I picked up a new-to-me DT250A last week from a guy that got it as part of a package deal. You know, in order to get this bike, you have to take these others as well.

THE GOOD: Came with a TITLE! Tires are nearly new. It has a fork brace.

THE BAD: No lights, not running. According to my seller, his seller said it had been parked for several years after it refused to start.

THE UGLY: The pictures pretty much speak for themselves.


Nice sized dent in the tank. Missing the right side plastic cover over the airbox. Opened the airbox and it has a filter, but it's falling apart.


Shocks aren't stock ThermalFlows. More to come ...


Seat foam mostly gone, cover in rough shape, pan broken and rusty (but not as bad as another pan I have!).


Not sure why the exhaust hanger is tack-welded to the pipe. Picture angle is wrong, the hanger is twisted about 100 degrees counter-clockwise from where it should be for the hanger holes to hit the studs sticking up out of the exhaust.


How about a 25 pop-rivet repair? There's a second piece of tin on the underside. I counted 25 pop rivet heads on the top side. I think this *might* be beyond restoration???

More to come ...

Part two - THE UGLY:


Oil supply line cut off. Plugged at the tank end but not at the pump end. And the throttle cable to the oil pump???


Cut off as well. Tried to remove the oil pump cover to see what was left of the system down there, but the bottom hex bolt has a stripped head. Not sure how to get that out, since the head is tucked into a recess in the cover. If it wasn't tucked in, I'd Dremel a slot in the head and use a big screwdriver.


Bird's nest at the headlight bucket - with no bucket available.


Tach cable disconnected, not sure where the rest of the connector is (haven't looked yet). Speedo and tach pretty loose on their perches.


Hard to see, but yes, there is rust in there. Not HORRIBLE, but still not good. And the fuel STINKS!

Still more to come ...

Part three, THE UGLY:


Missing clamp on airbox-to-carb joint, looks like it isn't very well sealed, either. I guess they didn't like to rely on the petcock on the tank.


Hard to see, but the rear sprocket is well-worn. Chain and front sprocket are probably just as worn.


Broken sprocket cover.


Chopped up wiring. No battery (why is a battery needed, there ain't no lights!). And of course, no toolkit.

I probably gave the guy a little too much for a bike that I will probably never get going. It will sit in the back corner of the shed until I need tires or want to put that fork brace on something else. At least it won't be rotting away outside somewhere. It will rot away inside, instead.

If there's someone out there that wants to take this on and get it running for an off-road bike - or really work to get it road-rideable - I would entertain reasonable offers. I also have a 1974 DT360A in a similar condition, a 1975 DT250B with NO TITLE but with at least part of the lighting components, and a 1974 DT175A that shouldn't take too much to get running again that are available. If you want them, you'll have to come to St. Louis to get them. Message me or post here if you're interested.