beefydog

Member
Nov 7, 2003
22
0
Hi, I'm new to this forum. This summer I did somthing kinda stupid, I went out and bought a 2003 KX250. I'm a beginner rider, I bought my first bike last year, it was a 89 YZ250 that I got for $660. A friend of mine that got me into riding HAD a 93' CR125 and that was the first bike I ever rode. I loved that thing and I alwase wanted a 125, I can think of so many reasons. I can't really explain how I ended up with a 250, but mostly cause everyone kept telling me to get a 250 "You'll grow into it," they're low maintenance and that 125's are crap for sand. Well this coming season I'm going to start racing, and I dont know if I want to keep the 250. I have very little 125 exsperence compared to riding a 250 but my neighbor (hes old) has a 03' YZ250F and I dont like it. I'm not a thumper person, they sound like crap (except the CR450s at the track that are so loud they hurt ur ears) and they just feel slow not to mention the exsaust stinks. I'm not a very big guy, 6'1" 155lbs, I'm 19yrz old, I practice alot and have good endurance. I was thinking of going to a 125 because it seems more competetive at a level more suited to me, keeping up momentium, smart gear choices, precision clutch slippage. Wherease the 250 is so damn powerful that it hardly matters and it seems like whenever I open it up it's only for a second or two then I'm goin as fast as I need. I had to get factory financing to get the bike, I didnt want to wait years saving every penny to get it, but being impatient sure isn't without its price. I'm here whining to you readers for advice, I'm about as confused now as I was trying to decide before getting the bike. I met a guy at the track with the same bike as me, and he bought it in Canada, for like $3,400 brand new out the door, I'v also heard thats illigal, is it? If it is legal, is there a way I could sell my 250, and take some of that money and get a 125 from canada for about $3000 new and be legal? I dont understand full if I could do that because the title is in my name and the bank's. Everytime I go play around my house with it though, I love the power, pulling 4'th gear wheelies and such, but exspecially at the track, so much of it just goes to waste, it just doesnt seem practical. Every time I ride, I get noticably better, my favorite track near me, Baja acres is mostly a sand track and most of the riders are on 125 and it doest seem to matter what size engine it is, it's all the rider. Holy crap I just looked at how much I'v typed, so I'm stopping. Well, thanks for replying if ya do!
-Jim
 

Curlyjoe

Member
Oct 13, 2003
10
0
Hey mate. Personally If you have never raced before, I would'nt start off on a 250, I would get some experience on a 125 first. But thats just my opinion. Then again it depends on the terrain you would be racing in.

From my experience on 125 MX bikes they can get bogged down a little in sand and thats where a 250 can be a whole lot better. Or so, just my personal opinion.
 

drk98

Member
Mar 30, 2002
358
0
If you just got a '03 250 I'd keep it. It will save you the trouble of looking for another bike. You won't have to worry about sand too much unless you trail ride(by the way do you trail ride?). At 6'1" I think you might want a 250 after you get used to it(esp. in sand). Yeah if you ride Baja type tracks I'd stay with the 250 unless you feel it's just too big.

Just my $0.02.
 

beefydog

Member
Nov 7, 2003
22
0
Thanks for replys guys. TwoStroker: I sometimes trail ride, but I don't really enjoy it to much, but thats just because of this bike. I went with my neigbor to this CCC trail riding even up north (I live in Michigan) and the trails were mostly sand, whoops, long distaces (35 miles). My bike came rich when I bought it, I moved the needle to the 1st pos and two sizes smaller on the main and it's still horrible, except recently cause its been 40 degrees outside. Anywase, everytime we intersected a road I'd have to go WOT and it would bog and crap untill all the oil burned out. The only part I loved was this one road, more like a beach, that was 30ft wide and half a mile of pure SAND, thats where having that power was so awsome going full speed through that.
Enduro_nut: I'v already lost money, and still am :) I'm not about to actually sell my bike for cash and go to a dealership and pay 5+ grand for a new bike, and loose another 800 or more. Do you think theres away that I could trade it, or something? I bough the KX towards the end of July, I really havent used it very much, never crashed it hard, like endo or anything, except my first time practicing at the track, it was a sand bermed corner and I lost my momentum and got jammed between two lines and dropped the bike and some punk who had like 5 seconds of time, didnt wanna stop so he ran it over. That messed up the subframe but I bought a new one. Kinda irritating that in a Beginner classs practice theres A and B class people who do that. That worries me about racing, even though it may be C class, is it still worth running sombody over?
I love riding, I wish I could've gotten into it when I was a kid so I could be good now. I going to at least try racing, but I think I'll love it. Are the 250 riders typically better, it seems like all the pro started out on 125 then at some point upgraded.
Well anyway thanks for the reply guys.
-Jim
 

