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Anything I need to know 92 XR250
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Posted by: 70 marlin---------------------
look's like I'm going to buy a tricked out 92 XR 250. WB 280 kit, WP inverted fork's, flat slide carb. fresh top end & new tire's. It's a lot older than what I wanted. but with the forks and 280 kit, and good price. it's looks to be a good deal? what's something like this worth? is there any thing about this era of XR 250's that makes them a really poor choice? I wanted a post 96 era xr. but I really like the up grades. also the bike is for my 16yr old son. 
Posted by: snaggleXR4---------------------
Hey,
The best part of XR's are the reliabilty. A heavily modified XR will not be near as reliable as a stock one. Furthermore, a heavily modified XR will more than likely have been ridden hard. I guess you know that 96+ XR's were updated significantly with better frames/suspension, and motor I believe.
If your son is thinking the 280kit and suspension will make the XR more like a MX bike, he's wrong and will be disappointed. XR's are awesome bikes (I've had 200, 400 and now 650R) but they ARE trail/play bikes no matter what people try to do to change them. Which as I mentioned, kills the best part, the reliability.
If your son is of decent size/weight, sit him on an XR400. The height of the 250 vs. 400 is about the same, the 400 is a tad heavier. However, you both will be much happier with the power/torque of the 400 vs. the 250/280 in the long run. Good luck.
Posted by: DualSportr---------------------
If the price is lots cheaper ($800 or more) than what you could buy a '96 & later model for, then it's a good deal. Otherwise, I'd probably walk away.
Why? The '96 & later has the lighter weight dry sump engine (which also produces much better power and keeps cool longer). The earlier engine had a bad tendency to overheat even with the stock piston. If the bore kit was installed with the stock liner, this will be one over-heating mother! I also agree with Snaggle, this sounds like a bike that was ridden hard.
The carb may or may not be good - is it a pumper? If not, the stock carb would be better for slow speed riding. Also, if it's not a pumper carb, you can guarantee the bike's been ridden mostly at high rpm, simply because that's where the flat slide carburates the best. These engines don't like sustained high rpm, which can cause valve, rod and timing chain issues.
The inverted forks are great - unfortunately, on this antiquated chassis, it's a bit like guilding a pig. There's nothing wrong with the early XR250 chassis, but there's also little right. They were heavy and flexy and really not nice at all when ridden at speed (even with a better fork - the additional rigidity of a good fork would make the chassis flex that much more noticeable).
However, if you can get a smokin' deal on the bike, and the engine is absolutely quiet and well behaved, then do it. It'll be a great starter bike for your son.
If it's not much cheaper than a '96 or newer model, you might want to spend a couple hundred more on something that will make him happy longer -- and be more reliable!
Posted by: Bliz---------------------
On the right side of the engine case there is a wire that goes into the case held in by a rubber seal. Put a guard of somekind over it or silicone it good. If this seal or wire gets jerked out by a stick, you lose all your engine oil. Honda put a metal clamp on it in 93.
Posted by: woodsy---------------------
Hey 70 I agree with all that Dualsport was trying to explain!! I had a 95 XR250 with a White Brothers big bore kit that included a JLE (big bucks) 12:1 piston. The thing took some time to get it to carburate properly, it was no longer possible to run anything by high octane (turco) race gas without ping probs, it ran HOT as mentioned (and this does cause oil to break down which in turn adds to abnormal topend wear issues) and the list goes on... After all the time - effort - $$ put into the bike it still had the typical XR handling problems!!! I discovered this for all I did - THEY ARE FUN PLAY BIKES BUT AS PRIORLY MENTIONED - THAT IS ALL THEY ARE!!!
Having done all this I would not even give a second thought to buying a used one that has been modded out (unless it was CHEAP)!! I would at minimun find that 96 or later. At maximum would be sometihng like take your son and let him ride some of the other bikes out there - man there is a lot of really cool stuff to be had now at some very good prices (both 2 and 4 strokers!).
By the way - do you understand the implications of the dry sump motor? That alone would make me ask alot of questions!!
