CR250 for the woods

[Too Fast 4 Me]

ok i am about to pick up a 05' CR250 and the guy that has it now says its all stock, other then the addition of a 52T rear sprocket...

ill be doing all trail/woods riding, and this is more or less my first dirt bike (have rode mostly quads all my life) anyhow i know you can weight down the fly wheel, how many oz. weight would be good to tame it down for me till i get the hang of it?

and what are some other tips and tricks and parts to add to make a good, durible woods bike...

 

[drunkmick]

I have on '03 with a 12oz flywheel and it is a great bike. I put hand guards,a Scotts rear caliper guard, carbon fiber skid plate and a Rekluse. I also went with the 52t rear. I have been a 4 stroker for the last few years but will never go back. It starts easily, revs out great and with the flywheel weight, chugs in first with ease. I also have an oversize tank. A great choice in my opinion, you'll love it.

 

[crashnburn]

My 02 has a 12oz flywheel weight and a recluse. Put the flywheel weight on first and you will notice it lugs a little better. The recluse is a little pricey and I have only ridden it about 3 times since the recluse but it is awesome I wish I would have put one on a year ago. Other than that you need handguards, skid plate , pipe guard. Have fun.

 

[tyesai]

I put a 12 ounce weight on mine, a FMF Gnarly, a Shorty Power Core silencer, and a 52 tooth sprocket. I have said tons of time the fly wheel weight is my #1 addition. Then I would say the sprocket. I like to ride both track and trail with nod given to the trails and would say my bike is the best compromise between both without going into a bunch of labor/trouble.

 

[tyesai]

Oh yeah, get a skid plate, cheap insurance, be it track or trail.

 

[Too Fast 4 Me]

thanks for the great info so far... i cant wait to join the world of 2 strokes... i alread have a skid and bark busters on my CRF, i am hoping when sell it the guy will let me keep that stuff, or atleast the barkbusters.. if not that stuff is cheep anyhow... id like to post up some pics of the bike i hope to be getting, but i can figure out how to...

 

[holmyj]

Should'a took the stuff you want to keep off first, or tell him your keeping it.

 

[PILL PUSHER]

How exactly does a 12oz flyweight and the 52 tooth sprocket affect a CR 250?

I picked one up that has been converted to a woods bike but has a 50 tooth rear sprocket and all the works. I am very happy with the ride but is there any way to add any back pressure for coming down steep descents? I feel a bit squirrely using just the brakes.

Thanks for the info!!

 

[darringer]

Forget about using engine compression for braking down hills. No matter how low it's geared down, it won't work. The bike will over rev. Besides, unless you are giving it throttle as you descend, the engine will starve for oil and could seize. Practice using ALOT of front brake to control your speed, and use the rear brake for steering. It sounds crazy but works very well. I have tried the 52 tooth sprocket on the '99 cr250 I had and didn't like it. It made every gear too short, and I was constantly having to shift. It never fully utilized the torque of the 250. To me, it actually made the bike harder to ride. On hills, first gear was too low, as I could not maintain enough speed and keep traction to make it up the nasty uphills. I ended up at a 51 tooth which was a good compromise for almost everything. I run a 50 tooth on my current '02 cr250, and am going to go back down to a 49 in the near future.

 

[PILL PUSHER]

What kind of riding do you mostly do? Fire roads or tight Woods? We have tons of tight woods with the occasional fire roads with lots of knarly hill climbs. What would you recommend for a sprocket config?

Do you use neutral on the descents or just first gear and keep reving it? I will try your braking technique which is how I ride my mountain bike., good idea!

Any word on the 12 oz or other recommeded flyweight for my recommeded riding terrain. BTW I only weigh 135 and really enjoy the Power Band Wheelies in 2nd and 3rd gears. :) ;)

TIA

 

[darringer]

I ride just about all conditions. Most of the time I ride at Carnegie. It's a great place for hillclimbing. There are some tight trails, but mostly it is single track hills. They tend to be very dry, rocky and slippery from about May-November. When it finally starts to rain conditions are much better.They range from beginner bunny hills to extremely difficult trails a mountain goat would fall off of. I tend to prefer a little taller gearing than most for the tight trails and hills, so I can keep my momentum up without losing traction. Had good luck with 13-51 combo on my '99, which is the same as your 2000. I usually use 1st or 2nd gear, clutch pulled in or feathered, with light throttle. I am a big fan of the flywheel weight. I ran a 12oz. on my '99 and use the same now on my '02. I notice better hook up and alot less stalling on tighter conditions with the weight. It doesn't alter the powerband at all. It just revs a tiny bit slower down low. Not noticeable at all from midrange up. Good investment.