Enduro_Nut

~SPONSOR~
Feb 7, 2002
1,155
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All things being equel, the 125 would be easier to learn on, BUT the market will pound you($$) if you sell - learn how to ride it, the learning curve will be a little slower but @ 19 you have MANY years to enjoy the sport.

Try 2 things -get the jetting resolved, speak with a local dealer who will help you, it may take some time but a good dealer is worth his/her weight in gold. Next issue - with that same dealer ask them to help you with a flywheel weight to help tame the bike, it will make the bike easier to ride and learn on.

Good Luck :thumb:
 

drk98

Member
Mar 30, 2002
358
0
I don't know but you might try to wieght the flywheel. What oil ratio do you run and synthetic or not? Enduro_Nut's right you basicaly are going to loose money unless you get a cheaper bike like a KDX and this bike is not a racing bike. I'd just try to jet and modify it for trails. Play with the air screw so it idles a little faster.

Hey do you plan to race for much longer and do you think you will get in to trails anytime soon if you had the right bike? You can ride a KX250 in the trails but it takes some skill and strength.
 

beefydog

Member
Nov 7, 2003
22
0
I tryed asking the parts people at the dealership about the jetting, and they know nothing, and they charge so much. I tryed telling them that I was ripped off by them for it, and it doesnt even run right, when I bought a few main and piolot jets, and he gave me like a 1% discount, big whoop. Does anyone know of a place that I can order the needles? Besides the dealership they dont deserve it. I'm not going to bother with flywheel weights, it's not that I can't cope with the power. When I first got it I mixed 32:1 MX2T and it fouled a plug every day I started it. Then I moved the need to the top, and went smaller on the main and pilot, and it somtimes wouldt start when it was cold, so I went back to the stock pilot and its fine for starting. I then also went to 40:1 MX2T and it seemed to be doing good. The plug looked kinda grey in colour and it ran tons better, so I got confindent and changed to 40:1 Klotz R50 and it fouled on me again, and all the plugs come out looking BLACK as can be, and the colder it gets the more power it puts. So it's still rich everywhere, the guy at the track that I met with the same bike, has never touched his carb, he runs 32:1Castor927 and his bike is just a little bit lean. He does have a procircuit pipe but he made it sound like his bikes alwase been that way so why is mine different? I played with the floats a lot to, when it was new the bowl was alwase so full of gas it could run for 5min with the fuel off, and was almost consistantly dripping out of the overflow tube, I kept adjusting it down untill it wouldnt even run, just start do a lean bog down and stall, and adjusted it a little above that, it helped a little but not much.
As for if I switch, I definetly am going to do more homework and NOT get screwed again. I read a lot of people saying that the KX bikes are for short people, and I think I can voutch, except I have no real comparision, when I'm way up on the seat, with my head past the bars my nees almost go past the radiator shrouds. I'm gonna look into this Canada thing, two people I met at the track have done it, the one I mentioned the other bought a new CRF450 for somewhere around $4600. No hurry though, got all winter to sit and think about riding.
Thanks
-Jim
 

beefydog

Member
Nov 7, 2003
22
0
sorry, fogot
TwoStroker: I dont trail ride often at all, so I'm not going to make it a priority to choose a bike thats good for both, I'd rather have a MX bike and if I do get drug along with friends to go trail riding then I'll just cope. There are some hare scramble tracks scatter thru michigan, I might try that, but I don't want to really modify my bike besides putting bark busters or something on it.
Thanks for your input man!
-Jim
 

drk98

Member
Mar 30, 2002
358
0
My rule of thumb:
-Around 32:1 for synthetic and around 50:1 for non-synthetic(depending on how hard you ride). The bottle usualy says but you may have to vary for best preformance.

