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Makotosun

3 DT1's ready for the vintage motorcycle show

  • SKYDANCER46
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Around 2 years ago i started searching for a good DT1 250 badge bike for my retirement years. I retired july of 2022. So right after that about 6 or 7 months ago i got lucky and came across the 70 and 71 you see here. They were in pretty nice condition, mostly original ( especially the 71) but to buy the one i wanted i had to buy both. I though well this is more money then i wanted to spend but maybe down the road i could sell the one i didn't keep for myself? Both bikes did not run and had been sitting for sometime but looked to be stored right. I decided to buy them both. 
So while completely going thru the 2 bikes to get them up and running, replacing what ever was needed and servicing them to make them safe to ride again i was offered the 68 DT250 to purchase. I thought to myself, unbelievable really? Been looking for years, then 3 bikes pop up in 1 months time. What's the odds? Even though i am not a collector and the 68 was going to more expesive, No Yamaha enduro enthusiast turns down a pretty complete low mileage 68 DT1 250 to work on and own. Timing wasn't right but the bike sure was. More then anything else i wanted to work on one to check out the differences and learn more about the 68's. With having the 70 and 71 i could now compare all three side by side. 

Now fast forward 7 months and more money spent (especially on the 68) they are now pretty much ready for this years Gilmore car Museum Vintage bike show June 10 &11 weather premitting. That's what i was shooting for. I only have a few minor things to do on all 3 of them and will need to put some miles on the 68.  After finishing the 68 last week i was able to start and ride it for the 1st time in "who knows" how many years!! It was a good bike with low mileage but unlike the other 2 it was not stored as well and has not been run in many more years. I had to go thru every nut and bolt and had to do a complete tear down of the engine and everything related. Of coarse the more deeper you get involved in one of these builds the more your going to do on other area's of the bike and soon cost gets out of hand. You go over budget. So the 68 got real costly real fast. In fact i have more money and time invested in the 68 then both the 70 and 71 combined. 

So far i only have put 2 miles on the 68 but she did start right up, Engine has no leaks, oil pump works good, carb so far seams jetted properly. All lights, horn and controls work good. I was concerned about how the trans would shift because i had to do some major adjustments on all the shifting mechanisms and stops. They were way off for some reason and bench shifting was not like i usually see on these bikes. Yes, there is a proper way to bench shift a transmission. But after the 1st test drive, the new clutch engages very smooth and this bike shifts easier and smoother with no missed shifts better then any other DT or RT that i can remember riding. I'm surprized how this transmission shifts, really nice.  

This 68 feels light just like the 70 DT1, in fact both these bikes feel very similar when riding them. The 71 is much different then both these. All 3 bikes sound different then the other. Have not rode the 68 long enough or hard enough to see how the power output compares.

2 things i DONT like on the 68 is the idle adjustment location on top of the slide and under the rubber cover and the small tachometer. The small tach seems like an after thought and looks funny when riding it. Looks cool when the bike is sitting in the garage though. Lol!  I much prefer the later same size speedo/tach gauges on the 69 and up bikes. 

So for now and for the next 3 or 4 months i am going enjoy them and ride them as much as possible. Take them to as many bikes shows i can find but in the end 2 will most likely go to new homes.Going to be tough to decide which one to keep and harder to see the other 2 go. Not very often does 1 come across 3 super nice badge bikes, one a 68 in the condition these are in.  All 3 have clear Michigan titles and have been completely upgraded and serviced to be able to ride safely or stored in a collection. 68 DT1 has 670 miles on it. 70 DT1 has 3438 miles on it and the 71 DT1 has 2113 miles on it. I was told these were original miles from past owners.  

 Which one would you guys picks if you could only keep one?  Any thoughts? As of right now i have my eyes on the one i prefer. It may change over the next few months though. It's not the one you guys think it is? Big problem is it's not the one my wife wants me to keep.... Oh Boy!! Really going to be a tough day when the time comes.  

 

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1970 DT250C
The following user(s) Liked this Post: Steve F, JGersh, nhsteve, Ht1kid, Pete-RT1, msavitt, Jammyyammy, Brzn, Tom P, nivlagusa, lostmybearing
Last edit: 10 Apr 2023 10:50 by SKYDANCER46.
08 Apr 2023 18:11 #1

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Replied by yamayeeha on topic 3 DT1's ready for the vintage motorcycle show

I will quote my daughter from when she was 4yrs old. I was going to town and negotiated that she could take ONE toy to town. After a while she came back and said "I am taking these ONES". What could I do....... there was about 10 from memory.

So if it was me - I would take my daughters angle and be keeping "these ONEs"

They all look great by the way.
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08 Apr 2023 19:12 #2

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Replied by SKYDANCER46 on topic 3 DT1's ready for the vintage motorcycle show

Thankyou Yamayeeha,

I really wish i could look at it that way. My goal is to have one nice Badge 250 for retirement for sure. I won't be without. But now being on a fixed income it might make it hard to have this much money tied up sitting in the garage and maintaining 3 money hungrey bikes. My wife says the same thing. Just keep all 3. I told her i am for awhile. Lol!

