Just picked up a 2001 Cr250, things to check?

Grant_m99
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Grant_m99
Edited Date/Time 11/13/2018 6:21am
Just got into riding and decided on this clean 2001 Cr250. Used to ride when I was a lot younger but this is my first full size bike any advice on things to check and fix? First thing I noticed is a leak where the pipe goes into the motor anything helps just want to make sure I take care of this thing. It runs perfect(really fast lol) I have plenty of experience working on vehicles just never wrenched on bikes.




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Bramlett321
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Bramlett321 11/3/2018 5:01pm
11/3/2018 5:01pm
On that bike !!!! It’s been ridden a lot I’m sure so the bugs might be worked out but....the jetting in that bike was a booger to work out. V-Force and just ride that sucker, get your suspension dialed for you
pCp 252
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pCp 252 11/3/2018 5:13pm
11/3/2018 5:13pm
The front brake hose should be routed on the inside of the fork guard, not on the outside where it’s exposed to being ripped off.

The seal between air boot and air box is notorious for leaks on that generation CR, which can suck in dust and dirt. Take the assembly apart and re-silicon the mating surfaces.

The rear suspension linkage & knuckle bearings may be toast in a bike that old. I would inspect and grease those bearings, replace if necessary. Swingarm, steering head, and upper shock bearing same thing. Make sure to torque those bolts to spec, many times they are cranked too hard and hinder movement.

Suspension likely needs service. Change the oil and bushings/seals on the forks for cheap using YouTube for instructions. The shock you may want to just bring into a local suspension for rebuild. Someone will need to charge it with Nitrogen after assembly, even if you do the shock service yourself.

Fresh Brake fluid and proper bleed can be changed for cheap.

Don’t go too long before rebuilding top end and inspecting the bottom end.
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yz133rider
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yz133rider 11/3/2018 5:15pm
11/3/2018 5:15pm Edited Date/Time 11/3/2018 5:17pm
Route the front brake line inside of the fork leg to start. Id also take a look at the throttle cable make sure doesnt bind at any point with the bars turned. Check all mounts, bolts, axles, etc.

Check fork seals, spokes, brake pads, coolant,
the exhaust leak needs new orings and clean it up


edit pcp beat me to it with some of what i said!
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Grant_m99
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Grant_m99 11/3/2018 5:21pm
11/3/2018 5:21pm
Bramlett321 wrote:
On that bike !!!! It’s been ridden a lot I’m sure so the bugs might be worked out but....the jetting in that bike was a booger...
On that bike !!!! It’s been ridden a lot I’m sure so the bugs might be worked out but....the jetting in that bike was a booger to work out. V-Force and just ride that sucker, get your suspension dialed for you
Thanks for the advice guys! It was an older guy I bought it from said he’s the second owner, and the first owner let it sit for 5 years in the garage I moved the wheels back and forth hard to and no play whatsoever, already has vforce reeds and an fmf sst gold series mated to a fmf shorty. I’ve rode it a couple times and it runs really good a little to fast but i’ll Get used to it!

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Grant_m99
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Grant_m99 11/3/2018 5:22pm
11/3/2018 5:22pm
pCp 252 wrote:
The front brake hose should be routed on the inside of the fork guard, not on the outside where it’s exposed to being ripped off. The...
The front brake hose should be routed on the inside of the fork guard, not on the outside where it’s exposed to being ripped off.

The seal between air boot and air box is notorious for leaks on that generation CR, which can suck in dust and dirt. Take the assembly apart and re-silicon the mating surfaces.

The rear suspension linkage & knuckle bearings may be toast in a bike that old. I would inspect and grease those bearings, replace if necessary. Swingarm, steering head, and upper shock bearing same thing. Make sure to torque those bolts to spec, many times they are cranked too hard and hinder movement.

Suspension likely needs service. Change the oil and bushings/seals on the forks for cheap using YouTube for instructions. The shock you may want to just bring into a local suspension for rebuild. Someone will need to charge it with Nitrogen after assembly, even if you do the shock service yourself.

Fresh Brake fluid and proper bleed can be changed for cheap.

