2002-2007 CR250? Love/Hate about it? Video/Write Up to follow...

factoryRB 12/8/2017 5:36pm
12/8/2017 5:36pm
I've had a few CR250s and in my opinion my 07 CR250 was the best, loved the power and handling, it was fairly stock with a pro circuit pipe and muffler, v force, pwk airstriker, and a fly wheel weight. The power suited me way more than my crf conversion with an 01 CR 250. Could have probably sent more money and made the conversion better but by the pics you can see I was in it pretty deep financially ?? any way just my 2 cents



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holeshot413
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holeshot413 12/8/2017 6:14pm
12/8/2017 6:14pm Edited Date/Time 12/8/2017 6:16pm
W

Love my 500 in my 06 Honda Cr 250 r frame, 250 will be next for me too
ginger969
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ginger969 12/10/2017 11:51am
12/10/2017 11:51am
If you ALL were to have to either start over OR build a CR250 WHAT things would you want to do or would be MUST haves and why?
yz133rider
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yz133rider 12/10/2017 11:57am
12/10/2017 11:57am
In my opinion if it wasn't a Honda it would be one of the most hated/poorly reviewed bikes of all time. But because it's from big red, people put up with the awful motor and are willing to spend decent coin to get it to be on par with other offerings, while putting up with adjusting the pv cables, plastics eating through frame, airboxes not sealing, lovely jetting issues, and more.

But it's Honda quality bro.

The Shop

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ginger969
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ginger969 12/10/2017 12:03pm
12/10/2017 12:03pm
yz133rider wrote:
In my opinion if it wasn't a Honda it would be one of the most hated/poorly reviewed bikes of all time. But because it's from big...
In my opinion if it wasn't a Honda it would be one of the most hated/poorly reviewed bikes of all time. But because it's from big red, people put up with the awful motor and are willing to spend decent coin to get it to be on par with other offerings, while putting up with adjusting the pv cables, plastics eating through frame, airboxes not sealing, lovely jetting issues, and more.

But it's Honda quality bro.
You're exactly right and I'm by no means bias in the matter as I've owned a KX, 2 RMs, 6 YZ's, a CR and a handful of four stokes as well...Despite honda not always having made the best bikes (mainly why I've owned so few over the years) I still admire the iconic legacy that Honda has built within the industry and sport which is why it's more a tribute and a challenge to build a nostalgic yet performing CR250 chassis that embodies the progression of the sport, the history of what I fell in love with and what I looked up to when I saw RC winning on the old red machine. Every brand has flaws and every bike has strengths, that's just how it's always been and how it will always be. Albeit every bike, regardless of it's strengths or weaknesses, will aim to please folks for different reasons. Smile So - if you have thoughts on what you would like to see or what YOU would build on a CR feel free to share
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yz133rider
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yz133rider 12/10/2017 12:06pm
12/10/2017 12:06pm
yz133rider wrote:
In my opinion if it wasn't a Honda it would be one of the most hated/poorly reviewed bikes of all time. But because it's from big...
In my opinion if it wasn't a Honda it would be one of the most hated/poorly reviewed bikes of all time. But because it's from big red, people put up with the awful motor and are willing to spend decent coin to get it to be on par with other offerings, while putting up with adjusting the pv cables, plastics eating through frame, airboxes not sealing, lovely jetting issues, and more.

But it's Honda quality bro.
ginger969 wrote:
You're exactly right and I'm by no means bias in the matter as I've owned a KX, 2 RMs, 6 YZ's, a CR and a handful...
You're exactly right and I'm by no means bias in the matter as I've owned a KX, 2 RMs, 6 YZ's, a CR and a handful of four stokes as well...Despite honda not always having made the best bikes (mainly why I've owned so few over the years) I still admire the iconic legacy that Honda has built within the industry and sport which is why it's more a tribute and a challenge to build a nostalgic yet performing CR250 chassis that embodies the progression of the sport, the history of what I fell in love with and what I looked up to when I saw RC winning on the old red machine. Every brand has flaws and every bike has strengths, that's just how it's always been and how it will always be. Albeit every bike, regardless of it's strengths or weaknesses, will aim to please folks for different reasons. Smile So - if you have thoughts on what you would like to see or what YOU would build on a CR feel free to share
I'd get the air box to seal, send the cylinder / head to either varner or Tom Morgan, and I'd get a lectron carb.

