Got an opportunity to buy a 1984 air cooled CR500. Until I saw this one, I thought all of the air coooled bikes were 480s, but the original head label says right there 1984 CR500 and it was built in late '83. Problem is, I know nothing about this year model and was wondering if anyone has any input on it and what kind of ballpark figure it would be worth?
Few things I do know about it:
Stock pipe with DG silencer
Seat looks like it may not be the stock seat - definitely not the stock cover.
No idea of the top end (how many hours, overbore, what piston)
The guy is asking $1000 for it and there's no way I'm paying that not knowing about the top end. He says it starts and runs good. It was his uncle's bike and, prior to him getting it running, it had set for 10 years. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
post for it: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83276
1984 CR500R
1984 CR500R
'87 CR500R / (2) '01 CR500R / '02 MPS CR500R AF / '06 XR650R / '06 XR650L / '01 XR400R / '01 FLHTCUI / '04 CRF 450R / '84 CR500R / '89 Transalp /'05 CRF450X / '02 XR200R
Jay Birdsong
Don't you know about the Bird?
Jay Birdsong
Don't you know about the Bird?
-
mightyhammer
- Posts: 42
- Joined: May 26th, 2011, 9:37 am
- Location: Lewiston, ID.
Hey J... IMHO... It looks like a $600-800 tops bike... Sometimes you can get very lucky and get them for less. Lots to consider tho... parts are getting "EXTREMELY" scarce and very expensive since Honda does not produce parts for the 84's at all and aftermarket is limited and ebay gets pretty crazy cuz us fellers that swear by finners are buying up all we can to keep em up n runnin... That being said, I think the 84 500 is an awesome bike and has its own bennies when you get it right. There is a shit ton of info on em here and 500 riders site as well. If you choose to pass on this or he wont budge and you think you gotta have one be patient one will turn up that is decent for $300-$600 on craigslist or someone who has one rotting in a barn or shop will find out you are lookin for one and it'll work out for ya.... That's how I get most of mine... got like 4 of em now never paid over 6 hundred. On the other hand.... Occasionally a mint one will show up and can demand upwards of 3 grand or more. I really think, imho like I said... unless you have some strange fetish for the 84's like myself and some others, you might be better off just getting one a lot newer... Just my 2 cents... Coop
-
BrianPaul69
- Posts: 110
- Joined: September 11th, 2010, 3:01 pm
- Location: Carney's Point, NJ
Hello J, I paid $800 for my 84 BUT it was a total puss case and was probably worth more like $300~$400. The guy actually delivered it for my from Maryland on his way to Myrtle Beach so I couldn't say I don't want it at that point. I honestly felt bad for the guy and his wife because they were about flat broke. After I got started it was more about the journey than the cost. I learned so much about the bike and it challenged my skills at ever turn. When I finally finished the bike it was such a feeling of accomplishment to hear it run and ride it.
Some guys just want a bike in good shape that they can start and ride but that's not likely gonna come along for $600 ~ $800 unless your real lucky. Keep in mind this is a 1 year only bike, they are almost 30 years old and as stated above parts are a real mother to find especially the shrouds. Even a barn find after sitting for 20 years will need a complete overhaul. Engine bearings can't sit that long without getting some rust damage and will probably fail pretty soon after you start it. My advice is find one that is as complete as you can get it even if you have to pay a little more. Honestly after I bought this basket case I didn't see any other 84's close enough for me to drive out and get them. Shipping one was also out of the question since you really don't know what your getting and the cost went well above what I was willing to pay.
Here is my 84 project I finished up last year if you'd like to take a look.
http://bannedcr500riders.com/board/view ... sc&start=0
Some guys just want a bike in good shape that they can start and ride but that's not likely gonna come along for $600 ~ $800 unless your real lucky. Keep in mind this is a 1 year only bike, they are almost 30 years old and as stated above parts are a real mother to find especially the shrouds. Even a barn find after sitting for 20 years will need a complete overhaul. Engine bearings can't sit that long without getting some rust damage and will probably fail pretty soon after you start it. My advice is find one that is as complete as you can get it even if you have to pay a little more. Honestly after I bought this basket case I didn't see any other 84's close enough for me to drive out and get them. Shipping one was also out of the question since you really don't know what your getting and the cost went well above what I was willing to pay.
