race prepping a crf 250x 04

[AddictedToBling]

Trying to add some pics of my scotts SD,i have taken the cross brace of the handlebars for ease of fitment and to give me a little flex in the bars!

 

That just looks dangerous to me

 

Maybe you should try a Sub mount kit. Bonus,they raise your bars as well

[Chuck.]

That just looks dangerous to me

 

Maybe you should try a Sub mount kit. Bonus,they raise your bars as well

 

Yes removing the cross brace could be dangerous.

 

Have said that I removed the cross bar on the Renthal bars on my light weight XR, but it is used only for trail riding, not MX.

[twigster]

yep i have to admit when i first fitted the scott i was thinking this will kill me !!! I guess its not ideal but supprisingly  it works fine and i really dont have any issues with it at all !i would like a sub mount ,but this mount was cheap and in good condition so i will use it until i find a sub mount ..As for the bars with no cross member  i dont really want to take any chances so i am riding gently so to speak and i will be investing in a set of twisted engineering flexible bars when the opprtunity rises for now they are doing the job and i am still testing not racing so i am not going anything other than gentle no MX or jumps as such ..

[highmarker]

the issues your talking about are my issues turn in is vague and not a positive experience ! i have too dropped my forks one of the first things i did i also run a kouba shrink link ! i have tried the standard link too but prefer the kouba .Not sure if i can get the trials tyre here but will check it out ..are the trials tyres ok for fast turns and higher speeds ?

 

if the kouba link lowered your bike a trials tire may hit the fender when you bottom out?  check 1st

[Chuck.]

the issues your talking about are my issues turn in is vague and not a positive experience ! i have too dropped my forks one of the first things i did i also run a kouba shrink link ! i have tried the standard link too but prefer the kouba .Not sure if i can get the trials tyre here but will check it out ..are the trials tyres ok for fast turns and higher speeds ?

 

The radial ply Competition Trials tires while IMO the best for trail traction are not good for high speed at low pressure because of the soft sidewalls, but neither are other tires at low pressure. Others have preferred the bias ply MT43 if you are going to do much road travel.

 

 

yep i have to admit when i first fitted the scott i was thinking this will kill me !!! I guess its not ideal but supprisingly  it works fine and i really dont have any issues with it at all !i would like a sub mount ,but this mount was cheap and in good condition so i will use it until i find a sub mount ..As for the bars with no cross member  i dont really want to take any chances so i am riding gently so to speak and i will be investing in a set of twisted engineering flexible bars when the opprtunity rises for now they are doing the job and i am still testing not racing so i am not going anything other than gentle no MX or jumps as such ..

I used a Scott for years but decided I didn't need it on my X.  Be careful not to set it too stiff, I did that once and blew out the adjuster valve while riding. But more important you don't want it to interfere with control of the bike.

My feeling is it makes the bike feel larger than it is, which is OK but it also interferes with quickly maneuvering the bike around trail debris/obstacles.  Since most high speed stability issues can be fixed with proper suspension setup I'm inclined to only recommend a damper for high speeds like desert riding. There is an article in the May 15 Dirt Rider about pro rider speeds in MX and they are a lot slower than we imagine, trail riding is a lot slower than that! 

I  suggest some tests on a known trail section with the damper at different settings including full off.

 

 

if the kouba link lowered your bike a trials tire may hit the fender when you bottom out?  check 1st

I have the Kouba 3 on my X with the D803 and so far no fender hits, I must be riding too slow, or maybe I need to soften up the shock.

But a good point as the D803 has a 13.8" radius, a 110/90 about a 13.1" radius, a 110/100 about a 13.5" radius, so clearance does go down and a fender or air box hit is likely. 

On my XR I pulled the shock and checked for clearance with different tires and measured the resulting shock length. With the D803 air box hit was first with the axle all the way forward, not likely in real world. Move the axle back a bit and the hit was the fender.

[twigster]

Good points ,the tyre one could be a problem i can go most places with an enduro tyre but some of the slicker terrain needs something different ! (in my opinion) trials tyre or a soft enduro tyre ? .. The steering damper has really helped me first of all the vagueness is reduced,i can go harder into a stone ,boulder rooty path where the terrain is trying to snap the bars out of my hands thats stopped i dont have to hold on so tight as i know the damper will help me to keep the front pointed ,its a little reassuring it gives me confidence so wether it is really as effective as i think does'nt matter anymore as i believe it is so it stays !!my top speed i have seen on my vapor clock was around the 50 mph so i dont go too fast i think i stick around the 25-35 mph for where i ride thats plenty ..For me its the slow speed stuff mayby as i improve the damper will be less of a factor but for now i cant fault it .The Kouba it came with the bike though i did buy a standard link there is only an inch or so difference its hard to tell but i just have a better feel on the kouba i may well try the standard link again now i have the damper it may change things again i dont know .This has been the trickiest bike i have ever had to set up (rider position) i just cant seem to find a sweet spot !i had previously raised the bars and thought it was perfect for me ,now i have the scott i had to lower the bars again and i am liking the feel again so thats proof i know nothing !!thanks chuck for your input you seem to have the answers.. Could you tell me a little more about the R tank and what you like about it did you change the seat too thanks

[Chuck.]

