03 cr 250 yay or nay?

[Can Can Kev]

im selling my yz 125 and im thnking about getting a 03 cr 250 brand new from the dealer, local dealer has a killer price on them because they have a few left over and 05s are on there way. what do u guys feel about this bike what are some of its good points and bad, or if anyone has this year what do u think of it, i head awile back that honda has a flaw i nthe air box , does anyone know of the company that makes the seal kit for it that fixes this problem? i jsut wonded what some of u thought of this year since ive never ridden one and have no friends with one... thanksin advance :ride:

 

[fragman2]

I dont have this bike but my friend has one and I have ridden it a few times. I think this bike would be
a good choice for you. My friend has had it for about a year and has not had any problems with the air box.

 

[Can Can Kev]

any more in put?

 

[shnalln]

I put the MX Bonz airbox mod kit on my '02 CR250 just to be on the safe side. What they consider to be the problem is where the boot attaches to the airbox. The stock retaining plate is super flimsey and people say that it can/will flex and leak. The MX Bonz plate is super thick compared to stock, fairly easy to install and is around $50. Looks cool too as you can get it in red anodized. The airfilter seals better too.

http://www.mxbonz.com/cnc_airbox_fix.htm

PC has a kit too, but it was recomended to me to go with the MX Bonz, so I'll do the same for you. I really like my '02, plenty fast for me, but I'm no pro rider either.

 

[Sir speedy]

If you are into a mellow powerband with good handling & workmanship with low re-sale value - I say go for it - if you are into getting holeshots, busting berms and anything else that requires horsepower over 47 - get something else. I think I remember that the 03 cr250 made something like 4 hp less than the YZ on the dyno.

By the way, I ride Honda CR & CRF's - get the '04 or maybe the '05 - they both will turn better, have more low end and have better appeal to the market when selling used....just my 2 cents.....let the bashing begin!

 

[Mike's 2003 YZ250]

Dont wanna go too far off topic here, but since the guy above brought it up... :) I own an 03 YZ250, do you or someone else know how much horsepower my bike puts out bone stock? If not, where could I find out? I was just curious since you said the CR is about 4hp behind. Thats alot. I thought my bike was around 43-44, but I guess its more? Mike :think:

 

[Can Can Kev]

shure the yz may be faster but the parts are like double the price i work at a honda and yamaha shop and i am riding a yz 125 right now yamaha part prices are a joke 300 bucks for a radiator u got to be kidding me 150 for a honda radiator, im looking for a good soild reliable bike that has decent suspension and something good i nthe sand and the hills ive grown tired of the never ending process of replaceing broken parts caused by other people on the race track i wanna ride and have fun .. ive heard there are some jetting issues wit hthe 03s and 02s i knew a racer that thold me he was going threw top / bottom ends like crazy but now that i think about it maybe he didnt know about the flaw i nthe airbox!!! does anyone have any input on the handling and suspension of this year and model...

 

[Can Can Kev]

has anyone had any major problems with theres besides the air box flaw?

 

[SpectraSVT]

Handling and suspension are great but power is down. On the dyno it produced the same hp as the YZ250 but that # did not translate to the track. Dyno #'s were 45-46hp for both bikes. CR has very lil snap off the bottom and low mid range. However it is extremely fast when ridden in the high rpms. Coming off a 125 this may be an easy adjustment for you. Jetting is also a pain. Buddy changed his jetting every 2 months and he never did any mods. Bike would just start acting up for no reason. I did find it less tiring than my YZ cause it doesn't rip your arms out when you grab a handful.

 

[Can Can Kev]

is there anyone here that actually has a 2003 so i can get a first hand expirience?

 

[SpectraSVT]

I have spent time on one so I'm not just spitting mag info. Jetting is an issue. Like I said b4, the handling and suspension are great but the power is not all there. However, unless your a pro, I think you will be more than happy with it. The power is smooth and easily manageable and it rips in the top end. It excels in every other area. Just be patient with the jetting and you'll be happy. Quality is great and it looks clean a lot longer than other bikes.

 

[1911shooter]

I just bought an 03' CR-250 this week, haven't had much of a chance to ride since the weather has been so rough, but I will give you an update once I do. What little riding I have done, the bike seems real responsive, but then again I haven't had a bike in a few years. I just trail ride and as soon as it is dry enough to work my backhoe without getting it stuck I will have a few jumps and whoops made so I can try out the suspension. I had a couple of bikes when I was a kid, then later on a XR-250 and even a Suzuki 1400 street bike, but this is the first dirt bike I have owned in about 10 years. I found the deal on a new 03' that I just couldn't pass up so it is sitting in the garage waiting for better weather. Will update as soon as I get a chance.

