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Engine Builder for Dirt Bike needed

The Villain

The Villain

Not From These Parts
Joined
Dec 3, 2015
Location
The Peninsula
Moto(s)
Whatever I can steal
Looking for an engine builder in the Bay Area, preferably specializing in dirt bike motors. I'll be needing an overbore, piston kit installation, head rebuilt, possibly cam install. Not looking to break the bank, this isn't a full-on race build, just need someone competent and respected who can put together a reliable air-cooled engine.

Preliminary web research suggests 650 Racing as a general dirt bike specialist near me, and Engine Dynamics as a traditional motor shop up in Petaluma.

Any thoughts on those options or other recommendations?
 
It might help if we knew what particular engine this is. I know of a few specialists that only do one type of engine, for example.
 
Paying someone to do all that + parts may vome close to exceeding the value of the bike... $1500?
 
The thing is, if you look at the Parts Unlimited Off Road catalog, so much stuff is available in modular kit form, it doesn't pay to do it.
The cat may be avail online, but if not go to Cycle Gear and ask to look at the paper catalog.
You can get practically a whole motor new ready to bolt together .
Bad for shops. Good for the consumer .
Who has a boring bar these days anyway ?
Different world.
 
Tri750 said:
The thing is, if you look at the Parts Unlimited Off Road catalog, so much stuff is available in modular kit form, it doesn't pay to do it.
The cat may be avail online, but if not go to Cycle Gear and ask to look at the paper catalog.
You can get practically a whole motor new ready to bolt together .
Bad for shops. Good for the consumer .
Who has a boring bar these days anyway ?
Different world.
Click to expand...

PU's "Complete Rebuild Kit in a Box" kits run between $500-900 depending on the bike. That's just for the parts. I'd still need at least a cylinder hone, if not a 1mm overbore. And as long as I'm over boring let's go 4mm and use the Procycle 385cc kit (that's the plan). And I don't want to do the assembly myself in my garage, I want a professional to do it. Ditto the head work.

Both of the companies I linked to do over bores.

augustiron said:
Paying someone to do all that + parts may vome close to exceeding the value of the bike... $1500?
Click to expand...

I'm still sorting out parts costs, but for build costs that would be absurd. If that's what it costs in the bay area it would literally be cheaper for me to have the motor built anywhere else and shipped to me. So, let's hope you're wrong.

And this bike is a plated dirt model, which you can no longer legally do, so its value is incalculable.

I find it hard to believe that nobody on BARF has had a dirt bike motor build/re-built before and can recommend someone.
 
The Villain said:
I find it hard to believe that nobody on BARF has had a dirt bike motor build/re-built before and can recommend someone.
Click to expand...
I've had an XR650L engine rebuilt by a guy in San Francisco who is an expert on those engines. Has done more than 100 of them and has a big how-to section on AdvRider about it.

I'll PM you the details of how to contact him. You can call and see if he's interested in doing a DR350 engine.
 
If parts are $500-900, plus machine shop work, plus assembly, $1500 wouldn't be a surprise by any means.

While you might consider value "incalculable", there are quite a few on CL in the $1500 range. One even claims it has new valves, guides, springs, piston, rings, etc. It's an awfully dated bike by today's standards, so it isn't worth that much even if you can't plate them anymore.
 
augustiron said:
Paying someone to do all that + parts may vome close to exceeding the value of the bike... $1500?
Click to expand...

... last week sent Engine Dynamics $500 to
pay for the machining using $500 worth
of OEM top end parts on my KLR ...
(Mike also did a valve job, valve seals, set the valve clearance
and I hope installed the rings and set the gaps ...)
... tore it down and plan to put it back together myself
when the machining shows up, hopefully by UPS today ... :facepalm

... do you really use
“exceeding the value of the bike”
as a limit?

... or only use that standard with some bikes? :laughing:thumbup

... heard good things about Engines Only,
wonder what their shop-rate is ...? :dunno
 
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To the OP..I have rebuilt.dozens of dirt and street bike engines, some for myself, a bunch for friends and customers. When I hourly billed someone to do them, they averaged $1500 give or take. parts, labor and machine work. A wr450 ran quite higher due to a messed up head w/5 titanium valves needing love.he sold the whole (plated) bike a year.later for about what the engine rebuild cost to get a new KTM. Another person built a hot rodded ducati 900 engine for his custom monster. Sold the bike a year later for less than his MBP heads alone cost.

