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Warning Motorcycle Content!! Anyone have time on the CRF250x??

DH Diva

Wonderwoman
Jun 12, 2002
1,808
1
Well, I'm thinking about making the jump to a big bike!! Any body have time on a CRF 250X??? I found a place that will custom valve the suspension so the bike will fit me, and I found one for a reasonably good price.

I've been riding a CRF230f and want to upgrade to nicer suspension and a bit more power. I mainly ride trails, but am getting more and more into desert type riding. Hows the power in sandy conditions (not dunes, more like utah style desert riding)?? My 230 is great on the trail, but iT doesn't always have all the power I need. In deep sandy trails it definitely looses a lot of power. And, the suspension is very limited in it's tunability.

I'm also hoping that a custom valved inverted fork will help save my hand from an early fusion. Any input on this bike would be much appreciated!
 

partsbara

Turbo Monkey
Nov 16, 2001
3,996
0
getting Xtreme !
the power difference between those 2 bikes is night and day...

be sure the bike you re looking at (the used) one has been well maintained... valve issues can be a worry, particularly if the previous owner is pretty slack with maintainence... frequent oil changes are recommended as the engine is a high performance 1/4 litre rocket...

suspension will also be a HUGE improvement over the 230... infact i d just try the correct spring weights before shelling out big $$$ for sus valving...

go for it... hell, a crf250r is one of the first things on my shopping lists when we get back to the US
 

DH Diva

Wonderwoman
Jun 12, 2002
1,808
1
partsbara said:
the power difference between those 2 bikes is night and day...

go for it... hell, a crf250r is one of the first things on my shopping lists when we get back to the US
Because I'm going to be riding it in pretty varied terrain (woods and desert) I just want to make sure I'm not getting into a bike that has too much power, like 2 stroke throttle=front wheel in the air kinda power. I've heard that the it still has pretty good low end power, I just don't know anyone thats riding one.
 

partsbara

Turbo Monkey
Nov 16, 2001
3,996
0
getting Xtreme !
don t worry.. the front end will defn come up if ya aren t prepared :)... just not the brutal hit like a 2 stroke... the bike could be a handful at first.. coming of a 230...
 

DH Diva

Wonderwoman
Jun 12, 2002
1,808
1
partsbara said:
don t worry.. the front end will defn come up if ya aren t prepared :)... just not the brutal hit like a 2 stroke... the bike could be a handful at first.. coming of a 230...
Yeah, I want to be able to get the front end up in the air a little easier so more power off the start is what I'm after, I just don't want something that's too twitchy, like yz250 twitchy. I really want to be able to get the front end up over ledges and such, a task which I'm not sure my little 230 is up to (at least very easily)!!
 

arboc!

Turbo Monkey
Dec 18, 2004
3,288
0
spokane, WA
all i know, is that my rmx 250 scares the **** out of me when i ride it. i just dont like having that much power available, expecially when im not the best rider.
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
I have a crf250r and my brother has a 250x...I love his elec start, but dont love the weight of his bike...as I am skinny and weak.
Thats all I have for ya.
 

El Jefe

Dr. Phil Jefe
Nov 26, 2001
793
0
OC in SoCal
I'm not sure how large or strong you are, but one thing you should do before you buy the bigger bike is to try laying a crf250 on the ground and then trying to get it back up on two wheels. If you have trouble doing it when you're fresh and on even ground, think about how it might be if you're out on a trail, tired, in loose or muddy conditions on an off-camber slope.
 

DH Diva

Wonderwoman
Jun 12, 2002
1,808
1
El Jefe said:
I'm not sure how large or strong you are, but one thing you should do before you buy the bigger bike is to try laying a crf250 on the ground and then trying to get it back up on two wheels. If you have trouble doing it when you're fresh and on even ground, think about how it might be if you're out on a trail, tired, in loose or muddy conditions on an off-camber slope.
My crf230 actually weighs more than a 250x!! She's really quite the pig. So getting it back upright after a spill will be no problem! I'm really not concerned about the weight. And size shouldn't be an issue after I get the suspension modified.
 

MLight

Chimp
Aug 26, 2005
4
0
They have had a lot of valve trouble with the CRF250s and it cost a pretty penny to fix them when the valves go. You might look at a YZ250f they have had fewer problems with them. We just talked about this over the weekend with a friend that works at a Honda / Yamaha shop.
 

