Best mod for '03 CR250 woods rider?

[SQUIRLEYMOFO]

What should I do first? 50 or 51 tooth rear sprocket? 12oz flywheel weight? or a PC pipe? may eventually buy a rekluse. Remember I'm 42 and just getting back into this. Name the number#1 mod you'd do first?

 

[2-stroke diehard]

Do the KDX220 mod. :nener:

Ha actually I am in your situation, and the first priority would be:

1. Adding one tooth to the rear sprocket
2. A 10 to 12 ounce flywheel weight to help prevent stalling
3. Delta V3 reed cage for better low end reponse

All of these are proven winners for the CR. The Rekluse should also be a welcome addition to a woods CR.

I was thinking about doing all these mods myself (may still do them eventually) but came to the conclusion for major/tight woods riding, I would rather just get a used KDX220 (1st choice), KTM300 (2nd choice due to price) or DRZ400 (3rd choice, a bit heavy) for woods riding since they were made for it and have numerous woods-specific features that would just cost me more money to add to the CR. The CR250R just loves to run free, and my fav riding spot has lots of VERY fast/open trails where it excels. The PC Works pipe seems to be a favorite of most everyone for the CR, and I can testify mine pulls extremely hard, no loss of low end and much improved mid/top end.

 

[ellandoh]

skid plate & barkbusters would be my 1st choices and if i didnt ride mx my 2nd choice would be woods suspension and softer seat . clean jetting and 51 teeth are all thats necessary for me to turn my cr into a woodsy

 

[dirt bike dave]

Every woods bike needs a steering damper. Best thing since sliced bread. It's a safety and performance device (you will crash less) and you can transfer it to your next ride. Get one.

Have not ridden an '03, but from what I've heard porting it to get more low end would be a welcome woods mod.

If the suspension is not suited for woods, you will greatly benefit from a revalve.

 

[SQUIRLEYMOFO]

Do the KDX220 mod. :nener:

Ha actually I am in your situation, and the first priority would be:

1. Adding one tooth to the rear sprocket
2. A 10 to 12 ounce flywheel weight to help prevent stalling
3. Delta V3 reed cage for better low end reponse

All of these are proven winners for the CR. The Rekluse should also be a welcome addition to a woods CR.

I was thinking about doing all these mods myself (may still do them eventually) but came to the conclusion for major/tight woods riding, I would rather just get a used KDX220 (1st choice), KTM300 (2nd choice due to price) or DRZ400 (3rd choice, a bit heavy) for woods riding since they were made for it and have numerous woods-specific features that would just cost me more money to add to the CR. The CR250R just loves to run free, and my fav riding spot has lots of VERY fast/open trails where it excels. The PC Works pipe seems to be a favorite of most everyone for the CR, and I can testify mine pulls extremely hard, no loss of low end and much improved mid/top end.

Had a KDX 200 for years, gave it to my nephew.......and replace it with the CR

 

[keithb7]

I ride my CR250 in the woods 99% of the time. I have no steering dampner. I have not touched the suspension yet. I do have a FMF Fatty pipe, flywheel weight, skid plate, bark busters, changed gearing. All suggestions are a good idea but the best for a 1st choice? Fatty pipe or flywheel weight? Tough decision. First and foremost I'd say make sure your jetting is set up right.

 

[soulmate33]

For the occasional woods rider, I think the stock suspension & stock pipe is good enough. Just jet the bike properly.

1. Bark Busters
2. Skid Plate
3. 12-14 oz flywheel weight. I heard the 14 oz makes you feel like you can do no wrong.

If you go up on the rear sprocket, you probably gotta replace the chain also. I run a 49T on my '02 CR250 with a SFB 9oz flywheel weight. I ride track and trails with it. Its fine to me. Just make sure you get rid of the aluminum clutch plates and replace 'em with steels.

