CFR250 maintenance to involved??

[93YZproject]

Please excuse my ignorance in some of these questions. I have been searching for new motor bikes for my 16 year old sons to upgrade to. a very available model around here(SW PA) seems to be the CRF250R. I have done some research on these machines(mostly here at dirtrider) and they seem to require a lot of maintenance. Which is fine, but my concern is do you think this model is to much for someone of our mechanical IQ to handle? My oldest son has a 2002 YZ125 and I have done a couple of piston ring and piston changes, brake pads. clutch adjust, exhaust pipe change, radiator service and other small stuff along with the same things on a smaller '93 YZ80. The part that worries me is the adjustments and replacements on the valves in these 4 strokes. Riding is trail and woods only. No racing. I don't really consider myself a mechanic and only have basic tools. I bought my sons smaller bikes years ago as a means to teach them some kind of mechanics and something fun to do, but it's turned into a real addiction for us and we all seem to need a little more now(bigger and faster). is this a good choice or should I be looking at a different model, brand, Size, or maybe 2 stroke?? If I buy a service manual will I(we) be able to keep these bikes running with our mechanical aptitude?? Thanx in advance for any input.

 

[_JOE_]

Be very careful when buying a used 250f. Just do a search for CRF250 and read, there's a ton of very usefull info on here. The are a very high RPM, high maintenance bike. Not the best choice for a trail bike.

How does he handle the 125? The 250f is like a 125 with low end power. A step up from the 125 and keeping in mind it's going to be a woods bike, the KTM200xc would be a great fit. Most 250 2strokes need some tuning to work well in the woods. You will appreciate the simplicity of the 2 stroke if you ever end up inside a 4 stroke. There's also a few more special tools for valve train service.

 

[IndyMX]

I would say that it depends on your ability to read, follow instructions and learn.

If you just aren't interested in learning new things, then you shouldn't do it. However, if you are like me, and love to learn, go for it. It's not hard. It can be expensive.

My biggest trouble that seems to hold me back, is I sometimes think I know more than I really do, and will do something before fully investigating the proper methods or talking to people who have gone before me.

Otherwise, it's just a matter of following the service manual, and having a few special tools available that you should have anyway.

I think that all of us should own a flywheel puller that fits the various bikes we have. Plus a clutch/sprocket lockup tool. (big ass visegrip looking deal). I also have a couple things that are specific to my 450.

You should have a good set of feeler gauges, a quality micrometer, a couple good torque wrenches (ft lbs & in lbs).

Otherwise, just a set of common hand tools are all you really need. I've worn out an 8mm 1/4drive socket.. ;)

T-Handles are nice, but not a requirement. Long handle allen wrenches are also a nice addition.

 

[nsxxtreme]

I think if your worried about maintanance stick with the 2 strokes. They are far simpler to repair. That being said if you have some general knowledge and can handle a piston replacement then a 4 stroke shouldn't be that much harder for you. You will have the extra timing chain, valves, cam to learn up on but nothing mind shattering. Think of it as a big lawn mower engine.

I highly recommend purchasing the special tools they recommend in the manual. While you can get away with other tools they never works as well as the special tool. Since you dont have many tools to begin with you will need to purchase tools anyway.

 

[_JOE_]

These guys have given great advice.

If you are like many of us around here who like to know how and why things work and are intriuged by mechanical things a crf is really quite a fantastic little machine. It's basically a sliver of a formula 1 engine. It is made to produce alot of power. Some of the materials used can be fast wearing. They require a fair bit of TLC. As long as you monitor it closely it's unlikely to grenade on you. Steer clear if you just want to gas-and-go.


Having the proper tooling is essential to reliable repair. Sure you can wing it and rig up some contraption to do the job of a 50 or 100 dollar tool, but if you damage something in the process it's likely to cost at least as much as the tool would have. The other option is to have someone else do the work, but make sure they are trust worthy. There's too many "service techs" taking money from people and doing the same wing-it type stuff you could do. As we say around my workplace "a tool is only as good as the guy using it".

 

[sharky243]

From my experience, the CRF250r's are great bikes aslong as your pockets are deep !!! These bikes require alot of maintainance. They are notorious for eating intake valves. The pistons don't have much of a skirt on them, this makes them tend to wear out sooner, and also wear the cylinder walls faster.

 

[yog22]

if your looking to work on your bikes a lot then get the crf. cuz thats what you'll be doing. constantly fixing it. they are very high maintenance bikes. but great bikes when running. the problem is they are very hard to fix by yourself. you'll find your taking it into the shop all the time and paying huge bucks for them to fix stuff. i would say get a 2 stroke 250 and put an fmf sst pipe on it and you'll have plenty of low end for trails and also that get up and go top end that no 4 stroke can give u

 

[Rich Rohrich]

the problem is they are very hard to fix by yourself. you'll find your taking it into the shop all the time and paying huge bucks for them to fix stuff.

The Honda CRFs are without question the easiest to maintain for the average guy of all the current four-strokes. The roller bearing cam arrangement is essentially fool proof, unlike some of the other Japanese engines that use a plain bearing setup for the cams that tend to be sensitive to proper assembly practices.

Other than cutting valve seats, four-strokes require no more mechanical skill than two-strokes. It's different, but far from difficult if you have even a shred of mechanical ability. That requirement will unfortunately disqualify a hell of a lot of people that post on the internet. ;)

 

[_JOE_]

Great post Rich, lol.

So very true. The crf is as simple as a 4 stroke gets.