So here's my story, and how I ended up here.
I've always had something to ride since I was a kid, I started riding my dad's Honda 110s and 90s when I was about 5. By the time I was old enough to get out of the yard I'd worn those out! lol My first dirtbike was a XR100R that I rode to death. We got that one rebuilt and I sold it shortly after, and got a 200X 3-wheeler.
Fast forward a number of years and various bikes, and last year I got a great deal on a sickly, beaten XR200R that I rebuilt from the ground up, literally. My brother in law picked up a '82 XR250R about the same time, and we put more than a fair share of miles on those bikes over the summer! I got an offer to sell the bike that I couldn't turn down, so it left. I've been wanting another dirtbike ever since. My brother in law just picked up a 2000 KX250 a few weeks ago, and I found an '89 KX250. That's where the story goes bad...
To start off, I saw this bike listed on eBay not far from me, not running. Supposedly it was running and quit, and the guy put it up and didn't mess with it anymore. I figured it must be an easy fix, or at least worth taking a shot at it. I watched the bike, I had $500 to spend at the time. It sold for $510, and I just flat out didn't have it, or a way to go get it, so I passed and saved a little longer. When Steve (my brother in law) went to get his bike, a guy walked over and started talking to him, and low and behold he was the guy that bought the '89 on eBay that I wanted. What are the odds?!
The guy said he'd got the bike, put a new sleeve, piston, rings, crank bearings and seals, and had the bike running great, but the float was stuck and it was leaking gas from the overflow. He said he was in it for about $800 total, and would sell it for that, just wanted his money back. I gave him a call and he said I could go and get it if I wanted it. So we drove to his house, about 4 hours away. We got there, there was no gas in the bike, the valve was on and it had all ran out. The guy wasn't home either, just his daughter. I asked if they had some gas, she called him and he said no, but there wasn't anything wrong with the bike, he assured me. So, I bought it, and we left. I get it home, took the carb off, and found that the float isn't stuck, but the overflow tube is broken off.
So with that patched up, we fuel it up, get it started, and it starts blowing water out of the head gasket! We looked closer and two of the nuts were not even ran down to the head! I took the head off, it's not warped. So I cleaned it and the cylinder deck up, put it back together, and it wasn't leaking. Now it refuses to start though.
I took the carb off, went over that, checked the reeds, everything looks ok. I've got air, fuel, spark, and plenty of compression, but it won't even so much is spit, pop, sputter, just dead. I kept trying and eventually it starts, and runs great, idles perfect. I noticed that once it started, it started to push a little water out of the radiator overflow. Not even close to what it was doing before, but the head is still not sealed up right. So the bike idled for a few minutes and warms up, I got on it and took it down the road. It didn't have nearly the power it should have in the top end, but the bottom was good and strong. Something wasn't right. I made it about a mile down the road before it sputtered and missed, and died. It hasn't popped since. Even with carb cleaner in the plug hole it won't even pop, and it'd got spark, air, plenty of compression as I said before. With everything else eliminated, I'm thinking it has to be an electrical problem, weak spark or something similar. So that's where I'm at. I did pull the flywheel and look at the stator, it's nasty in there, and that may be my problem. I posted a picture in the 125/250 section with questions.
If you're wondering, I tried multiple times to call the guy back about it and he doesn't answer his phone. Oh well, I guess it was an $800 learning experience. I'll keep at it and get it running though, if I let it beat me now I'm out $800. If I keep at it at least I can say I tried! If I get it running, and ride it like I planned to, even better.
By the way, looking closer, it's clear the case has not been off the frame, or split in a long time, so I seriously doubt there's new crank bearings and seals in there.
So that's my story. This is my bike...