Don’t go too long before rebuilding top end and inspecting the bottom end.
I’ll re route the front brake line and the fork seals were done right before I bought it he said.
Neverclear
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Neverclear 11/3/2018 5:35pm
11/3/2018 5:35pm
I have a pair of 2000 CR250's & they have been the most reliable bikes I've ever owned. The only real issue I've had was the swingarm bearings, and it was probably my fault for not servicing them earlier.
Those years had great engines.
Have fun & welcome back..
Bultaco
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Bultaco 11/3/2018 5:38pm
11/3/2018 5:38pm
The red CRs are faster than the black ones. Handle better too. ;-) ;-)

Congrats on the new scoot.

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crowe176
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crowe176 11/3/2018 5:42pm
11/3/2018 5:42pm
I loved my 01! That thing when jetted right was a specimen of a 2 stroke.
Grant_m99
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Grant_m99 11/3/2018 5:48pm
11/3/2018 5:48pm
Neverclear wrote:
I have a pair of 2000 CR250's & they have been the most reliable bikes I've ever owned. The only real issue I've had was the...
I have a pair of 2000 CR250's & they have been the most reliable bikes I've ever owned. The only real issue I've had was the swingarm bearings, and it was probably my fault for not servicing them earlier.
Those years had great engines.
Have fun & welcome back..
Thanks a lot I’m super excited especially after riding for the first time in forever, gotta take it slow this things a monster lol.
Grant_m99
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Grant_m99 11/3/2018 5:49pm
11/3/2018 5:49pm
Bultaco wrote:
The red CRs are faster than the black ones. Handle better too. ;-) ;-)

Congrats on the new scoot.

Don’t worry she will be done up in all red instead of black soon, I like the black but all red plastics including the number plates looks really nice in my opinion.
Grant_m99
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Grant_m99 11/3/2018 5:50pm
11/3/2018 5:50pm
crowe176 wrote:
I loved my 01! That thing when jetted right was a specimen of a 2 stroke.
Picked it up at 2000 feet of elevation and it ran decent, I came back home which is at 3500 and it feels like a whole different bike it runs way better than it did down lower but i’m Not sure if I should leave if it’s running right or tinker with the carb some?
jeffro503
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jeffro503 11/3/2018 5:55pm
11/3/2018 5:55pm
That bike looks really clean at that age , and ( hard to tell by pics ) but looks to be pretty well taken care of , except for the jetting issue's. The main thing.....this bike got you back into riding , and everything else is second! Take your time with her , figure her out , fix what's needed and most of all , have a blast on that thing. And I know you will !!
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Grant_m99
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Grant_m99 11/3/2018 6:09pm
11/3/2018 6:09pm Edited Date/Time 11/3/2018 6:56pm
jeffro503 wrote:
That bike looks really clean at that age , and ( hard to tell by pics ) but looks to be pretty well taken care of...
That bike looks really clean at that age , and ( hard to tell by pics ) but looks to be pretty well taken care of , except for the jetting issue's. The main thing.....this bike got you back into riding , and everything else is second! Take your time with her , figure her out , fix what's needed and most of all , have a blast on that thing. And I know you will !!
That about sums up my thoughts about the thing so far! Thanks a lot man. The guy seemed real sure that it hasn’t seen much abuse if any I can tell just by looking it over that it was a real nice choice. There’s literally zero scratches anywhere on the frame, and the wheels have zero play so I think bearings are good, the forks have no play either.