It would be about 100,000,000 times better than stock at that point.
ginger969
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ginger969 12/10/2017 12:11pm
12/10/2017 12:11pm
yz133rider wrote:
I'd get the air box to seal, send the cylinder / head to either varner or Tom Morgan, and I'd get a lectron carb. It would...
I'd get the air box to seal, send the cylinder / head to either varner or Tom Morgan, and I'd get a lectron carb.

It would be about 100,000,000 times better than stock at that point.
Yes those are some killer starting points that's for sure! Are you aware of any frame/chassis (not engine) changes from 2002-2007? frame the same?
yz133rider
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yz133rider 12/10/2017 12:16pm
12/10/2017 12:16pm
Frames the same 100%, chassis changes in 05 the fork lugs were moved back slightly effectively changing the offset up front. Little sharper handling I'd presume, I couldn't feel the difference personally never rode back to back.
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ginger969 12/10/2017 12:21pm
12/10/2017 12:21pm
yz133rider wrote:
Frames the same 100%, chassis changes in 05 the fork lugs were moved back slightly effectively changing the offset up front. Little sharper handling I'd presume...
Frames the same 100%, chassis changes in 05 the fork lugs were moved back slightly effectively changing the offset up front. Little sharper handling I'd presume, I couldn't feel the difference personally never rode back to back.
got it! Thanks man!
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ginger969 12/10/2017 12:23pm
12/10/2017 12:23pm
Thisusernameisavailable wrote:
The CR250- chosen ride of every Ronnie Mac in America!

Can't you find a more exciting bike to throw some time and money at??
He did pretty well at straight rhythm on that 98 eh? haha pretty entertaining...but yeah I've done most the other bikes already and after owning the 17' CRF450 it really just rekindled the love for the red machine. Looking to bring folks along on the money pit adventure with my YouTube and instagram stuff just for fun Smile (feel free to follow @ginger969)
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H4L 12/10/2017 12:32pm
12/10/2017 12:32pm
The engine is not as bad as people make it out to be. In the link below is a guy who raced this yr. (spring ?) on an 02 model with a stock engine & a Dep pipe / suspension work. He did really well considering the bike is 15 yrs. older than a more modern 17 KTM 250 2T he almost beat.

https://youtu.be/A4eNJop_KC8?t=597
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yz133rider
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yz133rider 12/10/2017 12:39pm
12/10/2017 12:39pm
The engine is as bad as its made out to be., stock zero low end, then a bunch of wheel spin and no real overrev, all mid-range, flat, wheelspin, flat.

H4L is Honda's for life I'm betting, if it was any other brand that put out such a bad engine for 5 years it would have been dead last in all shootouts and no respect. But it's a Honda so it has a following still. It does handle and feel well, but the motor is bad stock. Takes more than a pipe to fix that.
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JW381 12/10/2017 12:44pm
12/10/2017 12:44pm
yz133rider wrote:
In my opinion if it wasn't a Honda it would be one of the most hated/poorly reviewed bikes of all time. But because it's from big...
In my opinion if it wasn't a Honda it would be one of the most hated/poorly reviewed bikes of all time. But because it's from big red, people put up with the awful motor and are willing to spend decent coin to get it to be on par with other offerings, while putting up with adjusting the pv cables, plastics eating through frame, airboxes not sealing, lovely jetting issues, and more.

