Is it worth it to fix a 1980 Suzuki RM250?

My brother gave me a 1979 or 1980 RM250 ( if you know how to tell the difference or where a hidden vin is let me know )anyway it ran when he got it and he rode it around but the clutch was loose, so him and his friend took it apart to fix it and messed it up worse so now the clutch doesnt work.Also over the period of sitting in the weather it will not stay running either, it will start once in a while after 50 kicks then dies almost immediately. I think it has the wrong carb on it so maybe thats part of thatanyway i know i can find parts on ebay and fix and paint anything else but do you guys think its worth taking the motor in for a rebuild and to get the clutch repaired.If i do i will probably just pull the motor and take it to a shop and paint the frame while the motor is being fixed

If you feel you can get parts easily and don't mind a little restoring work, sure it's worth it to keep.A word of advice - don't bring just the motor in to be repaired.Bring the entire bike.No shop will guarantee their work on just a motor.They'll want to test ride it before making any guarantees.They'll have no way of telling if their mechanic did a complete repair.They can just throw in some parts and say"Come pick it up (and mumble under their breath,"I don't know if it's fixed ha ha).By the time you get the engine back in the frame and the bike is rideable, months could have passed.

if you put suzuki owners club into a search engine you should get the club web site.Ask there as this model may be worth keeping as some models are becoming collectible. Worth punching a few keys for. A>P>

well... it really depends on how mechanically inclined you are!!! If you take in to a shop, the potential costs could be enough to buy a really nice used bike and still have an almost 30 year old technology ... unless you are into vintage stuff...yes, you can probably buy parts off ebay and potentially even find a salvage yard to buy used parts from... but you can easily start adding up to being very costly.buy a climber or chilton service manual for the specific year&model, and it will pretty much step you thru any repairs including reassembly of the clutch (those can be tricky if you don't pay close attention to how it came apart)... as a minimum, I would replace the springs and possibly the plates depending on how much wear they show???those older bikes are pretty simple to work on, sitting out in the weather could do multiple things to cause it not to run, like water / rust (metal tank) in the tank, fuel lines, carb that would all need to be cleaned out thoroughly and new gas put back. air filter replaced, fresh spark plug gapped properly ... I would also probably do a compression check and top end replacement depending on what compression it checks out with... chain might be rusted and need replacing????change the oil and it should be ready to ride...so, really it depends on your time availability and a few hundred dollars worth of parts ... but taking into a shop, you are probably looking at a lot more money!!!if you do the work yourself, you are merely out the cost of the parts and some of your time. For me, yeah, if I had the time, I would tear into it and see what all it needed, then evaluate whether I wanted to put that much into the bike...and very possibly, clean out the fuel system and get the clutch put back together and ride it for a long time without anything else... get a manual if you plan on tearing into it, it will save you alot of frustrations!!!====edit: oh yeah, the VIN should be stamped on the frame neck (in front of gas tank between the two triple clamps that hold the forks on)...

Many good answers here. I would just add that it depends on what you plan to do with it. Obviously a bike that old isn't going to do well on today's MX tracks even just riding for fun. The jumps are just too big for 28 year old suspension. If you are just going to fart around on it that RM would still be a lot of fun. It is also old enough that folks racing post vintage classes may be interested. I got offered $1000 for my 1977 YZ100 but didn't sell it. Vintage racing is pretty popular now. Good luck.

Jon:As in all projects one starts, define to yourself what is to be the end result AND what is the budget.You will easily blow $1000 and still need work. For $1500 you can purchase bikes made in 2002.My bet is it is easier to get something new and forget the headache.Your bike, while not a gold mine, can bring a nice price if parted out correctly.. Just call the local Suzuki shop and order a set of engine cases and you will get the idea.Now go drink a beer and search the used bike section of the paper.