modern 250f. Whats it cost to maintain?

motolyfe
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motolyfe
Edited Date/Time 12/4/2015 11:25am
i have a 250 2t now. I recently rode a 250f around my buddies yard and i loved it. It felt so planted and i just felt more confident with it. But my concern is cost. How much more will i be paying to maintain a 4 stroke? is it that big of a differance? how often are valve adjustments needed, and how much do most shops charge? how often would it need a rebuild? whats the cost? i dont have a huge income so if it were to blow i would never be able to fix it. is it worth it?
thanks.
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mxb2
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mxb2 1/12/2014 8:14pm
1/12/2014 8:14pm
Buy a leftover new 450f, change oil , filters, grease it , fresh tires ,chain sprockets, set up suspension.budget can help u answer your question. 250f s are fun, but not cheap.
Cola22
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Cola22 1/12/2014 8:25pm
1/12/2014 8:25pm
4 Strokes are not cheap, if you are looking into riding on a track/ racing, you'll need a constant oil change and air filter cleaning, the cost to maintain a 4 stroke engine can vary from 600- any number possible. 2 strokes are a lot cheaper man. I personally like the ride of a 4 stroke, so it is worth the extra work man.
al the dirt bike guru 1/12/2014 9:44pm
1/12/2014 9:44pm
I am doing a cost effective (cheap) top end rebuild on my 450rmz, I am looking at $1000 if I don't have to get the valve seats and guides redone. That should give you an idea on cost. Ps I don't go cheap on pistons. I could go cheaper.
motofab36
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motofab36 1/13/2014 5:24am
1/13/2014 5:24am
can you please give us a detailed list of what is going to cost you $1000 for a "cheap" top end rebuild.

The Shop

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Paw Paw 271
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Paw Paw 271 1/13/2014 7:09am
1/13/2014 7:09am
A modern 250f that is well maintained and not run on the rev limiter will give good life. If you run it on the rev limiter often or always, you will pay the price. The cost is all related to your riding style and maintenance habits.

Paw Paw
Cola22
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Cola22 1/13/2014 7:19am
1/13/2014 7:19am
Paw Paw 271 wrote:
A modern 250f that is well maintained and not run on the rev limiter will give good life. If you run it on the rev limiter...
A modern 250f that is well maintained and not run on the rev limiter will give good life. If you run it on the rev limiter often or always, you will pay the price. The cost is all related to your riding style and maintenance habits.

Paw Paw
If you race, that can take a toll.Starts in an mx race pretty much take a toll on everything.
Skerby
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Skerby 1/13/2014 8:43am
1/13/2014 8:43am
Depends on who's riding it. Fast riders are hard on bikes. nuff said.
Team Ideal
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Team Ideal 1/13/2014 7:03pm
1/13/2014 7:03pm
Anybody beside the taliban gonna give an honest answer? It really depends on what you're planning to do with it. Proper maintenance goes a long way. Take care of it and it won't cost you any more than a smoker, don't and it will definitely set you back. The last yeat my son raced a 125 he also raced a 250f. At the end of the year it there was very little difference in cost for us. BTW the guy above paying a grand for a top end rebuild is getting screwed or has absolutely no idea what he's doing.
2
bryan
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bryan 1/13/2014 10:56pm
1/13/2014 10:56pm Edited Date/Time 1/13/2014 10:57pm
250f's have never cost me any more money than a two stroke would have. My last 250f had 120ish hours and I never had to adjust the valves or rebuild (and I checked to make sure).

