street legal 2-strokes

[breakdirt916]

my luck is about the same - going on my '94 YZ250!

why don't you just swap the forks, or at least the fork bottom for your WR? we're lucky enough that nobody in the world wants our bikes, so the spares are relatively cheap (plus the yamaha parts bin design doesn't hurt!)

92 Yamaha WR250 WR 250 Front Shocks Forks | eBay

$82 + s&h...and they dropped the price from $149, so message him and offer $75 shipped

[Kurlon]

I considered it, at the time there weren't any units on ebay that looked less sacked out than mine, and I really didn't want to buy someone else's problem, again. Helicoils are stronger than the OEM threads and I scored a deal on the Helicoil kit so that determined how I went.

If I put any money into the forks beyond springs / re-shim at this point it'll be a swap to a modern front end. (Hence my wanting to find a 2005 or newer basket case to start migrating to...)

[breakdirt916]

more of a long term project for ya...

this will sound horrible - but for me, I can't tell the difference between serviced forks or rocked out ones unless I hop back/forth between a "good" bike and a "bad" one...I had a reputable mechanic (PK @ GMD) service the front forks w' the MX valving and rear shock (also stock MX valving) and it rode pretty much the same before/after...but cost me several hundred dollars...

the '03 450F (because it only had ~50 hours from new) was a LOT easier to ride through the whoops than the '94 YZ250 (due to a combo of wear/tear & modern tech)...but once I rode the yz250 awhile, I got used to it again and stopped caring...so used forks with no service work on it going on!

going to try and get the forks on by Saturday...ride Sunday before work (not starting until 11), then swap the "sportsman" setup and hit SuMo on Monday

edit 2: going to check out Ocotillo Wells next Friday/Saturday - that's where they shot some of Crusty Demons of Dirt!!!

[Kurlon]

It was a night and day difference on my machine after having the suspension redone. Granted, the 'oil' that came out could not be identified as such... but it was VERY noticeable once resprung and refreshed.

[breakdirt916]

hmm...I want to get the bike rideable/complete first...but maybe down the road!

I gotta stop sitting here on my laptop after work...I am going to hit Vegas desert/dirt w' Gino in Feb...

but now I'm dreaming of Glamis/sand dunes in March



so...fresh top end, paddle tire, and some sort of flag contraption by March 13th-14 or 27th-28th?

[breakdirt916]

Calico Video-yo



NSFW - for music language

[Sheppo]

Calico Video-yo

You should have posted NSFW . Thank you.

[breakdirt916]

fixed, ty

[breakdirt916]

first camping trip in desert tomm...just going to be fri-sun...

going to test what my camping needs are - bringing 2 bikes, dirt gear, 4 gallons of water, pre-cooked meals in tupper ware/on ice, $30 camp stove w' propane tanks to heat it, disposable cutlery/plates, frying pan, baby wipes, sleeping bag w' mat, tent, some clothes, & LED lantern/flashlight

not sure if I'd need more than that...we'll find out this weekend!

[breakdirt916]

[breakdirt916]

wow...that 450f is going to KILL ME!!

and more wow - OCOTILLO WELLS IS AWESOME!!!

teasers...











even had a sand dune section!

[breakdirt916]

Ok...with a fresh plug, I figured out the 426

Kick the bike until the kickstarter feels like it's stuck. Let go. Pull in decomp lever, kick the engine over JUST A TAD to get it to -1. Let go of decompression lever and kickstarter. Give it one full kick with choke and it'll start

Mine, however will not stay running on a cold start with choke alone, so I do need 1/8th throttle (not a millimeter more or it stalls!) more to keep it going. Gentle strokes, then go. WOT on or off choke and she takes off QUICK. Choke off and she pops and wants to stall...next step: carb pilot jet

Wonder if she's felt the cleaning power of ultrasonic sweetness?

[breakdirt916]

the fleabay forks are better than the ones I have



both cleaned - original fork on right - squished it twice and it already started pissing fluid

I really enjoy working through a bike (when things work!) because you get to learn the bike a bit more...

like for example - Yamaha decided to snake the brake line all the way down the fork bottom





oh well, it works...

fork swap complete. Was really quite easy...only took a couple hours or so...carefully inserted the axle to make sure nothing stripped!

more good news: I wired up the cyclegear LED tail and it LIGHTS UP! that means - the lights run on DC! It's getting a full LED setup!

more bad news: bunch of pinched/ripped out wires without another dangling wire to hook up to

slightly good news: dirtbike wiring is quite simple...it's pretty easy to just follow it and add your own repairs

Right now it is rideable - so I might take that next Saturday...but it's not quite street ready to start riding to the gym...needs more security first (keyed kill switch, hidden toggle switch, disc lock for front/rear wheel...if possible carry chain in gym bag and chain to railing behind motorcycle parking spots).

