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A few more ponies please ? #147033 02/16/20 03:45 AM
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NoBs Offline OP
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I'm purchasing a 2019 XT-250 next week.. It's going to be a major downgrade from my previous bikes but I need a smaller bike since I have some OA in both knees and need a seat height exactly like the XT 250. I can get used to the power downgrade but from what I've been riding and seeing on videos a few extra Hp would make a major difference. Any quick and easy ways of getting a few more. Exhaust muffler would be the last choice due to the cost.. I'm thinking of dropping some weight ( the bike, not me ) and a tooth less on the countershaft sprocket for starters.. While its not real hp, the bike would certainly react like a couple were added. Hopefully you guys can suggest something ?


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Re: A few more ponies please ? [Re: NoBs] #147037 02/16/20 02:33 PM
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Some minor things you can do to improve performance a bit without a major outlay of cash, but not a whole lot. The guys will chime in with favorite suggestions. Other than that you'll learn to comfortably ride within the envelope Yamaha's XT250 provides. For the most part it's adequate once you're used to it..


..I'd rather have questions I can't answer, than answers I can't question.. Dr. Phil
Re: A few more ponies please ? [Re: NoBs] #147039 02/16/20 04:54 PM
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The XT250 is a bit high geared for serious dirt but will easily do 65-70 on the road. I don't know what a one tooth change would do for you. Since they are dropping the 250, maybe the the new model will have the low seat height, but more HP......


2018 XT250 New 06/12/18. Now at 13,900 miles.
Re: A few more ponies please ? [Re: onceona50] #147041 02/16/20 08:35 PM
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If I recall correctly from my street days on my 1966 Bonneville, the ratio was around 3 to 1.. Drop one tooth in the front or add 3 in the back equaled the same..
I seem to recall it had a bit more spunk going thru the gears at the local drag strip. Have no idea what that would have meant in the dirt. I have no intention of getting on a 4 laner for
more than a few miles. Dropping top speed to 60 isn't a big deal. In the dirt it might be beneficial to have lower gears in that wide ratio trans..

I wish I had the luxury of waiting another year for the new model but that's a lot of riding lost and undoubtedly more money for the new unit.. I can barely afford
the left over 2019's as it is although they certainly don't drop much from one model year to the next..


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Re: A few more ponies please ? [Re: NoBs] #147043 02/16/20 09:04 PM
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The XT225 comes stock as 15:45 or 1:3.00 If that were 14:45 you'd end up with 1:3.21 Or 15:48 which is 3.20 which are so close you'd never know the difference. Easier and cheaper to drop 1 tooth in the front (same chain length). Plus you can return to 15 if you don't like the results. Lower gearing helps with technical trail riding I've found. You can crawl sections and start easier on the steeps to name a few perks.

223 CCs provides adequate power for almost all trail riding if you use lower gearing. That said, getting up steeper sweeps could use a little more power.

[Linked Image from photos.smugmug.com]

I had to bail out short of the top here. The bike just couldn't climb something this steep for that length. I enjoyed the bike for what it could do well which was plenty.


Evolve & Simplify
Be There or Be Nowhere! A Few Adventures & Video
Re: A few more ponies please ? [Re: NoBs] #147044 02/16/20 09:43 PM
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Originally Posted by NoBs
.....I wish I had the luxury of waiting another year for the new model but that's a lot of riding lost and undoubtedly more money for the new unit.. I can barely afford the left over 2019's as it is although they certainly don't drop much from one model year to the next..

They keep their price pretty consistently, one year to the next. You have to go back three or more years it seems to begin to notice prices coming down - and that's mostly on previously owned XT250s.

Even the much older XT225s, when you locate a good one (which isn't easy these days, at least not here), don't go down in price very much. Good ones still have a hefty price tag attached, and that's gone up the last few years - ever more limited supply and undiminished demand at work.

Wish we knew more about Yamaha's plans to replace the XT250 in 2021. Same seat height, similar weight, more power - people can only hope..


..I'd rather have questions I can't answer, than answers I can't question.. Dr. Phil
Re: A few more ponies please ? [Re: NoBs] #147820 04/27/20 05:09 PM
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Ditto dropping a tooth on the front sprocket. Easy to change back for highway / resale later.

