Minimalist Touring Thread (250cc and under)

I like to buy mine pre scratched!

I don't understand why the new CRF-250L only weighs 26lbs less, wet weight, than the XR650L's wet weight? They couldn't get it any lighter? Disappointing to say the least :huh

Ive heard of guys tearing down perfectly good bikes, welding in gussets to prevent cracked frames from loading for long distance touring in rough terrain. If a stronger frame is the reason my 250 cc weighs almost 300 lb dry, I don't mind.

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Hmmm I have had no power issues I must be doing something wrong?

How does that XT250 handle highway speeds? Do you have a horsepower figure?

I don't have a HP figure, it cruises nicely at 55mph this was a picture of a week long 1300 mile ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway. I go much lighter on weekend trips if you keep the weight to around 35-40lbs you can't even tell it's there i have had a blast on this bike.

I wonder which is faster: TU250 or XT250.

I have an XT225 with a lot of mods. The frame is an '01, so that is what it is registered as, but it has parts from a '94 and a '99 on it too. I have '99 and '94 parts bikes including one like new 1200 mile engine. It has a Works Performance rear shock, Progressive front springs, Clarke 4 gallon tank, a BryanSwens rack (not made anymore, very similar to the Immix Racing rack) a Cigar Mike centerstand (also probably not made anymore), a kickstart kit, choke relocated to the carb, Renthal bars (2" taller than stock) wide footpegs, a Z1 modded pipe and rejetted carb and several other homemade mods.

For touring I based my luggage system on a milk crate (real, not Walmart) bolted to the rear rack. I made some extensions to the rack to make it longer, and attached a huge rigid bag (part of a T-Bag setup) behind the milk crate, and soft saddlebags to the sides of it. I also use the Tusk tank pannier (which can carry an extra gallon of gas in Gatorade bottles) or other things if you don't need the gas, and an MSR front fender bag which holds 2 new tubes. I have 2 fairly large ABS pipe tool tubes mounted to it. Somehow, $1000 for a complete Happy Trails pannier and top box setup just didn't make sense for such a small bike (that stuff is HEAVY)

To me, for a small displacement dual sport, this is THE bike. And I have enough parts to keep it going for a LONG time. Yes I've spent a small fortune on the 3 bikes and all the aftermarket stuff, but the fun factor is off the scale. I would not even consider any other bike in this displacement class, unless it was the Suzuki DR200SE. The XT250, CRF250L, WR250, or KLX250 just don't appeal to me at all.

Very nice setup!


I setup the KLX for my 70yr old dad to go w/ me to CO/UT last Sept. Priceless memories. It will hopefully go to Prudhoe Bay in 2014.

Bolam Pass


Ophir Pass


Clear Lake Rd


American Flag Mountain


Heading to campsite on White Rim Trail


Potash Rd




Hardscrabble campsite on WRT after some serious muddy sand.







.

Spotlight,
That's a nice looking bike & setup.

Klay,
Lightly loaded my XT225 will hit 82 mph "indicated", which folks say is actually about 75. I don't know, but it sure feels faster than 75 when you're passing semi trucks on the interstate!! 40 or 50 miles is about all a 1/2 crazy rider can take, maybe a real nut could do it all day!?
It's just not a big enough bike for the interstate, but it's very happy pushing those same speeds for hours at a time on a nice country 2-lane. The 4-lanes are just too windy, and intense for the XT225. I'm sure the XT250 is the same. A wind shield would probably help, a little.

Most folks probably don't like to push their bikes that hard on a regular basis. The engine is very happy running between 60-70 indicated. I'm sure it would last a long time at those speeds.


I'd also like to hear more about the TU250.

The old (2012 and older XT250's) had 16.2 hp.
No one knows if there is any improvement for 2013 with the fuel injection.
The wr250r makes 28 hp, that is 12 more then the xt250.
The crf and klx 250 bikes likely make around 25, and i think all those bikes also have 6 speed transmissions and better suspension for the dirt.

Not that I do not like the XT250, I used to have one.
But these days, not many want a low power air cooled 2 valve 250cc dual sport with 16 hp.

Since I hate water cooled bikes, I would like one if I had to buy a new dual sport and wanted a 250.

The TU has about 19 hp.
My TU seems to be a LOT faster then the xt250 was, at least on the street anyway.
The TU is not very fast in the dirt.

If I wanted an air cooled 250cc dual sport, i think the 4 valve super sherpa would be the top pick.
The old XT225 was much smaller and lighter then the xt250 is, very different bike.
Oddly enough, the xt225 was rated at 20 hp...more then my tu250...

