150sx to 250f

maxamillion 125
Edited Date/Time 11/17/2014 8:04am
Hey guys I'm just wanting to hear your opinions on going from a 150sx to a 14/15 250f. Has anybody rode both bikes? I'm starting to hate the wp forks after riding other bikes I'm realizing how harsh they actually are, even after tuning. I've never owned a 4 stroke, been riding 4 years and I race B class.
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JB479
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JB479 11/2/2014 10:14pm
11/2/2014 10:14pm
If you were good at riding your 150, the chances are you will be faster riding a 250f. They are a lot easier to ride after you get the hang of riding a 4 stroke. A 250 4 stroke will feel a bit heavier then your 150, even just sitting on them, you will notice a significant difference in weight.

If your after a bike with good suspension, i would recommend the 14/15 yz250f, the KYB forks are unreal and even better after their tuned/revalved to your preference.

But you can't really go wrong with a new 14/15 4 stroke, their all really good bikes and if your worried about reliability.These days their all good as long as you keep your maintenance up.

4 stroke's aren't really that more expensive to own, unless your ride the limiter like most kids do these days, which i just don't see the point at all, its embarrassing. (thats another story!)

maxamillion 125 11/3/2014 6:15am
11/3/2014 6:15am
JB479 thanks for the info. When you say easier to ride do you mean the suspension is just that much better then KTM's or is the tractability and power that much better? Will the transition be pretty easy? I've only ever rode 125 and 150's. Constant shifting, clutching every corner is like a habit now.
Dias374
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Dias374 11/3/2014 10:30am
11/3/2014 10:30am
The tractability will be the the biggest difference. The motor will definitely be more powerful and let you clear obstacles out of a corner that you either could not do or have to really keep momentum outside of a turn on your 150. The easier to ride part comes from being more powerful, you don't have to try as hard to make it go fast. I will say though, that as a pure fun factor the 150 is better. If you plan to keep racing seriously though you will be at a disadvantage without a four stroke.
171motocross 11/3/2014 12:58pm
11/3/2014 12:58pm
Dias374 wrote:
The tractability will be the the biggest difference. The motor will definitely be more powerful and let you clear obstacles out of a corner that you...
The tractability will be the the biggest difference. The motor will definitely be more powerful and let you clear obstacles out of a corner that you either could not do or have to really keep momentum outside of a turn on your 150. The easier to ride part comes from being more powerful, you don't have to try as hard to make it go fast. I will say though, that as a pure fun factor the 150 is better. If you plan to keep racing seriously though you will be at a disadvantage without a four stroke.





BAHAHAHA a "disadvantage"

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resetjet
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resetjet 11/4/2014 5:33am
11/4/2014 5:33am
kailub is a boss. I just don't see how these guys can go that speed day in and day out and not have a career ending get off. All those roots, rocks, trees, and just alot of stuff out of the riders control. Just plain nuts.
maxamillion 125 11/4/2014 10:34am
11/4/2014 10:34am
Thanks for the help guys, anyone else have seat time on both a small bore 2stroke and a newer 250f?
newmann
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newmann 11/4/2014 11:22am
11/4/2014 11:22am
I went from a 125 to a 250F back in 2000 when the YZ250F first came out. It was pretty mind boggling that those two bikes were supposed to be in the same class. The new 250F's are way better than the original YZF. Instead of having a usable power spread of about 2000 rpms, you will have about 6000 rpms of usable power to get you around.

About those KTM forks, I had MX Tech revalve mine, DLC coat and install a huck valve in one of them. Pretty amazing stuff at how smooth they are through the chop. My fat ass still bottoms them but I haven't spent much time on the bike let alone make any adjustments to them other than two clicks out on comp from when they were delivered. Good stuff.

My only recommendation for a 250F.....don't buy used!
thorns
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thorns 11/4/2014 11:50am
11/4/2014 11:50am
If its just the suspension that you don't like, have you thought about going down the Ohlins route?

Got to ride a KTM 450 last night with Ohlins cartridges in the forks, man was that nice, not even properly setup yet, but amazing through the chop. Jumping back onto my KX was like riding a jackhammer in comparison. Only bad thing is now I want the ohlins stuff myself, but can no way afford that luxury!
maxamillion 125 11/5/2014 6:12am
11/5/2014 6:12am
thorns wrote:
If its just the suspension that you don't like, have you thought about going down the Ohlins route? Got to ride a KTM 450 last night...
If its just the suspension that you don't like, have you thought about going down the Ohlins route?

