250R for trail riding?

[Studytime]

How does a 250R do for trails? I do not have much 2-stroke experience. If a smaller front sprocket would help, then assume it has a one tooth smaller than stock as not to lug the engine.

I ride with my friend who has a 400ex and I want to be able to tackle everything he can as I think I know what he can do.

Does the water-cooled have any advantages over the air-cooled models? I'm guessing you can run the water pumpers harder and longer without having to stop. I've also heard they're make more power than the air-cooled models.

250R people please chime in...

Every once in a while I get on a kick where I think I need a 250R. I'm starting one again.

Studytime

[MO350X]

I was just like you, skeptical.
Actually, I was a bit "spooked" by all the folks telling me, "It's WAY over-powered, it's squirrelly, peaky", etc., etc..

I'll be the first to tell you that it most certainly is a FANTASTIC trail machine.
Maybe not QUITE as sedate as my 350X but it is VERY controllable and definitely a pleasant machine to trail on for being such a "RACY" trike.

It's VERY rideable in the woods (light and nimble) and, once you learn to control the midrange hit of the 2 stroke you go it mastered.
Then take it out on a flat somewhere and smoke some new quads!

Man, just thinking about it makes me want to ride!!!!

Two BIG thumbs up for the 250R!

[Kintore]

From what ive heard 85/86 waterpumpers are gold. 40% more power says the brochure, and from what everyone tells me they are just so awesome. The air R have power but nothing compared to a liquid, if you can snatch up a 85/86 250r get it!
i have a 82 and going to get a 84 250r this weekend, the air R are nice, but everyone wants a waterpumper.

[Derrick Adams]

I wouldn't even blink if I found a cheap air cooled R for trail riding. Those things make so much low end it isn't even funny. Very trailable bike. We've rode for 4 hours straight on one with no problems of low power. Granted, it's not as fast as a water pumper, but I think alot of that has to do with the 30mm carb. If you mainly ride trails, either will work great. If you ride more in 3rd and 4th gear then I would go toward the water pumper, as the suspension is a little better. But, the cost of an air cooled averages around $600 or cheaper, the cost of a water pumper averages around $1200. So, that extra $600 could really sit the air cooled up just the way you want it.

Bottom line is, if it's a Honda, you can't go wrong.

[TimSr]

I wouldn't even blink if I found a cheap air cooled R for trail riding. Those things make so much low end it isn't even funny. Very trailable bike. We've rode for 4 hours straight on one with no problems of low power.

I agree completely. They have a much shorter stroke, which translates into much more low end.

As for overheating, aircooled have a normally higher temperature of operation. Lower temperature retards wear, and in theory delivers more power. This does not translate into overheating problems with air cooleds. We rode air cooled dirt bikes for 20 years before these liquid cooled things showed up. Now suddenly Im always reading that air cooled motors overheat all the time? An air cooled system, while not as effective is more reliable. An air cooled TriZ probably would have been an improvement! Overheating is not caused by how many continuous hours it it running. It usually a lack of airflow. (on liquid and air cooled models) You only get airflow when you move.
Sitting still and idleing, or creeping around at crawling speeds will overheat a motor a lot quicker than trying to zip through trails at a comfortable speed. My 2nd Blackwater 100 took me 5 1/2 hours to run on an aircooled Yamaha RT180. It never came close to overheating.

Whatever you get, gear low so you can keep it around half throttle in low gear on your trails. The biggest mistake buys with 2 strokes make is gearing them for the highway, and then driving around slipping the clutch all day at low RPMs and then coming back to the board for jetting tips when they are fouling plugs all day.

[a-camp]

I hurt my back had to sell my cr500 and quit rideing trails.Thats why i bought a 86 250 .It is easyier to start and sand is OK on my back.Have no input for you but i miss trails.May get an xr when my son is ready to ride.
Off to work.......

[Blown 331]

It's a great trail bike. I would't drop a tooth on the front sproket. I want to go up a tooth on mine, First is too low for my likings, I do have 18's on back though. My dad has a pretty good sized woods with tons of trails and the R is superb in the woods. I've don't have any expeirnce with a 350X in the trails but I don't see how it could be as good as the R. That's how impressed I am with it.

