pradami

Member
Sep 1, 2006
41
0
Hi,
I just recently bought a 2-stroke after having owned a 4-stroke. I was pretty spoiled with having a 4stroke maintenance wise, but i was just wondering what i need to do to keep my 2001 CR250R Running in tip top condition. any help would be great thank you
 

micshol

Member
Feb 7, 2007
22
0
carry extra spark plugs, at low throttle they will foul a lot.
dont use cheap 2 stroke oil, cheaper to use good oil than fix the problems it will cause
make sure you run plenty of that oil with the gas
make sure you are jetted properly
be prepared for regular top end rebuilds
 

pradami

Member
Sep 1, 2006
41
0
How do i jet the bike right?? should i take it in to a dealer to do? or is there a way i can do it myself? What needs to be done on a top end rebuild and how much will that cost me about?
 

IndyMX

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Jul 18, 2006
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pradami said:
How do i jet the bike right?? should i take it in to a dealer to do? or is there a way i can do it myself? What needs to be done on a top end rebuild and how much will that cost me about?

micshol left out the most important item...

Get a service manual. Most of your questions will be answered there.

Do a search on here for jetting, you will come up with a tremendous amount of information about jetting.

If you have a basic knowledge of mechanics, you should be able to do everything you need to do on your bike without much trouble, provided you have decent set of tools and some common sense backed up by a service manual.
 

pradami

Member
Sep 1, 2006
41
0
lol yea i have all of that....im just new to the 2 stroke world...im a car guy and have had a 4 stroke...but thanks for the advice appreciate it. any other tips?
 

IndyMX

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Jul 18, 2006
5,548
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Amo, IN
pradami said:
any other tips?

Listen to the mods on here, alot of them are pretty smart.

Some are pains in the ass... I won't name any names, pred, but you'll figure it out.

Really, I've found a lot of very useful information on this site by reading what people like Eric & Rich have to say.
 

micshol

Member
Feb 7, 2007
22
0
jetting depends alot on whether the bike is stock or not, elevation, temp., etc.
you can do a plug test. warm the bike up on the old plug, kill it and put a new one in, take it out and pin the throttle through all gears until the bike tops and then kill it and coast to a stop, put the old plug back in and head for the garage. put the plug in a vice and cut the threads off one side with a hacksaw about 2 to 3 cm tall. the part of the plug that is white when new should be chocolate. if its light, you need a bigger main jet. if its dark depending on how dark you might need a smaller main. a little rich is all right but a lot rich can burn it up. lean is never good on a two stroke because the motor may seize. not trying to scare 2 strokes are not that hard and the run good if taken care of. a top end rebuild will consist of minimum of rings and gaskets. no big deal if you can turn a wrench. just pull the head and the jug inspect everything, put new rings on the piston and put it back together, good idea to get a repair manual. If you are competent with tools and engines you can do all this yourself. If you dont have any desire to know engines you could take it to a shop but be prepared for the cost. doing it yourself it is very affordable if the bike is maintained properly. If you are an occasional rider you can get alot of time out of those rings we ran a banshee for 3 or 4 yrs without a rebuild(really pushin it) but if you race or are more lax on maintance you will have to go through the top more often
 

magneto

Member
Nov 14, 2001
179
0
I've got a 2001 CR250 and never could get it to run right with the stock Mikuni carb. I ordered a Keihin carb for a 2000 CR250 from Service Honda (Approx $200) and it made a world of difference. The Keihin is not nearly as finicky and the bike runs MUCH better off of bottom end. The new carb will fit the bike without requiring any modifications to the bike. There is a thread on this swap somewhere on this site.

Change the tranny oil regularly, keep the air filter clean, run good engine oil, change out the top end once a year (40 - 50 hrs run time if you're not too hard on it) and you should be good to go.

I run Golden Spectro Synthetic at 32:1 but thiat is a personal preference. I carry a spare plug when I ride JIC however I have never had to use it.
 

BSWIFT

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Nov 25, 1999
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micshol said:
jetting depends alot on whether the bike is stock or not, elevation, temp., etc.
Jetting depends ALL on whether the bike is stock or not, elevation, temp., etc.
Without getting into the great oil debate, use a good 2 stroke oil regardless of the price. The ration to use is what the manufacturer recommends unless you really understand what goes on in changing ratios. Change your gearbox oil regularly and keep the air filter clean, which is nothing different than on a fourstroke.
Doing a top end when it is needed and BEFORE there is damage will take around two hours. If you have damage, the cost and time to do one goes up. Take some time to search this forum and read as many threads as possible. Some threads may start out being bike specific but overall they apply to all two strokes.
 

elcamino12sec

Member
Jan 16, 2006
412
0
mix 40:1 (one pint for 5 gallong of gas) with Red Line premix. Carry an extra plug just in case. Clean the air filter every time you ride. Its always to have a few extra filters so you always have on hand. Change the oil every 2-3 rides. Do a top end job before you think it needs one. Just my .02
 

2strks4evr

Member
Feb 5, 2007
25
0
maintaining a two stroke isnt that bad.personal preference,me and my wife use amsoil dominator,the plug in by bike is the one that came in it.top end jobs,if you are going to pull the jug,go ahead and replace the piston,if you have a micrometer check the cyl.pro-x sells micro oversised pistons.pistons wear and so does the cyl.the manual will tell what the clearance should be.i also use no toil filter oil.have fun braaaaaap!
 

snb73

Member
Nov 30, 2003
770
0
pradami,

The maintenence for a 2-stroke is the same as a four stroke conserning the frame, suspension, tires, spokes, air filter, cables ect...

A 2 stroke doesn't have an oil filter and most riders feather the 2 stroke clutch more than a 4-stroke clutch. That being said, frequent oil changes are a good idea. I ride one or two days a week and change my oil once a week. I use SHELL ROTELLA, at $10 a gallon, it's a bargin.