Here is my 84 project I finished up last year if you'd like to take a look.
http://bannedcr500riders.com/board/view ... sc&start=0
I ended up getting it for $800. It's 99% there and I've picked up some parts off of ebay. Got a ton of other projects that are more pressing so it'll be a while before I can get some pictures up.
MH - thanks for the info
BP69 - thanks for the info. It's in a little better shape than the one you have when you first bought it (looks awesome now!). It does start and run pretty good, but I will be tearing into it. Also, thanks for the paint info in your build thread; I've got an '87 that I'd like to repaint the frame.
I've wanted one of those Yamaha DT's since they came out. A friend and his brother had a couple of 125's and they started avoiding me because I was always asking to ride one.
MH - thanks for the info
BP69 - thanks for the info. It's in a little better shape than the one you have when you first bought it (looks awesome now!). It does start and run pretty good, but I will be tearing into it. Also, thanks for the paint info in your build thread; I've got an '87 that I'd like to repaint the frame.
I've wanted one of those Yamaha DT's since they came out. A friend and his brother had a couple of 125's and they started avoiding me because I was always asking to ride one.
'87 CR500R / (2) '01 CR500R / '02 MPS CR500R AF / '06 XR650R / '06 XR650L / '01 XR400R / '01 FLHTCUI / '04 CRF 450R / '84 CR500R / '89 Transalp /'05 CRF450X / '02 XR200R
Jay Birdsong
Don't you know about the Bird?
Jay Birdsong
Don't you know about the Bird?
-
BrianPaul69
- Posts: 110
- Joined: September 11th, 2010, 3:01 pm
- Location: Carney's Point, NJ
That's awesome you got the bike, I forgot to ask it you were the one who bought it. I think $800 was a fair price from the looks of it. You got a lot more for your money than I did but I didn't get to see mine till it arrived. When my wife and I looked it over we felt bad for the bike and the couple that delivered it so we gave it a new home and a little extra to the guy and gal who were taking a little vacation to Myrtle beach so I probably got about a grand in mine before I even started. Looking over the pics of the bike you bought again it seems that someone modified the seat (cut down the foam) so they could sit lower. Was the owner short? Something also looks off with the silencer. It's not suppose to point up like that. Once you pull that rear frame off I'm sure you'll see whats going on. I can't believe the front number plate handle bar strap is in tack. It keeps the cable from going behind the number plate. I would also put a 48 tooth sprocket on the rear, you'll like it on top end and it doesn't hurt the lower gears either.
Its good your not going to start on it yet, it will give you some time to pick up a few parts. I actually bought several bottom ends, cylinders, heads, brake parts and pretty much any misc stuff that might be valuable in the years ahead. If you plan to keep the bike just imagine how hard it will be 10 years from now to find parts and the cost for them considering its a one year only bike. That clutch cover is a treasure in itself and mine was trashed beyond belief.
I'm not sure your skill level when it comes to tearing into the engine but since that's the most important part of the bike it might be a safe thing to take it completely apart, inspect everything and then put it all back together knowing EVERYTHING inside and out is right. I'm not sure you saw it in my post but there were extra washers in the transmission and a piece of debris that looked like ring fragments ready to go into the main bearing. That could have eventually took out the engine if not found ahead of time.
Another bike I just finished rebuilding the engine on (twice) is a friends 86 CR500. He bought it and just listened to what the guy told him. Engine was gone through, new top end, everything is ready to go. When I buy a bike unless I know the owner personally or saw it in pieces being rebuilt I look at it as its ready to blow up. The 86 was slowly self destructing piece by piece. First the bolt that holds the primary crank gear on came out and drilled a hole through his clutch cover. When we pulled the cover off we saw that someone broke off a bolt in the clutch basket that holds the springs on so there was a spring missing the whole time. After that mess was fixed I found he never had the seat off to check his filter and it looked like it went through a war. We started taking everything apart to clean the intake tract and found the Boyesen reeds were all chipped up. After all that was cleaned and parts were replaced the ProX piston came apart messing up the cylinder and it blew a hole through the bottom end. I found him an 85 bottom end, honed out the cylinder with a new Wiseco piston kit and got him back in the saddle. Not more than a two weeks later the bike smoked the piston because his radiators were nearly clogged plus I think he mixed his oil wrong. I just found him a complete top end with a nice Wiseco and we got it back up and running last week. When he went to leave his lower steering stem bearing started grinding and we found it was all rusted up. Because this guy never wanted to fix something that he thought wasn't broke ( not to mention never did and preventative maintenance ) he has more invested than what he paid for the bike.
