lt250r?

[jakey]

Hey guys I have been looking into getting rid of my 200x and purchasing or trading for another bike. I ride with a banshee and some two stroke dirtbikes. Do you think this bike would hang with em? If any of you guys are knowledgable about these bikes please give me some info. Such as speed, power, reliability, and handling. It seems these bikes rarely go for more then 2,000 dollars. Why? Thanks...later

[PLJ.]

They go for less money because they take a lot of work and money to make them compete equally with a 250R in a racing situation. 85 and 86 LT250R's were great bikes and can still be nice, fun, recreational trail machines. But do not think for a minute that they can compete with Banshees's, 250R's etc. They have a very mild mannered enduro based motor that produces only midrange and no topend. The chassis was good in its day, when it was racing three wheelers only!! Narrow and long, without a custom shorter swingarm it was impossible for us to get these models to hook up when ice racing. Swingarms and frames crack, swingarm and axle bearing have to be checked or else the chain will blow large unrepairable holes in the engine cases and the brakes need to be watched. I have owned, built and raced the 85 and 86 models. These models can be found all over for around $1,000.00 The 87-92 LT250R's have a great powervalved motor. It was better, but still not as easy to make fast as a 250R. These chassis can be built to handle great. But again, it takes far more effort than a Fourtrax 250R. I know of several guys here who have won tons of championship ice titles with 89 Lt250R's and they win even to this day with the same bike!! If you can find a nice 97-92 LT for under $2,000.00 I would say you would have a good bike. I have one here for sale. It is an 87 model that has been modified for drag racing or fast flattrack. This is not a trail, MX or play bike. It runs on race gas and includes: Topend ported Tyson racing cylinder, Prodesign Cool head with race dome, 39mm TMX Mikuni carb, Chrome BIlls top end pipe, Chrome DG silencer, Custom seat cover, black plastic, metallic frame, 18" turf tamers and a set of hauler paddles mounted on rims. THis thing really rips!! Will hang with ATC250R's, Banshees and 500 Quadracers. I have ridden this bike and raced against it with my 250R and 500 Quad and I can attest that it is very, very fast. It is owned by my sister-in-law and she has it for sale for $1,850.00 in Michigan. Thanks.

[jakey]

Thanks, it really sounds like you know your stuff about these bikes. I just need a decent bike with more power then the one I have right now. The guy with the banshee can't ride all too great as it is. I just need something that will pull with him in the straight aways. Is this the bike I am looking for? Due to my current circumstances I can't really afford to drop more then 1,000 bucks on a bike. When you say it takes alot to make them handle, what do you mean? Am I going to be terribly disapointed going from my extended 200x to a lt250r as far as handling? Thanks

[Wickedfinger]

The 87-92 LT250R's have a great powervalved motor. It was better, but still not as easy to make fast as a 250R.

They have a very mild mannered enduro based motor that produces only midrange and no topend.

Having owned both an '85 LT-R and a '90 LT-R, I'd have to disagree with that ... Simply adding a $12, 1 tooth higher sprocket on the output shaft will give the LT-R the same, if not higher top speed as any year TRX-R. Also, while I would never argue that the LTs (especially the 87-92's) are known for their low to mid range powerband that makes them probably the best 2-stroke "woods" or "Trail" quad ever made...... I would say, however, that by adding a pipe (like say a Dyno-port) with proper jetting to the motor, you will see a great boost in top end power, while keeping a good low - to mid with the help of the power-valve - something you won't find with the TRX-R's mill. As far as the handling question goes - after spending countless hours riding both the Honda R and the Suzuki R's - I would have to say neither one is especially "better" than the other in terms of handling - they are just "different". While the TRX-R has two more horsepower (at 38) than the later LT-R's, the Quadracer actually has a better power to weight ratio - mainly because its lighter. Now, as far as reliability and craftsmanship goes - the Honda by a mile. Its very hard to find any year LT250R that dosent need alot of work and with a good, straight frame anymore. Besides the aforementioned frame issues - LT-R's are known for wearing out their waterpumps quite frequently. They also blow through rear shocks and need rebuilds often.

