Bought a 85 250 big red in bad shape

[svo58]

I just bought it.It don't roll,maybe the bearings or the brakes are shot.It's just about all their,it's missing the brake handles(both sides),that's what i can see from the picture.I'm sure there is other little stuff missing too.My question is i am going to start with the bearings,the front is easy but the rear is shaft drive ,how hard is to change them.The rear swing arm ,how do you check it and if it is bad ,is it fixable(i am going to get a manual ,i want to start rite away on the frame and cable ect.)The 250 still has the origanal tires on ,1 is flat the other 2 hold air.Is this the place to start ,(the out side of the big red.) and do the motor last.I hope it worth putting this 250 back together,if not it will keep me out of trouble anyway.thanks for any help or try to stear me in the rite direction anyway.............svo58

[chris200x]

I would focus on getting it rolling before worring about anything else. It is possible to change the rear swinger bearings. I've done it on a 250sx already. It's not that hard but a manual will help tremendously.

[BIGCRIP28]

i think he means "BIG RED"

[Huffa]

1st thing is to set it up on jack stands or whatever and see if the brake caliper piston is froze in the out postion, pushing the pads against the rotor. Actually you don't need it on stands for that.

Could be as simple as the brake cable being frozed up also. Make sure the caliper arm that cable attaches to is all the way in the piston release postion.

Take the chain off and see if you can turn wheels freely. Check the axle trueness by eyeing the axle ends and see if they rotate perfect .

See if there is play in bearings by trying to move the whole axle assembly side to side with wheels on. With wheels off try turning it and see if it "feels" dry as your turning hit. You can sort of hear them too if they are shot.

[chris200x]

my bad. I thought big reds WERE shaft drive.

[Live4today]

Beat me to it, I was just about to say that.

[Live4today]

Huffa just said take the chain off, and try to turn the wheels, you can't take the chain off because it's a shaft instead.

[chris200x]

I'm all messed up now. lol I must be reading something wrong. I said that the 250sx rear end was similar to that of the bigred. Where'd my other thread go? Anyway Ya, I would have to agree with Huffa on that one though. You should focus on getting it rolling then running.

[trikerider2oo7]

changing the bearings in a 250 big red and a 250sx would have very similar procedures

[erectordale]

svo if you need parts i have a machine that was so ruff. it could not be saved but lots of good parts to save others

[atcmatt]

For god sake. If you know nothing about the bike why bother replying! The 250es is a shaft drive and it also has drum brakes. So there is NO chain and NO Caliper/Rotor!



The bearings arent all that hard to change in the rear end (not that I have done the swingarm). I have done the diff ones and they werent to bad. Like someone else said the manual will be invaluable.

Matt