Being that 84 is air cooled its VERY simple and straight forward to work on. I would take it apart down to the last nut and bolt and build it back up again so you know its right. Can't wait to see it when you get started and if you need anything I'd be happy to help.
Its good your not going to start on it yet, it will give you some time to pick up a few parts. I actually bought several bottom ends, cylinders, heads, brake parts and pretty much any misc stuff that might be valuable in the years ahead. If you plan to keep the bike just imagine how hard it will be 10 years from now to find parts and the cost for them considering its a one year only bike. That clutch cover is a treasure in itself and mine was trashed beyond belief.
I'm not sure your skill level when it comes to tearing into the engine but since that's the most important part of the bike it might be a safe thing to take it completely apart, inspect everything and then put it all back together knowing EVERYTHING inside and out is right. I'm not sure you saw it in my post but there were extra washers in the transmission and a piece of debris that looked like ring fragments ready to go into the main bearing. That could have eventually took out the engine if not found ahead of time.
Another bike I just finished rebuilding the engine on (twice) is a friends 86 CR500. He bought it and just listened to what the guy told him. Engine was gone through, new top end, everything is ready to go. When I buy a bike unless I know the owner personally or saw it in pieces being rebuilt I look at it as its ready to blow up. The 86 was slowly self destructing piece by piece. First the bolt that holds the primary crank gear on came out and drilled a hole through his clutch cover. When we pulled the cover off we saw that someone broke off a bolt in the clutch basket that holds the springs on so there was a spring missing the whole time. After that mess was fixed I found he never had the seat off to check his filter and it looked like it went through a war. We started taking everything apart to clean the intake tract and found the Boyesen reeds were all chipped up. After all that was cleaned and parts were replaced the ProX piston came apart messing up the cylinder and it blew a hole through the bottom end. I found him an 85 bottom end, honed out the cylinder with a new Wiseco piston kit and got him back in the saddle. Not more than a two weeks later the bike smoked the piston because his radiators were nearly clogged plus I think he mixed his oil wrong. I just found him a complete top end with a nice Wiseco and we got it back up and running last week. When he went to leave his lower steering stem bearing started grinding and we found it was all rusted up. Because this guy never wanted to fix something that he thought wasn't broke ( not to mention never did and preventative maintenance ) he has more invested than what he paid for the bike.
Being that 84 is air cooled its VERY simple and straight forward to work on. I would take it apart down to the last nut and bolt and build it back up again so you know its right. Can't wait to see it when you get started and if you need anything I'd be happy to help.
Yeah, I never trust anybody who says something I'm buying is "ready to go". I've already got another seat for the '84. I've done top ends on my '87 and '01 500s, but haven't torn into an '84. Haven't ever had to split cases though. The '84 doesn't look like it's been apart - still need to look it over more closely and will pull it apart anyway. The silencer is a DG aftermarket and that might be the reason it looks funny. However, you're probably right; no telling what I might find once I pull it apart. Thanks for the offer to help. I've got a factory manual for it but may need some help deciphering the Japanese to English translations.
I broke that same clutch part on my '87 the first time I rebuilt the clutch, but I replaced it right away. Who would try to run a bike in that condition? I've got a friend's XR200 I've got to do a top end on and my nephew's Suzuki 1200 Bandit he let set up for 4 years to get going before I can get to the '84.
I broke that same clutch part on my '87 the first time I rebuilt the clutch, but I replaced it right away. Who would try to run a bike in that condition? I've got a friend's XR200 I've got to do a top end on and my nephew's Suzuki 1200 Bandit he let set up for 4 years to get going before I can get to the '84.
'87 CR500R / (2) '01 CR500R / '02 MPS CR500R AF / '06 XR650R / '06 XR650L / '01 XR400R / '01 FLHTCUI / '04 CRF 450R / '84 CR500R / '89 Transalp /'05 CRF450X / '02 XR200R
Jay Birdsong
Don't you know about the Bird?
Jay Birdsong
Don't you know about the Bird?