[jakey]

SO all in all it seems they are a good bike if you can find one in good shape and are willing to take care of it. Thanks guys, your info has been very helpful

[RideRed250R]

y not find a early banshee??? u can get one for about 2500 or lower even tho the early banshee has a single wish bone arm compared to later duals doesnt make it any worse then the new ones, the motor is the same basically with few mods here and there which consist of nothn more then different pipes, carbs air box style, also i would look into a blaster LOL know u say wat! a blaster, they are quick little quads very nice and can haul my 250 pound 6'3 butt up any hill in glamis they are surprisingly quick for their size and are perfect little trail, and woods quad but when u need to goose it it will pull with anything, i rode this with my dad on a 97 banshee and even tho he would walk away it wasnt like a total killing i was still keepin up, also if u decide u need more power there is alot of hop-up potential to make thses little quads very very fast, u can pick up a 240 kit for about 250 which includes new sleeve,pistons,rings,gaskets everything to directly install other then having the sleeve installed, they also love pipes and jets, and little mods, if i cold do it all over again i would get me a blaster, they are very nice bikes, my vote goes blaster, not that iam bias its just u dont want to constantly be workin on a lt-250R and constantly being beat by other bikes, were blasters are nice quick bikes that will run till the cows come home
adam
also being a twostroke there is no premix needed, they have oil injection but with a 240 kit its recomended to block that off and premix to 32:1 stock mixes close to 50:1 i believe
good luck

[OldSchoolin86]

y not find a early banshee??? u can get one for about 2500 or lower even tho the early banshee has a single wish bone arm compared to later duals doesnt make it any worse then the new ones, the motor is the same basically with few mods here and there which consist of nothn more then different pipes, carbs air box style, also i would look into a blaster LOL know u say wat! a blaster, they are quick little quads very nice and can haul my 250 pound 6'3 butt up any hill in glamis they are surprisingly quick for their size and are perfect little trail, and woods quad but when u need to goose it it will pull with anything, i rode this with my dad on a 97 banshee and even tho he would walk away it wasnt like a total killing i was still keepin up, also if u decide u need more power there is alot of hop-up potential to make thses little quads very very fast, u can pick up a 240 kit for about 250 which includes new sleeve,pistons,rings,gaskets everything to directly install other then having the sleeve installed, they also love pipes and jets, and little mods, if i cold do it all over again i would get me a blaster, they are very nice bikes, my vote goes blaster, not that iam bias its just u dont want to constantly be workin on a lt-250R and constantly being beat by other bikes, were blasters are nice quick bikes that will run till the cows come home
adam
also being a twostroke there is no premix needed, they have oil injection but with a 240 kit its recomended to block that off and premix to 32:1 stock mixes close to 50:1 i believe
good luck

A blaster and an LT aren't even in the same ballpark and an early banshee sucks compaired to the newer ones becuase your limited in your aftermarket for the front end. Not to mention that the J-arm crap is weaker and blows bushings faster. The basic geometry on the Banshee in whole is junk compaired to the MXers like the trx and lt's. It's popularity is due to it's wild power potential and mass amounts of parts available.

[BigGreenMachine]

Ever consider a 400EX? Beautiful quads, if you ride any tight trails or woods with your two stroke budds then you'd be at an advantage on a 400EX.

Personally I like the LT250R's better than a TRX 250R, they look great stock and with some mods they make sweet bikes. Before you buy it go over the frame, swinger, A-arms, bearings...everything with a fine tooth comb before you buy. If you buy it spend some cash to replace bushings and bearing, maybe take a peek at the piston and rings and sloppyness in the crank bearings. Best of luck. If not the Lt theres alway a two-stroke trike or a CR125/200X swap.