Patrick461
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Patrick461 11/3/2018 6:53pm
11/3/2018 6:53pm
Best 2 stroke ever made its the best motor ever its strong but the eat reeds so I would definitely install a Boyesan Rad Valve if you could find one
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Grant_m99
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Grant_m99 11/3/2018 7:03pm
11/3/2018 7:03pm
Patrick461 wrote:
Best 2 stroke ever made its the best motor ever its strong but the eat reeds so I would definitely install a Boyesan Rad Valve if...
Best 2 stroke ever made its the best motor ever its strong but the eat reeds so I would definitely install a Boyesan Rad Valve if you could find one
Is that different from the vforce reeds that are on it already or the same type of part?
Neverclear
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Neverclear 11/3/2018 7:11pm
11/3/2018 7:11pm
crowe176 wrote:
I loved my 01! That thing when jetted right was a specimen of a 2 stroke.
Grant_m99 wrote:
Picked it up at 2000 feet of elevation and it ran decent, I came back home which is at 3500 and it feels like a whole...
Picked it up at 2000 feet of elevation and it ran decent, I came back home which is at 3500 and it feels like a whole different bike it runs way better than it did down lower but i’m Not sure if I should leave if it’s running right or tinker with the carb some?
Just keep an eye on your spark plug during your first few rides. The color will tell you if any changes are needed. Jets are easy to source online (as are the factory race team graphics from '01)
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jeffro503
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jeffro503 11/3/2018 7:30pm
11/3/2018 7:30pm
jeffro503 wrote:
That bike looks really clean at that age , and ( hard to tell by pics ) but looks to be pretty well taken care of...
That bike looks really clean at that age , and ( hard to tell by pics ) but looks to be pretty well taken care of , except for the jetting issue's. The main thing.....this bike got you back into riding , and everything else is second! Take your time with her , figure her out , fix what's needed and most of all , have a blast on that thing. And I know you will !!
Grant_m99 wrote:
That about sums up my thoughts about the thing so far! Thanks a lot man. The guy seemed real sure that it hasn’t seen much abuse...
That about sums up my thoughts about the thing so far! Thanks a lot man. The guy seemed real sure that it hasn’t seen much abuse if any I can tell just by looking it over that it was a real nice choice. There’s literally zero scratches anywhere on the frame, and the wheels have zero play so I think bearings are good, the forks have no play either.
Well , it sounds like you found yourself a good one. Looking for slop in the rear end , foot peg's , wheels , ect....is a good way to tell how much time a bike has on her. The motor is a different story , but if it has good compression / power and you clean up the jetting , you should be good as gold. Do yourself a favor though....go through everything and re-grease it. Then , when you get the time , slap a new top end in her , clean the power valve and check the crank to make sure she's solid. If it is.....it'll be no worse off then a brand new bike , and you will have a lot of hours of good times on that sucker!
crowe176
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crowe176 11/3/2018 7:37pm
11/3/2018 7:37pm
If I remember right, we ran a VForce and a JD jetting kit in our 01. It was night and day compared to my 00, and the 00 had head work done by Pro-Action.. The 01 was just so crisp and strong all around. Was the best 2-stroke I can remember riding..

