250F dependability

ken754
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ken754
Edited Date/Time 1/26/2012 3:46am
Which brand of 250F seems to be the most dependable out of the 5? Just looking for some opinions based on your personal experience and what you have seen locally in your area. It is time for us to purchase one and wanting to get a little more insight. It seems around me the Yamaha is leading the pack as far as dependablity, but maybe I am biased.

I would especially like to hear from anyone who has first hand knowledge of the 07 RMZ250. I can get my hands on one that has a new engine and I know who has owned the bike since new.

Thanks for your input.
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jackson222
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jackson222 4/12/2009 3:35am
4/12/2009 3:35am
You can be lucky or unlucky with any of the brands. My personal advice is stay away from KTM, i have had bad experience with KTM 250's and know of others that have had the same problems, currently riding a 2009 KXF250, been a great bike so far and no issues.
Chili
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Chili 4/12/2009 4:29am
4/12/2009 4:29am
My kid had an 07 RMZ250 and put just over 100 hours on it in two seasons. Overall it was a great bike for us with no real dramas, that bike had some clutch issues that Suzuki issued a fix for about half way through 07 so make sure the clutch is updated to 2008 specs. We did not but some had some false neutral issues that was solved with a new updated detent spring.

Overall I would have had no issue with buying another RMZ but we've switched to green to help support a dealer who is really involved at a local level here.
mxrulez
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mxrulez 4/12/2009 4:50am
4/12/2009 4:50am
My YZ250f has lasted two and a bit seasons of once or more a week hard riding and we have never had to touch the engine, had the values checked over new years and they didn't need to be touched. Only time it hasn't started is when the spark plug stopped sparking after 1 and a half years or when i accedently leave a rag inside the air box lol which ive done twice. 2 kicks should get her running, 3 at tops. I wouldn't buy another bike, but most brands should give a fairly reliable bike if you leave it without any major mods
davis224
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davis224 4/12/2009 5:16am
4/12/2009 5:16am
I'd rate 'em this way
Yamaha
Honda
KTM
Suzuki
Kawasaki

This going by what I have ridden and seen at the track. Never seen a yamaha blow up, once. A honda is a honda, (just be sure to keep up with your valve maintenance, they do wear through 'em if you don't check) but never had any other problem, all the KTM's I've seen at the track I've never seen have a problem, don't really know much about suzukis, and I've seen a ton of Kawi's implode and have lots of small issues (bolts falling out, etc.) and generally running like crap. This being said, I bought a Kaw 450 and would probably buy a 250f 2nd behind a honda.

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Justin314
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Justin314 4/12/2009 5:19am
4/12/2009 5:19am
My '08 YZ250F has been extremely dependable. I've had it since Oct. 07 and all it's needed are routine oil changes (I do it every other ride, and oil filter every other oil change). Like MXrulez said, my valves haven't even moved yet. Be careful when you're tightening down the bolts on the sump tank though...the threads are on the soft side. Most of the brands are pretty good now, though. As long as you take care of the bike, it'll take care of you. What kind of power delivery are you looking for stock?

If you're coming off of a two-stroke, the 250Fs seem to go through chain/sprocket sets or tires a little faster than say a 125, due to added torque...my experience, anyway since I own one of each.
ACMYERS
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ACMYERS 4/12/2009 5:57am
4/12/2009 5:57am
The 07' KTM 250f was very reliable. Valve life and piston were very good for us.

07' RMZ 250 Clutch up dates. Valves were top notch. Had to replace 3rd and 5th gear.

08' RMZ 250 no complaints other than both years needed a little help on top end. Cams and flowed head. We ran high compression pistons and race fuel in both 07 and 08.

The above bikes all in all where good bikes. We have been fortunate not to have any problems with the valves or taking any cylinders out..
RMZ819
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RMZ819 4/12/2009 6:09am
4/12/2009 6:09am
ken754 wrote:
Which brand of 250F seems to be the most dependable out of the 5? Just looking for some opinions based on your personal experience and what...
Which brand of 250F seems to be the most dependable out of the 5? Just looking for some opinions based on your personal experience and what you have seen locally in your area. It is time for us to purchase one and wanting to get a little more insight. It seems around me the Yamaha is leading the pack as far as dependablity, but maybe I am biased.

I would especially like to hear from anyone who has first hand knowledge of the 07 RMZ250. I can get my hands on one that has a new engine and I know who has owned the bike since new.

Thanks for your input.
The 2007 RMZ is a piece of shit. The tranny's go to hell in them. The only way to fix the problem is to put A 08 tranny in that bitch. Stay away from the 07 RMZ250


Other than that pick your favorite color and go with it. All 250f's are ticking time bombs.

Or, You can save yourself the headache and treat yourself to a KTM150 2 stroke.
swizcore
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swizcore 4/12/2009 6:14am
4/12/2009 6:14am Edited Date/Time 4/12/2009 6:16am
I have an 08 RMZ250 with a coated tranny and I never thought any bike could shift so smooth; let alone a Zook!

