# 1978 Yamaha DT250 Enduro



## longbowdave1 (Aug 10, 2017)

I picked up a DT250 Enduro a few weeks back. I thought I could teach my son to ride it, and also take it street and trail riding myself. I was in pretty good condition for a 39 year old dirt bike, plus I spruced it up a bit.

 I had to adjust the clutch , put in a new petcock, and find a second mirror. Cosmetically, the bike was rough in the paint department. Different colored fenders, blacked out side covers with no labels, and a faded tank.

After looking at some original pictures of these bikes on the web, I did a "rattle can restoration", on the paint job. I ordered up some new stickers for the side covers as well. Didn't removed all the dings and dents, just freshened it up a bit.

 Then, I decided to weld up a rack for the back of the bike, to help haul small stuff on the bike trips and while trail riding. 

It's all low end and power, as it was designed but, it's blast to ride the old 2 stroker.


Here she is, ready to roll again.....


----------



## rayjay (Aug 10, 2017)

It only takes a moment to remove the tank from the bike. Looks good though. Rattle can is all something like this needs.


----------



## Nicodemus (Aug 10, 2017)

Dadgum. Those bikes bring back some memories.


----------



## T-N-T (Aug 10, 2017)

That thing is what one calls a "block or more"

Looks new from a block or more.  


Looks awesome for the age and I bet you get plenty of use out of it.  Good job!


----------



## oops1 (Aug 10, 2017)

That's pretty cool.. Bet y'all are enjoying it


----------



## southernman13 (Aug 10, 2017)

I had a 73 250. I think it was a 73' it was green. I loved that bike.  It got stollen. I was going to sell it anyway. I used the money to buy and plane ticket to Alaska in July 73'. Man that's bringing back some memories. Actually I recently found out my mom had something to do with it being stolen hehe. I know now as a parent why. I always wanted a 360 they were torque monsters. Probably a good thing I never got a 360


----------



## longbowdave1 (Aug 10, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> Dadgum. Those bikes bring back some memories.



I figured someone would remember these bikes, I did. Hope you doing well Nic!


----------



## longbowdave1 (Aug 10, 2017)

T-N-T said:


> That thing is what one calls a "block or more"
> 
> Looks new from a block or more.
> 
> ...




I love the "block or more" name! That's just about what it is. The quiet roads by my house are like a private go-cart track, perfect for an evening spin on the Deuce fifty!


----------



## longbowdave1 (Aug 10, 2017)

southernman13 said:


> I had a 73 250. I think it was a 73' it was green. I loved that bike.  It got stollen. I was going to sell it anyway. I used the money to buy and plane ticket to Alaska in July 73'. Man that's bringing back some memories. Actually I recently found out my mom had something to do with it being stolen hehe. I know now as a parent why. I always wanted a 360 they were torque monsters. Probably a good thing I never got a 360



Thanks for sharing the great memory with us!


----------



## longbowdave1 (Aug 10, 2017)

Was this like your 1973 DT250?


----------



## southernman13 (Aug 10, 2017)

Well it doesn't seem like the same bike. It could be it's been
A looooong time hehe. I'm quite sure I don't have any pictures. I don't remember that stripe or that front fender. I know it was a running machine. My buddy had one as well. He had an expansion chamber and some other goodies. Mine would run circles around his. I rode mine hard and he babied his. I think they run like you break em in.  Also had a Suzuki 250. It would our run the Yamaha by a bunch in a drag race but the Yamaha handled better. Yamaha was untouchable on the track


----------



## Nicodemus (Aug 10, 2017)

longbowdave1 said:


> Was this like your 1973 DT250?





Dave, It was a tossup between the DT360 like that one and a TS 400 Suzuki when I was looking for a bike. I finally settled on the 400. It didn`t handle the best, but the thing had a ton of torque. It was a strong machine. 

Those were some wild, crazy days.


----------



## lagrangedave (Aug 10, 2017)

I had a Ossa 250 Phantom that was crazy fast. I always wanted an Enduro though...............


----------



## lagrangedave (Aug 10, 2017)

Magnito...............haven't used that word in years....................


----------



## southernman13 (Aug 10, 2017)

I thought the silver dt 360 was the coolest looking bike ever. They just wreaked power.


----------



## southernman13 (Aug 10, 2017)

My airboat has magnetos but your right very rare anymore


----------



## 660griz (Aug 11, 2017)

I had a DT 400. My first "street bike".
Oil injection was awesome. It would sip 2 stroke oil. Folks kept telling me to strip it off to save weight and to be sure it actually got oil in the gas but, I just liked not having to mix. 
Rode that thing to work and to the trails. Put me in the hospital one time. Suspension just wasn't up to hard core motocross stuff.


----------



## longbowdave1 (Aug 11, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> Dave, It was a tossup between the DT360 like that one and a TS 400 Suzuki when I was looking for a bike. I finally settled on the 400. It didn`t handle the best, but the thing had a ton of torque. It was a strong machine.
> 
> Those were some wild, crazy days.