Consider changing to a smaller, much lighter lithium-ion battery. The new LiFePo4 chemistry batteries are relatively safe for motorcycle and automotive applications. You could drop four to six pounds.

Tubes and tires can also make a big difference in performance. Not sure how heavy the stock setup is but when it comes time to replace do check the weight. Plenty of other options available. You may want to go with more robust tubes for puncture resistance / run-flat capabilities but reducing the weight in the tires / wheels makes a very big difference in performance. That is unsprung (for the most part) weight and rotational mass.

Any reductions on the wheel/tire weight will be quickly noticed. But don't trade weight for knobs/grip if you are seriously riding on the trails. One less IPA would be a better investment. grin

Enjoy and stay safe.

JP


Adding some Adventure to my life. Orange County, CA
'07 XT225
Re: A few more ponies please ? [Re: NoBs] #147824 04/27/20 06:18 PM
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As an avid bicyclist I can tell you many of the principles we apply to road and mountain bike racing apply to making motorcycles more competitive.

Not to make more HP but to get more of what little power we make to the rear wheels and/or reduce drag to improve efficiency.

take chains for example. A good high-end racing bicycle chain costs 80 to $100, can barely handle 2 HP max (a good sprint effort for me sees about 1250 to 1400 watts for 3 to 5 seconds), lasts about 1,000 to 3,000 miles, and weighs next to nothing. More importantly the resistance of that chain can be measured in watts. On the order go 5 to 10watts of drag.

Consider when you go to replace your chain to either 1- upgrade to a low resistance chain with low-weight (hollow pins, titanium roller pins, etc,) or 2, a low-cost but also low-resistance open chain but be prepared to clean and lubricate often.

More on chains here MC Chains
Bicycle chains - Velo News Chains

Chain lube also makes a big difference. I haven't sorted out the ideal mix for MCs yet. Still doing my own research for my riding style but some background on the concept can be found here. Bicycle Chain Lube tests

Speaking of lubes/oils - nothing beats 100% synthetic oils for reducing internal drag within the engine and gearbox. Do switch to 100% synthetic once the bike has been broken-in. I'd do a petroleum-based product for the first 500 mile interval to assist with the early break-in process then switch to 100% synthetic at the 1,000 mile mark. Yamalube is fine but you can save a bit of money buying any quality synthetic automotive motor oil.

Note that tire pressure can make a difference in performance especially off road. You may think that higher air pressure reduces rolling resistance but that has been proven to not be true in applications outside of hypermilage over-the-road competitions. Do try running slightly lower than recommended tire pressures when heading off-road. This enables the tire to deflect some of the vertical displacement motion forces first before the suspension enabling more of the bike's power to go towards moving the bike forward.

Low-restriction air filter: negligible improvement but a fun, easy project. Keeping the stock filter clean goes a long way towards maximizing performance.

Enjoy and stay safe

JP


Adding some Adventure to my life. Orange County, CA
'07 XT225
Re: A few more ponies please ? [Re: Muniac] #147835 04/28/20 04:45 PM
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That picture reminds me of watching guys ride near the top of the slip face of barkhan dunes in Saudi Arabia. If you maintained enough speed, the dune would collapse behind you. With the slip face at a ~35° angle, it wasn't quite barrel racing, but the bikes were perhaps only 20° off horizontal. It was very impressive to watch, but I never had the nerve to try it.


Don't fix it if it ain't broke, don't break it if you can't fix it.
Re: A few more ponies please ? [Re: NoBs] #149414 11/25/20 02:54 PM
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I needed a chain and decided to try a standard chain instead of O-ring on this bike. While I am a fan of O and X-ring chains, when I was a kid riding Honda 70 - 350's we didn't have them and no big deal.

Rocky Mountain ATV's Primary Drive chains are strong and cheap ($17). First thing I noticed was that the bike felt "snappier", just a little bit more pep. It was cheap enough to try and if it didn't work out, not much lost. So far so good but I have been diligent about lubing it.


MIGHT RAIN, MIGHT NOT -FLIP SPICELAND, ATLANTA METEOROLOGIST
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