Posts
40
Joined
3/8/2013
Location
Boonton, NJ
US
ken.milesky
3/8/2013 7:49pm
3/8/2013 7:49pm
Edited Date/Time
3/12/2013 7:29pm
I have quite the debacle on my mind that i could really use some constructive help. ive been talking to dealers, friends, people at the international motorcycle show....seemingly everyone and their grandfather has been asked. But please read the whole thing before just shooting a reply because you have one or the other. I really need an outside to put themselves in my shoes and see what they would honestly do.
I'm 25 6'5 230 pounds been racing since I was 10 yrs old I stopped at the end of high school because of a close friends paralysis. I still owned a bike and still rode a lot but because of college it wasnt as much as i would like I had a 125 then moved to the 250f. I still own the 2004 250f and boy can I ride the shit out of it. I bought it from a pro who had it as his practice bike and i think it must be cammed out or something because any other bike i ride its nit and day the power difference. butttt Is starting to degrade and the amount of time I put into fixing things is not comparable to the amount of time I ride. I'm emotionally attached to this this because of everything I went through with it. My 125 got stolen so I went out the next day and bought a 2004 250f on eBay Because I needed the comfort of having a bike. A year or so later I wrecked it while scrubbing and destroyed my forks. Bought used forks off of eBay because I was a college kid and had no money especially after dumping 2200! The forks that came were faulty and I felt bad returning them so I tore them down and tried to figure out why they didn't work. Well I pretty much learned how to tear forks down really fast and put them back together and that was it! So I bought another pair of used forks. These ones worked though. This 2nd pair of forks was purchased in 2010 while the crash was in 2007 so I was tinkering with those forks for a long time! I have a picture where the bike sits there with no front end. Sad. So I get these forks on take it to the track and because the forks were fucked up prior it damaged the front bearing. Guess what happened when I went through the whoops section? Bearing exploded. Tire flopped side ways. I get the bearing fixed. The rear suspensions seizes. I swap the rear and apply a thing called GREASE and then the awesome running bike starts running lean. (Well its popping could be a number of things valves, carb...) there's still a few little things that need to be ironed out other then getting that baby purring again but I was thinking heyyyy while I fix the issue and its apart I might as well throw in a new piston rings and gasket and heyyyyy why not a big bore kit!? After all the time I've spent with it trying to get it to prime time again I'm starting to think whats next!? Now it's 2013 we have FI and air shocks and adjustable foot pegs and things that I would not have to worry about when I'm on the track a bike that feels lighter and nimbler etc etc. I sigh before I say this but should I spend the time and lesser amount of money to do the big bore and adjust the valves ? Lazy practical me says "your working now and are spinning your wheels wasting time fixing this bike that is considered old now". I want something faster though but feel like a new 450 would make me want to race and I fear ending up like my friend. Im a fast rider on a 250f and my skill level is up to par with that speed on my 250f (my cardio is not) hence why I said I could ride the shit out of my 250f. I'm 6'5 230 though and that's a lot of weight for a 250f I feel like someone my size need to be on a 450 but with my speed and cardio I feel like it would be dangerous as the skill level on a 450 would also be degraded a bit. I'm paying off loans now but I'm getting older and my friends just bought new 450s and we are riding tracks more and more And eventually I want to do a race or two because well that's why I did all of the above....it's in my blood I have to. Can some one please help me with some in sight or prior experience because the warm weather is soon to be here and well I'm about to have a nervous breakdown because I don't know what to do hahah!
I'm 25 6'5 230 pounds been racing since I was 10 yrs old I stopped at the end of high school because of a close friends paralysis. I still owned a bike and still rode a lot but because of college it wasnt as much as i would like I had a 125 then moved to the 250f. I still own the 2004 250f and boy can I ride the shit out of it. I bought it from a pro who had it as his practice bike and i think it must be cammed out or something because any other bike i ride its nit and day the power difference. butttt Is starting to degrade and the amount of time I put into fixing things is not comparable to the amount of time I ride. I'm emotionally attached to this this because of everything I went through with it. My 125 got stolen so I went out the next day and bought a 2004 250f on eBay Because I needed the comfort of having a bike. A year or so later I wrecked it while scrubbing and destroyed my forks. Bought used forks off of eBay because I was a college kid and had no money especially after dumping 2200! The forks that came were faulty and I felt bad returning them so I tore them down and tried to figure out why they didn't work. Well I pretty much learned how to tear forks down really fast and put them back together and that was it! So I bought another pair of used forks. These ones worked though. This 2nd pair of forks was purchased in 2010 while the crash was in 2007 so I was tinkering with those forks for a long time! I have a picture where the bike sits there with no front end. Sad. So I get these forks on take it to the track and because the forks were fucked up prior it damaged the front bearing. Guess what happened when I went through the whoops section? Bearing exploded. Tire flopped side ways. I get the bearing fixed. The rear suspensions seizes. I swap the rear and apply a thing called GREASE and then the awesome running bike starts running lean. (Well its popping could be a number of things valves, carb...) there's still a few little things that need to be ironed out other then getting that baby purring again but I was thinking heyyyy while I fix the issue and its apart I might as well throw in a new piston rings and gasket and heyyyyy why not a big bore kit!? After all the time I've spent with it trying to get it to prime time again I'm starting to think whats next!? Now it's 2013 we have FI and air shocks and adjustable foot pegs and things that I would not have to worry about when I'm on the track a bike that feels lighter and nimbler etc etc. I sigh before I say this but should I spend the time and lesser amount of money to do the big bore and adjust the valves ? Lazy practical me says "your working now and are spinning your wheels wasting time fixing this bike that is considered old now". I want something faster though but feel like a new 450 would make me want to race and I fear ending up like my friend. Im a fast rider on a 250f and my skill level is up to par with that speed on my 250f (my cardio is not) hence why I said I could ride the shit out of my 250f. I'm 6'5 230 though and that's a lot of weight for a 250f I feel like someone my size need to be on a 450 but with my speed and cardio I feel like it would be dangerous as the skill level on a 450 would also be degraded a bit. I'm paying off loans now but I'm getting older and my friends just bought new 450s and we are riding tracks more and more And eventually I want to do a race or two because well that's why I did all of the above....it's in my blood I have to. Can some one please help me with some in sight or prior experience because the warm weather is soon to be here and well I'm about to have a nervous breakdown because I don't know what to do hahah!
1) Your bike is popping is more than likely due to the muffler having little to no packing. When was the last time you repacked it?
2) If money is an issue go the 290 route but if you can afford it a 450 would be sweet.
If you can afford it, sell the 250F and get a 450. Even a lightly used 450. They are way less maintenance intensive than a 250F. You'll spend less money in the long run if you plan on riding for several more years.
Money isn't reallly the issue it's my safety vs convenience vs upgrade/progress
The Shop
Either way you can't go wrong, you need to be on a 450.
Pit Row
But to each his own.
Dak yeah I'm sure the kawi handles well too but I know from experience that it handled like a dream. You can even see it in videos when they gas it the rear doesn't hop it stays straight when is some kawi that rear wheel breaks loose a lot and hops that might be because of the power curve the way it hits hard from the bottom or track conditions what have you but still...
Any one on the rear and front end steering differences for the bikes? They claim that kawi is a rear end steering bike and the zook is a front end steerer?
Post a reply to: New 450f kawi or 2013 Suzuki 450?