Incredible Deal on CRM250 43k Plated in Mae Tang

[AlexUSA]

My mechanic went up and test drove the red tank CRM the other day - said it was in great condition and the dude is legit. They're not pretty but in excellent mechanical condition.

This is quite a deal, IMO. If I wasn't about to leave the country for a bit, I would go buy this tomorrow.


The story is it's the liquidation of a tour company. The CRM's are plated as tours were going into Laos. The guy is now moving to KLX's and selling off the older bikes. He'll drop the price significantly if you take more than one.

 

[LivinLOS]

Very cheap if running and plated.. Depends on how much bodging has been done to keep them going tho..

 

[alexuk]

and how much more bodging for next year.
tempting though, 40bhp?
Know which model/year they are?

 

[KTMphil]

Mr. Hanley - perfect for Sam?

Very cheap if running and plated.. Depends on how much bodging has been done to keep them going tho..

 

[AlexUSA]

Follow the link for more pictures, Alex. You should be able to ID the model exactly against the pictures at this site - http://www.crm250.com/history.asp

They are definitely the older ones - non-AR, for sure.

The mechanic who services my bikes and Max's bikes said it pulled like Max's WR. He said they looked very well-maintained even though cosmetically ugly. He seemed to think they were more used for long trips than technical off-road beatings like we give our bikes.

Anyway, I'd feel much more comfortable buying a used CRM than a used XR or other 4-stroke. It's much easier to fabricate, refurbish, etc. the CRM parts than XR parts which might be hard to find in some cases.

 

[KTMphil]

Where would you get new parts for them in Thailand?

Follow the link for more pictures, Alex. You should be able to ID the model exactly against the pictures at this site - http://www.crm250.com/history.asp

They are definitely the older ones - non-AR, for sure.

The mechanic who services my bikes and Max's bikes said it pulled like Max's WR. He said they looked very well-maintained even though cosmetically ugly. He seemed to think they were more used for long trips than technical off-road beatings like we give our bikes.

Anyway, I'd feel much more comfortable buying a used CRM than a used XR or other 4-stroke. It's much easier to fabricate, refurbish, etc. the CRM parts than XR parts which might be hard to find in some cases.

 

[AlexUSA]

Where would you get new parts for them in Thailand?

No different from supporting an XR, TTR, etc. except easier since it's 2-stroke.

Was talking with my mechanic last night at dinner for a while and he was saying how much easier it is to maintain the old two-strokes in Thailand because when things go wrong, you just need a lot more imported parts to fix the XR than the CRM.

His point was the CRM is more suited to the situation we have in Thailand: Cheap fabrication and machine shop services but limited imported factory parts.

 

[Loop]

Good deal for a plated one but being the way i am i would have to pull it down and change the main bearings and crank seals and make sure the power valve is working correctly at the bare minimum and leak test.

Bit of a lucky dip but there could be some good ones there,AR would be nice.
I believe they stopped making them in `99 so they`ve been around a while possibly needing resleeving or re nickelsil.

 

[AlexUSA]

i would have to pull it down and change the main bearings and crank seals and make sure the power valve is working correctly at the bare minimum and leak test.

Why?

The butt-dyno says the engine pulls like new. It's dirt cheap. Just buy it and ride it. No need to sink time and money into a 43k bike that has no apparent problems.

 

[Wolf]

These bikes are 20 to 23 years old (Mark II) and you can't get cranks or connecting rod kits.

You can't get CDIs either, which also control the power valve.

Re-sleeving is easy, but I haven't found any shop in Chiang Mai which can do a reasonable porting job.

Of course there are ways around this..... but do you want to ride it or fiddle with it? 43k for a project bike?

 

[Loop]

i would have to pull it down and change the main bearings and crank seals and make sure the power valve is working correctly at the bare minimum and leak test.

Why?

The butt-dyno says the engine pulls like new. It's dirt cheap. Just buy it and ride it. No need to sink time and money into a 43k bike that has no apparent problems.

Just the way i am because if they don`t run quite right or i think i could get just a little more from it they bug the sh!t out of me.

Probably not the right sort of bike for me anyway.

 

[alexuk]

are they mk2 or mk3?

 

[LUFC]

Personally I think an XR250 is a much better all around bike for this area and I say that having owned a 1999 AR from 2002-2007.

John had his 1999 AR for about 8 months before he dumped it for a 4T.

The comment the mechanic made about pulling harder etc. is not really relevant when comparing a 2T and a 4T, the 2T will always seem to pull harder due to the nature of its powerband, just try putting that to use in the wet season, that's why I would opt for an older XR in CM.

 

[jkrfjessjess]

The problem with these crm's is they share very little with xr's , this compounded with the fact they weren't imported to too many county's means bits are hard to come by .There is a place in the UK who have parts but far from a comprehensive stock as some things are not produced anymore . As for supporting them compared to a 4t , I dont think even the most lateral thinking Thai workshop could sus out alternatives for AR electrics ( there's even aTPS ! )

The only time I could recommend some one buy one over an XR is if I was selling it to them .

 

[AlexUSA]

The only time I could recommend some one buy one over an XR is if I was selling it to them .

Personally I think an XR250 is a much better all around bike for this area and I say that having owned a 1999 AR from 2002-2007.

John had his 1999 AR for about 8 months before he dumped it for a 4T.

The comment the mechanic made about pulling harder etc. is not really relevant when comparing a 2T and a 4T, the 2T will always seem to pull harder due to the nature of its powerband, just try putting that to use in the wet season, that's why I would opt for an older XR in CM.

I never said they were better than an XR. I was saying it's easier to fix a 2T than a 4T in Thailand given parts availability.

My point about the power was not that it made it better than an XR but that it indicates the engine is in good condition.

The CRM is absolutely inferior to the XR for real enduro use year-round in N. Thailand. I have never seen a CRM enter local races while the field is usually 40%+ XR's. The CRM's are heavy for a 2T and LUFC is correct about the power delivery in the slippery stuff.

I would still buy this bike in a minute and use it as it as the very-dirt-capable, powerful, (and plated!) dual-sport it was designed to be.

 

[Lao2stroker]

hehehehe..I will smash any of you on your XRs on my shittiest CRM :katYou will choke in a cloud of smoke while you are still kicking that 4T to life!!

No, for real, I have 5, ARs and MK3s...one MK2....I also have about 3 bikes worth of spares...I spend weeks trollling for spares to buy from lots of sources....The stuff that crosses over from an XR really have nothing to do with CRMs. They use very specific parts made for that bike only in man cases. You can "sleeve" a barrel, but they run like shit.

And the guys in the UK at Leisure Scam are a bunch of limey cunts ripping people off for CRM shit as they think they have it all. Well, they don't and if you need OEM CRM stuff from Japan, at real prices PM me....I get alot from Honda Japan when I need new stuff....and that includes CDIs, barrels, what have you.

Those MK2s for sale are pretty roached, mostly good for breaking in to spares.....

FWW, these bikes do scream and from a "wow" factor, eat XRs and most 4Ts for lunch.

Also, it should be noted, a good rider, like David Knight, can beat the field on a TTR200 if he wanted too....It aint the bike, it's the pilot.

 

[rhiekel]

Are any of these bikes still for sale ?