Best MX 250 2Stroke ?

[DirtMad]

Out of the modern 2 stroke MX bikes : RM250 , KX250 , CR250 , YZ250 is there a stand-out performer or are they pretty much all similar ... ? For various uses, whether the track or fanging out the forest or farm :bleh: Would really appreciate some opinions about the good the bad and the ugly :eek5:

[Danger]

Well I have not ridden any of them due to a broken hand which I'm just recovering from, but I have read enough good stuff about the '05 RM250 to buy one for myself. Sean Clarke rode one to a New Zealand Enduro Championship on what was a basically stock bike, Ricky Carmichael won the US AMA Super X series on one, and all the magazines have nothing but good things to say about the suspension, handling and the motor. Lots of bottom and midrange for off road type riding, which I will be using it for. The Showa suspension is the best available on any stock bike. So I bought one. There still might be some available in the shops and they are like 3-4k cheaper than the Yamaha's.

[DirtMad]

Is it true that there can be a crazy difference between years even though the bike is not a "Facelift" shape. Is a `04 RM250 alot different etc..?
Is an `01 cr250 better than an `02 ?

[XTC]

Is it true that there can be a crazy difference between years even though the bike is not a "Facelift" shape. Is a `04 RM250 alot different etc..?
Is an `01 cr250 better than an `02 ?
The magazines would have you believe that each new model is so much faster and handles so much better than the one it replaces but the sad truth is that a really good rider on a 10 year old MX bike will kick the arse of an average rider on a new MX bike.

[NordieBoy]

The magazines would have you believe that each new model is so much faster and handles so much better than the one it replaces but the sad truth is that a really good rider on a 10 year old MX bike will kick the arse of an average rider on a new MX bike.
It's fun seeing peoples faces when they find out they have just been beaten by a CZ400 from the early 70's.
Or the look when they find that the bike that stuck behind them for the whole race was a '79 XR200 :D

A really good rider is a joy to watch :)

[WRT]

Of the guys I regularly ride with, there is an '01 CR250 (mine), '00 YZ250, '95~ish KX250 and a '93 WR250. Of all four, the CR is noticibly lighter than any of the others (even the YZ), and has a slight power edge too. All of them have some mods over standard (mostly in the form of pipes), hard to tell how much of an impact this has.

I had a good look around when buying mine, test rode heaps, RM's and the like included, and also some of the 400's (YZF's and WR's). At the end of the day, I went with the CR because I got it at a good price from a guy who I know (thru friend of a friend sort of thing) had looked after it.

My recommendation would be to not pay too much attention to what make or model to go for, all the later model 250's will be close enough in terms of performance that it wont matter which brand you decide on. Instead, make sure that you get a well looked after bike, thats the key.

And FWIW, XTC is right - the fastest rider in our group is on the KX . . . despite me having the "best" bike in the bunch, he's well capable of leaving me in his dust. As is a guy on a DRZ-400 (complete with headlights and all) we rode with one weekend, we nicknamed his bike "the tractor", he had less power and more weight, but he was still damn fast . . .

[Brian d marge]

I have a franken CR ,,,,bits from every year ,,buy them cheap when I can The early 90 Rm susuki got the valving right ....Honda Suspension was crap ...they had it sorted by the 01 ,,( but the frame was I problem I think)

The probably the best thing ,,,is to have a good long hard look at your riding skills ...I f you are anything like me ,,,and thought you were the next best thing to rossi,,,only to have a 12 yr old shout at you for going to slow !!!!!:crybaby:,,,it is the Rider ....and ride fitness that makes the fast ,,guys ....

So 90 percent rider.... 10 0r even 5 percent bike IMHO buy an older CR or RM ,,( try to get ones before the plated barrel ,,,as when you run crap oil or ger sand in the engine ,,,its very fixable CHEAPLY ,,,,,)

The only thing about the older bikes is that they are larger and slightly heavier and look dated ........and _ ( see thread about 2 stroke 4 stroke ) the 4 strokes get the drive out of the corners ,,,,,better than my franken CR ....

Then with a bike that is cheap to run ,,,,,and has a resale value of what u paid 4 it ...ie you will get that money back .....

you can ride like you stole it .....and if it goes pear shaped ,,,who cares as its cheap to fix ....
I just blew the crank on my cr ,,,as the wheel was spinning in the mud and I had it pinned ,,,( I was having wayyyyy to much fun to back the throttle off)


Finally with the 4k you have now saved ...you can afford to attend race meetings ,,and even look semi pro ,,,,,

Stephen

Failing that my preference would be for the CR ,,2 stroke of as WR said the 01 vintage .....but with a 96 motor in it ..( rare as hens teeth cos they were good )

[**R1**]

You didnt include the good ones in ya question, like KTM SX250, Husky WR250, or if its power you are after forget the 250's and go for the KTM300.

[WRT]

What are the KTM's like? Have heard mixed reports about them, from what I've heard the good ones are REALLY good, but there are too many that are just lemons and keep breaking down all the time. Anyone able to confirm or deny?

[cheese]

From What i was told, anything pre 01 in the KTM's are poo.

[NordieBoy]

You didnt include the good ones in ya question, like KTM SX250, Husky WR250, or if its power you are after forget the 250's and go for the KTM300.
The beastie to go for would be the KTM380 2-smoke :D:D:D

[crazyxr250rider]

RM250 bike of the year. my cousins one is a breeze to ride and very fast beat a CRF450 in the bush with ease spose its up to the rider though.............
I say RM250K5-6 is your best bet or mabey a 300 katomer(ktm) :niceone:

[clint640]

What are the KTM's like? Have heard mixed reports about them, from what I've heard the good ones are REALLY good, but there are too many that are just lemons and keep breaking down all the time. Anyone able to confirm or deny?

Like all the new breed of lightweight 4 strokes the KTMs need a fair bit of expensive looking after. The 2 strokes however are much cheaper to run, I have several mates with 2s KTMs who have all had a really good run, & they are guys that use them pretty hard too. I love the standard of engineering on them. Riding my bro's 250SX & seeing how well put together it was, was a big factor in buying the 640. I was at the factory in Austria earlier this month was told that KTM are still putting a lot of development into the 2s's, there'll be an e-start 300EXC coming out soon.

Cheers
Clint

[denill]

The probably the best thing ,,,is to have a good long hard look at your riding skills ...I f you are anything like me ,,,and thought you were the next best thing to rossi,,,only to have a 12 yr old shout at you for going to slow !!!!!:crybaby:,,,it is the Rider ....and ride fitness that makes the fast ,,guys ....


Yes, yes and yes.
The best way to become a better rider is to ride LOTS...............
Fitness AND skills will then develop.................

BTW If you are riding a KTM EXC300 and find that you need more power - you are good.............

[Henk]

If you are going to be doing mostly trail rides and forestry riding don't get an MX bike, get an enduro bike. The EXC KTMs and the gasgas two strokes are all pretty good. MX bikes just don't seem to work that well in the bush. The exception to this may be the 05 RM250 from what I have heard.