Where are your XT250's...let's see them.

Hey Lonewolf97 Nice photos!

Can I suggest loosening and turning your mirrors inwards when you're in the woods to prevent them from getting smashed!

Cheers!

:eek1

For those who have removed the AIS system what did you do with the tube located on the upper throttle side casing of the engine. The small tube at the front of the carb is off and block off and I'v made a new metal cover for the bolted air pipe but not sure what to do with this last long breather pipe. Does it need a valve on it or filter or can I block this one too
Cheersp

Put a picture up of this hose, not sure which one you are refering too, the AIS was removed on my bike.

Also I am putting a new cone filter on and have taken off the air box.
As can be seen in the next image there is SAND in the tube that goes straight into the carb.
It made it pass the air box / filter...:huh


I'll post images of the upgrade in a couple of weeks when I get the new filter..

That is the breather hose, it needs to go back to the air box, but since you are removing your air box for a cone style filter (K&N style i imagine), you can just get a small K&N filter for that hose and mount it somewhere under the seat, where it will stay clean.


Looking forward to seeing the filter mod you will do, i thought about it when i had my bike, but never did it, have you rejetted yet and done the air/fuel screw 3 turns out? those make a good noticeable difference.

Hans-Krugger...Check you PM.

So tell me about the XT250. My better half turned 75 this year and may be looking to downsize from his G650X-Country in the near future. He has a Honda CRF230L, but it just doesn't have the power needed to maintain higher speeds, it vibrates a lot, and feels flighty over 50mph. He likes my WR250X, but has a hard time getting on it due to the seat height. I realize the XT250 is not going to have the power of my WR, but does it have enough to be a viable option? Is it much better than the 230L, or even an improvement? We normally cruise no faster than 60mph (gps 60mph) and try to stick to back roads, but we have found ourselves on four-lane interstates in heavy traffic for short periods when we travel (recently Las Vegas for example). He wants a lighter bike than his BMW with a low seat height and the power of the WR. Obviously that will be hard to accomplish, since the WR has more power than everthing else in it's class, but would the XT be worth considering?

I cruise at 60mph with a load of camping gear, but only if it's flat and there is no headwind. It will do a little more than that under ideal conditions but it's not something I count on or do regularly. It's smooth at 60 vibe-wise. But no way would I ride something like an XT250 in congested urban freeway traffic. I would go 100 miles out of my way if that's what it took. Personally, I enjoy touring on mine but I avoid highways and big cities.

The XT is not going to be significantly different than the CRF230. The WR is an entirely different bike on the highway than the XT with 50% more power. Seat concepts makes a low seat for the WR that gets you 3/4 inch.

It looks like the the new Honda CRF250L has a 34.7" seat and seat concepts makes a low seat that is 1 inch lower. It has similar power to the WR.

People say the Suzuki TU250 is faster than an XT but it's a street bike. -al

edit: Bravo for riding at 75. I hope I still do when I get there.

I think the XT250 is a great choice. I ride on the highway just to get TO the dirt track and it's great. I have a Ducati Monster S2R800 which is a hell of a lot faster than the 250 but honestly it doesn't feel THAT slow once you get going on it. I go from 100-135 KM on the highway no problem. There's plenty of power to pass most vehicles on the highway and once I get to the motocross track, it just gets much better. The bike is light (under 300 lbs.) flickable, reliable as anything and the dimensions are fantastic. I'm about 5'6" 145 lbs and the seat hight is perfect. Plus it gets AMAZING gas milage. I do want to upgrade the front forks since they are a bit soft for jumps and more aggressive riding but other than that it's very good on the highway. The tires are designed for highway use, and off road and are great in everything but they suck in mud b/c the shorter knobbies are closer together and get filled up easily in read mud.

Update as asked.
First rip out (with care) the old air box.. takes time bloody S%*T loads of bolts and screws(one of the main reasons for this mod)..
Then cut the rubber carbie boot in half, right where it use to enter the air box. Then you should have something that looks like this,

Then I put it all together, the new filter has a rubber boot itself but that goes inside the larger rubber boot that attaches to the carbie. You could get a slightly larger air filter that could go straight onto the original rubber boot, but remember that the old air box only had a very small opening where the air flowed, and you only have limited room under the seat, so I used (I think) 38mm cone filter.

I first attached the cone filter with a single cable tie, then used electrical tape, then cable tied it again, and lastly used more taped. Now that filter is on tight and no air leak at all.

Then I placed the filter onto the carbie and checked the fitting..

No worries,
Now start to cup up the large half of the air box.
I took the top and insides out with a grinder. It looks pretty crap, so I then used a heat gun to melt the ruff surfaces from the grinder then sanded it down to smooth it out and then used gaffer taper on the inside and outside of the air box. There are several holes from the injection molding when the air box was made that need covering up.

I put this part of the air box back on because it holds the battery in place, protects the air filter from stuff coming off the back wheel and the mud guard also attaches to the back of this air box.
Next I made a coned shaped air filter to go over the new cone air filter, remembering that I don't want too much air flow into the engine from what was engineered with the original air box, and I want CLEAN air for the carbie.