Woodsy
Posted by: 70 marlin---------------------
Thank's to all!!! I still think I'm buying the xr. It's for jr who's a bit on the small side & and is still learning the wood's riding. as for the 280 kit I think it came from white brother's. I have no Idea of the compression. I'm sure the bike was rode hard and put away wet! this guy's from what he's say's bought it last summer and basicly let it sit in the garage because he lost his riding area. the bike came frome a A class enduro rider? so he say's. but the price is right. "pocket change" and for the 96 + bike the cash, would be a lot tougher for me to come up with. also jr still has a old rm 125 that I can sell to offset the new bikes cost:>)
Posted by: Jh85---------------------
Excellent bike.
Mine's been fun and reliable. The only thing I would want to mention, especially since your son's small it's HEAVY. That's my only gripe with the bike.
Depends on the terrain, too. Around here your sometimes better off with an 80 than a full size bike 
From what it sounds like it doesn't look like you can go wrong :thumb:
Posted by: NVR FNSH---------------------
My wife absolutely loves her dual sported '92 XR250R. The bike gets borrowed by our friends for weekend Baja trips when their high dollar bikes are broken. I thoroughly enjoy riding the bike even though it is way underpowered & suspended for my 255lb body. The best upgrade on the bike was a SRC fork brace but you won't need it since the bike's got inverted forks. I can't speak to the 280 kit but I'm sure it will be a great woods bike for Jr. If Jr has any aspiration of riding a track then get a different bike.
Brian
Posted by: 70 marlin---------------------
We ride woods! and jr's coming off a old 83 Rm 125. so it should'nt be that much heavier. I'm looking forword to him having a bike with more bottom end. the rm was a rocket ship but had no bottom end. and with these mi tight trails and sugar sand, keeping the bike on the pipe. tended to wear out the boy quickly. I'm hoping that the inverted fork are'nt sprung to heavy for my 135lbs son. if so I can pick up some lighter spring for him.
woodsy:
Quote:
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I had a 95 XR250 with a White Brothers big bore kit that included a JLE (big bucks) 12:1 piston.
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do all the 280 kits come with the high compression piston? if so I might send the head off to mr Gorr. to have the compression lowered to the stock ratio. how would you test it to determin if it has the high compression pistion? by doing a compression test? what should be the stock compression reading be?
Posted by: woodsy---------------------
70: It sounds to me like a quick call to White Brothers would be in order here! The questions you are asking are VERY essential to get anwers to. You have a choice in pistons when you are buying a big bore kit. I am not sure what all is offered but I know you dont have to go with 12:1 like I did. They, WB, should be able to tell you what kind of compression your comp tester should show with each one! I would strongly suggest that you get a genuine Honda shop manual for your bike.
As far as sending the head off to have the Compression lowered - hmmmm that would be a first in my book! You could play with base gaskets and aquire the same results (actually increasing the distance between the piston and head by changing the height of the jug/head assembly instead of machining) and this would be a LOT cheaper! It will all have to come apart anyway you do it!
You know what just accurd to me, maybe we are on the wrong track here. Does the bike currently run? If so, forget all this stuff and take it out and have some fun on it!!!! There is NO sense in changing anything until you HAVE to!! Those XR's are a riot no matter what state of MOD or UNMOD they are in - AS LONG AS YOU DONT HAVE TO PUSH THEM!!! Before you start any major work let your son spend a little time on it and see if he can handle the weight (they are A LOT heavier then that RM he had!). If he cant, there is no point in even beginning with motor changes!! If it all seems futile after this - sell it and buy something that fits him (sounds to me like you could make a few bucks on this one 
)
Woodsy
Posted by: 70 marlin---------------------
I pick it up saturday. you did'nt see that old rm what a pig! ya it was early when stated the head info. Eric would of told me what to do. the man run's a fine biz! but as for contacting WB I'm sure they could just about give me all the info I'd need. the guy say's he just put a new piston in it? why I don't know. so if he did maybe has a paper trail for me to follow. I hope it runs like a raped ape. so I don't even have to touch it. it does sound like a hard starting bike , from what the guy say's. my old 200X was the same way and I fgured it out. I'm sure jr. will do the same.
Posted by: woodsy---------------------
Hey 70 like I said - ride that puppy!!! If it is hard starting take a look at carburation - that is one of the probs I had with mine!! I will say this - those peanut plugs Honda uses (D series) do not like to be over choked - once they are blackend they are shot!!! Watch out for this one too!!
Sounds like you guys are in for some fun!!
Woodsy
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