DH Diva

Wonderwoman
Jun 12, 2002
1,808
1
MLight said:
They have had a lot of valve trouble with the CRF250s and it cost a pretty penny to fix them when the valves go. You might look at a YZ250f they have had fewer problems with them. We just talked about this over the weekend with a friend that works at a Honda / Yamaha shop.
I can't say I'm overly excited about the YZ or WR 250's. They are taller than the CRF's but have less travel. To get a big bike to fit me I have to have the bike lowered via revalving and modifying the suspension, which means I lose a little bit of travel. To get the taller and lower travel yamaha to fit me, I would have to lose more suspesion than I'm willing to. If I lower the CRF250 to where I need, I'll still gain travel over my CRF230 and it will be custom tuned for my weight (and be overall just better quality travel). I would lose travel from my 230 to get a yami to fit. And, I've never had a honda I didn't like.

I just heard back on the one I was looking at and it sold already!! It was only posted for 2 days! Oh well, I just have to keep looking!!

I'm still looking for info on how these bikes feel on trails vs. on more desert type riding.

bueller...bueller....
 

blt2ride

Turbo Monkey
May 25, 2005
2,333
0
Chatsworth
stiksandstones said:
I have a crf250r and my brother has a 250x...I love his elec start, but dont love the weight of his bike...as I am skinny and weak.
Thats all I have for ya.
Stik,

I have been thinking about buying that exact bike. How does it feel compared to a CR125 or a CR250? I hear really good things about the new 4 strokes, and I know that they have been proven on the track. However, I'm still stuck on 2 strokes--call me old fashion.
 

ChrisKring

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
2,399
6
Grand Haven, MI
you have to maintain a CRF250 or it will die. The valve gaps need to be checked all the time or it will break down on you. The oil capcity is also small so the oil needs to be changed regularly. Just know that going into it. The CRF250 is a race bike, not a workhorse like the 230.

I have a WR250F that is modified to YZ specs with the wide ratio tranny. It's awsome. However, I'll probably be picking up a KTM250SXF soon. I'm 6' and 190 pounds and I am starting to ride my current bike at the power limit most of the way around the track.
 

bigdrop05

Monkey
Mar 26, 2005
427
0
blt2ride said:
Stik,

I have been thinking about buying that exact bike. How does it feel compared to a CR125 or a CR250? I hear really good things about the new 4 strokes, and I know that they have been proven on the track. However, I'm still stuck on 2 strokes--call me old fashion.
--------------------------------------------------
I have a 2001 HONDA CR250R. It's bloody friggin fast.It's stock too !
I had an 89 with mods{reed valve+pipe} & the 01 is faster without any mods.

New pistons are easy if you know how to adjust the powervalve-I worked at a Honda dealership at SERVICE for a short time{before the owner hired his next door neighbor buddy because he lost his job}& "let me go". That snake !
Nobody had a 4-stroke in for Service during the month i worked there-except one guy that needed a VALVE Adjustment.The engine needed to be rebuilt & it was only a 2003 CRF450R.
There is no comparison comparing a CR250R to a 250cc 4-stroke. The CR250R 2-stroke will dust it .You would need a 450cc 4-stroke to compare to the CR250R.
.02
 

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
i just got an 04 crf 250r w/ an R.P.M. 302 big bore and about 8 grand worth of other goodies, its absoloutly rediculace...i used to ride a husaberg fc 501 and i swear that 250 hits harder than the big bike....id say it would be a good choice 4 u cause what u are riding is a heavy underpowered pig...just be careful with the power but i think u will like the light weight...and dont forget maintence!!!!!
 
Jul 17, 2003
832
0
Salt Lake City
Best I can do for you: I have an '03 WR250F with a few small mods to get to about the stock HP/torque levels as the '04 bone-stock, production YZ250F. I think the CRX should fall somewhere right in between the power levels of my bike when it was stock and where it is now, but you're going to have a bike that is a little lighter, definitely shorter, and that carries the weight lower.

I never ride track, just woods, occassionally desert (like you said, not dunes, Utah desert) when the alpine trails are under snow, etc. The 250 four-strokes are pretty awesome for tight woods riding. The power delivery is pretty smooth and rolls on right from bottom (actually, my little blue pony bogs a bit if I give it a lot of gas right from idle, but a Boyseen pump cover and impeller is supposed to fix that for about $150), and the power is managealbe even though the bike is pretty darn fast. However, I have the advantage of being 6'1" and weighing about 195, so I can deal with the taller frame and extra power. Faith (Scott's girlfriend) has a CRF150, I think it's an '04, and she's trying to figure out if she dares make the jump to a WR or CRX 250 as well.

