 70s or early 80s. As was said, it is a two-stroke playbike much like the XR. The IT models had lights and the DT models were street & trail, while the MX was offroad only.

 

[adam728]

Yup, what those guys said. I had one for a while when I was 13-14 years old. It was a good bike, much snappier than the few XR200's I have had the chance to ride. I started getting more aggressive and jumping more and had to step up to a 125. The 180 is super reliable, but it is just a trail/play bike.

I wouldn't touch a beat up bike in a pawn show. Maybe if it was more like $200 or something. By the time you fix it up you'll have as much in it as one in good condition.

 

[ttrman0]

That doesn't sound like the best deal. Pawn shops are known for overpricing bikes as well in my experience. RT180 and RT100 are both described best by the previous threads. I would recommend if you like Yama's you start looking and pricing 2000 or 2001 TTR's.

 

[skiboyracing]

Personally I would leave it sit at the pawn shop. What about looking for a used CRF150?

 

[Colorado]

Thanks for the replies. The bikepics page made me suspect it was a mildly updated MX175. I already have one of those with news rings and right crank seal on order --- a 1980. I bought it for $200, and will have about another $100 in it after I'm done.

I know I should just forget about all of the old bikes and get something newer, but my wife stays pretty calm when I buy them for $600 or less. She wouldn't if I spent twice that --- she's in the mood to buy herself a newer car. My KDX175 was $500, my IT400 $250, my MX400B was $300. The XR100 my daugher rides was $500 plus installing some windows for a friend, but is a '98, so might be worth a grand (I just stripped down and painted the frame and cherried it out before listing it.)

I'd decided to skip the RT180, but then my friend who called got interested in it. He rides a mid 80's XR200 and was thinking he might like the 2-stroke zip. I told him to bring a chain to the pawn shop so he could ride it and make sure the gears were all good, and not to pay over $400 (NADA lists average retail at $895). He went over two days later and it was gone! Don't know what it went for, but that pawn shop has let a couple of other older bikes go very cheap.

I'm hoping to get a grand for my daughter's XR100, then use some of the money to complete the other ones (stator issues with the MX400B and frame tear down to rework/grease bushings and suspension rebuild on the IT400 --- they both have fresh top ends --- and rebuild a spare motor to swap into the KDX175). I've already reconditioned tham all cosmetically, so am hoping to get around $2200-$2500 out of them all when they're done. THEN I can buy a couple of newer bikes for my daughter and I .... my wife will be so glad to see them all gone that I'll be able to spend over $1500 for each of us!!!!!

In the meantime I'll ride the KDX and she can ride the MX175. I do have a question about the MX though. The top end was only around 80lbs compression when I brough it home, but I rode it around right near the house a little before tearing into it. The powerband is pretty high, like an MX bike of the old days. It is going to be A LOT faster than her XR100 after I ring it! Does anyone know if the DT175 of that vintage had a heavier flywheel? I thought that might be an easy/cheap (salvage yard) way to tune it down a little for her.

 

[nickyd]

the cheapest way to tame it is to gear it down a bit (sprockets)