I am not dissing anyone's bike, I was just pointing out there are big active threads about the modern water cooled 250's, not much action in the xt250 thread.

I didn't realize the TU was 19 hp. I had heard it was down in power a little from the GZ250.

Hey Jerry,

We need to compare milk crates somtime.

I got lucky and found a black one to match my black Bryan Swens rack. I wish it was a little bigger, because my chainsaw is a tight fit! I'd like to get something a bit fancier for road trips, but I mostly blaze the backroads & trails close to home. The milk crate is fine for trips to the grocery & hardware stores.


Brett,

You make a lot of good points about the various bikes. I don't really mind water cooled bikes, but that is what makes them heavier, and the FI too. Personally, I'm happy with simple air cooled & carburated engines.

Did they finally put electric starters on the KLR250? That's the same bike are the Super Sherpa, right? I have a buddy that recently bought one, but I haven't had the chance to ride it yet. Extra valves are a good way to gain some Hp. Yamaha even figured out how to shove 5 into a head.

No not the same ,The Sherpa is more of a weird air cooled cousin of the KLR and KLX doesnt share alot with either .Front Springs will work out of a KLR 250 , I think the engine's bottom end is simular to the klx but I dont think its the same . I like mine though , its happy rolling my fat rear at a 60 mph cruise on the highway and it will do more than I can offroad which isnt saying alot .I dont have any vibration issues with it and its easy to service .

To back up some of the hp claims - here are some links to reviews and rear-wheel dyno figures.

Both the CRF250L and KLX250S produced around 20 hp at the rear wheel on Motorcycle.com's dyno.

http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/2013-honda-crf250l-vs-2013-kawasaki-klx250s-video-91483.html?page=2

The WR250X (which uses the same engine as the WR250R) produced almost 28 hp on the same dyno.

http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/quarterliter-supermoto-shootout-87985.html

The Suzuki TU 250X yielded a little over 16 hp from the rear wheel on Cycle World's dyno.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2009/06/15/riding-impression-2009-suzuki-tu250x/

The XT250 yielded about the same hp as the TU 250X on the same Cycle World dyno.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2008/07/15/frugal-fuelers-yamaha-xt250-first-look/

Mike

If you want air cooled, a little more power and more torque, look for a used DR-350SE.

Dynobob,

What a great trip to take with your dad. I wish I could that with my dad, but he's a bit beyond his riding days. Thanks for sharing the great pics.

Don't you dare speak of anything more than 250cc's in here! You'll get kicked out!
If I were to say anything about my 300 or 350 I'd be in big trouble!

Which Led's are you running?

I think there is some variability in the power figures posted.
I know the TU250 gets a LOT better after its broken in at around 3000 miles, and if you dyno a new bike, its going to show a low output.
There is also the power curve, peak power vs broad power output, and the TU is very odd in that it has a lot of power (for a 250) starting at 4000 rpm building slowly to about 7600 rpm where it flattens out to the 8500 red line.
What that means in the real world is good speed on the road wiithout high rpm's.
Its also one engine you can do whatever you want with, without any concern about the engine.
The engine runs smooth and cool, so you can scream the thing across the US and back without worry or discomfort.
And even running at a low (for a 250) 5000 rpm you have no problems doing a real 70+ mph.
Even running at 85 and 7500 rpm is nice and the bike feels like it will do it all day for months.
Unlike some bikes, the TU seems to love heat, the hotter it is out, the better the motor seems to run.

Its NOT a dual sport though, and it sucks in the rough dirt, the forks and 18 inch front wheel do not like rough stuff at all, plus, the way the engine is made to get a lot of mid range power makes it impossible to get much if any more power out of the bike. Airbox and exhaust mods seem to do nothing, but the FI system works very well, not feeling lean even if you do mods.
For any off road use, its very risky, the brake and shifter stick WAY out past the motor, the gas tank is wider and tends to get dents, the headlight would break, levers snap off, etc.
That big headlight is the best I ever had on any bike for night riding though.
That is a shame, as the motor is great in the dirt, nice power curve, and the bike is fairly light.

When I had my xt250, I do not think I could get the bike much over 70 mph under most situations, and it did not like real high rpm's a lot. It did not seem happy at higher speeds, but was one tough bike in the dirt.

The XT250 motor sort of reminded me of the TW 200 motor, as not liking high rpms for long.