That is great old picture Nic! Looks like the cover shot on Bike World magazine! Lol


----------



## longbowdave1 (Aug 11, 2017)

660griz said:


> I had a DT 400. My first "street bike".
> Oil injection was awesome. It would sip 2 stroke oil. Folks kept telling me to strip it off to save weight and to be sure it actually got oil in the gas but, I just liked not having to mix.
> Rode that thing to work and to the trails. Put me in the hospital one time. Suspension just wasn't up to hard core motocross stuff.




The 250 also is very easy on oil, I had to check it a few times when we first ran it. Couldn't believe how easy is is on oil.


----------



## Nicodemus (Aug 11, 2017)

longbowdave1 said:


> That is great old picture Nic! Looks like the cover shot on Bike World magazine! Lol




That was 44 years ago.


----------



## longbowdave1 (Aug 11, 2017)

southernman13 said:


> I thought the silver dt 360 was the coolest looking bike ever. They just wreaked power.




Lot of good memories.....


----------



## longbowdave1 (Aug 11, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> That was 44 years ago.




Had yourself a bike, and you were on top of the world! Heck yeah.


 I'm glad I posted the ol' dirt bike, seems to have stirred up a lot of memories we haven't thought of in a long time.


----------



## Lukikus2 (Aug 12, 2017)

Nice! I put a bunch of miles on one like that. Great bikes but when that power band kicks in you had better be hanging on


----------



## longbowdave1 (Aug 13, 2017)

Lukikus2 said:


> Nice! I put a bunch of miles on one like that. Great bikes but when that power band kicks in you had better be hanging on



Yep, fun to ride. 


 I registered the bike online so, it took a while to get the license plate in the mail, finally came Thursday. Yesterday, I finally took the bike on long road  trip to test it out. Drove about 30 miles on the country roads, along corn and beanfields, and past a few of the local lakes. Great weather(76 and sunny) for a ride, and the bike purred right along at 45MPH. Got a few looks from the older guys like myself remembering the old enduros, and from some of the younger guys, asking themselves what the heck is that? Wish I would have picked it earlier in summer to enjoy it more.


----------



## Lukikus2 (Aug 13, 2017)

longbowdave1 said:


> Yep, fun to ride.
> 
> 
> I registered the bike online so, it took a while to get the license plate in the mail, finally came Thursday. Yesterday, I finally took the bike on long road  trip to test it out. Drove about 30 miles on the country roads, along corn and beanfields, and past a few of the local lakes. Great weather(76 and sunny) for a ride, and the bike purred right along at 45MPH. Got a few looks from the older guys like myself remembering the old enduros, and from some of the younger guys, asking themselves what the heck is that? Wish I would have picked it earlier in summer to enjoy it more.



I love the nangnangang of a 2-stroke! Neighbors maybe not so much  The YZ was a total rocket!


----------



## longbowdave1 (Aug 14, 2017)

Lukikus2 said:


> I love the nangnangang of a 2-stroke! Neighbors maybe not so much  The YZ was a total rocket!




Agreed. That sound kinda grows on ya.....


----------



## 95g atl (Aug 31, 2017)

Nicodemus said:


> Dadgum. Those bikes bring back some memories.



X2.....had yamaha enduro 100 back in the 80's as a kid.  The run FOREVER.


----------



## longbowdave1 (Jun 6, 2018)

This year is the 40th birthday of the 1978 DT250. Took it for a birthday ride. Made a video for Nic, just a short ride like in the old days. The sun was shinning and a little gas in the tank so I took it out for a spin, no were to go and all day to get there. I'm going to be loading the bike onto the back of the Jeep today and heading to Northern Wisconsin, ought to be some awesome riding. As long as I don't hit a deer or bear on the back roads.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="



" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>


----------



## divinginn (Jun 7, 2018)

My first big boy bike   69 DT 250


----------



## longbowdave1 (Jun 10, 2018)

Nice , Got ant old pictures of that bike?


----------



## longbowdave1 (Jun 10, 2018)

I went for some awesome, long rides this weekend. The bike ran great! Ran all over on the wooded roads with no traffic to worry about, and a few off road trails too.


----------



## Nicodemus (Jun 10, 2018)

Great video and I do miss that 2 cycle sound!


----------



## Cmp1 (Jun 10, 2018)

Sure wish I still had my 76 750 SS,,,,


----------



## longbowdave1 (Jun 11, 2018)

Thought you would like the video Nic.

 Cmp, I guess there's a special car, bike, truck, or boat we all wish we still had form back in the day! I know I do. I also miss my 1967 Olds Cutlass with that Rocket 400. Gold 2 door, with a black vinyl top, 300 Hp stock. Man..... what a car! I still think about getting one like it.........


----------



## Cmp1 (Jun 11, 2018)

longbowdave1 said:


> Thought you would like the video Nic.
> 
> Cmp, I guess there's a special car, bike, truck, or boat we all wish we still had form back in the day! I know I do. I also miss my 1967 Olds Cutlass with that Rocket 400. Gold 2 door, with a black vinyl top, 300 Hp stock. Man..... what a car! I still think about getting one like it.........



Amen brother,,,, in 77 Honda came out with the 750 DOHC,,,,, if I'm not mistaken,,,, dramatic HP increase,,,, I had a 250 Elsinore too that I miss,,,,


----------

