1999 yz 250 ,need advice....

bikerboyz · Feb 6, 2010

so i can pick one up for 1500, here is the scoop, it was raced pro motocross by a local guy factory sponsored by yamaha, he decided he wantd to race woods with it so he set it all up for hare scrambles then sold it to a guy down the road, the guy that has it now said he road it about four times, took it in the woods and it scared the **** out of him so he didn ride it since, and my question is is could i be competetive in my series with it? is it about the same as the new ones? i race in the wnyoa series, 250c

truespode · Feb 6, 2010

Depends on your skill level. The bike has little to do with your competitiveness if it is in good mechanical condition.

The YZ250 is a GREAT bike when taken care of.

Most HS riders I know take very good care of their bikes and I would not hesitate buying from them.

Would need more specific information about you and your skill level/experience to make more than general assumptions.

Ivan

bikerboyz · Feb 6, 2010

well im a decent rider, ive never really had a reliable bike though, it is supposed to be a really well taken care of bike. i do my own work, unless i cat do it(suspension) etc. idk, i would say im faster than your average rider and i have been riding for 3 yrs. im good but EVERY race my bike breaks down, well the past i have had. (2002 rm125 and a 03 cr85r exp) i had some older four strokes but yeah. so the bike its self is capable of being a winner?

wake_rider · Feb 6, 2010

Absolutely. I run my 99yz250 at hare scrambles and at the mx track. I have only broken down on the trail once, and it was just an electrical connection that came loose.

I run against brand new 450F's and have never had issues hanging with and passing them, unless they're just a better rider. The only thing that leaves me at a disadvantage is the advances in suspension, but my bike is still very solid. With new speed sensitive adjustments available on new bikes it makes my suspension not as current, but as long as you dial the suspension in for your weight and riding style, you should never really notice any disadvantage.

bikerboyz · Feb 7, 2010

sweet ima proly buy her then, thanks for the 2 cents guys

truespode · Feb 7, 2010

If you are breaking down with your current rides then you need to establish what your mechanical knowledge is and improve upon it. Make sure you understand the basics of jetting, air filter maintenance and other basics.

Definitely buy a ratio rite cup to help with your gas mixing with 2 stroke oil and use quality 2-stroke oil. My preference is Yamalube Y2R.

Ivan

YZmidLife · Feb 7, 2010

bikerboyz said:
...it was raced pro motocross by a local guy factory sponsored by yamaha...the guy that has it now said he road it about four times, took it in the woods and it scared the **** out of him so he didn ride it since...

This sounds too familiar. Do you know the current owner, enough that you trust him?

whenfoxforks-ruled · Feb 7, 2010

Its a LOT more reliable than your previous 2 rides! Vintage Bob

wake_rider · Feb 7, 2010

YZmidLife said:
This sounds too familiar. Do you know the current owner, enough that you trust him?

This is a true statement. A lot of people trying to sell bikes will say that the bike came from a pro racer, then they bought it and never rode it because they were scared of it. That's the exact same story that came with my bike, but once I got it home and started stripping it apart I soon realized that this kid had probably owned it a long time and didn't really take care of it. Thankfully I have a friend who is a professional bike mechanic, and I'm pretty mechanically inclined so we ended up doing a bunch of work to that bike to get it into top shape. I can say that I spent a good amount of money buying all of the parts in order to get it right, and we spent a good three weeks in the garage after work in order to get everything combed through and set right. The bike's great now, but there were an awful lot of mismatched parts, incorrectly sized and stripped bolts, and a few headaches that came as a surprise with that bike.

The best advise I could give is to take a friend who has a lot of experience around and working on dirtbikes so they will know the things to look for and the questions to ask. It could save you a lot of time and money if the previous owner wasn't very honest or mechanically knowledgeable.

bikerboyz · Feb 9, 2010

well the owner now has only had it three months and its winter out, he is a friend of my dads and he is mechanicly inclined, and i have a ratio cup lol. the only thing i dont no how to do that is basic maintenence is jetting, i dont know what sizes for what temps and stuff, other then that i have maintained my past 2 bikes like angels, so then i will probably get her and get my suspension redone, check my compression and see if she needs a new piston, Do you guys have any advice with them, wisesco dont seem like the greasest and what psi should a bike like that be?

Patman · Feb 9, 2010

You really need to pick up a factory Yamaha Service manual. It's been my experience that any bike can be made reliable or unreliable depending on if it sees proper maintenance and repair procedures. Most people don't know what they don't know.

bikerboyz · Feb 9, 2010

lol that sounds cool, but i defenatly will for sure. the manuals have everything in them? like hw often to do this and that and all that good stuff?

bikerboyz · Feb 9, 2010

lol that sounds cool, but i defenatly will for sure. the manuals have everything in them? like hw often to do this and that and all that good stuff?

_JOE_ · Feb 9, 2010

Yep, the manual will have a maintenance schedule in it. I have a feeling you're going to realize why your previous bikes were so "unreliable" when you see the service life of alot of stuff. How often did you service the engines on your last two bikes?

wake_rider · Feb 9, 2010

I have run both OEM and Wiseco pistons in my yz, and I've been happier with the Wiseco setup. Just comparing them side by side the wiseco seems to be of better quality and the one time I've completely cracked a piston was with the oem, and it was very short of what should have been its' lifespan.

bikerboyz · Feb 10, 2010

kk, and pistons when ever my compression would drop, oil change every 2 or 3 rides, air filter cleaned before and after every race, sometimes more. and chain and sprockets when worn, bearings ive never greased cause my past 2 bikes the bearings went in a heart beat

_JOE_ · Feb 10, 2010

Compression doesn't tell you anything about the piston, just that the rings arer sealing well. In a small bore the piston shouldn't be in more than 20-30 hours or so. A 250 2 stroke with a smaller rider under low throttle you might get 100 hours on the piston. It's still a good idea to break it down every 20 or 30 and rering/inspect/measure.

The tranny oil will depend on what you're using but no matter what it is it shouldn't go much past 6 or 8 hours of easy riding. Cheap oil should be changed more often. Some people run it longer but I think it hurts clutch performance and longevity.

The suspension and chassis bearings should be lubed with good quality waterproof grease at least a couple times a year or anytime you get into deep water/mud. Look closely at the seals when you service the bearings. If the seals are torn or damaged they can let water in and should be replaced.

whenfoxforks-ruled · Feb 10, 2010

How are you driving the wheel bearing in? From the outer race? You are aware of the seals when you pressure wash? Vintage Bob

1999 yz 250 ,need advice....

bikerboyz

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