Got to ride a KTM 450 last night with Ohlins cartridges in the forks, man was that nice, not even properly setup yet, but amazing through the chop. Jumping back onto my KX was like riding a jackhammer in comparison. Only bad thing is now I want the ohlins stuff myself, but can no way afford that luxury!
I'm not dropping 3k+ on Ohlins
nytsmaC
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nytsmaC 11/5/2014 6:30am
11/5/2014 6:30am
Buy the inserts for 1k. Remove them when you sell the bike and sell them for a small loss.
loftyair
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loftyair 11/5/2014 8:31am
11/5/2014 8:31am
My son has had both. An '11 150sx, ended up on yz250 2-stroke now. Says the 250 4 is like trying to race a cadillac. Hes only 125# though. Says the 4 is just too damn slow, explaining the Rev limiter thing. The newer kx and yz 4 do have decent power I know. 4 cost more initially, then regular maintenance close for either stroke. But then you have certain failure in the future, with 4 probably sooner due to limiter-bouncing. Now were talking astronomical cost difference. No one in their right mind should ever buy a 250 4, unless you are an occasional trail rider, a slow girl, or have cash to burn. IMO!
usp4u
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usp4u 11/5/2014 8:48am
11/5/2014 8:48am
I keep telling people they just have to be honest with themselves....Can you actually benefit from power.

I am a slow-barely B rider on a '14 150sx now, coming from five years on a 450. I can get around the track just a quickly as I could on my 450. I don't need anymore power, cant utilize anymore properly. So, the light weight and handling are worth it to me. The 450 was better in some places, but nothing I cant overcome on a tiddler. I also ride woods, the 150 is far superior there, for me.

As far as cost of ownership, I've been on four strokes since 2005 and have had no catastrophes;(this includes the much demonized 04 RMZ 250) I also properly maintain my stuff. That is the key. The reason I'm not really mentioning the 250Fs, is because FOR ME the offer no improvement over the 150. Worse handling, heavier, more complex. Easier powerband? Sure. But if I'm going to suffer the negatives, I'll offset it with 450 power.

The 'fun factor' is a whole other conversation and the reason I sold my 450 when I had planned on keeping it.
maxamillion 125 11/5/2014 8:56am
11/5/2014 8:56am
The reason I brought this up was last week I rode a friends 10' crf250f and 14' yz250f and both bikes had not only far better and plush suspension but also seemed to track straighter through chop and felt more planted exiting corners. I could have rode those bikes twice as long as my 150sx and not been tired. It was just so much easier, less shifting, better suspension and hooked up better everywhere.
newmann
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newmann 11/5/2014 10:09am
11/5/2014 10:09am
maxamillion 125 wrote:
The reason I brought this up was last week I rode a friends 10' crf250f and 14' yz250f and both bikes had not only far better...
The reason I brought this up was last week I rode a friends 10' crf250f and 14' yz250f and both bikes had not only far better and plush suspension but also seemed to track straighter through chop and felt more planted exiting corners. I could have rode those bikes twice as long as my 150sx and not been tired. It was just so much easier, less shifting, better suspension and hooked up better everywhere.
What year is your bike, did you buy it new and what have you done to the suspension since you have owned it?
Darryl916
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Darryl916 11/5/2014 12:09pm
11/5/2014 12:09pm
maxamillion 125 wrote:
Thanks for the help guys, anyone else have seat time on both a small bore 2stroke and a newer 250f?
I have experience on both and the first response summed it up as well as anyone can. If you rode the 150 pretty well, you will be able to ride the 250f awesome. You will be able to do things smoothly that you had to work hard to carry speed thru on the 150. The 4 stroke will feel like cheating until you get used to it being so easy to ride. The power is so a bit more and so much more tractable.

The 250f does weight more but will translate to a bit more high speed stability and confidence. Something that's sketchy as hell on a 2 stroke can be done more smoothly on a 4 stroke with the more linear power band. In corners you will have more line choices because the broad power will pull it.