1970 DT250C
Last edit: 08 Apr 2023 19:54 by SKYDANCER46.
08 Apr 2023 19:32 #3

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I would keep the 1971. Not that I'm biased by the fact that it was the first motorcycle I ever took a ride on...

But I'd probably never have a 250... I really like the 175's a lot.
1963 YG1-T, 1965 MG1-T, Allstate 250, 1970 CT1b, 1971 R5, 1973 AT3MX, 1974 TS400L, 1975 RD350, 1976 DT175C, 1976 Husqvarna 250CR, 1981 DT175G, 1988 DT50, 1990 "Super" DT50, 1991 RT180, 2017 XT250
08 Apr 2023 21:22 #4

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Replied by 1971DT250 on topic 3 DT1's ready for the vintage motorcycle show

I like the 4 year old daughter's approach. As far as the money you spent I like the reply from the guy who paid over 100 million dollars for the painting "The Scream" when he was asked why he spent so much. His reply was "I can always make the money but I can't make the masterpiece". The same applies to these bikes but on a lower price scale. I agree with your wife and suggest keeping all 3 but if I had to choose only 1 it would have to be the '68 even though the '71 was my first real motorcycle when I was 15.

And please put me on the list of potential buyers for the '71.
The hours spent riding my Enduros is not deducted from my life span.
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Last edit: 09 Apr 2023 05:37 by 1971DT250.
09 Apr 2023 05:34 #5

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Replied by SKYDANCER46 on topic 3 DT1's ready for the vintage motorcycle show

Mark,
 
 71 or the 70 like in your avatar?  I like the 175's too and have been looking for a real nice 81 DT175. I also like the 72 models for a 175 but prefer a 80 or 81. 

Bill,
Don't you have enough 71's ? Lol! I will see what happens, don't need the money right now but who knows down the road. I'm not one to just have a bunch of bikes in the garage to stare at. But i get your point. I know you have a bunch.
I know bikes in this condition won't go down in value so it's pretty much like having money in the bank. 

The 68 is hands down the most collectable and according to my wife is the best looking. She loves that bike. On the other hand it's the one that cost the most by far. 2 bikes worth of investment sitting there. Not sure it's a good bike to be riding every week either? Most expensive to repair too. Parts are very costly as you know. 

The 71 is the most original and smoothest running and riding bike of the 3. It's the 2nd most costly.  Orange was never my favorite color but many Yamaha enthusiast like the 71's. it's a popular and a well like badge bike for sure. Probably the most reconized DT250 amoung the non collectable people.

The 70 is my favorite year bike. It's the least expensive of the 3.  Although is not the best shape of the 3 i really like the color of the 70 DT250. I had a 71 AT1 same color when i was a kid. I like the way it runs and rides best of the 3 too. Of coarse it doesn't have turn signals so i would have to do hand signals when riding on the road. Not a big deal. It also has the most non original parts on it but i think over time i could find the NOS parts to put it back to stock. 

What is nice about having 3 close bikes is you can swap most parts between bikes if needed and it is cool to have 3 nice badge bikes sitting next to each other!  I am going to enter all 3 into show competition. Will see what the spectators think but judging is thru all club members for first 3 places. Hard to win on there turf when not a club member.  However been going to that show for over 8 years in a row and never have seen a 1968 DT250 there? Seen just about everything else.  

1970 DT250C
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Last edit: 09 Apr 2023 19:18 by SKYDANCER46.
09 Apr 2023 09:08 #6

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Skydancer you have done a awesome job on your bikes you should be proud of your accomplishments. The local group shouldn’t enter there bikes and have them for display only I’ve been to hundreds of cars shows most now have club members for display only except the National shows 
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09 Apr 2023 09:57 #7

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Replied by SKYDANCER46 on topic 3 DT1's ready for the vintage motorcycle show

Ht1kid,

Thankyou!  I agree, It may have changed but the club association puts on the show and in the past the members do enter there bikes. However it's not impossible to win as a outsider. I took 1st place in 2017 with a 1973 Suzuki TS400 i restored. You should have heard the crowd and the members at the trophy presentation. LoL!  My brother couldn't believe it when they called my name. Picture below at the trophy you get. Not much but still fun! 

I really don't go to win, doesn't matter to me. I enjoy the show, bikes, cars and talking to all the spectators and club members and seeing there faces when they look at your bikes. This show brings in alot of people for the Sunday event and some nice nice bikes! Plus the Gilmore car Museum is a 1st class place. Farm setting with some of the rarest cars you will ever see. Beautiful place. Take a look at there web site. 

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1970 DT250C
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Last edit: 10 Apr 2023 10:46 by SKYDANCER46.
09 Apr 2023 17:29 #8

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Yes it’s nice to get a trophy for all your hard work but it’s  about the fellowship and meeting new friends who have the same passion 
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09 Apr 2023 17:57 #9

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Replied by msavitt on topic 3 DT1's ready for the vintage motorcycle show

no downside in listening to your wife on this topic!
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09 Apr 2023 23:25 #10

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