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crc245
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crc245 11/3/2018 8:48pm
11/3/2018 8:48pm
Good purchase, congrats! As others have said, grease it proper and taking it to the frame for inspection goes a long ways in the long run.

Must do's:

Re-route that lower front brake line to the inside, but also watch the upper line; Looks like it's behind the number plate and that's a no-no.

New mudflap - Looks like that one was eaten by a paddle.

New OE cables with the Tri-Flow treatment are wise with any new scoot. Same awesome feeling comes with fresh tires Cool


Question: Is that an aftermarket rear brake line? Looks thinner than stock with no Honda clear-sheath...
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Grant_m99
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Grant_m99 11/3/2018 9:02pm
11/3/2018 9:02pm
crc245 wrote:
Good purchase, congrats! As others have said, grease it proper and taking it to the frame for inspection goes a long ways in the long run...
Good purchase, congrats! As others have said, grease it proper and taking it to the frame for inspection goes a long ways in the long run.

Must do's:

Re-route that lower front brake line to the inside, but also watch the upper line; Looks like it's behind the number plate and that's a no-no.

New mudflap - Looks like that one was eaten by a paddle.

New OE cables with the Tri-Flow treatment are wise with any new scoot. Same awesome feeling comes with fresh tires Cool


Question: Is that an aftermarket rear brake line? Looks thinner than stock with no Honda clear-sheath...
I am not sure about the rear brake line I will have to take some more pics of it in the morning this stuff is new to me so all this help is very much appreciated. Should I order a manual for this bike? Or does anyone have a pdf I can print out for when I strip it down?
kb228
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kb228 11/3/2018 9:46pm
11/3/2018 9:46pm
To put it simply, check everything. Its 17 years old.
imoto34
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imoto34 11/4/2018 2:53am
11/4/2018 2:53am
Buy gas, make her scream. Fuuuck ya
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MemberSpaceNameColon 11/4/2018 4:58am
11/4/2018 4:58am
Assuming you just bought this bike and don't have a history, even though it runs well, I'd immediately do a top end (replace piston, take power valve apart and get every spec of carbon off the flaps, take silencer apart, put a torch on the inner piece to remove all the carbon or let it soak in oven cleaner and then scrub with a wire brush). Take the sub frame off and squirt some good cleaner in the air box, let it soak a bit, then hose it out and let it air dry, or use your air compressor. Definitely get a service manual, look up the carb settings for your altitude and air temp, then replace your jets and clip position as appropriate. And by the way, once you get your bike jetted properly, when you replace your silencer packing, your inner silencer piece should not be plugged full of carbon. It should not require a significant amount of cleaning. If it does, most likely you are running too rich. I also agree with the brake line, get that routed correctly. Feel for bearing wear in the wheels, does the suspension feel soft and supple or notchy and sticky? Also, when you have the cylinder off for top end replacement, get your cylinder honed, and check for any abnormalities, gouges, scar marks, etc. Also check to see that you don't have any up and down play on the connecting rod. If you do, it's time to replace the bottom end. Side to side movement is OK but up and down movement of the connecting rod is not. Give a good visual inspection to the chain and sprockets also. Are any teeth messed up? Any issues with the chain? I would not recommend pouring gas in and "ridin' it like ya stole it" or whatever the cool lingo is. Take the necessary precautions up front to save yourself in the long run. I have a 2003 CR 125 and 250. As long as you treat them right, keep up with top ends, use good OEM parts, keep them clean, keep air filter clean, change the transmission oil every time (I do, type F), you'll have years and years and years of good riding ahead of you. Well done on an awesome bike!
1
blockhead17 11/4/2018 6:35am
11/4/2018 6:35am
I think people are giving great advice here, but it’s all not nesecary..
Just check all the bolts are tight, bearings are greased and in good condition, give it a good clean and go ride!
Enjoy it and welcome back!!
Mossy
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Mossy 11/4/2018 11:05am
11/4/2018 11:05am
pCp 252 wrote:
The front brake hose should be routed on the inside of the fork guard, not on the outside where it’s exposed to being ripped off. The...
The front brake hose should be routed on the inside of the fork guard, not on the outside where it’s exposed to being ripped off.

The seal between air boot and air box is notorious for leaks on that generation CR, which can suck in dust and dirt. Take the assembly apart and re-silicon the mating surfaces.

The rear suspension linkage & knuckle bearings may be toast in a bike that old. I would inspect and grease those bearings, replace if necessary. Swingarm, steering head, and upper shock bearing same thing. Make sure to torque those bolts to spec, many times they are cranked too hard and hinder movement.

Suspension likely needs service. Change the oil and bushings/seals on the forks for cheap using YouTube for instructions. The shock you may want to just bring into a local suspension for rebuild. Someone will need to charge it with Nitrogen after assembly, even if you do the shock service yourself.

Fresh Brake fluid and proper bleed can be changed for cheap.

Don’t go too long before rebuilding top end and inspecting the bottom end.
When I first got my 97 yz125 that was used and beat to crap, I rode it for a while before fixing anything. It seemed it too had an air box gap problem where the box and boot “mate.” I used 3M silicone stuff. What happens with this one is, when you tighten the little tiny nuts on the back side, the ends of the boot flare up, and in turn the boot isn’t completely sealed to the box. Ended up getting dirt/sand in the engine/carb lol.
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Matt Fisher 11/4/2018 9:31pm
11/4/2018 9:31pm
When replacing the fork seals, SKF are the best, with OEM Honda or Pro-X being good too. Avoid the rest of the stuff on the market, particularly the cheap red ones. They're so tight it actually affects the forks' ability to absorb small bumps.
Grant_m99
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Grant_m99 11/9/2018 4:20pm
11/9/2018 4:20pm
Took it out for a test ride today to make sure everything is good after replacing air filter and throttle held wide open after hitting a little kicker, glad I was only In second could have been a lot worse I ate mad shit. Anyone know what causes that? I am thinking carb issues or throttle cable messed up while I was tying it down? Any ideas I am all scraped up now really bad but can’t wait to fix everything and get back on it lol.

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