Help me buy a 250R!

[drhill]

In the past I've only had 4 stroke bikes and I'm just getting back into working on them...

To keep up with my riding buddies (who all ride big motor quads and dirtbikes) I was looking into a 250R or a 350x.

Air cooled 250R's are CHEAP right now...but I don't know anything about 2 stroke bikes...what should I look for as I look around at the bikes for sale locally? Any problem areas or things to keep an eye out for?

Also - how much more maintenance/hassle am I looking at with a 2 stroke? I know I have to buy oil to mix - but is there anything else that comes up often?

I really would rather not buy a bike that needs a rebuild right away...but prices range from over $2k to just a few hundred $$ with lots of air-cooled 83-84 bikes for right around $500 so I want to be careful. I don;t need a perfect looking bike as I know I will ride it like I stole it and I don;t want to be worried about fender scratches!

Any help would be appreaciated!!:beer

[oldskool83]

if you buy a $500 250r be ready to tear it down to the frame and fix it right the 1st time. i say buy a cheaper bike and rebuild it.

i just found a 85 250R $800 running after wanting one for awhile....but i blew the cash a week ealier on 4wheeler.

[factoryX]

Well put it this way you blow the motor up its simple to take apart. Just simply go on craigslist and window shop first send the good deals to your email so you don't loose them. The 250r still has parts available like gears, top ends, etc.. Also don't just go out and spend $1400 on one(unless it is super nice and worth it) wait a week or to and see what pops up. Manuals are online here if you ask nicely, or you can get them on ebay. :beer
Another bike that if fairly simple and almost maintenance free is a 350x.

Air foolers are great bike to start on, but are even harder to get parts for, ebay has a good selection but get ready to out bid people. water coolers are a good choice because of the aftermarket support they have still, and if you want to keep up with your buddies a 85-89 atc/trx250r is a great choice, especially when you pass them on a 20 year old machine.

[i58829]

Another bike that if fairly simple and almost maintenance free is a 350x.


I agree with that to an extent, when they are bone stock and haven't had any motor work (like my 86) they can cost upwards of 600 for a 'simple' replace whats worn top end.

A 2 stroke would be half that price.

But if you can find a nice 350x that has had a proven top end rebuild i'd say go for it my 85 has been 100% maintenance free and i've ridden it 30 plus hours. All i did was change a few cosmetics and put some new tires on the back, and it was only 1250.00 i think.

So i guess its either buy something dirt cheap and rebuild it 100% or buy something in the 1500-2000 range that someone else already spent the money on. But the Honda 2 strokes have parts readily available from local shops and all over the internet.

The best news is you couldn't have picked a better couple of weeks to be in the market for something if you're a cash buyer...

[Eric250R]

Probably somewhere in the middle. If you find one for around a grand, that should be what you're looking for. Just a good rider. On the other hand if you find a good looking bike that only needs a rebuild for cheap, then buy it. 2 strokes are easy to rebuild and pretty affordable.

[drhill]

this is all good to hear...there do seem to be a lot of bikes for sale cheap right now...cheaper than usual...it seems like Honda must have sold a bunch of these bikes in Southern California...they are never hard to find...probably because of all the open desert and dunes riding nearby...

350x's are MUCH tougher to find around here...and almost impossible to find where someone doesn't want $1500 or more for one that doesn't look beat up...

[Jim mac]

if you decide on a air cooled R, make sure the second gear isnt shot. Ive bought 2 of these things and both had a bad second gear. Then going on here, I read its a fairly common problem with the 83 84s. jim

[4cfed]

in all honesty you cant go wrong with a air cooled R i owned a 81... liked the power but the suspension sucked!!! and the power falls off early in stock form..


my 84 was a animal for air cooled motor.. and handled well for what it was.. power was nice and it seemed to be a all around good rider!! i wish i could get it back!!

top end can be rebuilt cheap.. and parts are eazyer to find than you think. i beleve weisco? still offers a piston and ring kit right on there site for them.

and if you decide to go faster.. there is a guy on air fooler ( maybe here to) with a air fooler.. ported by flotec??? and it straight hauls rear!!!

[3Razors]

Try to get one with the least amount of hours and unmolested as you can find/afford. There is lots of junk out there that will just nickle and dime to death.

[factoryX]

but those are the most fun, you fix the bike, you take it out, and then you have to fix the bike again.

[Autophysn]

dude, you are in socal? Then the big question is this, Are you going to sand or dirt?

Both are excellent bikes, I was in this same predicament a couple of years ago, grew up on a 350x, everybody I ride with has Banshees and 450r quads, etc. I wanted to be able to keep up. I posted a similar thread too, LOL!