Click here---->My bike

 

[Wraith]

I have not tried a 51, and I am currently running a 50 and with a 50 tooth sprocket (now keep in mind this is for me and I'm only a mid pack State C rider so I'm not fast at all by no means) while negotiating trails in second gear you have to really attack the trails to keep this bike working for you in the woods. You could lug it around in second gear with a 50 tooth sprocket on flat trails with no problem, but, and this it a big BUT. If there are any kind of loose, rocky hills where you ride you'd better get a good third gear run at them because you'll be in first by the top. That's what usually happens with my day at the trails, always attacking every corner, every hill, just to keep it in the upper mid to lower top end of the the motor, if it falls anywhere near the bottom (especially on a hill) you might as well get another run at it, pick yourself up, etc.. This is the life of a CR rider. I know, I know, this sounds like every other bike, but trust me I've rode some other guys bikes out on the trails just recently, and they could be ridden down low, much easier.
Have you considered a Hydraulic Clutch? That might be an option instead of a auto clutch, it would be cheeper.
I'm not dumping on the CR, but unless you're going to do some moto, you're going to have to dump some serious green into that CR to get it made for woods riding. I'm just going from your post, but you said your getting back into the sport at 42, so I'm guessing you haven't hade any seat time in awhile, so a MX bike (CR,KX YZ) might not encourage you as much as a enduro bike (WR CRX YZF EXC)would. Just a thought? I had bought mine because I was going to do more moto than woods, but that has changed and now I'm planning on picking up a enduro sometime soon. Hopefully one with a electric start :cool:

 

[tyesai]

I have an 04 CR250R that I trail ride allot. I would put a skid plate on it first just for cheap insurance. I have a 12 ounce flywheel weight on my bike and I feel that is the best mod I have done to it, period. The bike is so much harder to stall and you can really lug with out it giving out on you. I have a FMF Gnarly and Shorty Power Core II on it, that moved the power down low so it really gets quick when you open the throttle. I have a 52 tooth sprocket that I want to put on it but I think I need a bigger chain, I thought that I could get on there but the only time I tried it didn't go. Maybe if I took the master link out and then put the chain on the sprocket it would go.

 

[CspineRider]

I ride a CR250 in the woods with a 52 tooth sprocket and have no problems at all. You will not have keep it in second all the time and into first on a hill. It's not the bike, it's the rider. Just be sure your jetted properly.


1. rear sprocket
2. skid plate
3. hand guards

 

[CspineRider]

I have an 04 CR250R that I trail ride allot. I would put a skid plate on it first just for cheap insurance. I have a 12 ounce flywheel weight on my bike and I feel that is the best mod I have done to it, period. The bike is so much harder to stall and you can really lug with out it giving out on you. I have a FMF Gnarly and Shorty Power Core II on it, that moved the power down low so it really gets quick when you open the throttle. I have a 52 tooth sprocket that I want to put on it but I think I need a bigger chain, I thought that I could get on there but the only time I tried it didn't go. Maybe if I took the master link out and then put the chain on the sprocket it would go.

You will have to get a longer chain, trust me, went through that ordeal.

 

[wanaride]

All of these suggestions are good, but get the steering damper first.

I was screaming down a hill last November and never saw the rock under the leaves. The front end deflected and my left handlebar hit a tree REALLY HARD. Broke a bone in my wrist that took months to heal. A steering damper would have probably prevented that.

It is pricey, but consider it safety equipment. Barkbusters are a total no-brainer for the woods; gotta have 'em, but next is the steering damper. Just bite the bullet and do it!

 

[Kevin003]

After you punch your first tree and realize how much riding woods sucks without barkbusters, well uh i hope you take the hint :p

 

[luvtolean]

This thread is kinda old, but I have one more for ya, nobody has mentioned, that I learned the hard way with my 03 CR250.