But it's Honda quality bro.
I experienced all of those things Sad
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ginger969 12/10/2017 12:48pm
12/10/2017 12:48pm
despite the engine being pretty horrific in stock form, I would still hands down take a great handling chassis/bike any day over an all engine bike. The YZ 250 roll on torquey and strong/smooth power is hands down incredible but I assure you that if the CR can handle as well or better I'd take it and put some focus on making a broader, more useable power band on the Honda. I don't race pro, I ride for smiles and I truly enjoy the "underdog" feel when out at the track and passin folks on newer bikes Smile haha
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JW381 12/10/2017 12:48pm
12/10/2017 12:48pm
yz133rider wrote:
The engine is as bad as its made out to be., stock zero low end, then a bunch of wheel spin and no real overrev, all...
The engine is as bad as its made out to be., stock zero low end, then a bunch of wheel spin and no real overrev, all mid-range, flat, wheelspin, flat.

H4L is Honda's for life I'm betting, if it was any other brand that put out such a bad engine for 5 years it would have been dead last in all shootouts and no respect. But it's a Honda so it has a following still. It does handle and feel well, but the motor is bad stock. Takes more than a pipe to fix that.
It does handle great and has extremely comfortable ergos. I will give them that.
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ginger969 12/10/2017 12:51pm
12/10/2017 12:51pm
JW381 wrote:
It does handle great and has extremely comfortable ergos. I will give them that.
fortunately for meee, I weigh about 155 and honestly have never used a 450 or 250 two stroke to it's full potential...where I lack hp to pull me up a hill along side a 450 I will much more easily make up in having to learn to make my cornering and technical riding that much more improved...kinda fun to challenge myself with
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H4L 12/10/2017 1:00pm
12/10/2017 1:00pm
yz133rider wrote:
The engine is as bad as its made out to be., stock zero low end, then a bunch of wheel spin and no real overrev, all...
The engine is as bad as its made out to be., stock zero low end, then a bunch of wheel spin and no real overrev, all mid-range, flat, wheelspin, flat.

H4L is Honda's for life I'm betting, if it was any other brand that put out such a bad engine for 5 years it would have been dead last in all shootouts and no respect. But it's a Honda so it has a following still. It does handle and feel well, but the motor is bad stock. Takes more than a pipe to fix that.
Have owned the 4 major brands & as noted the chassis / suspension combo is superb. It's easier to massage an engine if your looking for more juice than to try & fix a chassis that has handling flaws. When you say 0 lowend I haven't had that experience after owning (8) 02-07 CR2's. I'd suggest looking into the jetting you have or maybe do the popular Keihin PWK swap.

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ginger969 12/10/2017 1:38pm
12/10/2017 1:38pm
H4L wrote:
Have owned the 4 major brands & as noted the chassis / suspension combo is superb. It's easier to massage an engine if your looking for...
Have owned the 4 major brands & as noted the chassis / suspension combo is superb. It's easier to massage an engine if your looking for more juice than to try & fix a chassis that has handling flaws. When you say 0 lowend I haven't had that experience after owning (8) 02-07 CR2's. I'd suggest looking into the jetting you have or maybe do the popular Keihin PWK swap.
Did you notice much difference in handling characteristics from year to year at all?
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H4L 12/10/2017 3:33pm
12/10/2017 3:33pm
ginger969 wrote:
Did you notice much difference in handling characteristics from year to year at all?
Even though the fork lugs were moved 2mm back in 05 I didn't notice much of a difference. The 02-07 3rd gen AF's have the same geometry dimension & are unchanged.
In 03 they went to 30mm base valves in the 47mm showa forks vs. 20mm in the 02.
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ginger969 12/10/2017 3:36pm
12/10/2017 3:36pm
ginger969 wrote:
Did you notice much difference in handling characteristics from year to year at all?
H4L wrote:
Even though the fork lugs were moved 2mm back in 05 I didn't notice much of a difference. The 02-07 3rd gen AF's have the same...
Even though the fork lugs were moved 2mm back in 05 I didn't notice much of a difference. The 02-07 3rd gen AF's have the same geometry dimension & are unchanged.
In 03 they went to 30mm base valves in the 47mm showa forks vs. 20mm in the 02.
Gotcha! Thanks for the feedback
factoryfatty
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factoryfatty 12/10/2017 6:35pm
12/10/2017 6:35pm
I've got my 06 running pretty well finally. Had the head milled to fix the squish, and threw on a kehein air stryker. It's running better in every way than when I bought it stock. I was pretty happy with it until I rode a 17 250sx at the track. Holy hell that thing was soooo nice, corners on rails and that AER fork was a Cadillac. The Hondas up for sale now.
queen of spodes 12/10/2017 6:38pm
12/10/2017 6:38pm
ginger969 wrote:
Hey guys! Post photos, opinions on what you LOVE or HATE about these bikes! I'm going to be getting another one and at a quick glance...
Hey guys!

