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

[sandalscout]

Very cool, thanks for the information! I will definetely have to keep my eyes open for a TTR if/when I decide to get a smaller nimble bike. The lower weight of the ttr is nice also.

I do agree that the xt225 tank is most likely the best fit for the xt250. The front mounting points are completely different, I think that a bracket could made to adapt the bolt down front end on the Xt250 to a "traditional" setup on the XT225.

I actually loaded a picture of each bike into photoshop and overlaid them to be the correct size, and the tank lines were EXTREMELY similar to each other.

[Brods1675]

Took my wife's 09 XT for a blat in the bush yesterday with my 11 year old on her CRF 100. Poor little XT bottomed out a few times with my 115kg! Then to top it off I nursed our slightly overweight border collie who we'd taken along to run some fitness back into her. Poor bike would have had 130 or more kg on board!

[CajunE]

What is a good 50/50 tire? I have been looking at the pirelli's mt90 i believe. I ride about 50/50 dirt to slab but I don't want a knobby. Right now I have D606 because of riding around Alabama. when I am not doing trips, I ride around the house and it's more around a 60/40 slab to dirt. any suggestions?

[Alacrity]

Originally Posted by CajunE

What is a good 50/50 tire? I have been looking at the pirelli's mt90 i believe. I ride about 50/50 dirt to slab but I don't want a knobby. Right now I have D606 because of riding around Alabama. when I am not doing trips, I ride around the house and it's more around a 60/40 slab to dirt. any suggestions?

I think the default 50/50 tire is the Shinko 244/IRC GP1/ Kenda 270 pattern.


Seems to do equally well (or sucks as much) on either dirt or tar. Works poorly on either for really aggressive riding - but thats par for a 50/50. Preference seems to be the Shinko - price best, good reviews. Take a look at some of the threads.

[150ron]

+1,
the shinko 244's have been great for me so far, really good on the road , and do well in the trails.

[150ron]

Has anyone on here go from a 16t front sprocket back to the stock 15t?


I find that with the 16t front 5th gear really lacks power if there is headwind, or if there is any kind of incline, it will still go, but the engine wont rev hard at all, i have it at WOT and it just moves along slowly, that is not the issue on a flat road or without headwind, there it will easily reach 75+mph.

The things i do like about the 16t front tho, is it makes 1st gear MUCH MORE USALBE compared to the 15t, and the same thing goes for 4th gear, much better pull, 4th is good from 35-60mph, but its been so long since i had the 15t tooth on there, just wonder if any of you guys went back to the stocker and like it better then the 16t front.

[kentnothstine]

I have a 16T on mine, and it just cant do 5th with me on it. It's not my daily ride tho its for the girl friend. I am going to put a 15t back on it.

Kent

[ALinUTAH]

I never understood why the 16t front sprocket was so popular anyway. The bike's problem on the highway is not that it runs out of revs, it's that it runs out of power. Higher gearing just makes that worse. I use the stock gearing and have no trouble going 70-75 indicated speed on flat ground with no head wind. And that's at high elev where I'm way down on power compared to a lot of you guys. On hills or windy days sometimes I wish for LOWER gearing so I can use 5th gear instead of having to downshift and ride 55. You have to rev these little motors. I don't have a tach, but I think it spins slower at 70 in 5th than it does at 55 in 4th, and I ride a lot at 55 in 4th in the mountains and it doesn't seem to mind it at all. -al

[Rick's KLR]

I may be going to a 14. I'm finding that the 16 on trails is not working as well as I'd hope. Especially if there is mud involved. I may put the 15 on and try trails again, but I'm not liking the 16 on trails. I really don't care about going 65-70 so lower may be better for me.

[150ron]

Thanks for the replies and advice guys, i actually prefer the 16t for the trails, cause i can climb tough stuff in 1st gear, and cruise at 30mph on fire roads in 2nd gear, almost never go into 3rd on the trails.

The only thing that really bothers me is not enough power to pull the 16t at 5th gear, if there is a slight incline or headwind, so im probably gonna put the 15t back on and see how that does.


When you guys change the front sprocket do you put the bike on a stand, or on the ground? in first gear, or just in neutral while holding down the rear brake?

Also, what size socket fits that nut? last time i did not have a socket big enough to fit it, so i used a plumbing stem tool remover, and it bent the whole tool, id like to go to lowes and buy the correct size socket, so if anyone could confirm what size it is, that will be greatly appreciated.

thanks.

[Rick's KLR]

I break the nut while on the ground with an impact wrench then the rear wheel nuts and then put it on the stand to remove the chain and sprocket. I leave it in first gear.

Pretty sure I used a 30mm socket.

Originally Posted by 150ron

When you guys change the front sprocket do you put the bike on a stand, or on the ground? in first gear, or just in neutral while holding down the rear brake?

Also, what size socket fits that nut? last time i did not have a socket big enough to fit it, so i used a plumbing stem tool remover, and it bent the whole tool, id like to go to lowes and buy the correct size socket, so if anyone could confirm what size it is, that will be greatly appreciated.

thanks.

[150ron]

Originally Posted by Rick's KLR

I break the nut while on the ground with an impact wrench then the rear wheel nuts and then put it on the stand to remove the chain and sprocket. I leave it in first gear.

Pretty sure I used a 30mm socket.

Awesome, thanks for the info Rick.

[jegarh]

My son and I did a little 159 mile jaunt through the SW Texas brush country. Even simple excursions like this one can be loads of fun. 100 miles of dirt and all alone. He did a nice little report over on the XT225 forum. Here is the link:

http://www.xt225.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=98603&#Post98603

[MEDIC-0372]

jegarh...looks like a great time. Thanks for posting.

[150ron]

Reinstalled the stock 15t front sprocket today, it is indeed a size 30 socket that is needed, thanks guys.

Seems to accelerate much faster then before, and taking off in 2nd gear requires less gas then before, first seems a bit shorter now, but nothing major, 4th lost some pull for sure, and is shorter, but 5th definately gained back some much needed power, also, i was testing it out, took it on a freeway ride and was getting 81-83mph at WOT for stretches at a time, but my gut was telling me that i was not going that fast, maybe around 75mph or so, wish i had a gps or something to see if the speedo was right at those speeds, with the 16t front sprocket, it seemed to go a bit faster on the freeway, even tho the speedo only indicated like 75-78mph, for now i am going to stay with the stock 15t sprocket, cause it seems to be good all around, guess yamaha knew what they were doing with the stock gearing of the bike.



I tried out my modified air filter for the first time today, it was a stock air filter that i cut out the paper and glued in 2 layers of this red UNI air filter material





This set up breathes so much better then the stock air filter, took the bike for a hard core spin to check everything, and up to about 3/4 throttle all was great, pulled very fast with the stock 15t front sprocket and was very strong and quick, but above 3/4 throttle to top speed (wot), it stumbled big time, like the bike was going strong and stopping, going and stopping, it was starving for fuel for sure, seems this filter is letting in too much air, and the #140 main jet does not enough enough gas flow to match it, so i rode back hone, reinstalled the stock air filter, and all was perfect, bike ran better then new, so i guess for now, it was not succesful and i will have to go back and try different UNI air filter densities to match my jetting.