A plated dr 350 value is incalcuable? No. $2k-3k max. As there are plenty of comps out there including (superior) xr400s.
Don't think you a have a goldmine on your hands because it has a plate. Even if you spend $1500 on a fresh engine, it does not add $1500 of resale value to an existing bike. Sink that money if you LOVE that bike and want to ride it for years to get that expenditure back for yourself by riding it, because you won't get it in resale.
Maybe you know this, maybe you dont.
 
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The value's incalculable to me...as in I'd likely never be able to replace it. And I have no intention of ever getting rid of it. So let's please sideline any "not worth putting money into a DR" discussion, that isn't the purpose of this thread. On that same note, my point on the cost of the PU rebuild kits was that it's MORE expensive than a piston kit and some head parts.

Thanks to those who suggested some builders. Sounds like we have one BARFer who likes Engine Dynamics enough to pay them, one vote for Engines Only (have you used them before, Eric B?), and one XR guy suggested by Scott (thank you for the PM!). This should get me started.
 
... I can give a thumbs up to
Steve, the XR guru Scott recommends ...
pretty sure Steve uses Engine Dynamics
for his machining ...

... good luck with your fun DR350 motard project ...
I had a ‘95 DR350se that I loved ... don’t
think anyone here is really saying don’t
put $$$ into keeping a cool moto on the road ... :thumbup
 
I use EDCO exclusively for my machine work, great guys. They have assembled a couple of heads for customers but I don't have any "full rebuild" experience with them but I would not hesitate to recommend them.
 
The Villain said:
The value's incalculable to me...as in I'd likely never be able to replace it. And I have no intention of ever getting rid of it. So let's please sideline any "not worth putting money into a DR" discussion, that isn't the purpose of this thread. On that same note, my point on the cost of the PU rebuild kits was that it's MORE expensive than a piston kit and some head parts.

Thanks to those who suggested some builders. Sounds like we have one BARFer who likes Engine Dynamics enough to pay them, one vote for Engines Only (have you used them before, Eric B?), and one XR guy suggested by Scott (thank you for the PM!). This should get me started.
Click to expand...

I've had work done by EDCO and been very happy with it. My guess is that with 4 new valves and seals you will have about $500.00 in the head. An over bore and good piston would probably set you back $250.00. I'm not familiar with that engine but a cam and followers, If used, could be a couple hundred more. I'm sure it is about 4 hours work to R&R those parts. The total could be north of 1K easily.
 
Engines Only(Frank Nye) did a top end on my SRX 6 years ago. It was about $900. That included 1mm overbore(this bike has a steel liner like your DR), head rebuild, new cam, and assembly. I removed the engine and brought that to his shop.
15k on the top end, no leaks.
There are probably compression ratio & bore options available to discuss.
 
OP -

Just about everyone building motors in the Bay Area uses EDCO for their machine work. You have some good suggestions already for assembly. Steve will most likely be your most economical. Great reputation and experience, but he works out of his home's garage. Not a licensed shop per se (if that matters to you.) I've never used him as I do it myself, but wouldnt hesitate to if he wants to take on a DR.

Unsolicited advice:

Dont know the condition of your DR's motor or the time on it, but as SFMCjohn and Augustiron have alluded to, I'd expect a $1500 budget for parts, machine work, and assembly by a professional.... then happy if I came in a bit under. The big variable will be your head. It could be $150, $500, or even more on some models depending on what it needs. If you are paying a pro, I assume you dont want to open it up again. So use OEM gaskets, add in a timing chain, potentially guides and tensioner (not familiar with the DR350.)

I assume you will have the Pro inspect the bottom end, especially if considering a big bore in addition to the carb work to get it to run properly.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out! :thumbup
 
John's invoice is in line with what I'd expect from a shop like EDCo. Variable looks to be my cam cost (assuming an undamaged head and bottom). Need to call Megacycle and have a conversation, then I'll call around to these guys, starting with Steve.

Thanks, everyone.
 
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