Get some radiator braces to keep from folding them up. They're much cheaper than rad repair...after which you'll buy them anyway. :bang:

 

[oldfrt613]

My experience with the case reed CR's ( assuming its jetted out ) is that there is ample low end for woods riding, they just lack bark. I lug mine ( I've had CR's since '97 ) on hills and if I trust it to pull, it will pull, they just won't rip off the bottom. They are kind of deceptive, the power is there - it just doesn't realy feel like it. Best money spent:

1) jetting ( I like the JD kit - hassle free )
2) gas ( more seat time - can't beat this )
3) Reeds ( Boyeson or Mototassinari 3 )
4) Good set of tires
5) Porting ( biggest gain )
6) FMF Narly Pipe or PC Platnum 2 with short silencer
7) Flywheel weight

 

[CR Swade]

After years of trying to make a CR250 into something that it isn't and spending ass-loads of cash, I only had one out of many that was halfway decent. The new genereation CR's 02-05 are just plain not good. Save youself a huge amount of money and sell that thing to a MXer and get yourself a 03 or newer KTM250EXC to see what a woods bike feels like stock.

That said, here is what you need to do to make a good woods bike:

*Lots of engine work...Gorr porting, pipe, Keihin carb, Tassarini reeds, flywheel weight and you will still have guys on KTM 200/250/300's and GasGas's enjoying the ride as their engines make nearly perfect woods power
*Suspension revalve
*18 rear wheel
*Clark or IMS tank
*Stabilizer to help w/ aluminum frame fatigue, while you are at it, make sure to rubber mount the bars (I can't remember if they were stock or not)
*Taller gearing to lessen the crazy midrange hit after you get it ported to actually make low-end power
*Lots of guards...barkbusters, radiator guards for the paper thin radiators, skid plate (these are needed for any bike) and unfortunately you won't ever get rid of the lower ground clearnace and hanging linkage of the CR

Seriously, I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, but the CR hasn't been a great woods canidate for a long time. I've owned a 97, a 01 and an 02...all three generation 250's. Yeah, you can make them work, but never at the level of a true woods race bike stock...power charactersitics, suspesnion and handling just won't ever be on par w/ a KTM or GG. Its not about how much power you make, but how much gets to the ground w/out any crazy frenetic hits. The only time I ever got to ride w/ Larry Rosesler he tried to tell me the same thing as I was fighting w/ my 50+hp CR265...then I rode a stock 05 250E that same day and saw the light

 

[ellandoh]

Seriously, I'm not trying to be a smart-ass, but the CR hasn't been a great woods canidate for a long time................................................................ then I rode a stock 05 250E that same day and saw the light

would really like to see that light or even somebody who has seen that light keep up with us. Seriously , not trying to be a smart-ass but in all the years ive been riding woods, nobody on a so called woods bike has ever even attempted to my knowledge to dream of keeping up , let alone show us the light on our cr's.

these are however michigan trails , and are somewhat open and whooped out , im sure i could eat my words on some 1st gear only trails or highly technical single track

 

[CR Swade]

I always thought the 02 was a great bike for MX type trails or track. It handled whoops and sand with ease. For tight gnarly ozark type terrain...rocks, roots w/ long mountain climbs, the Katoom walks away from it

Roseler and Burleson can't be all that slow up in the ol' UP now can they :)

 

[SQUIRLEYMOFO]

Ozarks? speakin' my lingo boys! ever go to whiterock in AR? I'm 35 miles due west......

 

[CR Swade]

why yes we do, although we've started opting to go further south towards Russellville for singletrack...unless of course you have the hook-up for some singletrack @ WhiteRock. We are heading down south this weekend actually...we usually ride down there 2-3 times a month during the winter. You ought to hook up w/ us sometime

 

[SQUIRLEYMOFO]

Thanks for the offer. I doubt I could keep up. Maybe after some more seat time.

 

[SQUIRLEYMOFO]

Oh and where do you ride in Russellville? is it private or public? we sometimes go to Arkoma. Althought they're trying to shut it down. There is 14 miles of sand by the Arkansas river. Little Sahara is popular with my buds also. But most of them ride CRF450's.