street legal 2-strokes

[Kurlon]

IIRC 30w AC, not as much when rectified. I've not found any higher output setups for our machines.

[breakdirt916]

***EDIT***

I know I saw a 50W somewhere: Steahly - it's kinda odd to me. It's not a re-wound stator, it's just an extra coil bolted into the stock stator plate. Unrelated to ignition. Baja Designs will re-wind it up to 60W

***/ EDIT***

otherwise, Cyclops helmet light it is! which is fine, because they are fantastic!

so my buddy talked me into doing a "dual sport" ride from home:



(it's just a rental)

did a 230 mile "dual sport" loop from home:
-80 miles of slab/pavement
-25 miles of dirt through Temecula (horse/wine country - has several public/unpaved roads...some OG mx guys live out here w' mx tracks in their backyards)
-20 miles of pavement back into town
-20 miles of pavement to the base of the mountain peak
-10 miles of dirt (rutted fire road)
-70 miles of pavement home

gearing was trail biased (14/52)

I'll be honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of 150 miles of 55-70mph (including some 10-15 miles of freeway sections) on the performance lightweight dual sport...fatigue/enjoyment ratio just wasn't there...the last 70 miles I was cooked and my butt was sore AsF...I'd rather just be comfortable and truck out...my current setup of fire road riding from home (30 mins til tires touch dirt) for C-level rides, then slab/truck 2 hours away for A-level all-day dirt bike desert rides, and camp/hotel if it's a 4 hour or more drive is fine all fine for me.

the 500 EXC was awesome it DID have the excitement and power that the 350 lacked...going to try a 690 for a day, then maybe the 501

And yes, I went full A-douched- vag, oops I mean ADV helmet.

Fortnine reviews suggested that the Bell MX-9 ADV with the MIPS has slightly higher protection than the light weight Klim and overpriced XD4

[breakdirt916]

tested out the re-packed muffler today



first "vehicle exhaust system safety test ride" in over a month and it felt crazy fast up the hills revving it out

the muffler is a little quieter, but now you can hear the engine more - sounds like I have piston slap

more reason to swap in the ported cylinder/new piston

stopped by one of the hill climbs that looked familiar



I did it 6 years ago on a DR200



I also saw the bike from behind on dirt - the edge of the rear fender flops around A LOT. that's why I've sacrificed so many license plates, tail lights, and holders...it has to go on top of the fender. I really liked the brightness of the DRC products, so I'm thinking phantom next:

[breakdirt916]

local fire road has been open for about 2 weeks



30 mins of pavement until I hit dirt - that's about all I would want to do for slab on the YZ ~60mph...14/48...I would actually try 13/48 for trails. I've seen some run 13/51

Cyclops Helmet light won't ship until late June/early July...so I cruised back before sunset

[jimmycapp]

I just ordered silencer packing for my 06 KTM. Noticed some oil around the head and pulled the expansion chamber. It's amazing how heat turns o-rings into square rings. Can't remember the last time I repacked the silencer. Wondering how much quieter it will be with those two updates.

[breakdirt916]

Well two things I noticed:
1.) a little more bottom end power
2.) a little quieter on the bike, but the mid pipe still has that bell ringing effect
3.) behind you - I let a friend ride ahead and within after a certain point I barely heard him. Not raspy and yelling at the person behind you like on an FMF shorty

[breakdirt916]

just needed to unplug and get away for a bit



DRC edge tail light is offically cooked

calculated the mpg - was getting 33mpg...that is really not bad for a 2-stroke...imagine if I went lectron?

need to do another clean/wipe down/fastener check day...and I really need to swap the swingarm and cylinder asap

[Kurlon]

So, both RMATV and BikeBandit are claiming the 1994 YZ250 power valve is on backorder but actually available... I've ordered one just to see if it arrives.

[breakdirt916]

Wait why? You need one?

[Kurlon]

They're a wear item, and the one I have has been ground back for my 6mm overbore so is no good in a stock bore cylinder.

[breakdirt916]

Ahh gotcha...same part as the 94 as the 92 cylinder?

If you are in a bind I may have an extra...I think I have 3 sets...but lemme dig through the shed. Honestly planning on selling at least 1-2 cylinders since I realized 2 is enough (one to run, 1 to have with fresh plate ready to go)

Why are you going back to stock again?

