250R FMF power gains over stock

[Chris McDaniel]

Anybody out there know how much horsepower gain over stock with a FMF Fatty headpipe and a Turbine Core silencer? I just won a new one off Ebay and a buddy of mine "Clong" didn't think the HP gain would be noticeable. Anybody out there know the facts? Of course being jetted properly and all factors in good working order.

[OldSchoolin86]

About a 2hp gain.

[clong]

So a 5% gain then if you get 2hp. I would agree with that. The thing is 5% is not really noticable especially after a few rides, you get used to it. I bet the motor loses and gains 5% power just from the way the trike is running that day when you consider air temp and elevation. Point being, a pipe is cool, but the real gain is from the cool shinny look and the tangy sound you get with a pipe, plus probably some weight savings. All that considered any actual power increase you think you'll notice is most likely all mental.

[Dammit!]

I've been told that the power increase is multiplied if you have a ported engine. In other words, the stock pipe will restrict the increased flow of the ported motor. Any truth to that?

Edit: If I can find some more change I'll be able to tell you how noticable it is. :Bounce

[Chris McDaniel]

2 horsepower? thats alot on a bike, I am happy with that much gain. I'll be honest though, the shiny pipe, weight savings and throaty sound is worth the money. The R deserves to have it,without out it, she'd be like a hot chick without bolt-ons.

[86waterpumper]

Do you dudes really like the fmf pipe that much? I see so many people buying them, but I personally don't care for the way they make power. They are an allright pipe for woods, etc but just about any other pipe in the world that you bolt on *other than a dg* is going to hit better in the midrange and give more mid and top. I have ridden motorcycles with fmf pipes that worked great, I just think on the 250r pipe, they missed the boat.

[OldSchoolin86]

I think there are better out there, he just asked about this one. :)

[Dammit!]

I'd rather have a Paul Turner but I know where I can get a really good deal on the FMF.

[okieRrider]

If you can get a paul turner....get it...i just got one for my 85 r and it is awsome

[Troll 2]

I love the fmf pipe/sil combo. Yes it's loud, light and shiney, but the trike runs awsome. The power seems just right. Everything from idle, off-idle, mid, power and over-rev is super. The mid will pull your guts out............................. :cool:

http://www.bmi.net/magoos/r4.jpg

[ScottZJ]

Well I would rather stick with my paul turner then a FMF. I have one on my air fooler and it has crazy low end power but thats it. It seems that is what FMF is famous for, low end but no performance on the top end. The Paul Turner I have with the LRD silencer is a great mix of very powerful mid and high range, and the low end is no slouch either..........peace

[Chris McDaniel]

Thanks, but who is Paul Turner? is he an ATV based performance guy? I am fairly new to the ATV world, I have been a Motocross guy for a long time.

[86waterpumper]

Paul Turner raced trikes back in the 80's and also worked on motors, etc and team honda ran his pipes on their race bikes in the day. Nowdays Duncan racing http://www.duncanracing.com/home.phtml carries all the Paul turner pipes and such, it is one of the best pipes you can get for a R in my opinion. They make both a high rev and a type 6 woods pipe, which is the only true woods pipe for a R that I know of you can get anywhere. Other good choices I think would be a CT or Trinity hand made cone pipe, possibly a dynoport if they still will make them, ESR, etc. Of course from time to time you can find good deals on ebay as well on pipes that are discontinued such as the LRD, bills, psi countless unkown handformed cone ones etc. Any of these pipes make a fmf look like a joke in terms of power. It amazes me that people are worried about whether a pipe is shiny or not, for instance, I bought a two piece adjustable LRD off ebay, in great shape for around 20 bucks. This pipe was black, and looked nothing fancy and the guy was getting rid of it for a new shiny fmf. Well he could have had it ceramic coated, or chromed, or nickel coated or whatever he wanted for what the fmf would have cost, and still had a much superior pipe power wise. I know people personally that have had fmf's and swapped to other pipes and decided their bike wasn't a slug after all, and worth keeping. I also know others that are happy with them, and like the low end and smooth type power that the fmf and dg pipes make. It's all in what you want. My curiosity was only whether people really LIKED them, or whether they just hadn't tried any other pipes, or didn't know you could still buy them etc.