I had a friend whos KTM grenaded and $3500 later sold it. I loved riding it though. Go with what you want/like and take care of it.. and cross your fingers.
Racer92
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Racer92 4/12/2009 7:08am
4/12/2009 7:08am
No cross fingers needed here.............

-eagle-
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-eagle- 4/12/2009 8:01am
4/12/2009 8:01am
250F dependability- Somewhat of an oxymoron.

Comparing nothing more than which stock 250f motor holds together longest:
Yami

The only 250f i can't say anything about is the rmz after they split from being identical to the kawis after 04. Besides those I"ve had relatively close friends own them all. I'm a honda guy for their overall build quality but they are valve hungry. The yamis don't do anything great but aren't terrible at anything either.
J.Saunders144
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J.Saunders144 4/12/2009 8:19am
4/12/2009 8:19am
if i where to buy a 250f it would either be a honda or yamaha, most likely a honda due to the last two hondas i have owned running flawless, i ride everyday
newmann
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newmann 4/12/2009 8:54am
4/12/2009 8:54am
My 2001 YZ250F had low hours when it broke a valve. Ugly picture there! Went through the piston and up through the head. My son's 2004 CRF250 had an oiling problem and shredded the cam chain rub block. Or it shredded the cam chain block and then had an oiling problem. Black plastic particles everywhere, clogged up the oil filter and the top end went dry. Again,ugly situation. Cost 2 grand plus each to go through them. I think I'm done with the 250F stuff, haven't had the desire to go spend money on another one.
ASH510
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ASH510 4/12/2009 9:24am
4/12/2009 9:24am
my 06 kym 250sxf has 70 hrs on it and every thing is still in stock specs. that is just my experince and my first 4 stroke.
roosty
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roosty 4/12/2009 9:41am
4/12/2009 9:41am


My 02 YZ250F is still running like a champ. I honestly can't believe it, not one major or minor problem. It has been bulletproof.
Knocking on wood now.
Guzzler
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Guzzler 4/12/2009 9:55am
4/12/2009 9:55am
I had two 2002 YZ250f's and they were great. Not one problem. I then switched to YZ250s for a few years and had problems w/ the tranny. (friends (3) as well). Then went to a 07 RMZ450 and didn't like it at all. Got rid of it a got a 07KX250f and didn't really like it at first because of the lack of power comming off the 450. I now love my 07KX250f. It is a really great bike to ride. I have not had any problems with it. It is a great bike!
Truckdriver
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Truckdriver 4/12/2009 10:01am
4/12/2009 10:01am
I've been riding YZ250F's since they came out in the fall of 2000. I think somewhere on the side there has to be a Timex logo, just takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I've had great use out of all of my Yamaha's. I'd go Blue.
all out
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all out 4/12/2009 11:00am
4/12/2009 11:00am
ive had my 07 kx 250f since august of 07 and i havnt had any problems with it. i change the oil every 2-3 rides and oil filter every 5 rides, and i ride a couple times a week almost every week.

id go with kawi
dennisjonon
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dennisjonon 4/12/2009 11:25am
4/12/2009 11:25am
Kawy all the way

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c3011
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c3011 4/12/2009 12:59pm
4/12/2009 12:59pm
My YZ's have all been very good bikes.
pitbike502
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pitbike502 4/12/2009 1:08pm
4/12/2009 1:08pm
Racer92 wrote:
No cross fingers needed here............. [img]http://204.56.209.7/misc/2005rm250.jpg[/img]
No cross fingers needed here.............

you ride that thing at all?
pitbike502
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pitbike502 4/12/2009 1:11pm
4/12/2009 1:11pm
newmann wrote:
My 2001 YZ250F had low hours when it broke a valve. Ugly picture there! Went through the piston and up through the head. My son's 2004...
My 2001 YZ250F had low hours when it broke a valve. Ugly picture there! Went through the piston and up through the head. My son's 2004 CRF250 had an oiling problem and shredded the cam chain rub block. Or it shredded the cam chain block and then had an oiling problem. Black plastic particles everywhere, clogged up the oil filter and the top end went dry. Again,ugly situation. Cost 2 grand plus each to go through them. I think I'm done with the 250F stuff, haven't had the desire to go spend money on another one.
lesson learned? no first gen 4 strokes!

after working for a suzuki/honda/yamaha dealer for 4 years now, the least amount of parts i sell are RMZs. you can take that in 2 different ways, but the same goes for the street bikes.. my rmz is awesome, only ridden it 5 times, but shes a beauty
onenastynotch
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onenastynotch 4/12/2009 1:13pm
4/12/2009 1:13pm
ken754 wrote:
Which brand of 250F seems to be the most dependable out of the 5? Just looking for some opinions based on your personal experience and what...
Which brand of 250F seems to be the most dependable out of the 5? Just looking for some opinions based on your personal experience and what you have seen locally in your area. It is time for us to purchase one and wanting to get a little more insight. It seems around me the Yamaha is leading the pack as far as dependablity, but maybe I am biased.