[Kurlon]

Technically, no, but it should work in older cylinders as well. A 94 cylinder is the last evolution of our motor, in 95 they changed the cases and cylinders slightly in the transfer ports so while they look similar, they won't cross. As far as going back to stock, the more I abuse this 292 build the more I'm convinced it's lazy on top, I want more zing dang it. I think I'm too far oversquare for the motor design to breathe well, plus at 6mm over the power valve is almost gone so there isn't much change happening there when it opens either. I'm hoping stock bore, properly ported will be the best perf out of this machine.

[breakdirt916]

Ahh gotcha...kinda makes sense

Wanting more zing is exactly how I would describe the FE350 - signing out up top. JK JK JK. The FE is an awesome bike.

That’s what I like about cylinder design/porting on 2 strokes - it can be tuned depending on where the application is. I am guessing the 292 bore and porting is matched up to neutralize the hit for grunty enduro cross rocky gross f-that stuff. Sumo/MX/racing/track you probably want the power to keep going as you wind it out.

Gah now I am so curious what the woods/low porting will feel like on my millennium cylinder. I will post a before/after video

[breakdirt916]

oh man, Kennedy Meadows IS AWESOME



like 200+ miles of trails/single track out in sequoia national forest







we got rained on too...so conditions were soft and grippy





wasn't too confident to bring the YZ out, so I rented a 2019 500 exc:
-8 hours on the motor
-13/48 gearing
-FMF/re-mapped
-new tires w' UHD tubes
-baja designs squadron headlight

it was the tits...I know single track is 250/300/350 territory, but I just loved that torque...you could braap your way over rocks and be lazy and not stalll

had to graham jarvis hop over some log crossings too



I tried out the YZ on a single track near camp, back-to-back w' the 500



and it was absolutely lousy here:
-gearing sucked: 1st gear useless, so you had to ride 2nd, but only off the pipe...on the pipe, the bike was going way too fast
-suspension sucked: you're getting bounced all over the place. forks are way to harsh; it's not plush enough to absorb anything
-rider campartment sucked - bars aren't high enough, nor are pegs not low enough to stand
-bike wants to stall if you don't keep up the gas in a tight/quick turn
-bike fatigues you much more quickly

from a setup standpoint, if I wanted to adapt the YZ to single track, I'd have to gear it down to make 2nd useful, and 3rd available. I'd need the low end port, a lectron, and a flywheel weight. The suspension would need to get re valved. It would need rox risers.

the good news is that I will only ride single track like that, maybe once a year...I'd rather keep it the way it is for what I do now: mountain fire roads, desert, and trails (ATV wide).

at the end of the day, I also tried a beta 500



compared to the EXC it was MUCH more polished, easier to ride, lower seat height, and plenty of power...if I had to buy a bike today, I'd definitely rank this over the 500 exc and FE350

Also - mountain passes ARE BEAUTIFUL

[gregp]

Beta is definitely on to something with their lower seat heights. Hopefully, the other manufacturers follow suit...

[breakdirt916]

agreed...I see a wee bit of trials heritage in their design, and they are relatively new to the game, so hopefully they continue to break into the market

so here's the YZ:



bars all over the place, you can never really lay down the power it has properly, so you're stuck just using intermittent throttle and worrying about it stalling in tighter turns. rocks and roots get transmitted to your body and shoot you all over the place.

same trail, 500 exc:



breezy...easy

I rode the same trail w' the beta, and it was even easier!

beta 500 FTW!

I am almost fully convinced I can just rent a low hour bike at $150/day 4 times/year for these bigger weekend rides, and just keep putt-putting on the YZ for my C-level local fire road rides/shorter trail runs. Gear it with the smallest sprocket up front that I can use to ride 55mph from home, woods port, FWW, and devol linkage w' revalve front and rear.

EDIT: I called factory connection about the DeVol and they recommended use the oem linkage & we can set it up for that

[Kurlon]

Keep a finger on that clutch lever, don't be afraid to feather the crap out of it. That was my big improvement last year was finally using the clutch. Also, at the start of the first vid, is your bike pinging?

[aldend123]

Keep a finger on that clutch lever

I noticed that immediately. One finger on the clutch. Make it a rule.

If you're having trouble holding on, work on pinching with the knees/angles more. Bent knee, elbows out, chin up too. Otherwise it feels like riding an angry bull. And you can eventually progress to fanning the clutch to lighten the front end over each dip or rock.