 

[PILL PUSHER]

I ride just about all conditions. Most of the time I ride at Carnegie. It's a great place for hillclimbing. There are some tight trails, but mostly it is single track hills. They tend to be very dry, rocky and slippery from about May-November. When it finally starts to rain conditions are much better.They range from beginner bunny hills to extremely difficult trails a mountain goat would fall off of. I tend to prefer a little taller gearing than most for the tight trails and hills, so I can keep my momentum up without losing traction. Had good luck with 13-51 combo on my '99, which is the same as your 2000. I usually use 1st or 2nd gear, clutch pulled in or feathered, with light throttle. I am a big fan of the flywheel weight. I ran a 12oz. on my '99 and use the same now on my '02. I notice better hook up and alot less stalling on tighter conditions with the weight. It doesn't alter the powerband at all. It just revs a tiny bit slower down low. Not noticeable at all from midrange up. Good investment.

Great Info Darringer!!

My buddy told me a 12oz flyweight would cut 10 mph off of the Top End? How would a 13-51 differ from my current 14-50?

 

[darringer]

14-50 is extremely tall compared to the even stock 13-50. I noticed no difference in top speed with the weight. A friend rides an identical '02, same gearing-no flywheel weight, and top speed is the same. I really don't ever see wide open in 5th, so that isn't very important to me. I would buy a 13 tooth front sprocket and try it out. For hills and tight trails I think you will be pleasantly surprised. The cost is minimal, and can be swapped back out in a matter of minutes out on the trail if it doesn't work for you.

 

[PILL PUSHER]

14-50 is extremely tall compared to the even stock 13-50. I noticed no difference in top speed with the weight. A friend rides an identical '02, same gearing-no flywheel weight, and top speed is the same. I really don't ever see wide open in 5th, so that isn't very important to me. I would buy a 13 tooth front sprocket and try it out. For hills and tight trails I think you will be pleasantly surprised. The cost is minimal, and can be swapped back out in a matter of minutes out on the trail if it doesn't work for you.

I will give it a try. Thanks!

Do you have a steering stabilizer or a hydrolic clutch? Is it worth the money?

 

[darringer]

I have a Scott's steering damper that came with the '02 when I bought it. I bought the Scott's for my '99 and loved it. It's not a necessity, but it makes a huge difference. On my '99 I was able to raise my forks in the triple clamps to get quicker steering with zero headshake. The '99 would go into headshake regurlarly at stock settings without the stabilizer. I would not hesitate in buying another one. Works very well when crossing logs or rocks at an angle as the front tire doesn't deflect out of control. I run the stock clutch setup with no issues. Even after abusing the clutch on tricky climbs it only fades slightly.

 

[PILL PUSHER]

I do have a 13 tooth up front so I will ride the 13/50 for a while. It feels good to me but it is my first 2 stroke so I am getting used to all the power.

 

[tx246]

135 pounds? i have an 00cr250 and ill bet your forks are beating you to death eventhough you might not realize it. as your speed increases, the fork on this bike will deflect at will causing you to lose confidence by the third time you hit the ground. i weigh 185 and it just hammered me on rocks/roots. i knew it was highspeed compression on the fork that needed work. go see "where did all the shims go" post in the suspension forum. i love my bike now. im sure with your lighter weight, you will need both lighter springs both front and rear. even after my fork modification, it still handles jumps at the track just fine eventhough i ride 80% trail. ive also got msr handguards, 3.0gal clarke tank, skidplate, trailtech computer, procircuit pipe with forest service approved silencer. i have a 13oz flywheel weight on the bench waiting for me to install it.