If you're reading this piece, then I'm going to guess you've seen the still image of the pristine, almost showroom-perfect-looking 1994 Yamaha XT250 up top. It's probably why you're here, right? Don't worry, it's why I'm here, too. Because it's just SO GOOD.
It's hard to beat Suzuki dual sports of this era in terms of bold, fantastic '90s graphics, assuming that you (like me) are a fan of such things. That said, this XT250 comes awfully close.
I mean, I was always destined to like it. Look at my author profile photo, and you'll see the seat very nearly matches my hair color. Do I want this bike? I mean, I don't not want this bike, and I felt that way even more after watching this video and seeing the story and how it evolved from just being a bike someone in Wisconsin had up for sale.
The title alone sets the scene. Seller Said This $600 Street Legal Dirt Bike Wouldn't Run, so Joe from 2Vintage showed up and wheeled the bike back to his workshop for a methodical, soothing run through all the usual checks.
As the seller told him, this was a bike that the seller's wife had ridden on their farm since it was new. It ran really well for a while, but then one day it wouldn't start. When he put some starting fluid in, the airbox caught fire, so there's a little bit of singeing on the left underside part of the seat. Not much; you probably wouldn't see it if he didn't point it out in the video. But obviously, the whole airbox catching on fire isn't a situation that Joe is keen to repeat.
So he checks that fuel is getting through, then checks for spark and compression. It's getting fuel, though since it's carbureted, it seems possible that the carb was flooded and that's why the fire started. The sparkplug on this little single looks like it's been running rich, but a quick test shows that it's getting pretty consistent, strong spark. Likewise, a compression test shows that it's getting around 140 psi, so it should start right up with no problem.
Joe also checks the valves, as well as the timing, just for the sake of completeness. The more methodical checks you can do, the quicker you can eliminate (and/or diagnose) potential issues that are preventing the bike from starting. Since all this stuff checks out, it's time to remove the carb and give it a good clean since this bike hails from the turn of the century (yes, it hurts me to write that, too).
It probably shouldn't come as much of a surprise on a bike that's in this good a condition, but the carb really isn't bad at all. Draining the float bowl reveals nice, clear gas; taking it apart likewise shows no varnish inside, even though it hasn't run in a long time. There's no water in the gas either, which is another good sign (and no signs of ethanol).
The jets aren't bad, though there is some clogging in the pilot jet. It's not totally impassable, but no clogging is good clogging, so Joe cleans it out. There's also an O-ring that's shot in the seat, but it's a simple and routine matter to replace (especially if you work on a lot of carbs, which 2Vintage seems to do frequently in his videos).
Once everything's thoroughly cleaned and buttoned back up, and all the connecting lines are blown out to ensure there are no surprise clogs, it's time to try firing the bike up. Hopefully, there won't be any fire this time. It's an electric start, not a kick; will it go?
The real question is, where won't this bike go? It looks and sounds like it just wants to run free and strong forever, quite honestly. If you need a little joy today, watch this bike go for its first run in several years, and watch 2Vintage's adorable dog, Vinnie, happily doing laps chasing after it as it takes its first laps in approximately eight-degree Fahrenheit midwestern winter weather.
The grass might be crispy, crunchy, and cold, but that strong little thumper is warm and raring to go.
