Should I buy a 1985 Kawasaki Tecate 250

[Davidcz75]

I have found a really nice 1985 Tecate 250 ... it possibly needs a new rear shock and the rear brakes put back on .. aside from that its really nice and the price is great. I am a bit concerned about being able to find parts for it though . Anyone have one and are there big issues with parts availability ? Any input would be appreciated .

[jb2wheels]

I've had an 85 for a few months now and just picked up another 85 project.

Tough parts to find so far = plastics, CDI boxes, head lights, that long bolt for the gas tank and the original chain guard/skid "plate".
Tail lights were used on a bunch of Kawasaki ATVs so no problem.
I bought a caliper rebuild kit on eBay but is was hard to find. I think it was listed for an EX500 or something.
Jeswinehart reproduces a few important pieces like intakes and chain sliders and some others and provides a great flywheel upgrade service.
Sprockets, bearings, chains I bought so far with no issues.
I have to dive into brakes on my project so we'll see how that goes.
I have 3 sets of forks not count the set on my runner. Of the 6 tubes, only 3 are useable. The others are rusty in the "suspension" part. Something to look out for.
Shocks can be rebuilt or replaced with either a cheap option (Raptor, 300EX) or aftermarket.
Easy to work on - seems like a simple trike compared to my Hondas

I'd buy another one. I have 3 - a runner, a project and a parts donor. I'll probably sell the project when it's running and there won't be much left of the parts donor.

So, if the one you're looking at has good fenders and runs, it's worth picking up as a project.

[sp8twn]

Here's some pics of mine,,It's ok but it's not my R!!!

[wisconsinite]

Here's some pics of mine,,It's ok but it's not my R!!!

Very nice t3, i like the colors!