[ScottZJ]

Here is my pic of my paul turner with LRD silencer.

http://www.fototime.com/{92BE53B3-3D83-48E8-A5CD-EB56B66103B9}/picture.JPG

[86waterpumper]

:mad: It isn't shiny :rolleyes:

[ScottZJ]

But shiney doesn't put you in front, just makes you look good when you getting passed. :TrikesOwn

[Dammit!]

Is there really THAT big of a difference between them? I would have thought the difference is noticable but nothing earth shattering. I'm sure either is a nice improvement over stock.

[Dammit!]

I'm sure this all varies greatly depending on which FMF you get also. They have more options available than a lot of other pipe makers. Here's the list and quick descriptions.

SST: The SST pipe increases mid range pull and extends the over-rev considerably while sharpening the off idle throttle response.

Factory Fatty: Bolting on a Factory Fatty will enhance the powerband throughout the range.

Fatty: Our Fatty Gold Series pipe broadens the powerband and provides a healthy power increase everywhere. Improved throttle response, a linear powerband and enhanced over-rev all add up to a pipe that everyone will benefit from. The Fatty pipe is our most popular pipe for that same reason. If you’re riding trails, tracks or in the open desert, this pipe has what you’re looking for.

Gnarly: The FMF Gnarly pipe focuses on increasing the lower RPM horsepower and torque to get you out of the toughest terrain. When looking to add 4-stroke tractor like torque to your 2-stroke and you need a pipe to withstand the harsh elements, this is the pipe for you.

Rev: The FMF Rev pipe focuses its power delivery in the middle and upper rpms of the powerband. If you’re running out of power up top, want more time between shifts and do a lot of deep berm or sand riding, the FMF Rev is your pipe of choice.

So which of these are guys comparing the PT too?

[86waterpumper]

You cannot buy these pipes any of them for a atc 250r other than the fatty, which is a all around pipe. What you are looking at is a description of all the pipes FMF makes in general, and some are available on some models and not on others. For example, I have a 1994 kawasaki kdx200 dirtbike. I have a fatty pipe on it, which is the only one offered, yet on the 95 models and up I could get either a rev type pipe, or a low end gnarly one. If FMF did in fact make a sst or gnarly etc pipe for the atc then you could compare each of those to the two offerings from paul turner and then see which was better. On a side note, FMF used to make a national mx type pipe back in the 80's for the R that I'm sure produced alot more power than the fatty now does. It looked completely different, and since it was made for mx racing was obviously a mid/top pipe. You cannot have it all in a pipe anymore than you can with motor work/ porting. Somewhere a sacrifice must be made on either lowend power or topend in order to see big gains, which is why I say the fmf is better than stock, but doesn't ad ALOT of power anywhere in the powerband. What type of power you want and what riding you do influence whether the fmf or any other pipe is the right one. If you like to ride fairly tight woods, technical stuff, and like lowend power that is smooth and nearly four stroke like, (linear) as they describe it I would heartily reccomend a fmf , dg, or the stock pipe to you. If you like riding mx type tracks, or sand, fast trail riding, etc then I would reccomend a mid/top pipe. Personally I believe that a mid top pipe has alot more fun factor just because it gives the bike a solid hard hit in the midrange much like a mx bike has.

[Dammit!]

Well I was looking for a good all around pipe since I don't have one particular style of riding. It's everything from wide open desert to trails and eventually dunes will be thrown in the mix. If I ever put a trike together specifically for dunes, it will definitely have something along the lines of a Paul Turner on it. I actually used to have one for this R years ago but my father threw it in the trash after I moved to AZ. :evil:

The FMF I just bought was a great deal too. Brand new, $229.95 out the door for the pipe and Powercore silencer.

For my own future reference, will a PT pipe bolt up to the Powercore silencer without any ill effects?

[Lots_Of_Nothing]

will, scott, dont bother trying to explain, as someone just told me describing this, "its like talking to a wall" the facts have been stated, let them suffer from ignorance.

[OldSchoolin86]

But shiney doesn't put you in front, just makes you look good when you getting passed. :TrikesOwn
Shiney always helps and if you can put some stickers on. ;)

[Dammit!]

will, scott, dont bother trying to explain, as someone just told me describing this, "its like talking to a wall" the facts have been stated, let them suffer from ignorance.

Wtf is that all about?

