84 RM 250 E Ground UP Full Restoration
 

Here I go again with another restoration. I always liked the Suzuki RA and RH Works bikes and the 1984/1985 RMs were the production copy of those bikes.

I just had this 84 shipped in last night. This bike was parked in a garage in 1991 and never touched for 26 years! Besides the surface rust, she is an original stock bike. This will be a slow build.

https://i.imgur.com/ltLzgb7m.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hFCxBsxm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/oMQshPwm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/hp4CQdom.jpg

Drum Brakes
https://i.imgur.com/n4FGHKhm.jpg

Piston rings are stuck in the cylinder. Look at the wild design of the frame tubes.:cool:
https://i.imgur.com/05EEErZm.jpg

Original old school Fox and Cycle News stickers.:D
https://i.imgur.com/JmX9s9xm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/R8cKdYjm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/dSJs5hsm.jpg

Kewl. From distant memory as a teenager I remember the Z was supposed to be s ripper (or was it the D?) And the next year was panned as being flat. DirtBike did an article showing the only diff was the cylinder head and either skimmed and or reshaped it like the previous year. Where that leaves the E. . .
Just a thought. Cool bike.

Thanks for the input! I have the January 1984 issue of Dirtbike with the test on this bike. They said the stock 36 mm mikuni carb was way too small. They went to a 38mm and even a 40mm. I'm probably going to install an 38mm Air Striker II like on my honda build.

Btw, the bike feels light, its listed at 225 pounds with one gallon of fuel.

Heck i remember that. 36mm what a tiny carb to put on a 250 with some picture of a hairy dude looking like some clueless hairy dude with a couple if carbs. Or maybe that was their jetting article. I was a clueless teenager who was probably at the right level to read those articles.

Me too, I was about 18 when that magazine came out. The 40mm carb they tried was a Magnesium Bing with a 65 pilot, 284 needle,210 main,180 slide,6L needle. With the Bing carb and Boyesen reeds they said the performance was "fantastic' and it was more than a match for the CR250.

Last night, I pulled the tank and seat off.
https://i.imgur.com/iYuh3TIm.jpg

Look what I found under the tank....
https://i.imgur.com/mdSramym.jpg

It seems she really has been sitting for a LONG TIME.
https://i.imgur.com/VKywrqxm.jpg

Ok, back to the inspection. The bike seems to be very original. There doesn't to be anything missing or anything fouled up by screwball maintenance. Its simply neglect.
The floater linkage is complete, intact, very smooth and works very nice.
https://i.imgur.com/LgIKyW2m.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7Cf7fgJm.jpg

Original silencer
https://i.imgur.com/XFi7Lfpm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/2XV8wcAm.jpg

Original pipe, it doesn't seem to have any damage.
https://i.imgur.com/VzwtJycm.jpg

The piston is stuck. I drained the coolant, it was very clean and the rads were full, no oil and no leaks. Rads look good too. Tonight I am going to remove the head and put some Kano Aerokroil Penetrating Oil in the intake and exhaust ports and the piston. I looked at the piston through the exhaust port, it looks good,no damage, just a dusting of a small amount of rust.
https://i.imgur.com/HexxavIm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/aI4hdHvm.jpg

Here is what I am finding on most of the bike, there is a mixture of red clay and rust on the exposed bolts but the inner parts of the bolts look new.
https://i.imgur.com/fRWxkeHm.jpg

I am going to cover the ports and clean the whole bike.

I saw this after looking over your post..
 

It needs a little love like my bike. :D

Ok, I got the piston unstuck from the cylinder after letting the cylinder soak in PB Blaster and Kano Aerokroil Penetrating Oil for about a week.
https://i.imgur.com/dgBGTNXm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vxX9KK2m.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6iJogAHm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/TQv9UEjm.jpg

The piston was stuck at almost TDC. The head, and the piston looked good but there was surface rust on the lower cylinder skirts.

Barrel

https://i.imgur.com/sjS4Y85m.jpg

The piston didn't look too bad at all.
https://i.imgur.com/QwlilC4m.jpg

There was a lot of carbon on the piston and in the exhaust port.

https://i.imgur.com/PqdWkWIm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LE7bBNfm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/24e40Xrm.jpg

After a quick cleanup, this is what the piston looked like,

https://i.imgur.com/Y6VzATnm.jpg

Intake
https://i.imgur.com/aFisiA7m.jpg

Reeds looked great, some oxidation on the cage.
https://i.imgur.com/Z2W5R2Xm.jpg

Another shot after unsticking the cylinder.

https://i.imgur.com/CSJC2Htm.jpg

Stator
https://i.imgur.com/GYfZvY9m.jpg

A measure and you might get away with a hone and new ring if no ugly force was applied. No point replacing serviceable parts.

I could not find direct damage from engine failure or even wear, just neglect from sitting since 1991. I drained the oil and it was debris free just very old. Ok, here is the bad news.

The rod and main bearings are stuck too. But no sign of apparent direct damage or wear.

https://i.imgur.com/qG9TMQvm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5eMPcpvm.jpg

I decided to pull the motor for a full rebuild. I pulled the swingarm shaft 3/4 of the way out and removed all the engine mounts except the bottom one which the nut came off the bolt but the bolt would not move. I turned the bike upside down and hit the bolt with PB Blaster and some heat, then my impact wrench, the bolt turns freely now but the bolt still will not back out. I am going to let it soak for a few days.

https://i.imgur.com/iHiiVunm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9W9Qy0Cm.jpg

Some interesting things.....

Good sealing side access airbox that completely comes off with 3 bolts and an original Klotz sticker.

https://i.imgur.com/3bOOTXdm.jpg

Full floating rear brake.