[blackwatch1989]

Jakey, i have a friend thats selling a 1988 LT250r. Its BEEN COMPLETELY torn down and painted , everything is checked and in GREAT Shape. New plastic, New Hood , new rear tires , new front tires, handle bars are new , LOTS of new stuff and runs GREAT. Pm me or IM Me on thelivingend1683 for more info. He is looking around $2,000 or a little more but i bet you could get it for $2,000.

[jayrippajay]

the 250r is not much faster then lt250. they are about the same motor wise. i will say honda handles better. that's the only reason people would go for the 250r. the newer lt250(87 up) has great power and can easily beat a 250r with the right rider involved. on a track the 250r turns better and does have a better feel. you can easily modify the lt250 to do the same. money talks lol. i mean seriously people overrate the 250r just a bit when it comes to the lt250. i owned both and my opinion the lt250 had a little more power and would beat the 250r on a straight line shootout. not gonna say by much. turning is the key with the honda. they are both 250cc quads so how could the honda be sooo much faster. lol there was a shootout between the tecate 4, 250r, lt250 etc and they all were considerably close in the power/top speed range. the tecate 4 is faster then both of them. the t4 put some banshee's to shame in my part of town. a port job and a good pipe to a lt250 will surely rip a lot of quads. especially 4 strokes. trust me on this. lol they did not copy the lt250 for their powerwheels quad for nothing. they are fast enough and you shouldn't be disappointed in the motor department. i can wheelie mines in damn near every gear. front is very hard to keep on the ground;) when pinned all the way it feels like the front is coming up and your about to fly away lol. definitely can get 75 to 80 out of them with the ride mods. i do have a bit of work done to her.

[k00leo]

From what I have read, the lt250r was slightly faster then the trx250r in a straight line though the trx250r beat the lt250r in handling. Of course, you can add upgrades to make each bike perform better then the other.

[dudethatssick]

looks like the lt250r or a 2 stroke dirt bike are your only real choices if youre price limit is around $1000. i have seen decent banshees go as low as $1500, but people seem to want $2000-$3800 for TRX250r's its ridiculous. i see lt's for around a grand but they are never real nice. i have only seen 3 for sale in the past year that looked remotely good. 99% of them left in the world look like trailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro.

[Chazz of Blades]

Psst, this thread is seven years old.

[rdlsz24]

I wonder what he bought.... I guess we will never know

Rob

[LockNut]

Ok, I've read all your posts and for the most part, you all make sense. I have an 87 Lt250r and a 92 Lt250r. I rebuilt them both from the ground up. Since the rebuilds I do not have to keep rebuilding them as some of you say. Only regular maintenance is required, just like any other 'brand name' quad. IMO if you abuse your ride, you will be constantly repairing them. I am a bigger guy and I never blew my rear shock. I've never replaced a waterpump. I take care of my Lt's and they are set up and dialed in properly. It is all in how you "take care" of your ride. Somedays I beat Bashee's, some days I don't. (Banshee's should regularly beat an LT250r). It's all in the set up and the condition of your ride. IMO, Suzuki, Honda, Polaris, Yamaha and Kawasaki all make good quality quads. How you choose to ride, take care of and modify them really determines how well they will function when on the trails. That IS what is all comes down to.

[Addicted]

I have both, both built the lt is Alot more fun IMO, it's LIGHT fun and fast and there CHEAP!!

[stevensj13]

Alright guys, I have to chime in here. I personally don't or haven't owned one but my neighbor bought one brand new in 1986. He rode it in the sand dunes for most of its life, and then he moved here. It mainly sits during the warmer months but as soon as it snows, he rolls it out and fires it up first or second kick. its an insane bike, we go ice and snow riding together and its a blast. It does very well on ice too. On a straight away he would pick up speed, shift down a gear, drop the clutch, and hit the gas. He would do a full 360 spin and then shift up and keep going. He has only done 2 rebuilds on it its entire life, and he swears its the best quad he has ever ridden. Great quads