Picked up this 89 over the weekend

Recount your rebuilds here!
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louis mielke
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Picked up this 89 over the weekend

Post by louis mielke »

A friend of a friend tipped me off to this bike. Typical story, can't be started, too much to handle, etc etc. $1000. Well can't really beat a running CR500 engine for 1k so I had to go check it out.

I get there, check it out, not too hurtful on the surface. Rear shock is leaking, forks are leaking, brakes a fine. Wheels are straight, chain and sprockets are tired. Has a ugly skin industries graphics kit and it's dirty as well a dirt bike.

He's all like "I might have to start it for you."

I ask, "it runs?"

"Yah."

"Okay." I walk the bike away from the garage post it's leaning on, click it through all the gears, everybodies there like they should be but shifter is slopy as a 5$ whore. Give it a little once over, bone cold pipe & cylinder, click into first, give it a rock back and forth, choke, climb on, push past the compression, kicker is slopy as the 5$ whore's sister but whatever, WHACK, starts first kick.

Let it warm up to the touch, Have to nurse the throttle to keep it from dieing but it's running with no red flags. Take it around the yard, pulls hard like it should but it's drowning wide open *shrug* Typical. Come back and shut it down.

"Whoah man, I've never seen anyone start that bike in one kick." *shrug*

He wants a thousand, is what I would consider a decent friend so I take it and give him his asking price. Came with some new silencer packing and a 80% tire for the rear cause the one on it was shot. I feel like it's not a bad deal. load it up, hang with some other friends and head home next day.

Get it home and start going through it.
First thing I do is strip off the plastics and start removing the crappy graphics kit. Of course I find a ton of non OEM hardware, and a few standard bolts thrown in for good measure. I curse a little and start chasing threads and installing helicoils. Here's where I ended up. Still has the ugly poorly installed seat cover I plan on replacing.

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Has the Works heal guards so that's kinda nice, FMF exhaust, missing 2 pipe springs and rear mid pipe mount but I had them so I replaced em. Silencer is barley mounted so I need to reference some pics on here to see how this FMF is supposed to be mounted and whats missing.

The above pictures looks decent but this was after about 5 hours of cleaning graphics and misc stickers. Wish i would have taken a before picture. This bike was fugly.

While I had all the plastics off and put a new plug in it, was the wrong plug and it was loose on top of that.

Also found the radiators where tweaked upwards so spent some time with a block of wood and broom handle tweaking them back into the correct place. Left rad is missing lower shroud bolt hole :-(


Of course this far in I'm already making a punch list.

mud guard is shot, one bolt striped on bottom of air box
one side frame mount in airbox is striped
fork seals
shock rebuild
new seat cover

replaced the grips already
clutch cables is shot
levers are sloppy
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shifter
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kicker
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chain and sprockets
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Finally though, as I'm continuing my clean up I come to the real disappointment. I don't know how I didn't notice it, I swear I must have stared at this damage 3 times when i was checking the bike out at my friends house and it just never registered anything was wrong. :cry:

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Last edited by louis mielke on October 7th, 2013, 9:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Don't worry, it will grow back!"
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hoofarted
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Post by hoofarted »

Nice close up of the $5 whore and her sister - her sister had some work done :lol:

One thing thats the norm about used bikes - you never know what you're in for until u start tearing into 'em.
The CR500 is an acquired taste. If you don't like it, acquire some taste...

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louis mielke
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Location: Maryland

Post by louis mielke »

I know right?!? That poor kicker was nipped and tucked and still blown out like a Tijuana street corner deposit box.

Very unhappy about the broken case boss. It runs so good I hate to split the cases to get that fixed.

My buddy had bought it to do a aluminum frame conversion, I was half thinking about that myself. Still not sure what I'm gonna do with it.

I have this sitting on the bench but I hate to put it in this poor earth mover.

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"Don't worry, it will grow back!"
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louis mielke
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Post by louis mielke »

Well got a few more things done this evening.

Drilled out a broken bolt in the triples and installed another helicoil.
Replaced the shifter.

