New FZR250

[numbersixteen16]

Hey, just picked up a 1989 3ln FZR250 in the weekend. Cant stop thinking about riding.. Its very tidy, and in great mechanical order.

Just a few questions though:

The bike is completely standard, but i eventually want to put an aftermarket exhaust (preferably a shorty) on, do you need to re-jet the bike afterwards? I was hoping to find a system that you didn't have to, so I could chop and change between standard and aftermarket exhausts as I pleased.

Does the facelift fzr light/windscreen bolt straight onto the preface-lift models?

Anyone know of a really good place for work to be done? Like someone who knows fzrs really well? (Auckland)

Which gas station has the best 91 available? Ive always just used BP

Any mods people have discovered over the years that can really improve the bike? (ie. Upgrading to braided brake hoses)

The idea is that I want a bike I can customize into something slightly more racey, but then place all the standard stuff back onto it.

[White trash]

I've got a shitload of parts for one of them if you need anything.

[F5 Dave]

If there's anything that sounds particularly dreadful its a noisy small capacity 4cyl. I'm not knocking your bike, just saying it won't sound fruity but with a million revs sounds like you are doing a million at city speeds & will attract police attn. I'd keep your money & std system.

Best thing to do is learn how to pull the brake callipers off & pump out the pistons for cleaning as they seize & cause lame braking.

You original cable/s to Alert eng up in Aucks buys braided cable with DOT mark. Yam original cables don't last & get very squishy. You can get rubber cables made up various places too.

I'd spend money on decent tyres & maybe stiffer fork springs (yams of that era were always soft & cause a heap of dive during braking esp).

[SMOKEU]

If you put a noisy pipe on then you should rejet the carbs. You should also run it on 95 octane petrol instead of 91. Try to spend as little money on it as possible (with the exception of maintenance) as you'll probably want to upgrade to a bigger bike soon enough and the 250cc road bike market is about to fall apart so keep that in mind before you lose too much money.

[tigertim20]

Im with F5dave.
really not worth the time and expense for the minimal (if any) horsepower gains. enjoy the bike, and save the 'upgrade' money as funds towards an upgrade to a 600 later on

[nzspokes]

Come out to Sass and show it off.

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php/117274-South-Auckland-Street-Skills?highlight=sass

[numbersixteen16]

Was also wondering on how these bikes like to be ridden, any tips for better fuel efficiency, faster cornering, how to accelerate from standstill quickly etc.

Any tips at all are appreciated.

[FJRider]

If you put a noisy pipe on then you should rejet the carbs. You should also run it on 95 octane petrol instead of 91. Try to spend as little money on it as possible (with the exception of maintenance) as you'll probably want to upgrade to a bigger bike soon enough and the 250cc road bike market is about to fall apart so keep that in mind before you lose too much money.

Stop making sense ... otherwise people will start forming a good opinion of you ... can't have that ... :eek:

[FJRider]

Was also wondering on how these bikes like to be ridden, any tips for better fuel efficiency, faster cornering, how to accelerate from standstill quickly etc.

Any tips at all are appreciated.

If as I understand ... they are 4 cylinder 4 strokes ... and will red-line at 18,000 odd RPM ...

To get horsepower ... you need rev's. At or below 6,ooo RPM will give you a dog to ride.

The downside to rev's is the more fuel you use in lower gears. Simply put ... if no gain is made/wanted (ie:higher speed) ... use the higher gears. Fuel consumption will be reduced.

Over time you will find how much can be saved. And if it is actually worth the effort.

Those other things ... do a rider training course ... FIRST ...

[numbersixteen16]

If you put a noisy pipe on then you should rejet the carbs. You should also run it on 95 octane petrol instead of 91. Try to spend as little money on it as possible (with the exception of maintenance) as you'll probably want to upgrade to a bigger bike soon enough and the 250cc road bike market is about to fall apart so keep that in mind before you lose too much money.

I thought anything above 91 wouldnt run well in the bike? Apparently it will change the moment the fuel ignites, and with a high revving bike would ruin the timing?

[sil3nt]

I thought anything above 91 wouldnt run well in the bike? Apparently it will change the moment the fuel ignites, and with a high revving bike would ruin the timing?Get a manual and use what it says. My bet is 91 would work best.

[mossy1200]

if its exup model then can wont change alot so tuning should be ok.If its pre exup open muffler will make it lean so drop hp unless rejet to suit or you just move power around sacrificing 2 hp in the middle to get one at the top etc.Idd run 95-98 as fzr will pink on 91 at least the big ones did anyway.

Little bike with good low mid and top end played with equals little bike with poor low mid and (slightly)better top but it feels grunty at top because the difference from poor mid to (slightly)better top is bigger than the difference from good mid to good top end.

Loud little fzr just bad sound that gets everyone upset and gives you headaches on the open road.Better to spend cash on light weight chain and sprocket set,good tyres and goood quality oil changes.

[numbersixteen16]

if its exup model then can wont change alot so tuning should be ok.If its pre exup open muffler will make it lean so drop hp unless rejet to suit or you just move power around sacrificing 2 hp in the middle to get one at the top etc.Idd run 95-98 as fzr will pink on 91 at least the big ones did anyway.

Little bike with good low mid and top end played with equals little bike with poor low mid and (slightly)better top but it feels grunty at top because the difference from poor mid to (slightly)better top is bigger than the difference from good mid to good top end.

Loud little fzr just bad sound that gets everyone upset and gives you headaches on the open road.Better to spend cash on light weight chain and sprocket set,good tyres and goood quality oil changes.

Its an exup model, so what sort of muffler could it run without a tune? Could I have a free flowing exhaust almost without any backpressure? Or do I need one that replicates standard?

ps. I only plan on making the bike louder for things like track days/ sport rides. For normal commuting I want to be able to place standard item back on.