It almost sounds like you're rolling off the throttle a bit when encountering dips/rises in the trail. Work on staying on the throttle or even adding a little, and it can smooth out a lot once you get the timing down. Especially with the engine braking on the 4stroke.

Is the low speed compression set in about the middle on both ends of the YZ? Tough to say much about suspension from a clip, but it looks like both ends might be too stiff.

[gregp]

"If you're having trouble holding on, work on pinching with the knees/angles more."

Or get some Stegz Pegz.

[jimmycapp]

Tank, frame, and/or seat grip on all my bikes, no matter the terrain.

[breakdirt916]

I liked the steg pegs on the beta!

to be honest, I ride the YZ all wrong - I ride it like a 4 stroke

did my local spot today



55mph was just fine...as a matter of fact 60-65mph wasn't much issue either...it does shake a little, but not nearly as bad as the FE. 55-65 is remarkably smooth on the YZ for an ancient dirt bike

however, on the trail...I am wondering if I could give up some sprocket teeth



The wider open fire roads are great in 3rd...but I seem to be carrying a little more speed than I should

Can I slow down the speeds in 3rd gear and make 4th more usable with gearing a hearing change?

I read somewhere that stock gearing on the WR trans is 13/51 or something drastically different from the 14/48 and 15/48 I've run from the MX transmission days. With a smaller gear ratio it should be able to tractor 1st and catch 5th & pull in that gear no problem. I will lower the highest comfortable "cruising" speed from 70 to 65ish, but that's fine for the 17 mins of my local slab. I figure that ratio will give me more "usable" gears so I can work 2nd-4th a lot more. I'll try the 13th tooth first so I can keep the same chain, then consider going up 1-4 teeth in the back if I need to. Or have different sprockets depending on where I am going

I also realized I did not have a spare shift/clutch/brake lever...oops

And that 18W LED light bar is officially out...I ended up leading the way down and my visibility sucked compared to a stock 690. The cyclops LED headlamp still hasn’t shipped since my order in May

[breakdirt916]

light on top of the fender survived!



and it's just tall enough that there is zero obstruction of the light by the license plate



the DRC edge signals are also adequately bright

this will be my new tail section lighting forever. No more lights shredded off by the tire under the floppy fender.

Although the plate needs a little more tilt and re-positioning so that it's more visible and doesn't block the left signal.

meanwhile, the Cyclops helmet light still hasn't shipped...purchased 5/25

so I did a thing



I ran a $15 18w light for 4 years...worked great

now I want a light w' proper throw; and the forests are dark at night. Plus the baja designs website recommended this light based on the OEM stator output.

and every Wednesday the Flying Adventure Riders do rides that end in the dark

finally sold one of my spare three cylinders



...got it w' a motor/cylinder for $100 off craigslist years ago. It sat in a box for many years and assumed it was junk.



thanks to @KURLON we determined that it had a set of used, slightly damaged power valves from a 1991 YZ250...I kept them just in case

it was also sleeved



now mind you, a properly cleaned and re-sleeved cylinder is more than adequate for use. In fact, they are cheaper to have repaired than a re-plated cylinder ($310 + $160 for the install from LA Sleeve). But since I have a spare plated cylinder, this isn't worth anything to me. On the other hand, the other dude was stoked because he mailed his cylinder to Millennium and was told it couldn't be repaired.

I guess one man's trash is another man's treasure...which is how you guys mostly feel about my YZ

time to sell more spare parts!

also need to empty my storage shed...has a couch/bed/spare FZR parts so it's not enough space to work on a bike (plus the Ninja needs steering head bearings). Need to sell/junk all the extra stuff so I can do tear downs in there again...maybe add a solar setup to run lights, soldering iron, radio, charge phone, and ultra sonic cleaner.

[breakdirt916]

tried the WR transmission on a kart track; it was surprisingly fun!





I figured the YZ trans would be better for quick shifting, but with how big the straights were, and getting used the wide ratio spread, it was just fine. I was barely getting into 5th on the back straight, so maybe 14/45 wasn't exactly necessary...I'll try 13/48 for everything first, then maybe go to 13/49 or 13/50 depending on how it works on my slab to the dirt

[Kurlon]

That's a legit straight, I can see the WR trans working well there.

[breakdirt916]

ya I got video...here's a lap

not on the line, braking too early, accelerating too late, with poor body position, but having a great time!



wheeeeee