Well, I ended up with the 250r. I love the bike, altho I mainly dune, it is great! But-----I miss my 350x. My dad still has it, takes it out too every time we go, but man do I miss that trike. I suppose I miss the torque. With the R, you really need to work the gears and play with the powerband, to where with the X, the torque would just take you where ever you want to go.

If I had to do it again, I would still have bought my R, mainly because I know, I can buy me another X any time. I know that bike like the back of my hand, biggest complaint---air cooled. You see, I now have kids of my own. So when I take the kids for rides, we mainly just cruise around and enjoy the view. (My kids are young) So with the R, I can play to my hearts content whipping donuts and roosting the hell out everything I want, while we are cruising. Since my R is an 86, (water-cooled) Overheating is never an issue. Now with the 350X, I KNOW that it would be a big issue.

But, I am fat! Yes, fat! 350lbs! So you can understand why the 350x would be a much better duner for me. I have to scream my bike everywhere we go, when I go for big dune runs. I really do not like that, but I go everywhere they go, and they are never leaving me behind. My next BIG project, want to build me a ATC450r. I love riding on three wheels, but that 450r is just an awesome motor, all the torque in the world. It makes for one hell of a trike too, when you do it right.

So my friend, take these things into consideration. Bottom line is that its a preference decision. If you are like me, never owned a 2 stroke, do not fear it, I love it, much easier than I thought, and hella cool! (but I still love my four strokes too) and if your close, PM me, we got a Gordon's Well trip coming up in January. Anyhow, hope this helps....Rich

[3Razors]

but those are the most fun, you fix the bike, you take it out, and then you have to fix the bike again.

Maybe...when I was in my early teenage years I had similar thoughts. After awhile though owning/wrenching on bikes for a living if I'm going to have a pure rider I just like to have something that don't have to deal with all the time.

[drhill]

Good point Autophysn - actually ride dirt mostly (Ocotillo Wells) and plan to do some trails soon as well...but I'll probably use the 200x for the tight stuff until I really get to know the R...
We live out in Indio so I can ride into the desert from my housing development (just found out that's not legal anymore in Riverside County:confused: )

I definaltely leaning towards an air cooled bike, likely 83-84, good combo of suspension and price...clean ones can still be pretty cheap. It's also something I wouldn't mind working on cause they seem really simple.

Thanks for the tip Jim Mac - I will definately go through 2nd gear thoroghly...

[drhill]

One other question - how much are these things supposed to smoke? I know on startup is normal but...do they always smoke a little?

[tremulant3fr]

i have an 86 R and i HAD and 85 350 i love(ed) them both, my 250 has some work done to it but stock or built you need to make the bike sing (easily done) to make any power and the suspension is amazing no complaints. my 350 made power as soon as you threw your leg over it. torque was great ride is smooth, especially if you want to just cruise around or get the front tire of the ground effortlessly, but for some reason it didnt have the greatest climbing strength and i found myself having to give steep dunes 2nd tries from time to time maybe it was a weight issue 350 was alot heavier than the 250. theyre both great bikes and i doubt you could go wrong either one of them. FYi never really done trail with majority of my riding being sand dunes

P.S. never had mechanical issues with either bike just sadly times were tough and the 350 was cut from the team sold for 1200 a few months back :cry:

[tremulant3fr]

and if you want to keep up with your buddies a 85-89 atc/trx250r is a great choice, especially when you pass them on a 20 year old machine.

My buddies make fun of me and say that my bike was "pulled from the tar pits" but i have no problems pulling away from a stock banshee or 450 ;)

[i58829]

One other question - how much are these things supposed to smoke? I know on startup is normal but...do they always smoke a little?

The smoke is all relative, if its been sitting for several months most likely the oil has settled and it will smoke a ton at startup. Also the brand/age of the oil itself makes a big difference. I prefer the expensive oils because they dont stink as bad and some of the 'one size fits all' 2 stroke oil smoke a ton, and you smell like it for hours after you ride. I realize on an atc its a little different but one time we were out on sleds, and i had to run some castrol snowmobile oil because i didn't bring any extra that day and theres a night and day difference...

[drhill]

The smoke is all relative, if its been sitting for several months most likely the oil has settled and it will smoke a ton at startup. Also the brand/age of the oil itself makes a big difference. I prefer the expensive oils because they dont stink as bad and some of the 'one size fits all' 2 stroke oil smoke a ton, and you smell like it for hours after you ride. I realize on an atc its a little different but one time we were out on sleds, and i had to run some castrol snowmobile oil because i didn't bring any extra that day and theres a night and day difference...

Cool - that makes sense...a bike I'm looking at smoked quite a bit on startup, but it hadn't been started for 6months...

[factoryX]

2 stroke motors smoke at start up and or its running super rich. the reason it does on start up is there is a small bit of gas down in the crank, once its burned up it should run better. This normal.