[tigertim20]

I thought anything above 91 wouldnt run well in the bike? Apparently it will change the moment the fuel ignites, and with a high revving bike would ruin the timing?
the manual (if you can find one that isnt written in pidgin chinglish) will probably say to run 91 in it. however many people have pointed out that the quality of our fuel is much lower than most of the rest of the world. I ran 98, 95 and 91 in my FZr 250 when i had it, never noticed any difference whatsoever in the whole time I had it. try out either, and see if you think it feels any different

Was also wondering on how these bikes like to be ridden, any tips for better fuel efficiency, faster cornering, how to accelerate from standstill quickly etc.

Any tips at all are appreciated.
for fuel efficiency, regular oil, filter and plug changes. Unless you have service receipts saying its been done recently, Id suggest an oil and filter change, along with a new (or cleaned) air filter, and a new set of plugs. these are fairly economical anyway if you ride them sedately - but you wont want to do that.

As for cornering faster -TIME. do as many KMs as possible, and dont try to push yourself to far to fast. You will learn in time. having suspension that is in good condition, tyres that are well matched, in good condition (not pancaked, have good tread) have a nice shape, are sticky, and inflated to the correct pressures. You could get all wanky and check the steering head bearings too.

accelerating quickly? - turn the throttle man!

as for how they like to be ridden, they are a small engine, with a low rotating mass. they like (and need) to be revved to make power. how to ride it? - ride it like youd ride that girl in your class everyone wants to fuck, fast, hard and rough, with little or no thought to her feelings or the consequences and focus entirely on having a great time you can brag about to your mates afterwards.

[mossy1200]

Its an exup model, so what sort of muffler could it run without a tune? Could I have a free flowing exhaust almost without any backpressure? Or do I need one that replicates standard?

ps. I only plan on making the bike louder for things like track days/ sport rides. For normal commuting I want to be able to place standard item back on.


Most after markets will be ok as long as pipe size is same as your original intake.Dont forget noise restrictions on track at 95 dec so dont delib go make it as loud as possible.
If its track work your after make it handle well (suspension) and grip well (tyres).

[Tigadee]

...& maybe stiffer fork springs (yams of that era were always soft & cause a heap of dive during braking esp).


You should also run it on 95 octane petrol instead of 91.

Very true... :yes:

I have the FZX250 Zeal which uses a detuned FZR250 engine. I had George from Motorcycle Doctors put in 15WT fork oil and just that reduced the diving a lot.

Also, the bike is twitchy on 91, and much smoother on 98. On 91, a small twist of the throttle jerks it forward, while on 98 it smoothly accelerates.

[Juzz976]

There's no replacement for displacement :msn-wink:

[numbersixteen16]

Thanks to all, another question though:
Who is a great person to take the bike to, to get work done on it? (North shore/Rodney area if possible). Hopefully I can find someone who knows these bikes inside and out.

[SMOKEU]

There's no replacement for displacement :msn-wink:

That must be why most 1200cc Harleys put out less power than a fast 600.

[tigertim20]

Thanks to all, another question though:
Who is a great person to take the bike to, to get work done on it? (North shore/Rodney area if possible). Hopefully I can find someone who knows these bikes inside and out.
these bikes have been around, and been getting worked on forever, any bike shop with a decent reputation will be fine, - its not a Panigale!

That must be why most 1200cc Harleys put out less power than a fast 600.

heh, I have a video of a drag race at a legal event
2008 1600 Harley with a custom solid rear end conversion and a 50 shot of Nos
VS
1991 CBR 600, bog stock, with 140,000km on the clock.

The CBR won.

But theyre totally different bikes for totally different purposes, I dont get why people wank on about 'my bike is faster' - if someone can afford to buy a 2008 harley, then they have MORE than enough money to by a late model thou if going fast is what they wanted to acheive.

Horses for courses, your choices dont always suit everyone elses tastes.

[Juzz976]

That must be why most 1200cc Harleys put out less power than a fast 600.

:niceone: Apples with apples n all.

[GrayWolf]

I thought anything above 91 wouldnt run well in the bike? Apparently it will change the moment the fuel ignites, and with a high revving bike would ruin the timing?


Get a manual and use what it says. My bet is 91 would work best.

in other countries I'd agree, but the rodent urine for petrol they send us is quite high in aromatic content, when compared to the rest of the world. It's a high revving high performance (250) bike, I would'nt/dont use 91 in any of my vehicles to be honest (and yearly minimum is 20,000ks). So using 95 is highly unlikely to have an adverse effect on the bike, at worst my guess is you may need to alter the grade of plug you are using if you were going to be 100% pendantic.

[speedpro]

My bucket chassis is a 3LN. I've put cartridge emulators in the front forks and the change was well worth it. If you are looking at track days it will be a worthwhile mod. Give Robert Taylor a call.
Your bike may be in good condition but it is still an old 250/4. Leave it alone and just enjoy the ride. Spend the money buying your next bike.

[ducatilover]

Don't do the muffler, you'll need to set the carbs up right (to do it right, it's not just the main jets) and you'll lose what small amount of below 10,000rpm power it has.

Get the forks done, new seals/bushes/fluid.
Re-kit your brakes, seals, lines, fluid and clean the brake pistons/replace if needed.
Get some nice rubber on it and set the rear shock up.

The above will make it and you faster than a silly loud pipe.

As for getting a 250 off the line fast, slipping the clutch and a shit load of revs, not worth it.
Going faster around corners? Don't worry about that part, practice smooth lines and body/head positioning, that'll make you faster than trying to go fast.

Get some riding training or contact a mentor on here and you'll be right!
Have fun, the FZR is a cool little bike.