 

[shnalln]

I forget the changes between the '03 and '02, but if I remember correctly they were pretty minor. I'm 220 lbs, and have never bottomed the suspension. But like I said before I'm no pro so the biggest jumps my bike sees is probably a 30' double and a 40' table top. I'm perfectly happy with the way the bike handles in the corners, although I've heard Yamaha riders say that the front end pushes alittle, but I don't think that it's anything that you couldn't get used to after a couple laps. The brakes are awsome too...even the Yamaha riders I've been around agree with that. The gearing in my oppinion is a little tall, I think you'd find that a lot of people, even with the '03, are going to 50T rear sprockets to solve that issue.
As far as jetting goes, I haven't had any problems (maybe I'm just lucky), I'm at 1300 ft ASL and have dropped my main 2 sizes and dropped the needle to the top position. (I don't cut my plug down with a lathe either though so I'm sure some experts would dissagree.) After mangeling my stock pipe I went with a PC pipe and shorty, and threw in some Boyseen power reeds, and the bike is now a little rich, but that is to be expected with the mods. With this done, the bike is plenty responsive for me and my freinds. In fact, my freinds won't even ride it anymore, and they are better riders than I, but not pros either...
Even the rags say how difficult it is to judge these bikes in a shootout. As far as the dyno goes, and maybe I'm ignorant for asking this, but how many of us can actually ride a bike to it's full potential?

 

[Can Can Kev]

hey shnalln have u blown it up before, like i said earlier theres the 250 intermediate rider im friends with and he had a 03 cr 250 and he said he must have blown it up at least 5 timeshe said the piston skirts kept chipping off on him and it would get int othe bottom end and cause a head ach, he also said he would never get the suspension right, now he is a way better rider than i am and rides his bikes tapped out he isnt easy on it so i can see why he might blow his up alot he does all the matenance right on scedule too, im jsut mainly worried about buying a bike thats relyable and im sorrry if like im sounding like a pain in the srse dragging this thread on for so long but i just dont wanna end up with a bike i will be sorry throwing down the cash on. i can deal with jetting issues that doesnt really bother me.... thanks by the way to all you guys that have been giving me your thoughts on this bike..

 

[shnalln]

I haven't blown it up...I got mine as a left over last summer around June or July I think it was. I rode prbably on an average of 2-3 times a week for about 3 hrs an outing untill Oct. or Nov. I replaced the piston in January and I'd have to look the numbers up, but the rings were worn 0.001 past the service limit, and the piston still had another 0.008 left of wear if I remember correctly. The sleeving was just fine and I could still see a noticeable crotch hatch on it. The new rings were dead on with the exception of one that was 0.001 tight upon piston installation.
Has your friend done the airbox mod? If not, I think that may be a good indicator that it needs to be done...I'm back on this bike after a 10 year break, and I've got some learning to do when it comes to suspension, so I'm afraid I can't really help you out too much in that dept. I'm pretty sure there are some other threads around here that could fill you in on that though.
Yamaha may be a better bike out of the box, but I'm not disappointed with my purchase. I'd just be happier if I could ride better and stop getting hurt...lol...I probably should have got one of those new fangled four stroke 250s...

 

[Can Can Kev]

oh man dont say that! dont u go to the dark( valved) side of the force! lol but come to think of it i never did ask him if he did the air box mod i dont think he did... yamahas have killer motors my yz 125 ripps but the ergos are wierd for me , with the help of 2 other intermedicate 250 riders we could never get the suspension set up right for me plus the yamaha radiators bend like a piece of cardboard its rediculious... plus they cost 300 bucks!!!! ouch! i think ive definatly found my new bike. guys thanks for all your help!

 

[shnalln]

oh man dont say that! dont u go to the dark( valved) side of the force! lol

lol, I was kiddin' about that, I managed to bend my CR Rad too and had to throw on the Works braces, no problem after that. I got a new one from Service Honda for 120. So yea, I see what your saying about the Yamaha parts.
You might mention that airbox mod to your friend, cause it sounds to me like theres another problem there...either that or he needs a 500cc bike cause he's too fast for the 250s...lol...Well, let us know what you think of your new purchase....good luck!