[kcr85r]

So after much debating and questioning I've come to the conclusion to save my money and go ahead with a "project" bike of sorts. I realized I would just be jumping too ahead with a Ktm690 and or 610sm so I decided on waiting, saving, and learning on this 1986 (oldish I know) xr250r that I picked up for $1000. Motor is rebuilt and bored to 260cc (might be wrong) :headscrat The bike runs pretty damn strong for that old lugger and it takes corners beautifully (street tires). Though my one and only concern is that the bike smokes TONS (oil), I would compare it to a 2-stroke :headshake

During the meetup (craigslist) the bike was already smoking, obviously that brought up some flags. Mechanically inclined friend of mine that I brought with me told me it could be a very simple screwed up valve seal or valve guide (something along those lines), but it could also be a major cracked cylinder which I'm praying it's not.

Has anyone one else had the same problem with an older xr or any xr in general? What is the fix and what are some tips? PLEASE! Any answers are appreciated!! Im dying to ride this thing! Pictures will be up very soon!

*Too further specify how much oil I'm burning, I go through about a full quart in 60 miles WTF?!

 

[splatranger95]

I used to have an 87 XR250L (street legal version) and a 98 XR250R and I had a similar issues with both. I would say its rings. If it was a valve seal, it would smoke on startup, but stop once it warmed up. Im betting its rings. Not a hard fix, but you have to take the head and jug off. Will probably cost you $100 bucks with gaskets and a new ring set. Great old bikes.

Im thinking the motor wasnt rebuilt, or he didnt replace the rings, or he didnt clock the rings right and all the gaps line up.

 

[kcr85r]

I used to have an 87 XR250L (street legal version) and a 98 XR250R and I had a similar issues with both. I would say its rings. If it was a valve seal, it would smoke on startup, but stop once it warmed up. Im betting its rings. Not a hard fix, but you have to take the head and jug off. Will probably cost you $100 bucks with gaskets and a new ring set. Great old bikes.

Im thinking the motor wasnt rebuilt, or he didnt replace the rings, or he didnt clock the rings right and all the gaps line up.

That's another thing I was told that it could be, now is this something that will keep happening with the rings or do you think that once I get that straightened out it will be fine for a when I sell it (maybe keep) in 2 months?.........

And yea you know how things are over craigslist and what not "rebuilt" huh......I have receipts from the guy but it could be from anything if you ask me. Besides if he did get it rebuilt (it was at a shop) they did such a crappy job, pressure release was put on to make it look connected but wasn't in any way........I can only imagine what they might have done wrong in the motor.

 

[splatranger95]

My cylinder was out of round so I had to get it bored, but as long as that is taken care of, once you replace the rings, it will be fine for many many years. Just make sure you know whoever is doing it is doing a good job. I had it bored at the shop I used to work at, and I rebuilt the thing myself. Still tickin' away 5 years later.. My cousin has the bike now.

 

[kcr85r]

My cylinder was out of round so I had to get it bored, but as long as that is taken care of, once you replace the rings, it will be fine for many many years. Just make sure you know whoever is doing it is doing a good job. I had it bored at the shop I used to work at, and I rebuilt the thing myself. Still tickin' away 5 years later.. My cousin has the bike now.

I'm really hoping it will. Anyways, yesterday when my friend was working on taking apart the motor he pulled out a pretty big chunk of broken metal probably quarter of an inch in length and width. This chunk of metal had traces of Jb weld on it so were thinking it's the worst maybe a broken chunk from the cylinder where the leaking may come from, we haven't been able to get to where this chunk may have come from becuase of a very badly stripped bolt....... fearing the worst (mechanic may have decided to fix a leak/crack with jb weld) , but hoping it's something else. Ill certainly be calling the "shop" it came from to get some more information on this problem. What do you presume in this case?

*we will be getting the rest of the motor apart today in order to figure it out, pretty anxious to finally figure this crap out.

 

[splatranger95]

No "shop" would fix a bike this way. Its probably a piece of the case since it has JB weld on it, or maybe it a piece of piston skirt?? I would think it would knock a bit though. Anyway, never buy a bike that smokes if its a 4 stroke and you dont know how to fix it. You paid fairly good money for an 86 that smokes. I paid 1000 for my 87 15 years ago and it was in perfect condition.

 

[kcr85r]

No "shop" would fix a bike this way. Its probably a piece of the case since it has JB weld on it, or maybe it a piece of piston skirt?? I would think it would knock a bit though. Anyway, never buy a bike that smokes if its a 4 stroke and you dont know how to fix it. You paid fairly good money for an 86 that smokes. I paid 1000 for my 87 15 years ago and it was in perfect condition.

Well like a i said before I'm not nearly as mechanically inclined as my friend, so if my question sounds stupid please correct me......If I had such a huge piece of metal just wondering around in there wouldn't the motor have locked up in a heartbeat?, years ago when messing with gopeds our motors would lock up from tiny slivers of metal, now to my understanding this piece was HUGE compared to what would mess the motors up before, and keep in mind this motor of the xr250 runs pretty damn strong and feels like nothings wrong just the smoke of course. Not too familiar with piston skirts, but wouldnt a chunk of that be felt in the performance?

The friend that I brought along told me to take that chance with the bike when we went to go look at it, he said might be something small ($20-$50 fix) or something bigger so were going to figure out later today what I got.....

*sorry for any mechanical ignorance in my response

 

[splatranger95]

There can be a huge piece of metal and nothing happen. It really depends what it is from.

 

[kcr85r]

Well I learned something......... From this point could this still be a minor fix?