First 2 stroke....a few questions

HighFlyinRM

Member
Sep 24, 2001
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I have been riding dirtbikes for most of my life, from a honda z50, up to a KX500, and everything in between. For the most part I rode 4 strokes tho, XR's for a long time, and I have only owned 2 2stroke bikes both for short periods of time. I have rode my friends a lot tho. Anyhow to get to the questions.

I just got a 1992 Rm125, and I am wondering the kind of regular matenience and general procedures I need to follow. What are the best starting procedures ? cold/warm? anything I should do after each time I ride ? and then schedules for oil changes, what ratio mix should I use for gas, and any general stuff I wouldn't have aquired from owning 4 strokes. I am not racing this bike, it is just for riding with friends and local pits and lots of trails, Im not planning on running it hard most of the time, but I do plan on running it for quite a few hours at a time. Anyhow like i say, Im just trying to get a general understanding on what I need to be doing here. Thanx in advance for replies.

l8r

BTW, I haven't actually bought this one, I am riding it tho, The guy I know is letting me try it out to make sure its what I want before I give him the cash. I am also wondering if this is the best bike for me, I am 6'2" 190lbs.....I was thinking of a 250 as well, I luv the power of the 500, but its more then I need, is the 92 RM125 a good idea ? opinions appreciated
 
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a454elk

Mexicutioner
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Jun 5, 2001
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To start, I think you'll be way under power for your height and weight. Usually for a 125, the rider weighs around 160 max. You should definately go to the 250. I had a 92 Rm250 and it was great. My best suggestion is to keep it clean after every ride, clean the air filter after each ride too. I ran around 40:1 premix. It depends on how you ride, lower rpm's most of the time then you can run 40-50:1, higher rpms all the time then you should drop down to 32-35:1. Keep the chain clean and lubed, it'll last longer. I found that if I didn't keep up on my spokes, they seemed to seize due to not tightening and lubing. Check your silencer packing too, it gets jammed up and you lose performance. Don't let you gas sit in your carb for a long period of time, if that happens, turn the bike on its side before you start it and you'll get fresh gas into the bowl. They say not to premix your gas unless you're ready to use it, I try this but it doesn't always work out that way. Change your trany oil frequently, it's cheap and only takes less than a quart.

These are just a few things to do, I'm sure there are alot more that I do that I forgot to mention but are done by instinct. Have fun
 

HighFlyinRM

Member
Sep 24, 2001
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cool...thanx for the reply, yeah I am kinda worried about the 125's power. Maybe I will hold off on this one, and wait for a 250. Any other help appreciated 2.

l8r
 

FMX_novice

Member
Jan 5, 2001
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With that premix stuff, id say run richer, anywhere from 32:1 to 36:1 if your not racing and if you do race 40:1 is as lean as you wanna be. Change your gear oil every 2 to 3 rides if there long, every 5 hours as a rule of thumb. Top ends need to be done every 40-50 hours of riding, dont try to cheat and go 60 hours because youll find out that cranks, and cylinder replating cost a lot of money. If you ride it hard you wanna rebuild the top end even more often, if you got 35 or 40 hours on the top end and the winters coming just be nice and get a new piston and rings.
125's make good power, its just that you need to keep shifting and clutching it to get the power to the ground.
 

Hucker

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Sep 15, 2000
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Make sure you use a heavy weight oil for the tranny. My 91 RM will find a false neutral and once, it got stuck inbetween gears. I started using a 85W tranny oil and this solved the prob. I use Silkolene medium gear oil, but you could get away with a 20w-50 motor oil. Good luck...
 

Hurricane901

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Aug 24, 2001
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One of the best bikes to learn on is a 125, you can really focus on clutching and braking. Or get a 200 or a 4-stroke trailbike, the 250 will get you into trouble real quick if your not paying attention. You can always sell it and move up to a better bike when you get more experience.:cool:
 

HighFlyinRM

Member
Sep 24, 2001
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thanks for the replies. I just wanted to add, that this is not exactly a learning experience, as I have ridden most of my life already. I dont feel I will have a problem handling the 250's power, and I am not one of those people who ride beyond my abilities, I am a solid rider. If the 125 is big enough to move me around without being dangerous because I have to squeeze all the power out of it I can, then I would go for that. When I rode my friends KX500 I luv'd it. The power is amazing, and it is really nice to have that much power beneath u. I just thought it was too much for my needs.

l8r
 

HiG4s

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Mar 7, 2001
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I'm 195lbs without gear. My 125 has enough power to get me around fine. It is more difficult to go fast on, but I don't race. Lack of low end is a little unsatisfying at times (I never felt that way when I owned a 250) but if I keep it on the powerband it has more than I really need. I don't plan on getting rid of it anytime soon but I might spend the money to get the 150 big bore kit next year.
 

HighFlyinRM

Member
Sep 24, 2001
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the other thing is.....a lot of the guys I ride with are 130-160 lbs and they all have 125's. I dont wanna be slower then them, or unable to climb the same hills n all that. From what I understand 160lbs is the supposed limit for 125's. Later
 

motometal

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Sep 3, 2001
2,682
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There isn't really a rule or weight limit. It really comes down to, how much do you want to shift, rev, and clutch? Some people love 125s, and others hate them.

Reading your posts, sounds like you enjoy having power at your disposal, you need a 250! And I mean, two stroke (a real 250 :p )

Keep in mind that a 250 is tougher on chains and sprockets (although an o-ring chain solves 90% of this) and especially rear tires.

It is safe to say that the average 250 can go more hours on a top end than a 125...less revving!
 
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