Hour Meter / YZ250F Service Intervals

You can get a hour meter at Sears for about 30 bucks. Once you have taken delivery of your new YZF take time to read the owners manual as the manufacture will have service intervals listed for oil changes, valve checks, and piston engine parts replacement. Use this as a guide. For my RMZ 450, Suzuki recommends changing the oil every 6 hours. I change it every 3 - 4 hours as it makes me feel better.

Enjoy the new bike! :ride:

piston, rings, cam chain, valves, valve springs every 30 hours

A little late on this but....
Piston, rings, cam chain, valves, valve springs every 30 hours would be way over doing it unless you're a national level pro.

I would change the oil every 3 - 5 hours, check the valve clearance after break in and then about every 15-20 hours after that. You'll probably find they are fine and everything else should go much longer than 30 hours. I think even 125 2 stroke piston lasts longer than 30 hours :)

J.B.426 said:

A little late on this but....
Piston, rings, cam chain, valves, valve springs every 30 hours would be way over doing it unless you're a national level pro.

Click to expand...

Don't push your luck as a YZ250F is not an XR. Thirty hours is about right for a cam chain regardless how you ride and much less if your riding hard. You might consider swapping the chain out each time you check valve clearance as it's only a twenty dollar item. The potential cost of not replacing it is huge. I ride mine in the woods only (couple rides/month) so a piston every other season has been a good interval for me. IMO, the valve train is more critical than the piston/rings as far as preventive maintenance. Keep a close eye on it.

I replaced the crank and bearings after three seasons, mainly due to potential failures related to CS dimensional issues during the first year of production. There was no indication of wear or that a failure was imminent. Just cheap insurance.

All that said, I am still running original valves in my 2001. I plan to pull the head off next month and send it off for a set of Kibblewhites though.

Good points. I wasn't aware of the cam chains needing to be replaced that often, but I don't have 250F so I haven't checked into that. I'm in no way advocating treating a YZ250F like an XR and I think that there are probably too many people who buy a modern race 4 stroke under the assumption that it will require less maintenance than the old 2 stroke. Of course that's not the case, they just require "different" maintenance, be that good or bad.

I think we can all agree that 30 hours, in most cases, is a little too pro-active in regards to pistons, rings, and almost certainly valves and valve springs as well.

This may all be moot for me though, as I contemplate going back to the stone age with a 250 2 stroke.

J.B.426 said:

This may all be moot for me though, as I contemplate going back to the stone age with a 250 2 stroke.

Click to expand...

Don't tell anyone but I am doing the same........ :nod:

The cam chain is real light and stretches quickly. Luckily they are cheap and easy to replace.

I too have the original valves in my '01 250f, actually, everything is original except for a piston change last year (didnt ride at all in 02 due to injury). Dont flame me on this, but last year when I changed my piston was the first time that I actually checked my valve clearence, and they were in spec.
I ordered a valve clearence measuring tool, I need to check them soon.
I dont ride the big bike as much as I used to in 01 & 03, since I split time with the Fiffty...... I do keep up with the oil changes frequently and air filter cleanings.
I am lucky (knock on wood) that nothing has happend as of yet. I should probably order the chain, valves and springs though. My top end still feels pretty fresh though.
.... I dont race the bike. I would follow the suggestions these guys give though, very knowledgeable.