-Your plugs are good if they are brown, bad if they are black(to rich), or light gray(to lean).

I wouldn't not get a 250 as long as you don't ride trails as your life. You can do it and still have fun once and a while. I would just mess with your jetting, get hand guards(they help in all occaisions), and have fun.
 

Solid State

Member
Mar 9, 2001
493
0
Originally posted by beefydog
.... I alwase wanted a 125, I can think of so many reasons. I can't really explain how I ended up with a 250....I was thinking of going to a 125 because it seems more competetive at a level more suited to me, keeping up momentium, smart gear choices, precision clutch slippage. Wherease the 250 is so damn powerful that it hardly matters and it seems like whenever I open it up it's only for a second or two then I'm goin as fast as I need.

Beefydog (I like that name - not sure why),

I think you have answered your own question. You WANT the 125, but you bought a 250. Selling the 250 will cost you money, but it seems you will be happier with the 125. You gotta ask yourself, how much is your happiness worth?

Good luck.
 

beefydog

Member
Nov 7, 2003
22
0
Solid State: Think your right.

TwoStroker: Think you switched up on the mix ratios, synthetics say they can be mixed at higher ratios.

How good do you suppose the chances are if I put it up on cycle trader and say that I want to trade for a 2003 125 that anything will happen? Guess beggers cant be choosy, but I would prefer an RM or CR.

Thanks!
-Jim
 

drk98

Member
Mar 30, 2002
358
0
Forget what I said. Amsoil synthetic can be mixed a 100:1. We run Golden Spectro syntetic blend at 52:1. The bottle says 42, 52, and 62:1 so thats what we go by. I'm MIXED up. LOL! Sorry.
 

drk98

Member
Mar 30, 2002
358
0
If you put in a wanted ad your chances are worth the money but won't garrentee anything(depending on where you live). It could happen though but not as likely with a 2003. I read the trader for a used one. Oh, go yellow.
 

beefydog

Member
Nov 7, 2003
22
0
Heh, guess the best I can hope for is someone whos in the opposite situation as me, got a 125 and wants a 250 :)
I believe 2006 is the cutoff for all 2-strokes isn't it? The government isn't prohibiting the manufacture of them, just forceing them to pass emisions tests that can't be done easily. Some day it will happen, and I'll be sad. Blame the snowmobilers!
-Jim
 

drk98

Member
Mar 30, 2002
358
0
Right, lets blame that popular sport in the US called sno-cross!:)

Yes that is the supposedly doom date for 2 strokes. Why the US? Two strokes are street legal and still going strong in other countries. I don't think they can do it to us. What ever you get, grab a 2 stroke by then. I bet sales sky rocket in 2006.

Just think, might get what you paid for out of you bike(when you sell it to the museum).:(
 

James

Lifetime Sponsor
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Dec 26, 2001
1,839
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Originally posted by TwoStroker
My rule of thumb:
-Around 32:1 for synthetic and around 50:1 for non-synthetic(depending on how hard you ride). The bottle usualy says but you may have to vary for best preformance.

Why would use less oil per gallon when using non-synthetic?
 

beefydog

Member
Nov 7, 2003
22
0
Honestly recreational snowmobilers are the main reason for this, because they have big two stroke engines that normally are jetted rich to work in the wide temperature ranges. I read somewhere that a snowmobile ridden for 8 hours produces as much unburned hydrocarbons as a small sedan does in 100,000 miles. I may have messed it up or it could be false entirely. Like you said come 2006 I'm probly gonna go into some big dept (unless I finnaly win the lotto) cause I'd like to get one of each, a 250, 125, maby an 85 and a 60 or somethin if I ever decide to have kids someday. Or unless I start feeling the dark urges of the 4-strokes and stop caring about the 2s. Guess it would save a lot of heartache if we all just embraced the new technologys and did what the goverment prefered.
 

drk98

Member
Mar 30, 2002
358
0
James: Forget it. I screwed up OK.

Beefydog: Hey just funin. I've watched that sport on TV and they are nuts. They try to jump a 500lb thing with almost no suspesion. The things are a wide as a horse. I think that would hurt after a while.

I always wanted a collection of bikes(if I had all the money in the world). Like own every bike made in one year(except a Super Shurpa and bikes like that).

Good luck of the bike hunting.
 
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