I don't race, but ride a lot of tracks, where I'm about mid-pack speed-wise, so I'm not abusing the bike much and was pretty good about oil and filters.
motofab36
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motofab36 1/14/2014 6:25am
1/14/2014 6:25am
Team Ideal wrote:
Anybody beside the taliban gonna give an honest answer? It really depends on what you're planning to do with it. Proper maintenance goes a long way...
Anybody beside the taliban gonna give an honest answer? It really depends on what you're planning to do with it. Proper maintenance goes a long way. Take care of it and it won't cost you any more than a smoker, don't and it will definitely set you back. The last yeat my son raced a 125 he also raced a 250f. At the end of the year it there was very little difference in cost for us. BTW the guy above paying a grand for a top end rebuild is getting screwed or has absolutely no idea what he's doing.
I agree Keith, I'm still waiting to see his parts list for the cost effective $1000 top end job.
Carlton_Fartman 1/14/2014 8:08am
1/14/2014 8:08am
All dirtbikes are money pits. People look back on 2-strokes and remember only the good stuff, like when you reminisce about your batshit-crazy ex you only remember the fun times you had.
Team Ideal
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Team Ideal 1/14/2014 10:32am
1/14/2014 10:32am
HAHA ^^^^ nailed it
mxb2
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mxb2 1/14/2014 1:01pm
1/14/2014 1:01pm
If you have to ask, you probably cant afford it lol., like price checking at a rolex dealer.
motolyfe
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motolyfe 1/16/2014 11:10pm
1/16/2014 11:10pm
Thanks guys for all the advise. Looks like im gonna be sticking with a 2 stroke for awhile haha.
Halfast816 1/17/2014 7:54am
1/17/2014 7:54am
Maintenance cost is somewhat comparable. The catastrophic failure is where the price really escalates with the four strokes. When something lets loose it usually takes out a lot of little expensive parts with it. To the tune of about twice what the cost of parts would be for the similar failure on the two stroke. If you are buying new then the four stroke is cost similar to the smoker. Buying used is like buying a hand grenade with the pin pulled it's not if, it's when it blows. Same can be said about the two stroke but the bill at the parts shop will be significantly less. I have some knowledge as I rebuild motors for young racers that got into financial trouble with their four strokes. Translation my tool box has a lot of IOU's taped to the side. They buy parts and I end up 'sponsoring' them with labor.
Halfast816 1/17/2014 8:00am
1/17/2014 8:00am
Well 250f's need valve and seat attention at about the same interval or more often than the traditional rings and piston. Rebuilds should begin with a leak down test. Head should be disassembled and checked. Depending on the time on the motor some 250's need valves and head work before they need piston and rings. Food for thought these aren't two strokes so maintenance procedures and checks differ set your schedule accordingly.
ianhendry46
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ianhendry46 1/17/2014 1:06pm
1/17/2014 1:06pm
some of these guys a either, really bad a maintenance and end up causing themselves more money or are just plain retarded. I have had several 250fs and none of them are any more to maintain then a two stroke. heck, the money you save from buying premix oil will be all the money you need to properly maintain a 250f. other than checking your valves every once in a while, there really isn't much difference in price. just like any bike, keep your air filter clean and oil changed, a bike will be just fine, because lets be honest, youre probably not going to go out and completely destroy a bike. just wash your bikes well at the end of every ride.
BAMX
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BAMX 1/17/2014 1:07pm
1/17/2014 1:07pm
I spent $900 doing the top end on my 06 crf450 if that helps. I sent the head to Tokyo Mods and had them redo everything back to OE. They used all OE parts less the special valve seats. It was ready to install when I got it. I bought the rest of the top end parts(piston, rings etc) from Motosport and did all of the labor myself. I didn't do timing chain or tensioner. You get a lot more time IMO out of a 450. However, the top end costs 4x that of a 250 2T.

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BAMX
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BAMX 1/17/2014 1:35pm
1/17/2014 1:35pm
Team Ideal wrote:
Anybody beside the taliban gonna give an honest answer? It really depends on what you're planning to do with it. Proper maintenance goes a long way...
Anybody beside the taliban gonna give an honest answer? It really depends on what you're planning to do with it. Proper maintenance goes a long way. Take care of it and it won't cost you any more than a smoker, don't and it will definitely set you back. The last yeat my son raced a 125 he also raced a 250f. At the end of the year it there was very little difference in cost for us. BTW the guy above paying a grand for a top end rebuild is getting screwed or has absolutely no idea what he's doing.
If you paid less than $1000 for a top end job, your bike didn't need it or they just slapped a piston in.Wink
StartedTooLate
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StartedTooLate 1/17/2014 5:53pm
1/17/2014 5:53pm Edited Date/Time 1/17/2014 10:01pm
I do everything but the valves (send to Millenium) and splitting cranks (I send them out to CrankWorks, or similar) myself. I have a shop, machine tools, and every precision measuring device needed, as well as most specialized dirt bike motor tools...so I can do a lot of the work myself... Used to build kart racing motors in the 90s....which is where I learned motorbuilding. These do NOT include the value of my labor....just parts.

YZ250f 5 Valve
Piston and Rings (pin, clips, CP piston, rings, gaskets, timing chain every other time) 30 hours. $350 or $12/hour
Cylinder re-plating every 75 hours $225 or $3/hour
Motor lower end (split cases, send crank out) every 150 hours $1000 $7/hour
Suspension oil and seals every 30 hours $300 $10/hour
Clutch Every 75 hours $250 $3/hour
Head Valve Job every 75 to 150 hours $800 $11/hour

I am a recreational rider. A racer who had a built motor, and runs high in the RPM band might see maintenance intervals 1/3 of this!...ie...3x the expense per hour. For me....this adds up to $46/hour. This does not include normal consumables (tires, chains, sprockets, grips, bodywork, bent radiators, filters, lubes, gas...) I also did not factor cams and buckets wearing out....so add another $10 to $5 per hour there...