[Kurlon]

The weird brake line routing was due to a Honda patent IIRC, keeping everyone from doing the modern routing for awhile.

[breakdirt916]

crazy!! it's such a simple route...but hey, if it makes money, slap a patent on it...

rode to gym on sportsman setup...such a blast to ride, and still stopped into the dirt sections to get my fix. With this setup I can ride "something" 3-4x/week and still do bigger trips with the same bike, once every 2-3 weeks! Definitely keeping this bike...sell the YZ426F, RM85, XR250R, YZ450F, & '00 YZ250...maybe keep KDX as friend/backup bike

I would think the tech on a '94 makes it a "milder/noobie" bike...nope. 4th gear, power up wheelies no problem!

more immediate goals:
-fresh top end, new air filter, change transmission/clutch fluid, new plug, clean power valve assembly (still takes a few mins warmup to "unstick")
-install desert tank
-hook up cyclegear rear turn signals
-bend bracket on rear brake light switch and bend spring to get rear brake light switch
-get baja designs battery & horn (ordered today)

more distant goals:
-bottom end (add WR250 6th gear @ this time)
-take off body parts & start cleaning bike up, apply graphics kit
-recover seat w' black/gripper seat cover
-start tracking compression over time
-new chain/sprockets
-ASV levers, bleed brake lines
-get hand guards w' integrated signals
-start piecing together tools for a custom on-bike toolkit

[Kurlon]

I don't think you can add a 6th gear, WR250 was a 5 speed, just wider ratio than the YZ.

[breakdirt916]

Oops...that's what I meant, ha

Splitting cases is an ordeal...rather not just split the cases for new gears. For all I know it has a 21 year old crank in there...do that too.

It will be way down the road, and I was thinking forward motion/eric gorr to wake up the engine with porting..but man, when I look at their page, they will do everything from grinding warped case halves to a $350 inspection/analysis of the whole motor....it's like Vegas: how much do you want to spend? So I think I'll stop at a replate/cylinder cleaning and maybe oem crank rebuilding with WR gear install

And now the porting options changed: low grunt, mid/high for experts, and wide all around. Hmmmm...if I do it all I might as well stop and buy a plated exc350

[breakdirt916]

Got my Baja Designs replacement battery (~$45-$50 shipped) Friday, it actually came charged, so I installed it after work today

Worked exactly as it should!

-Bike running: headlight/taillight on, but brightness changes greatly w' engine RPM...usually pretty dim
-Bike on + battery switch on - headlight/tailight on, sufficiently/consistently bright

Revving the bike up *does* make the light brighter, but only when the rpm's are really high. I'm not sure if that stator is enough to be a standalone system. If I go on a long enough ride without keeping the rpm's up, I'm curious if the battery would die and lights would get dim. As it stands, I'm confident that it should be on long enough to do night mountain runs, ride to the gym, or get back to camp if it got dark in the desert...but I'm sure it came with a charger plug hanging off the bike (which has a rinky dinky plastic connector...broken?) so when bike in garage = keep it charged...

Forget the cheapo Baja Designs charging system w' crappy connectors & short wire on the adapter...going to add this!



I have battery tender collecting dust, so I'm just going to order the terminal pigtail from Amazon ($6.84 + s&h) and I can use the charger I have

Also looking @ a hydraulic brake switch using the banjo bolt:



not sure if that's enough clearance though...

Edit: top gear power wheelies, check

[breakdirt916]

Did a supermoto day today on the "sportsman" setup...

and yes, it's not nearly as stable/fun as a proper 17" setup, but considering that it didn't cost me much of anything extra (most parts - wheels/tires/sprocket came w' the bike), and I got into the track for free (free in bday month), it was AWESOME







only 1 other rider today...had the track to ourselves!



On my first lap on cold tires, the rear did step out on a banked turn around 10-15mph, but the bigger bike warning was way more than a mini, so I was able to kick my leg out dirt style in time, and kept her up!

Otherwise, the bike sticks "good enough" for the 3-4 times/year I do a supermoto track day...

the close ratio transmission found in an MX bike is AWESOME on a supermoto track!!