Post photos, opinions on what you LOVE or HATE about these bikes! I'm going to be getting another one and at a quick glance plan to LIKELY do the following; (this is why I'm asking you all)

- PC suspension/exhaust
- Varner Motor work
- Lectron or PWK Carb
- A60 hoops on stock hubs
- Rekluse Torque Drive Full Clutch
- Close to OEM graphics/plastics w/ updated front fender/plate

I will be doing a personal write up, video "VLOG" type thing on YouTube as well covering everything from the day I got it and riding it in "purchased" form all the way up to the final clean up and improvement along the way. I've ridden a handful of the new 18 bikes (250 & 450) so I'm interested to see how they all compare (if they compare at all) in regards to smiles, fun, performance and cost.

Here's a pic of my last CR 250 Build (which was a bit overdone, as I'd like to keep this one much more OEM looking)



Black rims are way overdone but damn the black frame, swingarms and rim are sweeeeet. nice build.
Keith72
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Keith72 12/10/2017 7:18pm
12/10/2017 7:18pm
Here is my 03. RB designs head mod, vf3 reeds,galfer 270mm front rotor. MB1 suspension.keihin carb. 22mm offset triples off an 08 250r. I also modded the air filter by swapping in the metal mounting surface and cage from an 01 cr to seal up the filter area. Pro Circuit pipe and silencer. Tusk wheels.


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ginger969 12/10/2017 8:18pm
12/10/2017 8:18pm
Keith72 wrote:
Here is my 03. RB designs head mod, vf3 reeds,galfer 270mm front rotor. MB1 suspension.keihin carb. 22mm offset triples off an 08 250r. I also modded...
Here is my 03. RB designs head mod, vf3 reeds,galfer 270mm front rotor. MB1 suspension.keihin carb. 22mm offset triples off an 08 250r. I also modded the air filter by swapping in the metal mounting surface and cage from an 01 cr to seal up the filter area. Pro Circuit pipe and silencer. Tusk wheels.


Hows she run??
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Keith72 12/11/2017 4:55am
12/11/2017 4:55am
Keith72 wrote:
Here is my 03. RB designs head mod, vf3 reeds,galfer 270mm front rotor. MB1 suspension.keihin carb. 22mm offset triples off an 08 250r. I also modded...
Here is my 03. RB designs head mod, vf3 reeds,galfer 270mm front rotor. MB1 suspension.keihin carb. 22mm offset triples off an 08 250r. I also modded the air filter by swapping in the metal mounting surface and cage from an 01 cr to seal up the filter area. Pro Circuit pipe and silencer. Tusk wheels.


ginger969 wrote:
Hows she run??
Runs pretty good.
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Keith72 12/11/2017 7:48am
12/11/2017 7:48am
factoryfatty wrote:
Here’s mine. Man they’re good looking machines[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/12/10/230856/s1200_426CD3D5_E723_49A8_9C38_EF0EBB57EED2.jpg[/img]
Here’s mine. Man they’re good looking machines

Yes they are.
jbrass715
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jbrass715 12/11/2017 2:08pm
12/11/2017 2:08pm
One of my 02's has a 03 cylinder with fmf pipe-she has a good low to mid range pull
rostocker
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rostocker 12/12/2017 1:55am
12/12/2017 1:55am
Anyone that have cut the subframe? I believe both Fonseca and RC had their subframes cut? (and they kind of have the same statue as me)
I tried to find some good photos, i didn't, but I think you can see a difference in the angle?
If someone have done it (successfully) I would like to hear about it and what it takes besides the cutting.






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