Dual arm front brake. front forks have compression adjusters on the bottom.
https://i.imgur.com/rnpqaP5m.jpg

Like a time capsule, a Sunstar sprocket logo that I haven't seen since I was 17 years old.

https://i.imgur.com/p9dte4Jm.jpg

I only gently rocked the cylinder and the cylinder broke loose. The base and head gaskets were inract.

No No No

That thing shouldnt even be in the same garage as the CR.

LOL,LOL, I don't the CR likes the RM very much.;)

Tear Down Updates
 

Well things are moving along. the bottom motor bolt was tough to take off. I had to put the torch on it twice and pound it out with a mini sledge. It was very rusted and bent.
https://i.imgur.com/qciVYPdm.jpg

Here is the bottom end on the workbench.
https://i.imgur.com/AJIcct9m.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/aX5dQyJm.jpg

The water pump cover came off without a problem. It looks like new inside.
https://i.imgur.com/IA7ds5cm.jpg

The impeller looks perfect as well.
https://i.imgur.com/Fv6hibym.jpg

I don't think the clutch cover has ever been off the bike. small dent in lower cover, looks like from the rear brake pedal when someone tipped over.
https://i.imgur.com/oeIs6hbm.jpg

Some sludge in the bottom of the clutch cover, I rinsed this all out with some brake cleaner.
https://i.imgur.com/nw9EVVvm.jpg

The clutch basket and plates look original and the clutch basket has never been off the bike.
https://i.imgur.com/7Sp7az9m.jpg

just a very small amount of grooving on the clutch basket.
https://i.imgur.com/CRNCEhRm.jpg

But the steel plates have rusted into the fiber plates.
https://i.imgur.com/dCr3Ewsm.jpg

One Problem
 

I need help on one problem. I can't get the primary gear nut on the crank loose. I read some threads that said Suzuki put a high strength locker on this nut and it was only removable with heat. Some thought the bolt was a left hand thread because it was so hard to remove, but other said it was right hand thread but it took a lot of heat. I put PB blaster and the torch on the nut, then put my 1200 pound Milwaukee Impact Wrench on it, it didn't move the nut at all and it rounded the edge of the nut but I stopped immediately and I straightened the damage with a file.

I could use my 3/4 breaker bar with a 3/4 inch 19mm socket.

Any suggestions?

https://i.imgur.com/7Sp7az9m.jpg

And the nut came right off the stator. I have 6 flywheel pullers and none of them fit this design which has the two locations to thread into the bolt holes. Any body have specific puller model to recommend?
https://i.imgur.com/P868ivOm.jpg
Any suggestions?

The clutch basket looks fabulous with no indication that it has ever been removed from the bike.
https://i.imgur.com/RCJJTMim.jpg

Have you researched the Factory Service Manual? Maybe there's an online version with specifics? I'm interested (and I'll poke around a bit) as I have a 1992 RM125 that will likely need a bit of help in the bottom end at some point.

Maybe try Thumpertalk in the Suzuki 2 stroke section as well?

Uh.Well
Its a Suzuki and their is a high probability that nut is reverse threads.Left hand.

Get out now while you still can.
Pretend you never saw it.
Quietly make it go away.

I ordered an oem manual, it should arrive tomorrow. Thanks, I will check thumpertalk.

LOL, you are cracking me up, you may be right......:eek:

Does anyone know the original blue paint code or the blue powdercoat code for the frame on this bike?

I've never seen a snoozookie with a LH Thread, bar perhaps mirrors or gear change linkages.

left Hand Thread Primary Gear Nut
 

Well, I got my OEM Suzuki Service Manual last night and I was surprised too. There was a detailed description of the primary gear removal with a photo. It is a left hand thread. I reversed the direction on my impact wrench, put on a 19mm socket and "bang' the nut came off in less than a second.:D

https://i.imgur.com/n8htE4nm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/CQJ5XMlm.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JueWpunm.jpg

Well what can I say?
You were right and I was, well. . Less right than you were.

But I think that is a bit of a sideshow
In my own way my statements did approach the truth

I think the take home message was; That I Was Right.

It's thanks enough. Just send cash.

LOL, I didn't believe it until I saw the service manual otherwise I would have pulled it off 3 days ago.:confused:I just bought a puller for the flywheel, it just arrived today, you may have to help me with that.:)

I'm going to have to store that in the memory banks it would have totally flummoxed me in disbelief.
As a good friend once said:
Listen to what people say, but don't listen to what people say.

Sage advice. Certainly better than the chap further up suggesting that Suzuki didn't do that sort of thing.
OK here's my actual good advice (for my penance);
Don't lose that nut!

My advice for past engineers of such fasteners;
Stamp an L on the face of LH Thread parts.

Those are good ideas.:)

Told ya.
Again.


F5. Remember all you know is what you've seen.
Not heard.Not read. etc.

If you grew up riding and working on these older bikes then you are qualified to have an opinion.If you didn't then you aren't

Sell it!

Gee, you've just kinda made an attempt to debunk Education. Socrates would not be impressed that his efforts would be in vain.
But yes I'm 50 and have built shedloads of stuff.

Anyhoo just off to load the van. Day of riding awaits.

"Ive never seen" means exactly that.Means less then nothing.
That is the message.

Here is the issue.I could care less what you think you know.Believe that.
But the majority of visitors to this site use it a s a technical reference.So the misinformation is a real problem.

I have to go through about 50 threads on the same topic when I am visiting a forum and trying to solve an issue I am unfamiliar with( Iboats is a good example) to weed out the guys who "think they know" or have "heard" this or that to get to the guy or guys that knows from actual experience.In other words they've done it.They have dealt with the same problem.

That is all Im saying.

He doesn't have to satamp it.He doesn't have to mark it.He wont forget.Understand?

Sheesh. Anyway let's not pollute the poor guys thread with anymore life's disappointments stuff.