You will be fine and a bit more competitive in a wider range of conditions.
maxamillion 125 11/5/2014 5:03pm
11/5/2014 5:03pm
maxamillion 125 wrote:
The reason I brought this up was last week I rode a friends 10' crf250f and 14' yz250f and both bikes had not only far better...
The reason I brought this up was last week I rode a friends 10' crf250f and 14' yz250f and both bikes had not only far better and plush suspension but also seemed to track straighter through chop and felt more planted exiting corners. I could have rode those bikes twice as long as my 150sx and not been tired. It was just so much easier, less shifting, better suspension and hooked up better everywhere.
newmann wrote:
What year is your bike, did you buy it new and what have you done to the suspension since you have owned it?
I have a 2014 150sx with revalved suspension by Evo. I've also owned a 2011 150sx and 2008 125sx. I always thought the suspension was tolerable until I started riding other bikes non-ktm. As I got faster I started to realize just how harsh it is, and then riding other bikes just reinforced it.
Lightning78
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Lightning78 11/5/2014 8:34pm
11/5/2014 8:34pm
thorns wrote:
If its just the suspension that you don't like, have you thought about going down the Ohlins route? Got to ride a KTM 450 last night...
If its just the suspension that you don't like, have you thought about going down the Ohlins route?

Got to ride a KTM 450 last night with Ohlins cartridges in the forks, man was that nice, not even properly setup yet, but amazing through the chop. Jumping back onto my KX was like riding a jackhammer in comparison. Only bad thing is now I want the ohlins stuff myself, but can no way afford that luxury!
maxamillion 125 wrote:
I'm not dropping 3k+ on Ohlins
Have MX-Tech put the KYB SSS internals in your WP suspension

I had the PLEASURE of riding 2 different Yamaha's with bone stock KYB SSS suspension and I do mean PLEASURE ......that stuff has NO equal and Ive only ridden one bike that had suspension comparable to stock SSS stuff and that "Diamond Kit" cost over 3k ...I didnt pay for it but Im glad the previous owner did because it was amazing! Ironically that revalve kit I had from RG3 is Speed Sensitive .....im starting to notice a pattern, dont know why other mfg's dont adopt the concept.

I have an 03 YZ250 now and its getting retrofitted with the updated KYB's as soon as I can afford it...

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maxamillion 125 11/16/2014 9:11am
11/16/2014 9:11am
Anyone else recommended switching from my 150sx to 250f? I was competitive in the B class last year, won a few races, usually finished in the top 3 but next year I want to win the overall.
Team Ideal
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Team Ideal 11/16/2014 9:29am
11/16/2014 9:29am
IMO if your that competitive in the B class on the 150 making the switch will put you where you want to be.
Grieby54
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Grieby54 11/16/2014 12:29pm
11/16/2014 12:29pm
Team Ideal wrote:
IMO if your that competitive in the B class on the 150 making the switch will put you where you want to be.
This.
loftyair
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loftyair 11/16/2014 6:39pm
11/16/2014 6:39pm
Actually, if your winning 'b', you should be getting free bikes.
SwapperMX
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SwapperMX 11/16/2014 7:32pm
11/16/2014 7:32pm
loftyair wrote:
Actually, if your winning 'b', you should be getting free bikes.
In 2007, absolutely. These days, not so much !!
loftyair
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loftyair 11/16/2014 7:54pm
11/16/2014 7:54pm
loftyair wrote:
Actually, if your winning 'b', you should be getting free bikes.
SwapperMX wrote:
In 2007, absolutely. These days, not so much !!
Not as good as back then, but, several instances where the fast b guys get free ride, only to quickly move to 'a' and ama. Jerry robin gets free bikes, he hadn't 'won' 'b' class as far as I know. Cantrell never touched a big bike, or the 'b' class until bikes were given to him. Its true that a winning 'b' rider can be much faster than 'a' or pro, depending on what part of country. I guess its all relative. Just when I hear 'winning b' rider, I'm thinking ama pro top-twenty speed.
derestricted 11/17/2014 7:54am
11/17/2014 7:54am
i owned a 150sx for a few years before going to a 350 SX-F. Have also ridden a 250 sx-f quite a few times. the 250 does feel a lot heavier but it is way easier to ride, especially the way the front wheel holds a line. 250f is possibly the easiest bike to ride I have tried but the 350 sx-f is close in handling but has more power. you can also be a bit lazier on it if you like. Pretty much the perfect bike i think.
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mxb2 11/17/2014 8:04am
11/17/2014 8:04am
loftyair wrote:
Actually, if your winning 'b', you should be getting free bikes.
lol, yea ok.

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