86 tri z 250 for $650 ??? your thoughts please !

[phantombiker]

i found an 86 tri z 250 for $650 bones. he says plastic has a couple small cracks and it may need swingarm bearings. other than that, 2 kicks and it starts. looks good when cleaned up and still stands up in 3rd gear. also, he thinks it was bored 40 over, new jug, piston...would this be worth it ??? want to turn it over because im saving for an r or 350x. any thoughts and questions welcome.

here's a link http://stlouis.craigslist.org/mcy/1633048192.html

thx for help. dont know much about them.

[fabiodriven]

Looks like a decent deal to me.

[85200xrider]

i payed 700 for mine and it needed rear plastics, seat, airbox tube, and rear shock...i realized soon after that i got screwed but i love my z

id do that deal in a heartbeat lol

[phantombiker]

what could i sell this bike for to make a profit? like i said, what i want is an r or 350x. also, he said lights and everything work. rubber is good, etc.

[tecat-z]

Fyi, that particular Z is an 85. Why not just keep it and enjoy? Tri-z's are very nice 3wheelers that have unequaled comfort, and power potential that's on par with nearly anything else if done correctly. Remember, anything that's 25 years old will potentially need lots of work to get running properly and reliably regardless of manufacturer......

[jbmatt]

Around here a Tri-Z like that would go for $1000 easy.

[phantombiker]

@ tecate-z....well, i was going to borrow the $ for the bike and turn it over to pay back the cash and also save for what i wanted, but i understand what trailprotrailpro saying.
the guy also said he has an extra frame for it that goes with. also, what makes you say it's an 85 ? i dont know the diffs on yamaha.

@ jbmatt...thx man. wasnt sure of the value of a yamaha trike.

[factoryX]

meh, tri-z's go anywhere from $600-$1200, and anything else over $1500 usually sits on craigslist for a long time.

85 yellow and black 5 speed
85 1/2 black and red 5 speed
86 white and red 6 speed, and larger forks.

[phantombiker]

[QUOTE=factoryX;846215]meh, tri-z's go anywhere from $600-$1200, and anything else over $1500 usually sits on craigslist for a long time.

thx for info, but could you tell me why? is it a popularity thing or what ?

[factoryX]

idk... I just have been watching the market for the last 4-5 years. Another thing is that they are fast but a tecate and 250r are faster. A 86 tri-z is also worth more than a 85-85 1/2. Location is everything, and now east coast is covered with deals.

[code200k]

i would buy it in a heartbeat

[phantombiker]

what are the down sides to this particular bike? what are they notorious for ?

[code200k]

what are the down sides to this particular bike? what are they notorious for ?

fuel pumps has been a pain for me on mine but it needs to be rebuild.also ive read that the footpegs are prone to break.but the 86 is the better year of the two

[Merge_88]

I had two TRI-Zs and both were ok to ride, but I really liked my 250R and Tecate much more because of the handling. I found the Z to sit high and felt very unstable jumping, seems to sit a lot higher than the other two. Of coarse, this is strictly my opinion and means nothing unless you ride one yourself.

[steveZ250]

i've rode all 3 2 stroke trikes ie 85 tecate 85 tri z, i own, and 85 250r. i liked the tri z better which is why i bought it. IMO i think it looks better, 85 tecates look like a work 3 wheeler with the big ballon tires an the 250r is good lookin, but i think yellow an black is a badass combo

[Thorpe]

I would snap it up... 2 stroke 250... What more could you ask for....?

[Merge_88]

Ok,
My brother got interested in this Z after seeing it on Craigslist too and decided he wanted to go check it out today so we went out and had a look. Our first impressions were that the right footpeg was being held on by bailing wire, front forks blown, rear shock blown, grab bar snapped off, coolant resevoir cap missing, top motor mount missing, plastics all had that very weather checked and faded look common on the yellow fenders, rear fender had a large chunk out of it, swing arm bushings shot, aftermarket silencer off something else rigged up and the bike wouldnt start. After some messing around and cleaning the plug, we got it to fire and run, but not well. It seemed to me the carb needed a good going through or rebuild. I also noticed the shifter was off something else and it seemed to pull to the right while riding and then would head toward the ditch when you let off the bars. We offered $550 because we came 90 miles to look at it and figured we could possibly get that much in parts or resell back in St. Louis since we had traveled that far. Nevertheless, the guy wouldn't budge and we came home empty handed. he couldnt find that spare frame either.