I would especially like to hear from anyone who has first hand knowledge of the 07 RMZ250. I can get my hands on one that has a new engine and I know who has owned the bike since new.

Thanks for your input.
RMZ819 wrote:
The 2007 RMZ is a piece of shit. The tranny's go to hell in them. The only way to fix the problem is to put A...
The 2007 RMZ is a piece of shit. The tranny's go to hell in them. The only way to fix the problem is to put A 08 tranny in that bitch. Stay away from the 07 RMZ250


Other than that pick your favorite color and go with it. All 250f's are ticking time bombs.

Or, You can save yourself the headache and treat yourself to a KTM150 2 stroke.
i dont know i put 75 hrs of hard use on my 07 rmz 250 i never did the 08 update for the clutch just the detent spring and never needed a valve adjustment either great bike
jackson222
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jackson222 4/12/2009 2:45pm
4/12/2009 2:45pm
I think what everyone is trying to say is you can be lucky or unlucky with any of the "big 5" brands. Try to ride a couple of 250F's and see what you like the most.
jleews6
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jleews6 4/12/2009 3:57pm
4/12/2009 3:57pm
I just got my son Hondas and they are our first 250fs so I dont have any first hand experience but alot of his friends have had the Kawis and all of them have been great bikes. He has one friend that had an 06 Kawi and he beat it to death for two season and never even checked the valves.
We got Hondas because its what we could afford and we have allways had good luck with them.
catatonic
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catatonic 4/12/2009 4:05pm
4/12/2009 4:05pm
ACMYERS wrote:
The 07' KTM 250f was very reliable. Valve life and piston were very good for us. 07' RMZ 250 Clutch up dates. Valves were top notch...
The 07' KTM 250f was very reliable. Valve life and piston were very good for us.

07' RMZ 250 Clutch up dates. Valves were top notch. Had to replace 3rd and 5th gear.

08' RMZ 250 no complaints other than both years needed a little help on top end. Cams and flowed head. We ran high compression pistons and race fuel in both 07 and 08.

The above bikes all in all where good bikes. We have been fortunate not to have any problems with the valves or taking any cylinders out..
The 07' KTM 250f was very reliable. Valve life and piston were very good for us.
I had an '07 that i put 110 hours on with regular maintenence. I sold it to a local kid a couple years ago and told him it was due for a top end again soon. being a kid he ignored me and rode it just about every day since then and also on the ice in the winter. He's done nothing but have the valves checked and it still runs good......not a good 4 stroke maintenence plan IMO but shows its a good bike I guess.
On the other hand my '08 pitched me over the bars on a double/double section with 18 hours on the meter fom a bad CDI.
sometimes you get the elevator......sometimes you get the shaft.
rockcrawlerdude 4/12/2009 4:08pm
4/12/2009 4:08pm
main thing with the ticking 250fs is to keep on top of your maintainence! ive had a yzf and an rmz 250 before moving to the 450 the yz had just blown up but the guy put in the motor from his back up race bike the bike was reliable but wouldnt turn to save its life. the rmz i bought was awesome it started no prob turned decent but i just needed more power for my 190lb but at the time. i think most of the newer bike are way more reliable than previous models but like was said before maintianence is the key but then again ya never know when that ticking will end....Whistling
Cygnus
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Cygnus 4/12/2009 4:17pm
4/12/2009 4:17pm Edited Date/Time 4/12/2009 4:18pm
The 250F's are all way better now than 3 or 4 years ago. The biggest problem I have seen is they do not like to be over revved. This will lead to the time bomb effect much faster.
catatonic
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catatonic 4/12/2009 4:18pm
4/12/2009 4:18pm
Racer92 wrote:
No cross fingers needed here............. [img]http://204.56.209.7/misc/2005rm250.jpg[/img]
No cross fingers needed here.............

That thing is just beautiful.
ACMYERS
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ACMYERS 4/12/2009 4:19pm
4/12/2009 4:19pm
I finally figured out how to make a 250F dependable.... My oldest is on a 450 and younger one on a 250 Two stroke.
catatonic
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catatonic 4/12/2009 4:21pm
4/12/2009 4:21pm
Cygnus wrote:
The 250F's are all way better now than 3 or 4 years ago. The biggest problem I have seen is they do not like to be...
The 250F's are all way better now than 3 or 4 years ago. The biggest problem I have seen is they do not like to be over revved. This will lead to the time bomb effect much faster.
Seems like kids coming off of 85's are the biggest problems for 250f's.
These kids have had it ingrained in ther head to twist it to the stops their whole life and cant seem to grasp the concept of shift before the rev limiter on a 4 stroke.

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