Hello all. Due to the outrageous DMV ban VS. two strokes on the road here, the number one problem getting a VIN with an NSR is to swap a 4 banger into the bike. All else will be easier to get J-spec to pass for US inspection, but i'm not sure this can easily be done. Are the wiring harnesses both the same as well? I can only figure that my best bet is to source the CBR250R engine that (visually) appears to share frames with the MC21. Any problems with this guys?
Just get a CBR250RR MC22. Really, it's not worth the hassle!
If you want an NSR250, they often come up for sale in California, but be prepared to pay well for one with a current title.
The MC21 and MC22 front fenders and front disks are interchangeable... apart from that, everything else is different. _________________ Andy.
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The trouble is that both the MC 21's and 22's are quite rare in the US. Neither were intentionally brought here. I initally bought my NSR250SE in Japan specifially because of the potential power to weight ratio when I was still in the service between '04 to '06. The only way I could bring it home was by TMO (military personal goods transport) and have had it parked in the garage since. California (in it's wonderful inconsideration) banned two strokes after the final model of the RZ350's back in '86 (and what beautifual bikes they are). If I can source and install a functional four stroke (anything really) it can pass tech inspection and be legal for road use. I then swap the old engine back in afterward. They only check it once.
Anyway, If I pick up the engine do I need the wiring harness too?
six years ago i registered a cr250 in VT. I live in MA. did it through the mail. 250cc and less are not required to have insurance or inspection. had to send a copy of the bill of sale and pay sales tax (I think?). don't know if they closed that loophole yet. but it was very common to have VT plated bikes at turkey runs and enduros. for short dollars you could give it a try and see how the locals react. _________________ MC21R9N track
MC18R2J track
CBR954
CR250
Anyway, If I pick up the engine do I need the wiring harness too?
You will need the harness and the ECU as well, otherwise you're gonna be scratchng your head trying to figure out what goes where.
You might actually have problems fitting the engine into the frame as the CBR250 engine is quite wide. You are better to get a single like an XR250 engine.
Good point about the registration cangus. I can try to look up info and see if out of state registration will work for a California bike. I was thinking of giving that a try by selling the bike to a friend in Nevada, get it registered then buy it back slightly more for his trouble.
If that doesn't work, nxrsr20 has a good point of simply bolting in a smaller engine with less headaches then an overseas only sourced engine. If I knew of a proper engine that bolts easily into the NSR frame, i'd have done it years ago. It's never too late to still give that a try.
Nothing's going to bolt in without hacking the frame, and once you've done that you're buggered. The NSR motor is smaller than any 4-stroke... unless you feel like putting s Dream 50 motor in it! That's the whole point of the 2-stroke motor... power vs capacity vs size! Even a CRF250 motor, whilst narrow, is very tall. It will be nothing but trouble, but at least it's got a kick-start I suppose!
You may be able to squeeze a VT250 motor in there, but again, I would be amazed if you could get it, or in fact anything in without cutting some part of the frame.
Plenty of NSR's have been registered in the States, and there have been many posts on here in the past about ways to do it for various states. Personally, I would exhaust all other registration avenues before attempting to (a) register it as something it's not (i.e. a 4-stroke!), and (b) start hacking the frame about to perform a temporary and complicated engine swap.
I'd rather clone it with a VT250 that could then "disappear" than hack the frame about! What's the difference? It's going to be ilegal whatever you do unless you get it passed as an 90's NSR250 2-stroke. _________________ Andy.
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Good point Andy. I already ride a newly acquired '89 VTR250 I bought for cheap as a commuter. I could just try to duplicate the VTR vin plate and stick it to the frame then bolt the plate to the bike of choice I want to ride that day. The only concern is that if the law enforcement found out my little secret, by California law i'd be fined and my bike would be crushed. Seriously.
I'll surf the search function then continue the thread if you prefer. The peoples democratic republic of Kalifornia actually have crews that search for mass polluters and fine/stop their activity. At a local car show, groups with mirrors actually checked under specific year cars and those without cats on recieved massive fines! The EPA and C.A.R.B. is out of control here!
Thing is, whatever you do, you only have to run into one slightly clued up CHP and your screwed anyway! If he knows what's what, he'll know any NSR is questionable, and if you piss him off will impound it, but that's the risk you'll have to take.
If your friend registered it out of state, would you even need to "buy it back" to ride it? Can you not get insurance to ride "someone else's" bike? "Sell" it to him, get him to register it out of state, then just bring it back and ride it. Surely it's not like you're going to get pulled every time you go out, is it? Not unless you're riding like a complete idiot in the middle of the city where you ought to know better anyway! If you get pulled, you're simply riding a mates bike who's loaned it to you for a few weeks while he's away or something! Wouldn't that work? Just need him to sign something you can always keep as a legal document of ownership should your friendship go sour one day!
At the end of the day, unless it's an absolutely concours bog stock bike, it's just a couple grands worth of NSR. If it's impounded and crushed it's not like you've lost a $20k MV F4 is it?! If it's that precious to you however, maybe consider a track-only option? No-one can ever take it away from you then! _________________ Andy.
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Please keep all responses to Forum posts on the Forum so that others may benefit.
Please DO NOT PM me for technical advice. My time is precious, and you will probably receive a faster response on the Forum anyway.
You might find it easier and less costly to simply move to a more enlightened country... like Mexico. _________________ MC21SP Plaything
BMW F800GS Bumblebee
Triumph 9551 Daytona Big boys toy
FJ1100 Sporting relic
GTS1000 oddball
Note sure I would take the route of changing the VIN on an NSR to a VIN from some other bike. The last thing I would worry about at that point is the bike getting impounded, I would be more worried about the potential felony charges you could be facing from that.
Have you tried to go about it the legal way? You know... getting it titled/registered as a Honda NSR250? Go spend some time on the DMV's website and read through all the information they have on registering a non-titled vehicle.
Going through Califonia law, I think the most painless way to get it legal here is to sell the bike to a family friend in Nevada, have it inspected for title change "off-road" to "on-road" then buy the bike back and apply for a 49 to 50 state registration in California. The other option is to file for a change of residence for Nevada from California. I then register it the bike (from off road to on) then change back my home residence to California. If i'm lucky, I could ask people at the DMV (as if they might have an answer) and might get a solution without a blank face/no answer.
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