[rickybudz]

I would of walked away too!

[phantombiker]

Ok,
My brother got interested in this Z after seeing it on Craigslist too and decided he wanted to go check it out today so we went out and had a look. Our first impressions were that the right footpeg was being held on by bailing wire, front forks blown, rear shock blown, grab bar snapped off, coolant resevoir cap missing, top motor mount missing, plastics all had that very weather checked and faded look common on the yellow fenders, rear fender had a large chunk out of it, swing arm bushings shot, aftermarket silencer off something else rigged up and the bike wouldnt start. After some messing around and cleaning the plug, we got it to fire and run, but not well. It seemed to me the carb needed a good going through or rebuild. I also noticed the shifter was off something else and it seemed to pull to the right while riding and then would head toward the ditch when you let off the bars. We offered $550 because we came 90 miles to look at it and figured we could possibly get that much in parts or resell back in St. Louis since we had traveled that far. Nevertheless, the guy wouldn't budge and we came home empty handed. he couldnt find that spare frame either.

thx for the heads up. from the sounds of it, it wasnt even worth $500. did it even sound like he knew what he was talking about or was he an idiot hard up for cash?

[phantombiker]

I would of walked away too!

sounds like the smart thing to do.

[Merge_88]

He seemed to be a straight up guy, but I think it was one of those deals that he wasnt really into trikes but had bought this one some years ago to just tool around on. He just wasn't real particular like I feel most of us trike nuts are. Let him sit on it a while, he may come down on that price.

[phantombiker]

He seemed to be a straight up guy, but I think it was one of those deals that he wasnt really into trikes but had bought this one some years ago to just tool around on. He just wasn't real particular like I feel most of us trike nuts are. Let him sit on it a while, he may come down on that price.

as i always say, first come, first served. with all those probs, i'll prolly just let it go. i dont have the knowledge or cashflow to fix all that.

[stalker stopper]

Originally Posted by Merge_88
Ok,
My brother got interested in this Z after seeing it on Craigslist too and decided he wanted to go check it out today so we went out and had a look. Our first impressions were that the right footpeg was being held on by bailing wire, front forks blown, rear shock blown, grab bar snapped off, coolant resevoir cap missing, top motor mount missing, plastics all had that very weather checked and faded look common on the yellow fenders, rear fender had a large chunk out of it, swing arm bushings shot, aftermarket silencer off something else rigged up and the bike wouldnt start. After some messing around and cleaning the plug, we got it to fire and run, but not well. It seemed to me the carb needed a good going through or rebuild. I also noticed the shifter was off something else and it seemed to pull to the right while riding and then would head toward the ditch when you let off the bars. We offered $550 because we came 90 miles to look at it and figured we could possibly get that much in parts or resell back in St. Louis since we had traveled that far. Nevertheless, the guy wouldn't budge and we came home empty handed. he couldnt find that spare frame either.

What a bummer to drive all that way! I was lucky! I have an 85 blk & red Tri-z that has a seized motor and been sitting in my garage for many years. I am origonal owner sice 85. I just started to look for a motor on ebay and they are going from $4-500.00 I decided to look on CL and found 1 for sale for $750. Last thursday I went to look at it. All stock and in great shape with an orig title sold in 86 cali title. Even has orig tires. I got it for $400 bucks. There are some great deals now! Now I just need a motor for my other one!

[factoryX]

there are ungodly deals out right now, the problem is location and fundage.

[Cuztom Racing]

That is true there are some great deals out there, i just bought a 86 200x from the original owner for 500 bucks. It still has tits on the original front tire!

[thestud25]

What a bummer to drive all that way! I was lucky! I have an 85 blk & red Tri-z that has a seized motor and been sitting in my garage for many years. I am origonal owner sice 85. I just started to look for a motor on ebay and they are going from $4-500.00 I decided to look on CL and found 1 for sale for $750. Last thursday I went to look at it. All stock and in great shape with an orig title sold in 86 cali title. Even has orig tires. I got it for $400 bucks. There are some great deals now! Now I just need a motor for my other one!

We need pics!

[stalker stopper]

We need pics!


Just took a few pics.

Not bad for $400 bucks with a Cali title

[factoryX]

drooooolll....