Use a good quality high octane fuel, super should be good. Most 250's like a 40:1 ratio. I was turned on to MOBILE MX2T, it can be found for $7 a quart. It's a fully synthetic oil that doesn't break down quickly like some "castor" based oils. I rebuilt my top end after 4 months of riding, (the summer) and my cylinder was very clean. I wiped a light brown tint off of my cylinder head with only a rag.

That brings us to jetting. I have ridden a full year on one plug. I only changed it because I did the top end. If your bike is jetted properly for all throttle positions and your engine is in good mechanical condition, YOU WON'T FOUL PLUGS!!!

As said before, a manual is your best tool. With it you can correct a previous owners mistakes. Jetting is not a hard process, just a meticulous one. Here are a few sites for some reading.

Good luck, Steve.

http://www.keihin-us.com/tune.htm

http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/techinfo/spark_plugs/techtips.asp?nav=31000&country=US

http://justkdx.dirtrider.net/carbtuning.html

http://www.powroll.com/tech_specs_jetting101.htm

http://dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?t=42618
 

pradami

Member
Sep 1, 2006
41
0
Yea those links are extremely helpful thank you. If i have an air filter, should i reuse the same one? or replace it everytime i need it "cleaned" If i don't need a new one what should i do to clean it? I think it means i take off all the oil using a filter cleaning solution and then re-oil it right? just wondering. Thank you
 

Morvo

Member
Oct 31, 2005
205
0
pradami said:
Yea those links are extremely helpful thank you. If i have an air filter, should i reuse the same one? or replace it everytime i need it "cleaned" If i don't need a new one what should i do to clean it? I think it means i take off all the oil using a filter cleaning solution and then re-oil it right? just wondering. Thank you


Correct! Buy some proper filter cleaner and thoroughly clean the dirt and crap etc... out of the foam filter (with the stuff I got I also have to rinse it all off with normal water) then let it dry out. Once dry, get your filter oil (again, the proper stuff which is really sticky) and soak the filter in it, then squeeze out the excess oil leaving a nice coat all around the filter. Hang the filter out to dry again for at least 15 minutes for the oil to do it's thing. When it comes to refitting the filter apply a smear of normal grease around the edge of the foam filter that mates with the airbox thus forming a nice seal once in operation, now you are all set to go!
 
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snb73

Member
Nov 30, 2003
770
0
pradami,

You should clean your filter every other ride, more if its dusty. Don't forget to change the tranny oil every other ride too.

NOTOIL is a vegitable based oil that dosn't require solvents. http://www.notoil.com/
I have started using NOTOIL and the cleaning method is the same. Instead of solvent, I use TIDE laundry soap.

If you use a petrolium based filter oil, like TWINAIR, this is a good methode;

Clean the filter in your choice of solvent (paint thinner, gas, kerosine ect...)to remove the old oil and dirt it trapped. I prefer using a small bucket with enough solvent to submerge the filter. Knead the filter a few times, sqeeze out the excess, dump the dirty stuff. (it's great for killing weeds growing in the driveway cracks) Repeat 3-4 times or until the solvent remains clear, and you can't feel any dirt in the bottom of the bucket.

Wash the filter in warm soapy water. I use dishwashing liquid. (dawn, joy ect...) Use the same bucket and method as with the solvent, just use warm soapy water. Repeat 3-4 times, sqeezing the filter and dumping the dirty water each time.

Rinse in warm water. Same method. Dump the dirty water each time. Repeat until the soap bubbles are gone. Their shouldn't be any dirt particles in the bottom of the bucket.

If the dirt or organic material is really imbedded in the filter, I use the garden hose or the kitchen sink sprayer to remove it. Spraying from the inside of the filter, the water pressure pushes the dirt out the way it came in. I hold the nossle right up against the filter. Gentle pinching and kneading will get it all out.

Once the filter is clean, I spin dry (no water) it in the washing machine. Set the filter so the centrifigle force pulls from the inside out. (have the side that faces your carb, face the center of the washing machine) If the filter won't sit still, I prop it with a clean shop towel. It should be dry in a few hours after that.

Before oiling, I turn the filter inside out to see if I missed any dirt. "Plucking it" with your finger almost always removes it.

Don some latex gloves (found at home depot in the paint section). Place the filter in a clean bucket, pour the filter oil all over it. I use an 8X8 inch plastic bucket with a lid. Saturate it with your favorite oil, sqeeze out the excess and install. I don't grease the rim. You will have alot of oil left in the bucket. It's clean, so pour it back into the filter oil can to use next time.

This method only takes about 15 minutes, minus drying time of course. I clean my filter about once a week. I've used this method for a year and a half with no adverse effects to the Twin Air brand filter.

Hope this helps, Steve.
 
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pradami

Member
Sep 1, 2006
41
0
Definately Helps...A lot...very detailed you are good at this. I can't wait to get out and clean my filter to kill the weeds that will inevitably grow back ;) but thank you very very much
 

snb73

Member
Nov 30, 2003
770
0
Solid State said:
snb73,

You must have alot of cracks in that driveway!


I do, but no weeds in them!! :cool:

I switched to NOTOIL at the end of last season. Not that I'm a green meanie or an eco nazi, but it is more environmentally friendly.

There's no gas smell for my girlfriend to complain about anymore. :)
 

sx2504life

Member
Sep 30, 2009
31
0
its also handy to have a few air filters on hand if you ride often like me i have 4 i keep one on the bike and 3 going though the processes and i like to always have one ready to go on hand at all times thats oiled and clean i normaly soak mine over night just to make sure all the dirt is out and all the old oil is gone but its all personal prefference
 

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