It is still a lot cheaper than competitive kart racing.... That was like $400-$600 per hour to compete at the Regional/National level when you add it up. I once spent over $2K on tires alone to race two classes at a Grand National....

As noted above...the REAL expense is if you skimp on preventative scheduled maintenance (or downshift to 1st and drop the clutch) and grenade a motor. If you are on a budget...that will ruin your year.

The figure I hear quoted for Pro National/SX 250f's is $1000-$1200 per hour motor maintenance expense. This is due to the high Rs they turn to get more power....maintenance intervals are dramatically shortened.
sgrimmxdad 12/3/2015 4:29am
12/3/2015 4:29am
Halfast816 wrote:
Maintenance cost is somewhat comparable. The catastrophic failure is where the price really escalates with the four strokes. When something lets loose it usually takes out...
Maintenance cost is somewhat comparable. The catastrophic failure is where the price really escalates with the four strokes. When something lets loose it usually takes out a lot of little expensive parts with it. To the tune of about twice what the cost of parts would be for the similar failure on the two stroke. If you are buying new then the four stroke is cost similar to the smoker. Buying used is like buying a hand grenade with the pin pulled it's not if, it's when it blows. Same can be said about the two stroke but the bill at the parts shop will be significantly less. I have some knowledge as I rebuild motors for young racers that got into financial trouble with their four strokes. Translation my tool box has a lot of IOU's taped to the side. They buy parts and I end up 'sponsoring' them with labor.
What he said! We have ran both, properly maintained there isn't that much difference unless it grenades as he said... I am a maintenance freak so....
sgrimmxdad 12/3/2015 4:49am
12/3/2015 4:49am
StartedTooLate wrote:
I do everything but the valves (send to Millenium) and splitting cranks (I send them out to CrankWorks, or similar) myself. I have a shop, machine...
I do everything but the valves (send to Millenium) and splitting cranks (I send them out to CrankWorks, or similar) myself. I have a shop, machine tools, and every precision measuring device needed, as well as most specialized dirt bike motor tools...so I can do a lot of the work myself... Used to build kart racing motors in the 90s....which is where I learned motorbuilding. These do NOT include the value of my labor....just parts.

YZ250f 5 Valve
Piston and Rings (pin, clips, CP piston, rings, gaskets, timing chain every other time) 30 hours. $350 or $12/hour
Cylinder re-plating every 75 hours $225 or $3/hour
Motor lower end (split cases, send crank out) every 150 hours $1000 $7/hour
Suspension oil and seals every 30 hours $300 $10/hour
Clutch Every 75 hours $250 $3/hour
Head Valve Job every 75 to 150 hours $800 $11/hour

I am a recreational rider. A racer who had a built motor, and runs high in the RPM band might see maintenance intervals 1/3 of this!...ie...3x the expense per hour. For me....this adds up to $46/hour. This does not include normal consumables (tires, chains, sprockets, grips, bodywork, bent radiators, filters, lubes, gas...) I also did not factor cams and buckets wearing out....so add another $10 to $5 per hour there...

It is still a lot cheaper than competitive kart racing.... That was like $400-$600 per hour to compete at the Regional/National level when you add it up. I once spent over $2K on tires alone to race two classes at a Grand National....

As noted above...the REAL expense is if you skimp on preventative scheduled maintenance (or downshift to 1st and drop the clutch) and grenade a motor. If you are on a budget...that will ruin your year.

The figure I hear quoted for Pro National/SX 250f's is $1000-$1200 per hour motor maintenance expense. This is due to the high Rs they turn to get more power....maintenance intervals are dramatically shortened.
For comparison, my son is a C class rider. We redid his 15 yz250f top end at 57-58 hours. I have taught him to stay off the limiter as much as possible, I see so many kids just popping it for no reason but to sound cool. By the looks of it we could have gotten, IMO 100 hrs out of. Valves were checked every 15-25 hrs. Air filter changed every ride. Oil changed every 2hrs, and oil filter every other oil change. Plan to do the entire engine around120-130.