[AZ250R]

will, scott, dont bother trying to explain, as someone just told me describing this, "its like talking to a wall" the facts have been stated, let them suffer from ignorance.
When U mail yours to me so I can try it, then I might agree... until then the FMFs are a cheap upgrade that will Do just fine. Ya goto your local motocross shop and get one off the rack for half the price of a Turner that ya'd have to mail order, if they even have one!?!?!? I took this one off my trike , you tell me what it was... & I'll tell ya that it SCUKED!

[OldSchoolin86]

Well I would rather stick with my paul turner then a FMF. I have one on my air fooler and it has crazy low end power but thats it. It seems that is what FMF is famous for, low end but no performance on the top end. The Paul Turner I have with the LRD silencer is a great mix of very powerful mid and high range, and the low end is no slouch either..........peace

I'll agree that a paul turner is better but lets not get carried away here. FMF is not a low end only pipe. Lets remember that these pipes are made different for different bikes. The FMF on my LT250 had a crazy top end hit and the one on my trx250r had real nice mid to top power. Niether one did any help for my low end power. I'm NOT doubting that it helps an air cooled R low end because I never tried one. Dammit! if you wanted a general pipe that looks cool and will enhance the stock powerband then you did fine. If you were looking to change your powerband then you will be dissapointed. With the proper jetting and that pipe, you will notice a difference.

[TimSr]

It amazes me that people are worried about whether a pipe is shiny or not,

You've now learned the secret of sales to youth!

When picking who you are going to race, always choose the prettiest ATV. Beware the beater, because youll know its been driven.

[86waterpumper]

AZ250R how much do you want for that pipe?

[ScottZJ]

Well as stated above many times. There are tons of different types of FMF pipes out there that do different things. The problem is there arent that many for the atc's. So you can only get one or 2 types and not be able to feel all the benefit.

[BigGreenMachine]

When picking who you are going to race, always choose the prettiest ATV. Beware the beater, because youll know its been driven. TimSR

Hey TimSr that is great advice if I ever heard it.

[AZ250R]

AZ250R how much do you want for that pipe?
It sold on ebay for $140 a year ago, the silencer was blown apart inside and in need of a serious rebuild... Now can anybody tell me what kind it was???

[Troll 2]

Here's some cool links................. :)
http://motorcycle.com/mo/mcnuts/em-pipes.html
http://www.ericgorr.com/twostktech/2techbasicprincipals.htm
http://www.ericgorr.com/techarticles/basic_two_stroke.html

[Dammit!]

Dammit! if you wanted a general pipe that looks cool and will enhance the stock powerband then you did fine. If you were looking to change your powerband then you will be dissapointed. With the proper jetting and that pipe, you will notice a difference.

The only thing I wanted is a decent pipe and silencer for a good price. The $229 (with no tax) for the FMF was easily the best deal I could find locally. Now I can get that huge piece-o-crap stock baffle off there. I would have needed a lot more nickels, quarters and dimes to get another PT. :cool:

I used to have the Paul Turner and loved it though. Ugly finish and all. The FMF is definitely a nice looking pipe but it's the price that sold me. If it gives me a moderate performance increase along with the obvious better looks and sound (over stock) I'll be satisfied with it for a while.

[YTZ250#1]

Reading this makes me feel a little better.my 86 has a Paul Turner pipe and fat boy silencer.I'm only going to do minor port work but it should go pretty good.A friend of mine just gave me a nice 38mm kehin flat slide off his old lt250.it should pump enough fuel to complement the pipe nicely.

[3Razors]

My 86 250r had a FMF combo on it, and it made good power on the mid and top rpm's. The fit and finish was perfect too, that's sometimes more than you could say for some other brands. Also you can't go wrong with the Paul Turner pipe since he was the one responsible for Team Honda Marty Hart's motor work.

[3Razors]

AZ250R

That is CT handmade pipe/silencer combo. Did it not perform all that well?

[Fox250R]

Paul Turner all the way :)

[AZ250R]

AZ250R

That is CT handmade pipe/silencer combo. Did it not perform all that well?
NO, it did not fit the stock exhaust mount for $#!+!!! Always seaped gobs of goo onto the front of the motor and that lack of seal was robing me of the correct charge in the engine through the rpms. So when the interior of the silencer truned to dust I did not want to try and fab it back together & any aftermarked silencer would not mount to it either... sooo FMF was the easy fix!

Now my FMF expansion chamber had a pin hole in it from the get go too but I just put some hi-temp sealer on it instead of getting it fixed. Goes to show ya how much they put into their manufacturing though. :rolleyes: