2-stroke question

JW381
Posts
10643
Joined
7/21/2009
Location
Harrisburg, OR US
8/31/2009 12:39pm Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 2:21am
Just picked up my shiny new YZ on Friday. Realized I haven't owned a smoker since I was about 14, and even then, didn't have a clue what I was doing. (Not the most mechanically inclined person you'll ever meet.)

I'm older now so I'll be fine. Any tips from the old school 2-stroke gurus out there?

Thanks for those with serious answers, and those with smartass answers, cuz at least you might get a cheap laugh or two.
|
lumpy790
Posts
9145
Joined
9/18/2007
Location
York, SC US
8/31/2009 1:14pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 1:53am
After breaking it in for 30-60 min's tear it down to the frame and grease all linkage, swingarm & steering bearings. Locktite all plastic bolts.
JW381
Posts
10643
Joined
7/21/2009
Location
Harrisburg, OR US
8/31/2009 1:50pm
thank you
race
Posts
3441
Joined
8/26/2006
Location
CA US
8/31/2009 2:01pm
Spokes!

Then go out and lay waste to all those lawnmower drivers.

Muezh
Posts
440
Joined
4/11/2008
Location
Woodhaven, MI US
8/31/2009 2:02pm
Congrats dood!!!
just like any new bike. before it touches dirt regrease everything.

The Shop

newmann
Posts
24444
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
US
8/31/2009 2:04pm
What Lumpy says. Yamaha is horrible about greasing stuff from the factory. Grease it now or start replacing them all in a few months. Not sure about his suggestion to loctite all plastic bolts though? Maybe the fenders and fork guards but make sure to only use the blue Loctite. Take the shroud bolts off the gas tank and put anti-seize on them as soon as you get it home though! Don't want those bastards to seize up. So what did you get? 125....250.....?
JW381
Posts
10643
Joined
7/21/2009
Location
Harrisburg, OR US
8/31/2009 2:25pm
cool thanks for the advice. I'll make sure to regrease her.

It's a YZ250. I'll have my girl take some pictures this Wednesday, and I'll post the ones that don't make me look like too big a goon. If I can find any lol
CR250Rider
Posts
6706
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Moses Lake, WA US
8/31/2009 2:42pm
welcome to the club of non lemmings!
dedi684
Posts
1350
Joined
8/21/2009
Location
Ravena, NY US
8/31/2009 3:05pm
i dont know aboout the spokes, havent touched em on my 06 yet. bought an 09 instead and run the 06 as a practice bike. 51 tooth rear i've been running for a while, i like that set up. my steering stem bearings are the only things that have given me trouble on the yz's. i'm on my 3rd one.
PRM31
Posts
2127
Joined
8/7/2009
Location
Northern, VA US
8/31/2009 3:15pm
Congrats. Just ride it! Have fun. Pick a premix and ratio and stick with it, and get the jetting right. Most seem to be too rich.
sesker15
Posts
1059
Joined
4/14/2008
Location
Upper Marlboro, MD US
8/31/2009 3:17pm
Congrads on the bike. Check out thumpertalk under the yamaha 2stroke. They Have INFO for days on that site.
shaner708
Posts
631
Joined
5/27/2009
Location
Export, PA US
8/31/2009 3:42pm
Get Klotz premix, it brings back a ton of memories!
petegrath
Posts
1112
Joined
5/18/2009
Location
John's Island, SC US
8/31/2009 3:57pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 1:54am
Do not locktite any bolt that threads into a nut embedded in plastic (I.E. into the tank or radiator louvers). Locktite everything else! And grease like said above. Check the lower shock bearing at least once a month if you do any amount of riding.


And have a blast! Remember, the clutch is your friend! Learning to be in the right gear for the right situation will make anybody a better rider. One thing I don't like about the 4 strokes is you can get a little lazy with 'em. They pull like magic, but again, to me they are a little bit less satisfying.
MPM64
Posts
159
Joined
3/10/2009
Location
Rochester, MI US
8/31/2009 3:59pm Edited Date/Time 8/31/2009 4:01pm
shaner708 wrote:
Get Klotz premix, it brings back a ton of memories!
Maxima 927 castor. 32:1... Just doesn't smell any better than that. Feel a little choked up even thinking about it.
JW381
Posts
10643
Joined
7/21/2009
Location
Harrisburg, OR US
8/31/2009 4:20pm
shaner708 wrote:
Get Klotz premix, it brings back a ton of memories!
MPM64 wrote:
Maxima 927 castor. 32:1... Just doesn't smell any better than that. Feel a little choked up even thinking about it.
most people say to run 40:1? What would be the best ratio?
PRM31
Posts
2127
Joined
8/7/2009
Location
Northern, VA US
8/31/2009 4:36pm Edited Date/Time 8/31/2009 4:37pm
Read the bottle, they probably know better than internet "experts". I think you'll find that anywhere between 20:1 and 40:1 will be just fine. Most of the premixes I've use recommend 40:1 for a 250, but whatever the particular manufacturer (of the oil) recommends is a good place to be. FYI, Maxima recommends 24:1 to 40:1 for a 250.
breck
Posts
1976
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Des Moines, IA US
8/31/2009 4:39pm
DON'T LIFT UNTIL YOU SEE GOD, AND THEN HESITATE!
JW381
Posts
10643
Joined
7/21/2009
Location
Harrisburg, OR US
8/31/2009 4:59pm
breck wrote:
DON'T LIFT UNTIL YOU SEE GOD, AND THEN HESITATE!
Best advice ever. Thanks.
JW381
Posts
10643
Joined
7/21/2009
Location
Harrisburg, OR US
8/31/2009 4:59pm
PRM31 wrote:
Read the bottle, they probably know better than internet "experts". I think you'll find that anywhere between 20:1 and 40:1 will be just fine. Most of...
Read the bottle, they probably know better than internet "experts". I think you'll find that anywhere between 20:1 and 40:1 will be just fine. Most of the premixes I've use recommend 40:1 for a 250, but whatever the particular manufacturer (of the oil) recommends is a good place to be. FYI, Maxima recommends 24:1 to 40:1 for a 250.
second best advice lol thanks!
Kinetic1
Posts
2796
Joined
6/4/2009
Location
Gun Lake, MI US
8/31/2009 5:02pm
I run Motul 800 in my stuff at 50:1 and have great results. Motul says it's okay too. DO NOT use anti-seize on anything. Find an anti-seize that contains no metal. I use a product from UZ Engineered products called thread ease ultra. Best stuff ever. Loctite is available in a twist type paste and works well with no mess. Stays where you put it better than the liquid. Grease is your friend but be careful what grease you use. Some greases have different base stocks that do not mix well together and can turn hard and claylike if mixed together. Don't forget the radiator braces and skid plate. HAVE FUN!!!
davis224
Posts
6214
Joined
8/15/2006
Location
Cornland, IL US
Fantasy
182nd
8/31/2009 5:30pm
Run whatever yamaha reccomends. Your gas/oil ratio affects jetting slightly.
lumpy790
Posts
9145
Joined
9/18/2007
Location
York, SC US
8/31/2009 5:35pm
I just pulled my 01 YZ completely apart and all of the tank inserts that were Blue locktited are fine. Its corrosion that seizes and the locktite keeps that from happening.

I have been running Golden Spectro at 50:1 for 25 years and have never had a motor blow up. I just bought a Wiseco bottom end kit to put in the old 01.....still on the stock crank. I will only use a stock Yamaha piston. Tried others and did not like how it affected the torque.

Bel Ray 80W gear saver for the trans....makes it shift buttery smooth.

Pull the axle adjuster bolts out and coat the threads with anti-seize.
8/31/2009 5:45pm
BelRay waterproof Marine grease is the absolute best grease to use on linkage or steering/swingarm bearings.
TerryK
Posts
9899
Joined
8/17/2006
Location
CA
8/31/2009 6:06pm
Don't ride it until you take it apart and grease everything. My sons YZ85 came from the factory with barely a pea sized blob of grease in the steering head bearings and virtually nothing anywhere else.

Congrats on returning to the light! (read light weight, 2 strokes!)
petegrath
Posts
1112
Joined
5/18/2009
Location
John's Island, SC US
8/31/2009 6:06pm
lumpy790 wrote:
I just pulled my 01 YZ completely apart and all of the tank inserts that were Blue locktited are fine. Its corrosion that seizes and the...
I just pulled my 01 YZ completely apart and all of the tank inserts that were Blue locktited are fine. Its corrosion that seizes and the locktite keeps that from happening.

I have been running Golden Spectro at 50:1 for 25 years and have never had a motor blow up. I just bought a Wiseco bottom end kit to put in the old 01.....still on the stock crank. I will only use a stock Yamaha piston. Tried others and did not like how it affected the torque.

Bel Ray 80W gear saver for the trans....makes it shift buttery smooth.

Pull the axle adjuster bolts out and coat the threads with anti-seize.
Blue locktite is the key there. Most people buy red and use it on everything. Big mistake on above mentioned bolts, but is fine on steel threaded bolts. I'm willing to lose a bolt out of my radiator shroud over my swingarm nut personally. Smile If you've got both types, use blue on plastics, red on big parts. If just red, don't use on plastics.

Always scared to run anything less than 40:1 myself, interesting to see folks running 50:1. I will say I see a noticeable difference between 32:1 and 40:1 in performance. I'm gonna try 50:1 to see if it gets even better. Just not made of money so play the conservative route most times. I will admit, I use the PWC Synthetic stuff from Walmart. Probably gonna get booed off the board for admitting, but haven't had a problem yet.

Should I be using a different oil? Is the Castor stuff better than synthetic? I'm not a chemical engineer, so I'm not sure I see the difference. But I do read a bunch here and haven't been let down by you folks yet. So what's the best?
Void Main
Posts
17017
Joined
3/19/2008
Location
US
8/31/2009 6:09pm
Make sure you smile when you twist that thing on the right.
chillrich
Posts
648
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Kamloops CA
8/31/2009 6:14pm
pulled apart my 08 YZ250F when new and found everything well greased, maybe they have fixed this at the factory level. I loved the Belray Gearsaver in the 2T, it seems like it may have an ATF mix in it, so smooth. Thats an awesome tip on the shroud bolts/loctite, I will be trying this.
chillrich
Posts
648
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Kamloops CA
8/31/2009 6:15pm
pulled apart my 08 YZ250F when new and found everything well greased, maybe they have fixed this at the factory level. I loved the Belray Gearsaver in the 2T, it seems like it may have an ATF mix in it, so smooth. Thats an awesome tip on the shroud bolts/loctite, I will be trying this.
JoJmoto
Posts
1776
Joined
11/8/2006
Location
Clarkesville, GA US
8/31/2009 7:20pm
Jet the thing correctly.

No matter your oil ratio, your jetting can be adjusted to crisp perfection.
danman
Posts
1205
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Readstown, WI US
8/31/2009 7:32pm
Get rid of that POS, you can PM me for my address! HAHAHA!

Grease the bearings, break it in as the manual states, then GO HAVE FUN!

Post a reply to: 2-stroke question

The Latest