I have a seen a 13 yz250f C class kid go 160 plus on the engine. Maintained religiously, valves checked every 25 hrs. He just traded on a 16 and it runs great, never had a piston....

murph783
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murph783 12/3/2015 8:52am
12/3/2015 8:52am
I've got a 2014 YZ250f, so far all I've done was a piston and rings at 25 hours. I mean I also do all the suspension rebuilds on a pretty tight interval schedule, as well as other wear parts (oil, air filters, chain and sprockets), but that's not 4 stroke specific. Checked all the valves and everything was still in spec when I did the top end at 30 hours. I plan on doing the same this winter; Piston, rings, check and adjust valves if needed, and I'll do a cam chain this time as I'm around 50 hours. If you're fairly mechanically inclined and conscious of taking care of your bike, they'll all hold together.
murph783
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murph783 12/3/2015 8:54am
12/3/2015 8:54am
Actually come to think of it; it's cheaper to get an oem piston, rings, and gaskets for my 250f; than it is to get the same for my YZ250 2 stroke. Just food for thought I suppose, I think it's $110 vs about $170 so not a huge difference
FGR01
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FGR01 12/3/2015 11:16am
12/3/2015 11:16am
yeah, get a 450F, stay off the rev limiter, change the oil/filter religiously, and never let dirt get past the air filter and you can go a very long time with no maintenance. On my 2007 CRF450, I rode it from aug-2006 until Jan-2013, including many races. In that time I did one piston/rings. I checked the valves many times but never had to re-shim them. It was still on the stock clutch and everything measured in spec and worked perfect. Try going 7 years on a 2-stroke with only 1 piston change.

For the guys dumping tons of money into head work getting new seats and guides installed, sometimes you're better off buying a new OEM head or a reconditioned one. Especially for Hondas as the head price is somewhat reasonable.
xnationalwrench 12/3/2015 3:00pm
12/3/2015 3:00pm
Carlton_Fartman wrote:
All dirtbikes are money pits. People look back on 2-strokes and remember only the good stuff, like when you reminisce about your batshit-crazy ex you only...
All dirtbikes are money pits. People look back on 2-strokes and remember only the good stuff, like when you reminisce about your batshit-crazy ex you only remember the fun times you had.
I never forget the EX I still have the scars .
HardTaco
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HardTaco 12/3/2015 3:29pm
12/3/2015 3:29pm
I put 130 hours on a 14 YZ250F running A class Hare Scrambles and Enduros, and I only practice on moto tracks. Fresh No toil filter every time it needs one, rotella T oil every 5 hours, oil filter every 10. I'm about 200 lbs and not easy on the throttle. Only had one valve move and since I shimmed it, nothing has budged. I just replaced the piston and cylinder with a big bore and the stock stuff still looked good. Another thing I think people are missing is to run quality fuel. Minimum of non ethanol 93.

I personally believe 250F's get a bad name because the people who mainly ride them are beginners who don't follow proper maintenance schedules or someone riding on mom and dads dime, wringing the piss out of it.

With all that being said, I'm going to a 450 pretty soon if I cant squeeze some more ponies out of the 250f reliably.

Josh
r.sal923
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r.sal923 12/3/2015 4:58pm
12/3/2015 4:58pm
Get a 450, change oil every 3 hrs . Change filter every ride . Ride it for 30 hrs , sell it and get a new one. it makes more sense to loose 1000$ when you sell the bike than to put a new top end in it. This way you end up with a fresh bike every year and not a fresh top end and a clapped out bike
Kenny Boy
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Kenny Boy 12/3/2015 11:51pm
12/3/2015 11:51pm Edited Date/Time 12/3/2015 11:54pm
r.sal923 wrote:
Get a 450, change oil every 3 hrs . Change filter every ride . Ride it for 30 hrs , sell it and get a new...
Get a 450, change oil every 3 hrs . Change filter every ride . Ride it for 30 hrs , sell it and get a new one. it makes more sense to loose 1000$ when you sell the bike than to put a new top end in it. This way you end up with a fresh bike every year and not a fresh top end and a clapped out bike
30 hours of riding for $1000 lol you are crazy. I would rather ride a scooter, with a fat wallet.


When i was a teen i would need a new bike every week if that was the case.
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r.sal923
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r.sal923 12/4/2015 6:08am
12/4/2015 6:08am
r.sal923 wrote:
Get a 450, change oil every 3 hrs . Change filter every ride . Ride it for 30 hrs , sell it and get a new...
Get a 450, change oil every 3 hrs . Change filter every ride . Ride it for 30 hrs , sell it and get a new one. it makes more sense to loose 1000$ when you sell the bike than to put a new top end in it. This way you end up with a fresh bike every year and not a fresh top end and a clapped out bike
Kenny Boy wrote:
30 hours of riding for $1000 lol you are crazy. I would rather ride a scooter, with a fat wallet. When i was a teen i...
30 hours of riding for $1000 lol you are crazy. I would rather ride a scooter, with a fat wallet.


When i was a teen i would need a new bike every week if that was the case.
"Al the dirt bike guru" said 1000$ for a top end not me

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