Project - El Diablo

[savage sausage]

Finished Project - El Diablo

Here is my EC250 that I have bought as a project to restore....I bought it for ?600 but I knew that the suspension bearings were f**ked etc and all it needs is a bit of TLC to make it a good again I'm gonna bring it upto date to look like a 2011 bike (ish)

Moneys tight as I have a 3 month old baby to look after so it's definitely not a project that I'm going to throw lots of cash at ....Just a saturday night project whilst that bastard x factor & dance yerself into a frenzy bullshit thats on TV every saturday night for 3 hours.

Over the next few months I hope to have it built back up and get riding
'El Diablo

 

[jostby]

I can tell it's older by the logo on the clutch cover. What year is it? Nice start with the Ohlins front. I'm jealous.
I'm still lovin' my '00

 

[einsteingarage]

I would guess 2001

 

[motogroove]

I would guess 2001

Not a 2001 swingarm.
OP was looking for 1998 parts earlier today.

-Dean
2001 xc300
clutch cover avatar

 

[gasgasman]

It's either a 1996 or 1997. That's when Gas Gas hired Paul Edmonson to develop the bike.

 

[stainlesscycle]

i don't think those are ohlins - they look like paioli's to me. gotta be 96/97? frame looks significantly different..

 

[savage sausage]

It's a 1998 six days model...and yes they are paoli forks ( I've never even heard of them ) the seals buggered in one of them.

I wish they were ohlins or marzzochi's but they'll do the job

Frame's hanging up in primer at the minute, I want it to look different to when I bought it so I'm painting the frame & swingarm matt black

I've seen a place in the U.S. called go fasters where I plan to get a new seat cover and radiator shroud graphics...but the postage to the UK is too high.I could probably post the same things to the U.S. for 1/2 the price

I'll post up more pics but everytime I take pictures on my camera for some reason it makes them fahookin massive and it wont let me upload them

I'm looking forward to riding 'el diablo' my last bike I had was 2 years ago and that was a kawasaki zx10r road bike and that was insane..I miss it so much.
But I'm a 2 stroke man at heart and to smell that smell and hear that noise makes me want to get into that powerband already..

 

[Cruiser]

That frame is nickel plated,, you'll have a hard time getting paint or primer to stick.. if you have access to glassbeader.. or sandblaster.. I'd suggest doing it.. if you want it to stick.. or take it to a powdercoater..

 

[stainlesscycle]

It's a 1998 six days model...and yes they are paoli forks ( I've never even heard of them ) the seals buggered in one of them.

I wish they were ohlins or marzzochi's but they'll do the job

paoili's are fine forks. parts should be easy, although there's probably not going to be a lot of valving data on them around. i can't think of any dirt mc that had paioli's aside from trials bikes (they are quite common on trials bikes in the 90's..) tm maybe had them in the 90's?

 

[gasgasman]

Around 2001, E-Line did some Honda CR/Enduro conversions that had Paoili forks.
I wanna say they had KYB internals.

 

[Cruiser]

The honda CRE 250's,,, great bikes.. very different..

 

[Cruiser]

If your looking for the blade type fork guards I may have a set somewhere.. the acerbis "white" ones,, more like a plastic milk bottle than white.. They fit the GG with slight modification.. from a 97 KTM with the marzzochi conventional forks.. Pm me if you need a set..

 

[savage sausage]

That frame is nickel plated,, you'll have a hard time getting paint or primer to stick.. if you have access to glassbeader.. or sandblaster.. I'd suggest doing it.. if you want it to stick.. or take it to a powdercoater..

no problemo ...... I painted rust remover on the frame and voila all the plating came off,primers gone on no bother.
Not interested in a fancy paintjob cos it's gonna get covered in shiznit anyway

 

[Caravan Monster]

paoili's are fine forks. parts should be easy, although there's probably not going to be a lot of valving data on them around. i can't think of any dirt mc that had paioli's aside from trials bikes (they are quite common on trials bikes in the 90's..) tm maybe had them in the 90's?

TM had Paoli forks for a long time. The right way ups in the nineties (including those with the infamous pink plastics, I think), then upside downs up to around 2005. I have a 2001 TM with USD Paolis, that are copies of a Kayaba fork. Didn't KTMs and CCMs have the right way up Paolis in the '90s?

 

[savage sausage]

Well I've finally got the frame painted satin black doesn't look bad for a ?8 spray can job,I was gonna paint it red but found it difficult to colour match my radiator scoops,so decided for the black.
Swinging arms next up,but gotta save for the bearings and get them fitted in then paint it ....pictures to follow

 

[Cruiser]

looks good so far,, keep the project going!

 

[savage sausage]

I've finally got the new swingarm bearings now just need to get the old ones pressed out,and the new shiny ones pressed in then I'm gonna spray the swingarm black to match the frame.

When I bought the bike I could tell that the bearings in the swingarm were mullered,thats why I started a low cost rebuild,should handle properly again now
Power aint nothing without control

 

[Cruiser]

You planning to offroad it or DS? paint likes to chip off the swingarm.. hyde makes a black swingarm cover that is plastic and covers the arm completely... or they used to.. would look the same but hold up better.. keep posting pictures!!

 

[savage sausage]

Forks ??

I've degreased the forks and removed the knackered seals and drained the oil,that looks like it hasn't been changed since 1998
The forks will work properly and efficiently when they go back on the bike.

I'm unsure as to what colour to do the forks....The gold anodizing has worn out in some places back to bare aluminum...I cant afford to have them re-anodized so it's either spray them black to like a current model or spray them gold again to try and keep part of the original look!

Decisions Decisions

 

[savage sausage]

You planning to offroad it or DS? paint likes to chip off the swingarm.. hyde makes a black swingarm cover that is plastic and covers the arm completely... or they used to.. would look the same but hold up better.. keep posting pictures!!

I dont wanna seem stoopid DS?? come on enlighten me, I plan to offroad it and nail that son of a bitch hard,until el diablo nails me hard onto the floor
I've thought about that the paint getting chipped off but for the ?10 it's gonna cost for primer/top coat/lacquer it's the best option,I like the sound of a cover but it's probably quite expensive,and by the time I've paid shipping from the US it's really not going to justify the cost.

Powdercoating is about ?50 for the swingarm but again a ?600 bike will end up costing 000's to rebuild in which case I may as well buy a newer model,it's not about having the best bike it's about having satifaction that I rebuilt to a budget and it will ride & look better than it did when I bought it