2014 Honda CR250R-XC?
Got your attention? OK, not exactly a "NEW" model Honda, but I digress;
I was very tired (literally), of fighting nearly 300 pounds of four stroke, 450cc bike through the mountains and also having that feeling of riding a ticking time bomb. I decided to return to my roots, a lightweight two stroke dirt bike!
I had the hots for a 2014 KTM 300XCW - Six Days and had almost convinced myself that that is what I absolutely just had to have. Until the sobering realization hit that once purchased and accessorized, I'd be looking at $11,000 - $12,000!!! HOLY S#!T, that is just too much money! Then I had another thought, "What about converting a late model 2 stroke motocross bike into a viable off-road bike?". (Actually, I had been thinking about this off and on over the past year or so)
I briefly considered a used KTM 300 or even a Yamaha YZ but, over the past 10 years of riding Hondas, I have become rather fond of their build quality and the feel of the aluminum chassis. That narrowed it down to just the CR250r. The 2000-2001 CRs have what is considered, by many, to be one of the best 2-stroke engines Honda ever built. But, the 2002 - 2007 CRs have the superior, third generation chassis and suspension that is essentially the same as the CRFs I have been riding for the past decade. However, they do have some lack of low end power and carburation issues that need to be addressed. Additionally, the 02-07 CRs, in my opinion, have the best looks of any CR. Convinced that I could build my "New" bike for less than 1/2 of what a new KTM would cost, and that it would not be 1/2 the bike the new KTM is, I put my 450 up for sale.
A quick, non-scientific comparison using published numbers, lightest to heaviest;
- CR250R - 231 lbs. with fuel (2.0 gal), 48 hp.
- KTM 300XCW - 244 lbs. with fuel (2.6 gal), 50 - 51 hp.
- CRF450X - 276 lbs. with fuel (1.8 gal), 46 hp.
(Keep in mind these numbers are for stock bikes. Adding all of our guards, skid-plates, Flexx bars, GPS, HD inner tubes, etc. probably adds another 10-15 lbs)
Hmmmm, I am liking the sound of this! As a bonus, not only will I have a great off-road bike, but I will also still be able to take it to a motocross track if I so desire. Something I never would have done on the heavy 450!
Less than 12 hours later my 2009 CRF450X was sold and my search for a clean 02-07 CR began. After looking at a lot of JUNK bikes that were advertised as "Clean, Cherry, Low Hours, Like New, etc..." B.S.!! I was starting to get discouraged. I was beginning to think "no one takes care of these bikes, they are all used up!" Then I located a very clean, ~50 hour, well maintained 2004. It was in another state, and about 8 1/2 - 9 hours away. I called and spoke to the gentleman that was selling it, he is in his mid 50s and had the 250 along with a CR 125 (also in very nice shape) that he rode Vet motocross on. He recently had hip replacement surgery so was selling his bikes. His asking price was at the higher end of my budget, but from what I had seen in my search, still reasonable. Paying a few hundred dollars more for a nice, well maintained bike can save thousands down the road! I asked him that if I were willing to pay his full asking price, would he be willing to drive a little and meet me a little closer to home? He agreed, he would meet me in a town about 3 hours from where he lived. Awesome! That reduced my trip time to 6 hours each way! A date was set, meeting place arranged, now all I had to do was wait!
After waiting seemingly an eternity (3 days) for Saturday to arrive, my wife & I, and our dogs set out on our journey. It poured rain all the way there and was pouring when we pulled in the parking lot. The bike was there, on a trailer and under a cover! Out in the pouring rain, the seller an I exchanged greetings and he removed the cover, I was delighted with what I saw. He represented the bike perfectly in his ads and our phone conversations. After a very quick look-over (remember, it's pouring rain), I kicked it once and it came to life. Sounded great! Cash exchanged and paperwork completed, we loaded it up and headed back home, once again in the pouring rain. After nearly 14 hours on the road (including pee stops), we arrived safely home. I unloaded the bike, ate a very late dinner and went to bed. Exhausted!
Here is what she looked like when I got her!
Note; If you click on a picture, it will open them up in a gallery view where you can see the larger versions.
Let the fun begin!
In hindsight, I could have just ridden this bike for the next year without doing anything to it - it was in that great of shape. But, that's not me, I needed to know exactly where it stood mechanically. So, bright (but not so early) Sunday morning I headed out to the garage to inspect my new bike! About a half an hour later, this is what it looked like! Boy, I forgot how easy 2 strokes are to work on!
About 15 minutes later, the front forks and triple clamps were off too! I pulled this all apart to check and re-grease (or replace if needed) the suspension bearings. I did not find any problems and in reality, the bike could have easily gone another year before they needed to be re-greased. Everything I took apart had plenty of grease, he must have recently serviced it! In fact, the only mechanical flaw I found on the bike was a pretty twisted right radiator that I hadn't notice during my very wet once over in the parking lot. It was not leaking but there is no way I could have fitted a radiator guard on it. Everything else was obviously meticulously maintained.