Anyway, my bike struggles a bit in the desert, especially if the trails are made up of that really light, thin sand; I don't have quite enough power to keep up with my buddy's WR450F in most of those kind of situations. But, anywhere else (other than flat-out dirt roads) the 250 hangs pretty tough with the big bore machine. I don't know if this is going to help much since you're looking at the Honda, but I think the bikes are similar enough, especially compared to your 230, that I shouldn't be totally missing the mark here. :D
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
blt2ride said:
Stik,

I have been thinking about buying that exact bike. How does it feel compared to a CR125 or a CR250? I hear really good things about the new 4 strokes, and I know that they have been proven on the track. However, I'm still stuck on 2 strokes--call me old fashion.
Cant say I have a lot of knowledge to compare. I have owned a XR200 (first bike in 93') then a rm250 mid 90's, then stopped riding for a few years, then 3 yrs ago got the crf150 to play on, now the 250r 4 stroke. I just friggin love it. I have ridden my friends 450, too much for me, ridden cr125 around track, didnt love it. I ride my bike at the track and in the desert and did an epic moto day in mexico with the boys that was one of the funnest days of my life. As I said, I am skinny and a weak mofo, so I dont think I could handle more of a bike, I like the smooth power of my bike. I will have this bike for a long time, no interest in anything else....althought my 150f is fun as hell too, just sucks on trails. Lopes got his 150f all BBR'd out and its probably the coolest bike ever...but I am not about to drop a few G's into a play bike. I got diapers to buy!
 

DH Diva

Wonderwoman
Jun 12, 2002
1,808
1
James | Go-Ride said:
Best I can do for you: I have an '03 WR250F with a few small mods to get to about the stock HP/torque levels as the '04 bone-stock, production YZ250F. I think the CRX should fall somewhere right in between the power levels of my bike when it was stock and where it is now, but you're going to have a bike that is a little lighter, definitely shorter, and that carries the weight lower.

I never ride track, just woods, occassionally desert (like you said, not dunes, Utah desert) when the alpine trails are under snow, etc. The 250 four-strokes are pretty awesome for tight woods riding. The power delivery is pretty smooth and rolls on right from bottom (actually, my little blue pony bogs a bit if I give it a lot of gas right from idle, but a Boyseen pump cover and impeller is supposed to fix that for about $150), and the power is managealbe even though the bike is pretty darn fast. However, I have the advantage of being 6'1" and weighing about 195, so I can deal with the taller frame and extra power. Faith (Scott's girlfriend) has a CRF150, I think it's an '04, and she's trying to figure out if she dares make the jump to a WR or CRX 250 as well.

Anyway, my bike struggles a bit in the desert, especially if the trails are made up of that really light, thin sand; I don't have quite enough power to keep up with my buddy's WR450F in most of those kind of situations. But, anywhere else (other than flat-out dirt roads) the 250 hangs pretty tough with the big bore machine. I don't know if this is going to help much since you're looking at the Honda, but I think the bikes are similar enough, especially compared to your 230, that I shouldn't be totally missing the mark here. :D
Thank you for such detailed feedback. That is exactly the type of input I'm looking for! I think I'm pretty much sold on the idea. All the people I ride with are on WR 400 or 450's so I'm getting dusted in the open stuff!
 

partsbara

Turbo Monkey
Nov 16, 2001
3,996
0
getting Xtreme !

partsbara

Turbo Monkey
Nov 16, 2001
3,996
0
getting Xtreme !
wydopen said:
i just got an 04 crf 250r w/ an R.P.M. 302 big bore and about 8 grand worth of other goodies, its absoloutly rediculace...
got any photos?? sounds sikkkkk....

the big bore is apparently a crook upgrade... what else do ya have on it ??

cheers

partsbara
 

wydopen

Turbo Monkey
Jan 16, 2005
1,229
60
805
ill try to get some pics soon..i dont have a camera...i guess i have my priorities...suspension done by rg3..forks are anadoized black...rg3 clamps...twinwalls...i forgot the company name but its a company that machines down the stock hubs and reanadozies them and then polishes them...purley for bling factor...black wheels...akropovic ti pipe w/ all carbon hardware..pro circut ti pegs...aftermarket clutch...and like i said the motor is bored to 302...its the rpm ice cube kit and it all balanced and blueprinted and all that stuff...ill barrow a camera cause u guys gotta see it