I was wondering about the reliability of the athena 290 kit? i've been searching for reviews on the internet for awhile, and haven't really found anything that's helpful. i was wondering if anyone here has had it on there bike or ran it before? and could tell me any info about how much power gain there is and how's the kit and engine hold up to use?
Any info on Athena 290 kit for a YZ250f
- Thread starter zingger
- Start date
The Athena kit is first rate and a real bargain especially when compared to that over priced stuff Rick Petersen is trying to sell.
The downside to the Athena or ANY mega-big bore kit is the weight of the piston. When you make the pistons that much bigger they get a lot heavier. It's unwise to run one of these kits without a fresh crank and main bearings in the engine. Bad things happen in a hurry when you increase the loads on an already fatigued connecting rod or main. This kit is not a good choice for riders who like to use the upper portion of the rpm range. Loads increase at the square of the speed, so more piston weight and high rpm complicates things in a hurry, unless you are really dilligent about your service intervals.
All in all a GREAT kit, and an amazing bang for the buck. The 290 with a Hot Cam and mild porting is a real Vet Class favorite.
The downside to the Athena or ANY mega-big bore kit is the weight of the piston. When you make the pistons that much bigger they get a lot heavier. It's unwise to run one of these kits without a fresh crank and main bearings in the engine. Bad things happen in a hurry when you increase the loads on an already fatigued connecting rod or main. This kit is not a good choice for riders who like to use the upper portion of the rpm range. Loads increase at the square of the speed, so more piston weight and high rpm complicates things in a hurry, unless you are really dilligent about your service intervals.
All in all a GREAT kit, and an amazing bang for the buck. The 290 with a Hot Cam and mild porting is a real Vet Class favorite.
Rich is right on the mark. I rode a friends and it pulled my vet B 220lbs around pergfectly! I had planned on putting the kit on a new "06 YZ250F, but got tired of waiting for the bike to hit the dealer floor & bought a CRF450R.
I think it's the route I'm going in '07.
I think it's the route I'm going in '07.
For guys who understand how to ride a four-stroke correctly it's an incredibly good combination. Guys who treat the rev-limiter like a throttle stop aren't good candidates for this type of engine.