I checked the compression and found it to be just a tad low. Again, it could have ran for awhile longer but might as well put a new piston and rings in it. (this is normal "Tune-Up" maintenance for a 2 stroke) I took apart the motor, the piston and cylinder bore looked great! The cylinder has no wear and the cross-hatching is still perfect and very prevalent. The bottom end (crankshaft and connecting rod) are well within specification and need no attention. The reeds showed slight signs of fraying on two of the petals, but I was planning on replacing these anyway.
Time to order parts! My build will focus on three areas;
- Restoring the bike to as near "New" condition as possible
- Improving the power delivery to make it better suited for off-road/trail riding.(will start with conservative mods)
- Personalizing to my preferences - protection, suspension/wheel upgrades (better suited to trail riding), custom graphics, and GPS.
To address item #1;
- New levers
- New throttle and clutch cables
- New seat cover
- New plastics (the ones on the bike were almost perfect, but...... this is my "New" bike!)
- New grips
- New piston and rings (OE Honda parts)
- New DID Narrow X- ring chain (std O-ring chains are too wide)
- New sprockets (13/51)
- New chain slider and guide insert
- New brake pads
- New radiator hoses (OE Honda parts)
- New radiator cap
- Send RH Radiator to Myler's to be straightened. (only $65!)
- New air filter
- New spark plug
- Replace all fluids
- Re-assemble to factory specifications
Addressing item #2 is a little more involved. The 02 - 07 CR's have soft power at the bottom of the power-band and then hit HARD in the mid-range and pull into an ungodly strong top end. This is NOT an ideal power-band for gnarly, muddy, rock and root infested single-track trails! Additionally, the jetting is very finicky and sensitive to small temp/altitude changes. (culprits are the Mikuni Carb and improper squish-band clearance) After doing extensive research I came up with a list of modifications to solve these problems;
- Pipe - the bike came with an FMF Factory series expansion chamber (W/Carbon Fiber guard!) as well as the stock one. Either should work well.
- FMF Turbine Core II Silencer/Spark Arrestor
- 10 oz flywheel weight
- V-Force reed block w/carbon fiber reeds
- Boyeson exhaust flange
- Keihin PWK Air Striker carburetor from 03 Yamaha YZ 250
- Cylinder head machining to re-set squish band clearance
- Small DIY modification to the exhaust power valve
- MX - Bonz air box modification kit.
None of the above are particularly expensive and should add up to a potent package. One of the most important things is correcting the squish-band clearance. (Honda really messed up here!) Any 2-stroke is happy with a clearance in the .040-.045 of an inch range. I measured mine and it was at .057! (the 05-07 bike are even worse at up to .087!) Correcting this is key in getting the jetting stabilized and maximizing bottom end power delivery. Lucky for me, one of the most highly recommend machine shops for doing this work is only about 5 miles from me! He turned it around in one day and did a beautiful job! Upon reassembly, my clearance now measures .043, perfect! I found a used YZ carb on Flea-Bay for a reasonable price. Saved over $100 off of the price of a new one and more importantly, the YZ carb has a Throttle Position Sensor which will work for the CR. The CR uses this for 3-D mapping of the ignition timing based upon RPM and throttle position.
Addressing item #3
- Hyde Racing plastic skid plate - fits tight and offers great protection.
- Works Connection radiator braces (no more twisted radiators!)
- Cycra hand guards and Flexx bars (off of my 450)
- Install Trail Tech Voyager GPS (also from my 450)
- 18" rear wheel (MX bikes use 19" which are prone to pinch flats off-road)
- True custom graphics (I have a design in mind that will play off of the OE ones but with a twist, as if Honda had really built a Cross Country model, (XC), of this bike for 2014)
First order of parts arrived!!
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| GOODIES!! |
18" Rear Wheel!!
Scored a BRAND NEW, 2012 CRF450X, 18" rear wheel assembly (W/ tire and sprocket) from a seller on one of the forums (ironically, he was in Gilbert, AZ about 5 miles from our old house) for a very reasonable price. He bought the CRF-X to do a street legal, Super-Moto conversion. Rode the bike around his neighborhood 3 times and pulled the dirt wheels off. Tire is still brand new, never been in the dirt!!
2003 YZ 250 carburetor
Carb I got off of Flea-Bay. Looked great on the outside but was loaded with gummy crap on the inside! That's OK, I had ordered a rebuild kit anyway. This is one key to great low end power and requires minimal jetting changes once dialed in.
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| Looked GREAT on the outside! |
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| But on the inside, YUCK!!!
As the new parts continued to trickle in, I re-assembled the bike. Cleaning, greasing, installing new parts, and torquing fasteners to factory specifications as I went. The build went smoothly and with no unexpected surprises or complications. The bike started on the second kick and
sounded extremely crisp with instant throttle response! A quick spin around the cul-de-sac confirmed she's got some grunt! I will post a "1st ride report" once I get a chance to go riding!
And now, I present my finished "2014 CR250R-XC".
(OK, so it's not really a 2014, and Honda never built an "XC" version, how about "Renewed & Improved", 2004 CR250R?)
Note; If you click on a picture, it will open them up in a gallery view where you can see the larger versions.      
The End!
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