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Trussville, AL
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So I spent a year on my 2016 YZ125 after a few years on a YZ250F and have absolutely loved it. Bike is so flickable and easy to maneuver. Cheap on maintenance, great bike overall. Only complaints would be the typical 2 stroke complaints, carbureted (so far has been great, but eventually I'm sure I'll be chasing carb demons), sucks on a tight technical track or muddy conditions.
Last week I rode a 2015 CRF250R and loved it even with the air forks. Which got me considering a 4 stroke again. I would love to have fuel injection, gobs of torque and of course a new bike again for next season. I found one for $5900 OTD which seemed like a great price. I'm just hesitating as at this point in my life can only do one bike in the garage at a time and would be upset if I sold my YZ only to regret it, already had a lot of interest on my YZ so not concerned with losing much on it for a year of riding. As with all great moto questions, figured I'd let the vitards chime in. I know I'm gonna get the whole 2 stroke Taliban or die input, etc. Just like everyone's thoughts.
Last week I rode a 2015 CRF250R and loved it even with the air forks. Which got me considering a 4 stroke again. I would love to have fuel injection, gobs of torque and of course a new bike again for next season. I found one for $5900 OTD which seemed like a great price. I'm just hesitating as at this point in my life can only do one bike in the garage at a time and would be upset if I sold my YZ only to regret it, already had a lot of interest on my YZ so not concerned with losing much on it for a year of riding. As with all great moto questions, figured I'd let the vitards chime in. I know I'm gonna get the whole 2 stroke Taliban or die input, etc. Just like everyone's thoughts.
It'll feel like new and you will avoid the 4 stroke maintenance headaches.
The Shop
I hear the 144 kits make for more low to mid but lose some over rev.
I hear the 136- 139 kits really let the bike rev to the moon.
I haven't ridden either so I'm just basing all this on hearsay.
Let's say I have a yz 125 and a Kx 250f both are maintained the same and both have about 20 hours on them. Boom time for a piston on the 125. Now bikes have 40 hours, and boom time for another piston and maybe a crank in the 125. The 250 needs the valves shimmed and an oil change. Let's say both bikes have 60 hours on them. Time for another piston in the 125 and it's time for a top end in the 250. Let's go another 20 hours and go to 80 hours on both bikes. The 125 needs a clutch and a full rebuild including a crank and piston, maybe even reeds. The 250 needs the valves shimmed and it might need a clutch depending on how you ride it.
So really have I saved any money riding the 2 stroke? No not at all. Yes the immediate rebuild cost of the 4stk is higher than the 2stk but with the 2 stroke needing 2-4 rebuilds to every 1 4 stroke rebuild (barring a blown motor or a complete locked motor on either bike) you end up spending more money.
but ride it with balls
ride it a gear higher
ride it faster
don't let the engine bog
ride it faster
don't let the rear tire spin
think knobby in dirt? ride it as fast as it can go
don't blow up berms until you're in the lead - clutches and brakes only slow you down! riding fast a gear higher! Fully pinned without breaking traction and fully
committed to the effn corners!
LOOK deep & beyond the corners to the next obstacle!
don't look at your fender (you idiot)
Is the bike part of you? (Or not?)
do you look at your leg when you walk?
keep your elbows (somewhat) up
it's not a couch (4stroke)
you shouldn't be sitting (you can't take it easy & do the triple)
seats? seats are for bouncing over jumps and digging in knobby mid-turn - sit late - stand quickly -
with that rebound forcing you back into attack mode! Pinned! looking three obstacles ahead , focus on the next obstacle and having already processed the present / then once in the lead? ride crazy
125 all day , unless you race pro/expert
four strokes are like tampons
every fat fuck has one
they literally have no idea what to do when talent touches two stroke
guy I race with shows up with 450 & the 125
see who's on the line?
then he goes demoralizing competition hoping they'll quit and find another sport
When a bone stock 125 smokes you on your blinged out 450! It makes you rethink everything! Much like the same feeling When an 80-85cc smokes you on a 250 two stroke or a 450? it makes you wanna quit
that's his goal
Just like when 125's would smoke 500's back in the day
embarrassing
Yes the 2strokes are harder to ride, harder to go fast on and take more skill...BUT who really cares they are both great fun to ride... And that's all that matters to most people..
Pit Row
And u can change you're piston at 20 hours if u like on you're crf but I bet the one you're taking out is mint! (As long as u have cleaned filter etc)...
Guy I know here in Scotland runs a small team.uses Ktm... Few years ago he had a fairly quick British rider (Shane carless) and one of his practice bikes had done over 120 hours on the stock piston!
My personal experience has the cost of 125 & 250f maintenance to basically come out even. With a catastrophic failure the 250f is far higher. The 250 2 stroke has lower maintenance cost than the 250f, once again in my experience, and the 450f is just a bit cheaper than the 250 2 stroke except for in the case of a full rebuild/failure.
If you are selling your bike before you hit the 100 hour mark then 4 strokes are probably cheaper because you pass along the higher cost repairs and maintenance to the sucker who buys it. If you do 100-150 hours or so a year and hang on to a bike for a long time then the 2 stroke almost always ends up cheaper in the long run.
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4 strokes can be expensive but if you replace things before it goes to hell in a hand basket...its reasonable given that its a race bike and not an XR400.
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