On a different note I spotted a 1999 YZ250 on craigslist that was being parted out and snapped it up today. It has a crack in the cylinder near the exhaust bridge but some work and TLC and this bike should be great again. The guy even threw in a gasket set, new wiseco piston kit and swingarm bearing kit. I won't even say the price because it was a steal lol. I hate to see a two stroke die like that. They deserve to be restored and ridden and not parted out. In the next couple months I am going to post so pictures of the 99 and my 360 and do some side by side shots because it should be cool.
Be careful there. Cracked and welded Aluminum is WEAK. You can weld it and plate it but chances are it will crack again. Get a steel sleeve to keep the strength. Another option is weld it, then heat treat it, then plate and hone it to size.
I ended up having an LA Sleeve put in. Today was the first day of break-in and it went pretty well. The previous owner didn't know crap about maintenance and I got the bike in a series of black plastic garbage bags. so I ended up putting new bearings all over the place, replacing bolts, complete frame up build, some new plastic, etc. I still need to finish break-in, fix the jetting on the carb, change the suspension settings and so much more. I found some great complete rims/tires on eBay for a good price so I swapped out the old rims. I kept some of the old plastic on it because I expect to lay it down a couple times this week and then the following week it'll get graphics and fresh plastic on it.
Before
After
My two YZ's side by side for the first time