Removed the gawd awful number plate, the sticker is just not my style. I ordered a newer styled one, hopefully will make the bike look a little newer.

Replaced the shifter, just so happened to have one in my parts bucket. Glad I'm a hoarder.

Cleaned and repacked the silencer. Now I just need to find some clear pictures of how this FMF silencer is supposed to be correctly mounted.

Anyone have any recommendations for a inexpensive rear shock rebuild or is it smarter to try and find one from a later year bike and forgo rebuilding an older shock?

I plan on just putting seals in the forks so it's not like I'll be updating them. It's still a candidate for a AF conversion at this point, figured I'd fix the little things so at least it's a clean roller when I go to sell if I decide to go AF.
"Don't worry, it will grow back!"
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hoofarted
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Post by hoofarted »

Well I can tell you for certain that this doesn't belong:

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You need the rubber bushings with the alum guides in the center like this. And I just realized that mine are on backwards. The Alum bushings belong on the other side. No biggie. You get the idea.

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I dont know what you're subframe looks like so I cant tell you if the mount points are fuggerd up or not.

And I have a rear shock for a 92 if you're interested.

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The CR500 is an acquired taste. If you don't like it, acquire some taste...

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louis mielke
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Post by louis mielke »

yeah, i figured I was going to need some rubber bushings and inserts, did those come with the silencer or are they oem.

I'm just trying to figure out if i need to call FMF to order them or get them from honda. I think I have some inserts, just not the rubber bushings.


That 92 looks mighty clean. Any idea if there are any differences? Idea of what you're looking to get for that shock?
"Don't worry, it will grow back!"
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hoofarted
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Post by hoofarted »

The rubber inserts come on both OEM and FMF silencers.

Here ya go: 18334-KA3-830

$10 on eBay

And I'd take $60/shipped for the shock. As far as the differences go, I believe it will fit. If ya want, remove it and measure it up to confirm.
The CR500 is an acquired taste. If you don't like it, acquire some taste...

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louis mielke
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Post by louis mielke »

I'll get some measurements this afternoon.

Any history on that shock or just from a partout?
"Don't worry, it will grow back!"
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hoofarted
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Post by hoofarted »

It was leftover from my AF conversion. Worked fine from what I recall.
The CR500 is an acquired taste. If you don't like it, acquire some taste...

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Kuma
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Post by Kuma »

Sounds like a hoon deal for the shock, if it doesn't fit, it's not too difficult to rebuild the shock, you can get a new seal head for about $30 and oil around $25? if you can follow instructions to do the engine, you can do the shock. save your old seal head and get new O-rings and dust seal so you have a spare, the qt of oil should be enough to do 2.
Gen 2 AF, yes it's a SH, so I can call it an AF Damm it!
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louis mielke
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Post by louis mielke »

Looks like center to center is approx 18". Pretty sure I'm gonna take it unless the measurements are that far off. Definitely a hoon deal for sure! Thanks much. Pm me with PayPal details or however you want payment.
"Don't worry, it will grow back!"
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hoofarted
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Post by hoofarted »

I'll measure tonight when I get home from work.
The CR500 is an acquired taste. If you don't like it, acquire some taste...

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hoofarted
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Post by hoofarted »

Measured it and at approx 18" as well. Looks like it should work...
The CR500 is an acquired taste. If you don't like it, acquire some taste...

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sdnative
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Damage?

Post by sdnative »

What's the damage in the swing arm shot? Weld crack, or the chain rub/rash?

The 89 frame I picked up is pretty beat in the same area because the guy wore through the plastic chain guides and just kept riding ...chain ate about 1/4" into the alum swing arm up by the pivot.

Ohh well, on mine at least the new chain guide will cover it up! Ha
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louis mielke
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Post by louis mielke »

We'll I guess this is how it goes for 500s now adays but I just nabbed a 07 crf450r roller in nice shape for 500$ so this ole girl is getting parted out for a AF conversion.

Bitter sweet I suppose. At least it's not a super duper cherry bike, then I'd feel bad parting her out.
"Don't worry, it will grow back!"
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