I assume I have a R tank rather than the 08+ X tank because the bike had a lot of R stuff on it.  The tank fits pretty good but the attach points for the shrouds seem a bit higher making them difficult to attach. Or my rad braces position the rads differently.  Its  annoying so maybe I need to look into lowering the tank about a 1/8".    I do like the smaller tank capacity and lower tank top, 1.9gal vs 2.2gal and at about 40mpg trail riding the range is more than enough for almost all of my riding. For the few long rides I can carry extra fuel. 

 

The petcock filter screen on the inside of the tank has a port that controls the reserve volume and several different height screens will fit the tank. The R tank doesn't use a screen or reserve system but mine had a tall screen that provided what I thought was way too much reserve (.67gal) so I installed a X filter screen (16952-KCY-671) for a .4gal reserve. The filter screens are Honda generic off road so you have a many to chose from.

 

The X seat has clearance for the battery and I don't think an R seat will fit, maybe with the smaller Li battery. Any input?

 

Another consideration if you ride in wet muddy conditions is a Tusk seat cover; it has a rough no slip texture.

Edited March 24, 2015 by Chuck.

[twigster]

I think i read here the R seat dont fit ? could though with  cutting of the pan ? Not 100% on that ??? i would however like to reduce the width of my tank !!! I am currently using R plastics i have a few sets given to me from a local shop back in the uk they fit quite well actually ,could not tell the years they are off but i like them ! i notice when riding if i get my leg up whilst banking for a rutted bend its a wide feel when i would like to have my leg tighter in (if you know what i mean )?thanks again for the input i am currently trying to get the suspension sorted ,some lower footpegs ,and some new levers ! This bike has me buying more stuff than i could have ever imagined ....

[AddictedToBling]

I think i read here the R seat dont fit ? could though with  cutting of the pan ? Not 100% on that ??? i would however like to reduce the width of my tank !!! I am currently using R plastics i have a few sets given to me from a local shop back in the uk they fit quite well actually ,could not tell the years they are off but i like them ! i notice when riding if i get my leg up whilst banking for a rutted bend its a wide feel when i would like to have my leg tighter in (if you know what i mean )?thanks again for the input i am currently trying to get the suspension sorted ,some lower footpegs ,and some new levers ! This bike has me buying more stuff than i could have ever imagined ....

 

"R" seat doesn't fit. I tried a mates seat so didn't try to mod it.

 

I'd say It's your braces Chuck. I use an "R" tank and have no problems with shroud fitment. It's not perfect but that's normally comes down to aftermarket plastics.

 

I started off with a 2nd hand "R" tank with a LightSpeed carbon cover but ended up buying a 250 R Clarkes clear tank for peace of mind. Black tanks suck up the bush/in the woods, can't see your fuel level. Hence why KTM use clear tanks for their EXC range.

 

Got one on my RM 125 XC as well. I ran out of fuel on that once. Lesson learnt. The push home almost killed me. Would have it if was the 250X. Never again!!

Edited March 25, 2015 by AddictedToBling

[twigster]

your bike has a clarkes tank for a 250 r does the original seat match up ok? i would love a clear tank on my bike not just for the ability to watch it drink your fuel but i think it also freshens the bike up a little what fule capacity did you get i think they make different sizes and is it year related would i have to get one for an 04R seeing as my x is an 04 .

[AddictedToBling]

your bike has a clarkes tank for a 250 r does the original seat match up ok? i would love a clear tank on my bike not just for the ability to watch it drink your fuel but i think it also freshens the bike up a little what fule capacity did you get i think they make different sizes and is it year related would i have to get one for an 04R seeing as my x is an 04 .

 

http://clarkemfg.com/crf250r-20042009-stock-capacity-p-6.html

 

Here's an early Pic of my 04 250X with the clear "R" tank on it. The seat fits just fine.

 

Edited March 25, 2015 by AddictedToBling

[twigster]

Thats a good looking bike can you tell me what make is the red chain guide i cant see much of it and it looks like a tm works but i cant find one for the 04 only 05 !

