250-500cc '96 WXC 250 build/restoration

ok, then... recently i started searching for a "modern" dirtbike for myself. i've had a long run of 60s through 80s bikes. i still have some and really like them, but wanted something with modern geometry/brakes/power/handling.

i rode a handfull of new(ish) bikes, quickly shying away from the 4 strokes (just not my thing). that left KTMs & YZs & Huskys. rode a '00 YZ 250 and really liked it. rode a couple KTMs and liked them. then while picking up a bike i bought for my son, i rode the seller's clapped out WXC. holy hell, i fell in love. everything felt right. that bike wasn't for sale, so i started looking for one. eventually came across a horse trade that worked out well... the lumpy piece of junk below.



on the plus side, the bike came with a ton of receipts and claims to a recent rebuild. 2 kicks and it was running... a quick rip around the block confirms that it at least is functioning (and pulls quite hard).

so... time to pull it apart and fix the roached thing.



swingarm bolt? yeah... it's got a bolt. real long bolt.



also has spray paint. all of the spray paint.

let the stripping begin...





oh dear... check out those motor mounts! someone fancied themselves a welder. they were not. (luckily, i am )



in short:
every motor mount is jacked up.
every bolt taken off so far is a grade 5 SAE hardware store bolt.
i have only marginal faith in the motor so i'll at least pull the top end and check for crank play.


more to come as i progress further... though this is a side, side, side, project.
finishing the restoration of our 100 year old craftsman style house, have five kids (youngest is 4 months old), wife & i are both self employed... and i've got a cramped, very small garage full of motorcycles and a long-term '31 ford project.

me... i used to build cars/motorcycles professionally, now just do it as a hobby for myself. also a former building contractor. now i cuss at computers for a living.

Lot's of info here just ask.

boy you got your work cut out for you

those welds are pretty tough on the eyes

looking forward to your rebuild, hope all else goes a little smoother
i hate seeing the wrong fasteners, that's a beg deal with me someone engineered that and not the sales person at Ace or Home Depot

that roached together motor mount is at least there... more than i can say for some of the others...



can't say i haven't seen worse (i build/ride old harleys, triumphs, etc)... but damn.
the only way i can think of breaking every single motor mount is vibration cracking from leaving fasteners loose. i don't know the story behind the bike, but i'm guessing it involves abuse, neglect and beer. then someone decided to "fix" it.

the first time the fasteners were replaced with other than correct replacement the cascade began
you are seeing the end result of beer engineered, i drink beer from time to time, they abused it from time to time

Ii.v said befor and im sayin again some people just shouldn't be..........

i'm not opposed to grade 5 fasteners... the proof load & yield strength should be damn close to the metric 8.8 that i'm guessing was originally used... but the diameters. SAE <> Metric.

new metric fasteners are on the list. so is a right side panel (missing). i know DC isn't OEM quality by a long shot, but at least they've got plastics...

probably from the bike being run with loose bolts to begin...thats hard on the eyes...
on the positive side, just know thats a very good model, great chassis and motor. i have put some time and effort into mine and am very happy with it. they are built very well. as you can see, its probably amazing that its still running and working as good as it is. i ve torn mine apart to the trans shafts and back together again, any questions just ask. there are plenty here that are familiar with that model, and its actually quite abit like the newer model 250/300 made until 13/14......heres mine, a 95 360. same as yours just a lil more cc..good luck bringing her back!

Once you get that thing all sorted out you'll love it I've got a 94 wxe 250 and it works great lugs pretty good and pulls hard and looking at your pics has helped me confirm my new rad and hose options

That engine is identical to 360.. Sweet keep us posted on the restoration.

after riding my friends 08 wr250 i agree mostly....getting on a kdx, ktm, or other jap bikes makes them feel much closer gene-wise.
it is weird how much cagiva stuff looks the same but is different, and wont come close to swapping. then other things will bolt right up almost 20 years apart. but yes, all great bikes. the newer bikes feel much sharper which makes me like the older a lil more. i kinda like the fatter subframe too

Darn dude you are more ambitious then me!! But I will say I have ALOT of fond memories aboard a 1996 WXC 250!! I loved that bike! I also liked the right side up zokes with compression and rebound in one and on top! If I remember correctly AKA like my new Husky LOL... You may be a head of the game finding a low hour bike and using this one for parts. Your call. It could be made to be nice!!

I've started with bikes that were far more gone than this... plus I rarely ever see them for sale around here.

the motor has a replated jug, bunch of new parts thrown at it. it's a pretty good start for a cheap woods bike.

I'm not a competitive rider anymore... just like playing around with my kids, occasionally ripping through some single track, and desert whenever I get the chance (rarely). this bike should cover those needs nicely.
my other off road bike is a '77 Yamaha IT250, which is quite capable for a post vintage... and rips as long as there's no need to stop or turn like anything modern(ish). its a better desert bike than single track...

years ago (decades, actually) I spent a week riding a Cagiva 250 in Baja. loved that bike. jumping on a Cagiva built husky reminded me how great it was...

That extended swimgarm bolt is for your passenger to put their feet on or doing tricks with.

riding a cagiva in baja for a week? sounds like you already know how good of a bike this can be!

slowly progressing with the Husky... other projects, kids, work, house restoration... bah.

stripped the frame... used some stuff called "green strip" which took care of the red, black under that and the factory white in one application followed by hitting it with a pressure washer.


seriously dont know how they jacked up the motor mounts so badly... i'm cutting them off and fabbing up new ones



if you look closely, you can see the case damage from some attempt at welding the motor mounts... seriously, it took me under 20 minutes to have the motor out of the frame; they couldn't do that?

uugghh...fix her up!

some people just shouldn't be... period.