[breakdirt916]

installed the unmarked desert tank today...it was hard to say what it was without any brand markings on it, and I wasn't sure if it was even going to fit

next to stock, it's definitely bigger:



wasn't sure if it was just a WR tank though...but a YZ-10 casting was on it, and according to this cross-reference chart, it's a 3.4 gallon IMS tank

IMS PRODUCTS YAMAHA LIST atAHMacLAUGHLINS.COM and 2 or 4STROKESONLY.COM

117314 B2/B3/BK1/N1/W1 YAM TANK YZ125/250 93-95/WR250 94-97 3.4gal YZ-10

@ Kurlon - it'll fit your WR! But IIRC - you should have a bigger tank than my straight MX model's race-ready 2.1 gallon

I've seen some shotty adaptations of tanks that don't line up, but luckily this one was pretty close to line up with the stock mounts:





sort of looks like a pig...



outside of the tank did not clean up well at all...but I was adding a graphics kit so it didn't bother me much.

Inside looked pretty clean, except for a loose bag inside the tank...



new OEM gas tank gasket stored by previous owner

petcock looked fine...



ran it through the ultrasonic cleaner

took the parts inside to give it a good hand cleaning with dish soap before applying graphics...



test fitting...



graphics kit didn't entirely line up with the oversized tank, but IMHO, I'm still pretty happy with the result...



just needs numbers, swingarm/fork decals, & seat cover

it's hard to say what the range will be...testimonials online claim anywhere between 18-30mpg and state that jetting can have a big impact

LA Barstow to Vegas requires ~75 miles between gas stops...so if I can tune it to 25mpg and carry 2 extra MSR fuel bottles w' an extra 1/2 gallon I can make it close to 100 miles

my bike is a bit of a drinker and I'm *guessing* the main jet is a bit rich, so I will do some jetting test and maybe bump that down a little bit to make her more efficient.

[Kurlon]

That tank won't fit mine, it's for a newer generation frame than mine. That said, I moved from the WR's large tank to a smaller YZ style unit on purpose, I just haven't been doing distance to justify a fat tank, the smaller one makes it easier to get forward on the bike.

[breakdirt916]

huh...did not think of that...

just rode to cyclegear to pick up some 2-smoke oil and noticed EXACTLY that...so the tank gets its extra volume going up and wide at the top...

I'm not a good enough rider to exploit something like that properly, so I prefer the 3.4 gallon tank to keep the range for long rides from camp...plus when I went to a camping/desert trip, there were NO gas stations for 26 miles! If I top off the big tank and bring 1 extra 4 gallon can of gas, that should last a good 2-3 days of riding...or on my in/out day trips, I can just top off at home and not have to fill up for the day

all the good riding is far from the parking lot anyways

[Paul_E_D]

Nice! If you need the big tank, it's invaluable. If not, it makes you ride from the back seat. I gues that's ok when cruising on open terrain, but yucky if you want to go fast or corner.

[breakdirt916]

this will sound horrible - but for me, I can't tell the difference between serviced forks or rocked out ones

It was a night and day difference on my machine after having the suspension redone. Granted, the 'oil' that came out could not be identified as such... but it was VERY noticeable once resprung and refreshed.

I rescind my statement...these ebay forks suck!!!

I will likely swap the fork bottom onto the original forks and get those serviced to stop leaking. An "express service" at RG3 suspension in Anaheim is only $74.95...but a revalve is not much more at $225. With my limited knowledge, the stock forks worked fine for me. I'd like to look more into modifying the rear...the 450F was a lot more "slow and firm" when riding over whoops; I'd stand up, lean back, and get on the gas. The '94 yz250 OTOH felt like the DR200 - too soft for whoops, making me do "more work" with my body to clear 'em. The suspension also compressed too much and didn't help to launch me off jumps...instead it just bucked me off the seat. I played w' the compression/rebound damping and it helped a little, but it still sort of sucks.

and the desert tank definitely makes a difference on where you can get up on the tank...not a big deal for slow trail riding (that's all I can do...) or casual street rides, but it would make a difference if doing a lot of MX

for the time being, I will just ride the '00 YZ250 or '03 YZ450F if doing motocross...but eventually I'm going to sell those bikes, so I was thinking to just add UFO tank shrouds and that same factory FX graphics to the non-desert tank and just swap the tanks/shrouds for the 4-5 times/year I ride MX. Desert tank stays on for the majority of the time.

[bstnsboy]

Here is your unicorn! ADVrider