[Chuck.]

I think i read here the R seat dont fit ? could though with  cutting of the pan ? Not 100% on that ??? i would however like to reduce the width of my tank !!! I am currently using R plastics i have a few sets given to me from a local shop back in the uk they fit quite well actually ,could not tell the years they are off but i like them ! i notice when riding if i get my leg up whilst banking for a rutted bend its a wide feel when i would like to have my leg tighter in (if you know what i mean )?thanks again for the input i am currently trying to get the suspension sorted ,some lower footpegs ,and some new levers ! This bike has me buying more stuff than i could have ever imagined ....

 

I doubt the R seat fit problem is with the tank as Ive done tank/seat swapping on XRs and I have a small tank on my X, most likely on the sub frame and clearance for the air box/battery is the issue. 

 

I hear ya on the forward width of the bike, I also don't like it but a riding friend likes it, says he uses his knees against the shrouds, or the wide tank on my XR.  So it must be riding style.

 

Opaque tanks and running out of gas: I hate pushing bikes, so on my bikes I empty the tanks and measure gas until it reaches features inside the tank that I can see thru the filler such as different places along the top of the tunnel or the top of the filter screen in my X (one gallon with my 1.9 gallon tank). I also do at least two rides to calculate gas mileage.  There is another more complicated method that I used years ago; a sight gauge for fuel level.  I spliced a T into the fuel line near the petcock and ran a piece of clear gas line forward under the tank and up the front edge of the tank to the handlebars, I then marked gas levels on the hose in one quart increments.  

Edited March 25, 2015 by Chuck.

[twigster]

I never run out of gas i know after an hour of hard riding i need to check it and then i can guage what i need to do to get home might be blind luck i have literally got to my house and the bike is running on fumes ,i must also say that seeing as i am getting slower the hourly check can now be done in 1hr 30 mins ha ha ..The x is not that bad on fuel others bring a liter of fuel in a water bottle to see them home but the x has always be good in that department plus i try to be smooth and not over rev to much ..

[Chuck.]

I've done 110-120 mile trail rides with XRs and knowing bike mileage has been valuable for planning how much extra fuel to carry. I haven't run out of fuel on those rides but I've had to share fuel with others. 

I agree that the X is not that bad for mileage, I've logged 38-40mpg on several rides.

[twigster]

i have a friend who may be selling his 280 big bore kit !He has cleaned the piston and put a new ring on it and checked it all over ,he says its good to go !!!! The kit is complete with new gaskets barrel the lot ..I must say he is a qualified mechanic and i have bought things off him in the past ,Pipe ,ignition etc and all is as he said ..how much is a used in good condition big bore kit worth ? P.s i would love the extra power but will i lose too much in reliability ?

[twigster]

Hi guys i think i may be buying a 280 used big bore kit ,my question is this !Would it be a waste of my time to polish the exhaust ports and the combustion chamber mayby smooth out some rough casting too (if it has any )???Seeing as it will be apart for the first time i thought a new cam chain mayby valve seals too anything else i should be thinking to do whilst i am doing it ?is there some sort of super gunk that would clean the head i see these engineering shops and they get the head to shine befor they start to even do any work thanks all..

[AddictedToBling]

Hi guys i think i may be buying a 280 used big bore kit ,my question is this !Would it be a waste of my time to polish the exhaust ports and the combustion chamber mayby smooth out some rough casting too (if it has any )???Seeing as it will be apart for the first time i thought a new cam chain mayby valve seals too anything else i should be thinking to do whilst i am doing it ?is there some sort of super gunk that would clean the head i see these engineering shops and they get the head to shine befor they start to even do any work thanks all..

 

Get an 08/09 250R head. Send the whole lot to "Fast Heads". I wouldn't let anyone else touch my 280 BB kit.

Edited April 1, 2015 by AddictedToBling

[twigster]

I am sure fast heads would be great ,but the postage alone would be over 100 dollars ! I have seen new heads original honda for sale just over 200 u.k pounds .. Its a fair price ! Then all the head work not sure but about 400 dollars ish then the parts 200 dollars its all adding up its definately something i would like to do but for now i think a little work done by me may be all i can do ..

Does the 08/09 heads fit an 04 i thought the 07 was the latest i will keep an eye out for a use head that may ease the budget ..

[Chuck.]

In 2010 the cylinder, head, gasket, and base gasket changed on the R; don't know if they fit earlier R and X.

 

I have a 09 X top end on my 05, but you need to block off the air injection ports on the 07+ heads, kits avail on ebay.