Hi,
New user, love the crm250 and always wanted one. My offroad bike history is Suzuki TS100ERZ, long time ago, Yam DT175, great machine and currently DT125R (gettin old and bought a new one for sunday fun). However, I am now in a position to get the bike I have always wanted, a CRM250AR and would like to ask the experienced guys here if it's a good price. I can get it for £1750. The condition is used, i.e. scratched plastics etc, a bit of minor rust here and there, mainly the wheel bolts and that flange thing that sets the rear wheel alignment (whatever it's called) and other minor stuff here and there. It's got renthals, barkbusters, sump plate, (dented) DEP exhaust and started OK (didn't know they didn't have a battery) after priming. Gold paint has worn off the crank case on the right side. Seemed fine to me, choked up a little but they all do till they are warmed up Only thing that concerns me are the brakes. With the front pretty much pulled in all the way you can quite easily push the bike along. They look OK but probably need a bit of work doing. The seller says the wheel bearings and the brakes have both recently been done. So what do you think? A good price or walk away? I know these bikes don't come up very often so I don't want to miss it.

Some bio stuff, I'm 44 (I know, should know better, wheres the zimmer, blah blah), love bikes and got a Suzi SV650S to play with on the road. Got 2 boys and an expensive wife.

Look forward to hearing something.

If the engines a goodun, then a serious thinks in order, IMO that,s a bit rich for a bike that goes and goes ,but won,t stop .That does give you some wiggle room though.
Price for a full brake service, and deduct accordingly,front and back.
I would be slightly concerned about a bike that had been used with somewhat tardy retardation, what else may be hiding that,s of a serious nature, apply all the usual caveats you would with any purchase, firstly buy with your head ect
good luck
Mike

pete63 wrote:With the front pretty much pulled in all the way you can quite easily push the bike along. They look OK but probably need a bit of work doing. The seller says the wheel bearings and the brakes have both recently been done.

Is it possible that the pads are absolutely brand new and haven't bedded in at all yet?

Brake systems are pretty simple, there isn't much that can be wrong. I suspect that slackening all the brakes which hold the caliper on, applying the brake hard and re-tightening the bolts with the brake applied might help a lot.

You could be right, the seller says he had the breaks done just 150 k's ago. I forgot to mention it's done 12,500 k's, and its a 1999 model. Don't know if this makes a difference. What I wanted was a bike to have some summer fun on and then turn into a project bike to have a superb example of the machine with the gold wheels and everything, really do it up. A bit like these ones at this site.

http://www.uzushio-racing.com/usedcar/used/index.html

Thanks for the replies.

Just as an update, I turned him down in the end as he wouldn't drop the price. Shame as I really wanted one, but I can't afford to do EVERYTHING up, just want to smarten one up, so it looks like I won't be joining you guys in CRM ownership just yet.

As a note, elsewhere in this forum, you mentiuon top speeds for the CRM. I weigh 16 stone, I'm 6' 2" and not fat, and my DT does 75mph quite happily on the straight. Guess it's all in the gearing, and the wide open power valve. Long live the 2 stroke.

As another note, there is a guy from Nottingham (I think) University who is developing a simple bio fuel, and the fuel gives great power and is best used in a 2 stroke engine, so it's not that bad eh , could be a return one day and soon.

Hi pete
perhaps you should aim more for a good ,well sorted CRM rather than fixing your sights just on an A/R , which are fiendishly complicated .Pay more for a sorted jobby, i dont think anyone actually makes money from refurbing one .

fallenmikethebike wrote:Hi pete
perhaps you should aim more for a good ,well sorted CRM rather than fixing your sights just on an A/R , which are fiendishly complicated .Pay more for a sorted jobby, i dont think anyone actually makes money from refurbing one .

ayup pete welcome to the forum,good tip from mike^^.imo i'd go for a mk1,2 or 3 mainly because some replacement parts for the A/R are hideous even 2nd hand,whereas the early models are easier to sort used parts for,also i dont personally dont think theres that much of a performance benifit for the extra dough involved.definitely go for one thats been sorted already


now i shall stand prone and be prepared to get a whack from all the A/R owners on here

Go for a Mk2 or 3. There are parts on a Mk1 that you cannot replace or repair. eg. Shock. Mk2s are so numerous second hand spares are really common. Mk3s use many of the parts of the AR (except a large part of the engine connected components).

Thanks for those wise words. Normally I go off thinking I know everything and dive in to my ultimate cost. I respect the knowledge and experience of you guys and will probably look for a tidy mk2 or mk3.
Cheers.