Thanks, everyone for your help. Well, I removed the carb and took the cap off. Everything inside is a dull green color, dried up gas I guess. I was unable to remove the floats or jets, everything was stuck like glue. I didn't want to break anything, so I sprayed some B-12 and will try disassembly again tomorrow.

Hi James - Welcome to the site as a new USER. Enjoy and ride safely.

Thanks for the kind words. Post on!

That's a harsh reality in today's world. Even in the limited 'workspace' that I occasionally find myself in, "working with customer needs not against them" means that certain 'Windows only' programs, mainly Photoshop and Illustrator, are absolutely necessary - and being able to run these two so easily and so well in Linux Mint is a 'lifesaver' in my book..

As far as Mint "..being ahead of the curve and probably the best place to start," in particular for a new Linux user, I couldn't agree more.. Keeping Windows to a bare minimum and using it only when no other options exist is and has been for years 'the best way' to roll!!..

Hi there, I am also about to embark on a Clarke Tank install, my old original petcock is all rusty and needs to be rebuilt. I was thinking of buying a universal fit petcock (since they're less expensive than an OEM gasket, lol). I've seen the Clark petcock on their website, looks a lot like the universal ones that you can buy cheap on eBay? Should I go with universal, buy a Clarke petcock, or rebuild the original Yamaha to fit Clarke? - please vote 1-Uni, 2-Clrk, 3-Yama!

Welcome Jim. I started riding off road at age 8, in 1967 on a Bultaco Lobito 100. I also got a Briggs powered mini bike when I was about 10. Got my license and a Suzuki GT380 at 16. Been riding ever since, both on and off road. I have several disabilities, mainly of the orthopedic kind. I actually have to stand on something to get on and off my XT225. I built something I can carry with me.

I do not recommend trying to rig an 18" wheel. You will have to also rig a way to install a brake, and the rear tire is not really that much wider than the front anyway. If you want to build a supermoto (definitely not recommended for sand) you can get 17" wheels for the XT, and run street tires on them. I have gotten my XT stuck in sand in AZ, but always managed to get out. Now I stay away from sand. I have been tempted by the TW200, but there is no way I could fix a flat on one of those huge tires by myself out in the desert. Also, my XT has an aftermarket centerstand (no longer available) they have never been available for the TW200. I watched a long time TW200 rider changing a rear tire at home in his garage, with a bike lift, and he really struggled with it. I have already had one flat rear tire on my XT late last year. Took me about 3 hours to fix it. Would have been impossible without the centerstand. As far as the jets and ethanol gas goes, yes that is an issue. Every time you finish riding, shut the petcock off and run the float bowl dry. That will keep the ethanol away from the jets. If you are going to let the bike sit for awhile, I drain the float bowl, remove the fuel line from the petcock, and fill the float bowl with Seafoam or Chevron Techron to clean the jets.

...


Picked up a set of front forks for my RT-180 project.
Will these work on the XT225?


youngfred

Yes it's the metal loop the cable passes through before the plastic retainer near the brake caliper. Both our bikes wore through perfectly good speedo cables rubbing on the wire. I used to fix them with electricians tape. But a rubber grommet is better. Most of the riding we did was on trails. That works the suspension pretty hard and led to more rubbing. Some years back an OEM speedo cable was $50. A grommet is $1. Another problem we had was spoke nipples ripping out of the rim.


Tape and tie wrap spoke crossings.

When this happens it can get tangled up. If it rips loose from the hub (broken shoulder), it invariably punctures the inner tube. Taping and tie wrapping the crossings keeps spokes in place until you finish the ride. Just a couple of simple things we did that avoided hassles. Ride safely and enjoy.

We hit 50F yesterday afternoon and I'm guessing a bit warmer today. Feels more like a Spring thaw than winter. Ice patches are around which makes skidding on your ass very easy. A couple of days ago dank weather didn't bring any new snow which was fine by me. I'd just say this winter has been funky. Haven't been up in the mountains yet to check out the snow scene there. Mostly clear yesterday and today. With no wind you can walk around comfortably in a T shirt. That won't last long, however. Be careful on ice as unexpected falls can lead to bad places.

Well it is a '94, so it was 14 years old when I bought it in '08. It only had 1800 miles on it, but it showed signs that the PO had left it sitting out in the sun. It now has over 22K miles on it. My '01 parts bike still has a lot of good parts, including a really nice 3000 mile engine. Hopefully I will be good to go for a long time.

Finish up pretty much rebuilding the whole bike.

Anyone selling a frame for an Xt225???

Prefer from Canada but will consider all, doesn't need to have paperwork/registration just a useable frame.


Thank you all

Hello all,

I purchased a 2009 XT250 with 5000 km back in April of 2021 (presently has 7400 km) after extensive work was done at a qualified shop. The work included the wiring harness and a new top end was also installed. (I'm under the impression it was neglected by the 1st owner and the second owner was the one who took care of it after the work was completed)

When it is running, it runs wonderfully. The valves seem fine as they are not making excessive noise however, my history with the bike is short.

When attempting to finish off the season with a joy ride, I ran into some troubles starting the bike. And yes, before you ask, I did run through the obvious (Fuel on, charged battery, choke fully out, kill switch on the handle bar in the proper position, ect..) In addition, after purchasing the bike (USED) I confirmed that the kickstand kill switch and the clutch kill switch were both disabled.

Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that I need to replace my starter motor. The reason I have concluded I need to replace the starter is because after the bike would not start I confirmed that the solenoid (starter relay) had burnt out. After replacing the solenoid (starter relay) there was still no actuation of the starter motor. *Important to note the starter motor was working fine until the solenoid stopped working* I'm of the impression the reason the starter motor fried was from attempting to start the bike by bypassing the solenoid and from excessive initial wear. The starter was having a lagging issue before the solenoid failed. As a means of remedy I would have to push and hold my starting switch twice to turn the starter motor over enough to fire up the bike. As a note I have also replaced the lead acid battery with a Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery manufactured by NOCO. The battery was replaced after the solenoid and starting motor failed. I then reviewed a video on YouTube posted by Devin Anderson titled 'XT250 Starting System' which has led me to the conclusion that it is the starting motor, after replacing both the battery and the solenoid.

I'm stuck at a point where I need some guidance on whether or not I can pull the automatic cam chain tensioner to make enough room to remove the starting motor, without having to pull the tank and carburetor. In addition, if I do pull the automatic cam chain tensioner will I have to find top dead center before I pull the tensioner? In more simpler terms, I am asking if I can pull the tensioner and put it right back in the exact same position after installing the new starting motor, without having to reset the tensioner or find top dead center. The reason being, is I am a newbie and I understand that screwing up anything inside the case is a big no no. I don't want to open up the case if i don't have to.

If there is anything else anyone thinks I may be missing or any guidance that would be appreciated!

Thank you in advance !

Cait.

Don't feel bad. I have those senior moments as well. When you get toothpaste and Preparation-H mixed up, then it's time to worry.

You might find someone to rebuild the stock shock. MX racing type shops should have the stuff to do that.

Welcome, Cait! You'll find good information and like minded people to chat with here, guys and gals who enjoy riding and for the most part service and maintain their bikes themselves. With winter in full swing it gets a bit slow here on occasion, but stick with it and you'll find things pick up when a favorite topic is being discussed and of course when the weather warms once again!.. Enjoy the site, keep the rubber side down, and post as often as you can!..

Just a warning for anybody with a rear disc brake model looking to buy new pads, I am aware most in US have drum rear brake, although some have been converted.

I ordered these pads off ebay, they do not fit! They are 11mm total thickness, the pair together with new disc is too wide for the caliper on my '95 model. Checked on EBC's website & says for rear left XT225/Serow? Disc is on rhs.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351461378018

https://ebcbrakesdirect.com/motorcycle/yamaha/xt-225/1993-1996/62762


I found out on Xmas eve, so now a week's delay but at least Wemoto state correct size 9mm thick, should be winging my way. Posties are back at work t'morra.

https://www.wemoto.com/bikes/yamaha/xt_225_serow_w_we_%284jg%29_%28japan%29/95/picture/brake_pads_rear_ebc_standard_%28gg_type%29

Wow, nice shop! Glad everyone had a good time. We've spent most of it with various family, some of whom we haven't seen in 2 years. The weather here was been very warm, near 70 deg for the past week. Unfortunately no time for riding between family and other chores. I desperately need to make some time to install the new tires that have been sitting in my garage for 6 weeks.

My next oldest brother sent the link to me. Never seen anything like that except in the movies. But then you realize this is the real deal. A bit sobering to say the least. I wish those folks all the best to rebuild and get their lives in order.

I sure wish we had gotten that tubeless rear wheel in the U.S. Would have saved me a lot of grief, even just the rear. Most of my flats are in the rear. Since it is obviously easy to make wheels like that, it makes me wonder why everybody doesn't do it worldwide.

You're wise to do some strength training. And keep moving within limits. I see older guys at the gym thinking they are 35 and try lifting like that. Most go super nova then implode. Or snap something that takes them out of the game. For me, I've been doing this stuff all my life. But slow and steady never trying to make a statement. Balance training is another area I spend time with. I have about 5 exercises I do for this. What you don't use you will lose. It's the sports and activities that's beat me up. Broken bones, sprains, strains, tears, etc. It all hurts now at some level. Nothing a few Tylenol won't ease.

Jeannie and I don't do as much as we used to but remain active. That the adventure circle has shrunk a bit is fine. We have great memories, photos and videos. And we're still alive.


Beyond a certain point, some stuff doesn't make sense to risk. Climbing an unsanctioned trail in Zion NP (1/3/2014). Jeannie was 56 then.

Stay safe.

Hi Rusty - Some of the features are confusing. Up at the top there is Forum Help (FAQs). About 3/4 of the way down there is one labeled as "What's the difference between Reply and Quick Reply?" You can expand and read what the blog designers had in mind. I use mostly "Post Reply" like now. If I need additional editing features like URLs, quotes, images, etc. I go for the full editor. Truth be known I don't pay attention to who I'm replying to just adding my 2 cents to the end of a thread. I may (as needed) call out a member name in my text.

This blog is run via PHP and an SQL database. At times the server side can hang or go down. I've had symptoms as you explain once in a while. But never lost a post. The UBB Threads folks did a good job on the software. I'd say it generally has performed as expected over the last 18 years. U R Welcome and I hope the above helps. Ride safely.

Best - Scott