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I hear you about the YZ250 handling (I own a 16 YZ250). It can be an aquired taste, especially if you've ridden the old steel framed YZ or an RM250. Its a tall bike, especially if you're under 5'10". The big plus side to the YZ is parts availability as it's still in production, and that after market companies are still producing new stuff for them every year..and of course the SSS suspension is very good.
If you can get to grips with the YZ, it's by far the smartest choice imho.
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As for type of riding, I do track days here and there as well as woods riding. I'd actually like to get into some hare scrambles.
How are parts availability and reliability on the 06 RM 250?
It is unreal how pricey these 2 strokes are getting,..I sold my 2004 RM250 last year for $1,400, now I'd be lucky to get a 99 KX from some drunk teenager in a trailer park for that.
Good luck.
---chl
Can't remember the guys name but he posted some good RM info about running more sag and it still corners good. He did mention replacing the circlips in the transmission 2nd/3rd gear IIRC. I'll try to find the post I'm pretty buzzed now.
2strokerider - "I've had rm 250s every year for since 2000!!! great bikes
- best year is 2006 so if you can find a real low hours 2006 then get it! the 06 has slightly more bottom end power than the later models (i think the carb intake boot is a different angle and slightly different porting to the later models) any of them 04 onwards you cant go wrong with though. currently have a couple of 2010 (k8) ones in the garage. Selling one of them for a new 450 though!
they come jetted very rich on the main as stock (as most bikes do nowadays) - as far as pipes etc stock is very good and probably the best set up for most people. I run mine with either the stock or fmf fatty front pipe and pro circuit r 304 silence, v-force reed block. Boyeson rad valves work really well too. Instead of the stock gearing (13-50) we go to 13-51.
alot of slower riders actually want to tame the power down from stock and go with reed spacers/ flywheel weights, i found that these tend to deaden the power too much (make it feel flat) and preferred the stock set up with minor mods like light porting work/ pipes etc.
- 3rd and 4th drive gear and 5th driven tend to wear out on the dogs about every 60 hours running time (on average)Theres a shim washer and circlip on the back of 3rd drive gear thats a little too thin and allows 3rd to 'float' a little too much. We add a thicker shim washer there, and also a more heavy duty circlip- the stock circlip can concave (or pop off all together) if you stomp on the gear lever too hard, allowing the gear to move where it shouldnt. This will make your gearbox last alot longer!
Also, when you check your clutch you might want to check the gear selector pin as we have had these work loose after a few hours- we normally remove them and loctite them when we get the bikes, same with the screws on the selector barrel.
They really are great bikes, handle like nothing else! we tend to set ours with the sag set so the back end is real low- i feel that this helps in the corners."
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