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I haven't bought any cars in a while and was getting bored, so I picked up an '82 Honda XL250R single-cylinder thumper enduro bike. Always wanted a street-legal dirt bike, and this one showed up in Wendell a few weeks ago for $300. Didn't haggle on the price!

The last 2 owners basically gave up on trying to get it running. No spark. A few nights of troubleshooting led to finding a shorted stator (alternator) which directly feeds the ignition circuit (this bike can run with no battery). Been doing my normal take apart, clean, repair, paint on most systems on the bike. Blissfully the motor is healthy and didn't need a teardown. Came with brand-new (2008!) knobbies which had never turned a mile on pavement. Mostly complete but was missing lights and other odds and ends which ebay has come to the rescue on. One challenge with this bike is that most all the parts are specific for 82-83 only. The internet is a wonderful thing though.

Got it running this weekend, what a blast! Chain is stretched and making some pulsing but a $53 new chain and sprocket kit will fix that. I'll tell you guys the story later on the title. It's a good story.

Here's how she looks now. I've never ridden off-road before, looking forward to maybe doing some exploring around the area. Any suggestions on places (legal or not) to go exploring? Anyone else have one of these?



Teardown...



Rustoleum rattle-cans do wonders for erasing years:

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

I approve!

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2002 MCS, 2003 MCS Track Rat, 2003 Generic White Yukon, 2003 BMWk1200rs, 1973 CB350F, 02 996. 08 Cayenne Turbo
http://www.clinehallagency.com

Very cool, I kinda have a hankering for a dual purpose bike myself.

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'07, '08, '11 Autocross VP
'06, '10 Mike Dishman Cup
'21 MX5, '13 Corvette GS, '92 Corvette 383 c.i. 413whp/390wtq, '03 Expedition

That looks really nice Mike.

Richard

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Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

So the title story...

I got it from a guy who "has too many other projects" (read: I couldn't get it to start so I give up). The guy he got it from, according to the seller, "had to go through some hoops with the title". Hmmm

Title was signed and notarized from the prior seller in 2012. No problem. Checked the VIN on the frame to the title, and it doesn't match.

Title: JH2100303CM001326
Frame: JH2MD0303CM001326

Looks like a typo so I went ahead. Called DMV and asked. They told me the bike came from Montana and that I would need to get a letter on state letterhead from them stating that the VIN was recorded incorrectly 31 years ago. (Yeah, right.) If I can't get that I need to go the re-title and indemnity bond route. Yuck, did that before, it's a pain.

Figured there was no chance in hell of getting a correction letter from Montana, but figured, why not try? Called and got a super nice lady named Leslie on the phone. (Are all people in Montana that nice?). Leslie started with electronic records but found only the wrong vin on all paperwork back to 1994. Time to go the the microfilm machines, she says. She walks over to the archive and starts loading microfilm, telling me about how she needs to use a nail file to load the film. I'm hearing the microfilm reader whirring in the background on the phone as she explains that in the 80's they hada terrible organization scheme, and she has to flip through, page by page, looking for the titles for my bike!

She ended up spending several hours over a week, including her lunch hour (!!). Unbelievably, she found the original certificate of origin on microfilm, from November 1981. And sure enough, the COO had the correct VIN on it, and was recorded incorrectly back in 1982. So the official correction letter is in the mail this week.

Unbelievable customer service from the Montana DMV and Leslie!

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Getting ANY help from someone at the DMV is rare, so I'd say that is pretty unbelievable. Maybe it's just the NCDMV?

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Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

Kind of a tangent but I had an issue about 10 years ago with a ticket / revoked license from 1983. After several phone calls and a letter or two to PA-DMV I finally got a nice lady on the phone who actually voluntarily walked down two floors to the person in charge and stood there until the data was entered and the ticket closed out.

The guy at the Fuquay DMV office at the time was a complete tool.

So yes, rare but they are out there.

Nice bike Mike.

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BenchWarmer Motorsports

another one of those damn LeMons heads

just another Chump

we are an Autocross Club Dammit............

I bought one of those when I was 13 or so and I have the scars to prove it Mine was the XR 250R (off road only) and as I remember, the "R" suffix is for the 4 valve head? I have a soft spot for 70's and some 80's Honda bikes, so it's great to see someone else taking care of them.

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92 Miata 1.9L naturally aspirated. SSM 21

Thats a great story. You should send her some cookies, or maybe some flowers.

Wikipedia tells me Montana has a population of around 1 million (Wake County NC is around 950K), I can imagine that you might tend to get a bit more "personal" service. But regardless, I suspect that was mostly down to her being a decent person who just was trying to do the right thing. I imagine something as big as the California DMV must be a nightmare.

Richard

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Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

Drum brakes on dirt bikes are the worst. I'd sell it and get a bike with disc brakes.(and a decent suspension)

Were you looking for a starter dirt bike or you couldn't say no to your inner tinker?

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Silver Honda
Green Ford
Blue/White Suzuki
Red Triumph
Grey BMW

"Never let life be shaped by fear of its end"

No, you're a towel!

Still a very serviceable pit bike..........

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BenchWarmer Motorsports

another one of those damn LeMons heads

just another Chump

we are an Autocross Club Dammit............

Yes and yes. No ambitions here except having a cool old bike to rebuild and have some fun on. You did see that it was only $300 right?

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

so was simon. you certainly have a type...

I did see that you spent $300 on a bike with drum brakes. I guess it will serve its purpose.

One of the best ways to find trails is to ride the power lines with a passable trail/road. You'll come across all kinds of dirt bike trails that intersect power lines.

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Silver Honda
Green Ford
Blue/White Suzuki
Red Triumph
Grey BMW

"Never let life be shaped by fear of its end"

No, you're a towel!

Congratulations! Now after all that work and whatever you spent on parts you have a running bike worth...$500! Okay, okay, maybe $800.

Seriously, I know that's not why you did it. And even so, you won't lose money, so it's all good. As for trails around here, I don't think there's much. I think this is the place a few friends take their kids to play:

http://www.midsouthmotox.com/

There are other such facilities around, apparently:

http://www.dirtwerkz.com/Pages/tracks/N ... racks.html

I don't know of any good "free" places close by, but Uwharrie National Forest boasts some of the best off-road playing in the southeast. Get down there fast, though, because I think it closes for the winter around Dec 15 or so. It's about 90 minutes from here for you.

I have a BMW G650X. Little bit bigger thumper:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32643830@N ... 635652952/

Looks all crazy with the bike and/or all the luggage, but when you take the bags off it's really quite light and fun to play with. Still a pretty big weight step-up from what you have, but also performance. It's been to over 14k feet with nary a hiccup thanks to the fuel injection, too. I used to have smaller and lighter off road bikes, but just never did any playing on them. Liked this size because it's a bit safer on the highway yet still does the off roading I need quite well.


--Donnie

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