I used a sheet of air filter foam cut it to shape glued the edges together with some bricks to hold it down. Once glue was set, I reversed the filter (inside out) so the seam is on the inside of the new coned filter as you can see above and placed over the filter.

Again cable tie the filter on.

Then put the filter back on the bike.

As you can see it fits fine, and I used some of the filter foam on the breather pipe that use to go into the air box from the top of the engine.
I screwed in the carbie fuel mixture screw right in then out 3 1/2 times.
I put the bike all back together, pushed the bike out of the garage and started it up.
At idle the throttle is more instant and revs up much quicker, I haven't done a road test yet, but when I do I will post more info then.
The main reason for this mod is:

• Sand got pasts the standard air filter set up
• I couldn't clean the air box out like my WR450F, it took me an hour just to get the bloody off the bike just to work on this mod (being careful of cause)

Now once the seat is off and just one screw for the left hand side panel/faring and I can now use ONE screw (one the carbie) to take the whole filter assembly off to clean it properly.. makes me very happy..

If you got any questions just ask, but give me some time to do some tests, at the moment the carbie is standard not re-jetted at all, and I have a FMF Q4 pipe on, which is way to loud.. next mod is a custom baffle..
The reason I haven't re-jetted, is when I talked to the Yamaha shop about the pipe the mechanic said that an 2009 model shouldn't need re-jetting with the FMF pipe and it didn't.. go figure.. but we'll see how this air box mod affects the fueling..
Cheers

I think the xt250 and the new CFR250L are both worth a look in. My wife's xt250 has a 1" lowing link, slip on pipe and now air filter mod. What u get with the xt250 is a very easy bike to ride with enough power to go wherever you want. I once went over some real slippery bushes and logs that I had to go over to get around a broken down 4x4 on a track for my wife and not an issue with xt250 great usable power, then tired the same on my WR450F and kept slipping with the rear tyre and I'm a good rider but the xt250 has a smoother power delivery and every time I ride the little xt250 I think this is really nice to ride. Just bit small for my height. Put a set of D606 's on and slip on pipe and the bike is transformed.

jckid,

Have you installed a Yamalink and slid the forks on your WRX to lower it? If not, that might be an option for better half.

Sarah

Excuse me for side-tracking the XT thread

Since I'm in the market for a 250 dual sport, I've been watching these threads with great interest but I have to ask owners of the XT250 why this bike over the other options? While I realize the CRF250l is a recent release, why a XT250 over the Honda? (Or a KLR250S for that matter) The price of a new XT just seems out of place for this bike. The Honda, while heavier seems to provide a lot more bike for less money. Now with that said, I do appreciate the XT's stone ax approach to simplicity. Air cooled, screw type valve adjustments, also lower seat height. I'm lost in analysis paralysis on this one. A local dealer has an 2012 XT for asking price of $4000.00 with 1100 miles on it. Still seems disproportionate though with a brand new CRF sitting right next to it going for about $500.00 more.

Well, I didn't buy mine for me to ride. At 6'6" and 250lbs I don't really fit all that well. I also bought mine used. But havingh said that I will have to do all the maint. and that is nice and easy. Also, my girlfriend was new to bikes so I wanted something a little less daunting. Something she could ride on the road mostly at first, then also be able to put some dot knobbies and get her learning on the dirt. (I think she should have learned on dirt first but she wont so...)

Seat height was my highest priority. My daughter is 5' 4"
Also found a 2009 with 650 miles for $ 2800. Keep looking.

That's a great deal and I buy one like that in a heartbeat if I come across one. There always seems to be a few available until I have some extra cash. Then there's not one to be found.........

I would get the Honda over the Yamaha if price was the same (or if Honda is just few more new ova secondhand) and if the seat height isn't an issue. Because the Honda has a six speed gearbox and just as reliable as the xt. Don't forget for some strange reason the xt near went big like the CRF250L will and getting new parts for the Honda will be easier in the long run.
But in saying that, the xt has a bigger fuel tank and a very good engine that is solid that u should never have issues with if maintained correctly.
If u r already going to outlaying a few thousand $ an extra few hundred isn't a lot over years of owning the bike, getting a lowering link isn't much and if u wait a secondhand Honda should b very cheap. Think what u will use the bike for and what u want from the bike a six speed may be better for more highway use but the lighter five speed Yamaha better for slower off road.
My three cents..

Doing a 5 month Australia to UK adventure.

Crank your speakers up and enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnZA7MwoU1U

Cheers

I'm 5'3" and found an '08 at a local shop that had only 1484mi on it. It was used on a farm to run around on - tires weren't even worn hardly. That being said, I don't think they knew what they had: I asked how much and he told me $2000. When I went back the next day the price had gone up to $2400 but they remembered me asking so I got it for the initial $2000. This was back in late 2011. They raised the forks for me a touch and softened the suspension and I'm flat footed on it. Without those 2 little things I was on the balls of my feet. I've ridden the hell out of it and upgraded to a DR650 and now my son rides the hell out of it! It's a very nimble, capable bike but not well suited to riding the hilly roads of the Ozarks. It's underpowered if you want to keep up with the bigger bikes going over stout hills and mountains!