[Lots_Of_Nothing]

When I had my 85 250R 90% of the time I was riding, I was in all the woods trails me and a few friends made over the years... With huge hillclimbs, ruts, and its all real tight pack (you stick a hand out to your side your guarenteed to whack it against a tree). I had 20" tires on the back for some extra ground clearence over the ruts and logs and whatnot. I had stock gearing on it, and it worked perfectly and pulled me up any hill I pointed it at. About a week after having the 85 running and practicing it in the woods a bit, It was real easy to control, and somehow everytime we rode I would smoke past my buddys on there 4x4's .

There was only a couple problems I had, Nothing major;; Swingarm skid plate, it didnt take long to shred the stock one into pieces.. and It didnt do too well in mud, of course, this is because I was running about 50% tread low profile knobbies.

Besides that, to this day it is still the best thing i've ever rode in the woods, I loved how it had all that controllable power at a flick of the wrist.

[Apollo]

Mo350X is right, just thinking about it makes you want to load up and go. I trail ride my modded 86 R all day long with absolutly no problems. My main riding buddy has a TRX 400EX and he overrides the design with bent steering stems, front shocks, etc. I on the other hand just keep on shredding without any problems. The extra power I added made my R easier to ride. His 400 is not near as nimble in the tight stuff as my R. My friend has since put a "for sale sign" on his 400 ex.

[Mr. Sandman]

The beauty of a 250R is that it perform and accomodate any and all types of riding with or without mods. With stock gearing you can cruise or haul *** as needed. Re-gearing isn't really necessary unless you're running tire sizes other than stock or your riding in the same type of conditions all the time and you want to dial in the gearing for those conditions. All and all it's an excellent machine no matter what type of riding you do.

[AZ250R]

How does a 250R do for trails?

I ride with my friend who has a 400ex and I want to be able to tackle everything he can as I think I know what he can do.

Studytime

The only diff I can see hapening between me trail hill climbing on my R vs my buddies on 400exs is that I go up about twice as fast as they do. They lug up with torque, I hit it rev'd in the power band and fly! It's just where I feel safer & more in controll. So the only prob I've ran into is making sure that they are out of my way before going up.

[85 250sx]

I have a stock 86 r that i bought not to long ago i havent ridden it for more than an hour at a time and i sumtimes my buddy and i go to VA and go riding from sun up to sun down for two days am i going to have any problems with over heating i took my 250sx last time and had now problems just wondering about the r how will that do? thanks

[MO350X]

I have a stock 86 r that i bought not to long ago i havent ridden it for more than an hour at a time and i sumtimes my buddy and i go to VA and go riding from sun up to sun down for two days am i going to have any problems with over heating i took my 250sx last time and had now problems just wondering about the r how will that do? thanks

Your R has any issues that should be addressed.
As long as the engine and cooling system are healthy and you fuel it correctly (correct mixture) I don't know why you'd have any problem.
But all it takes is one of those three to be "iffy" and you've got a problem/failure waiting to happen.

Better safe than sorry.
If the R is "iffy", leave it at home until it's fixed.

[RideRed250R]

shouldnt have a prob the 250sx might have had some mudd in the fins the air R's dont like that. a air R is a great machine it will still smoke the 400's and they are the so EASY to work on no water jackets or anyting. they i think might be a little more adapt to woods cause no sticks to hit hoses or any rocks to kill rads. i still think the water pumpers are GREAT machines and iam dumpin my Air R for a waterpumper but air Rs do rev fast and do have torque all the way i take olds about top 2/mid 3 depending if i go threw the whoops in 2nd or not. 250R is a nice machine for anything. i have had quad guys stop me at the hill and ask me questions and admire my 21 year old bike and thats the best one a guy older then me tells me about stories of them coming out to glamis at 14 and riding a 250R same year or wat not and say they wish they never sold theirs. ill always stick 3 wheels not cause i cant afford a 4 wheeler but for the pride and joy
ATC250R's and ATC350X's ROCK ON!!!!!
adam

[Kintore]

Ridered, that is the best statement ever!
" ill always stick 3 wheels not cause i cant afford a 4 wheeler but for the pride and joy
ATC250R's and ATC350X's ROCK ON!!!!!

I live by that lol