250 2-Stroke a Harescramble Bike???

[tjmotocross]

I have been looking at getting a YZ250 or CR250 2005 or newer and I might start doing a couple harescrambles. Would you guys go with the YZ or the CR and could you give me a list of everything you would put on them for that kind of riding?

Thanks TJ

 

[mideastrider]

Either one would be a good harescramble bike. It could be raced as is and you certainly don’t have to spend this money before racing but there are a few things that could be done to make it a little more user friendly. You may want to drop one tooth off the front sprocket or at least add 2 to the back. Flywheel weight is always good. Hand guards and/or bark busters you’ll want for sure. Suspension maybe a little harsh on the roots and rocks but you can try a race or two before you spend that money. Skid plate that’s kind of a personal preference, provides a little insurance against frame and engine damage. Then of course there’s oversize fuel tank, steering stabilizer, exhaust system, carb tuning, brake snake and the list goes on. It all depends how serious and what level rider you are.

 

[SMMWest]

Either of those bikes are great bikes. For Hare Scrambles set up your suspension correctly (or have a shop revalve it) and Broaden the overall Powerband and your good for years to come.

 

[adam728]

Either one would need a spark arrestor, and a skid plate and bark busters are always a good idea. You could easily race em that way.

If you want to throw a ton of money at it you could go with loads of engine work, wide ratio trans, suspension respring/revalve, 18" rear wheel, pipe, steering damper, the list could go on and on and on. What's "necessary" is entirely up to the rider's opinion. Some guys feel they need a completely decked out bike just to do doughnuts in the parking lot. Other guys could get on a stocker and win the AA class.

 

[tjmotocross]

Thanks for the input guys it really helps. The impression I get of harescrambles is that the bike being perfect isn't nearly as critical as it is in other types of racing, does that sound something like it is?

TJ

 

[flyingfuzzball]

hey mideastrider, what is a brake snake? i have never heard of that before.

 

[dirt bike dave]

A brake snake is a little loose fitting steel cable cable that attaches near the tip of your brake pedal and then to the frame. The idea is to keep branches and twigs from getting caught in between the brake pedal and frame.

FWIW, one of my buddies races a '06 YZ250 in D-36 cross country. It's a fun bike - pretty agressive for casual trail riding, but good for racing or more agressive riding. He prefers the close ratio transmission for racing.

 

[red_rider]

i would have a look at the 05 kx250's. they won the shootout and have a very consistent poweband
i was extremly close to buying a 05 kx because of all the reviews on them and all the shootouts that they want.
unless you definitely want a yami or a honda i would have a look at the kawasaki's

 

[Patman]

I would just save a bunch or time and money and get a KTM 250/300 EXC.

 

[02stampede]

I have an 05 yz 250 that is stock other than pro taper bars, an fmf gnarly pipe and shorty silencer. The bike has a lot of low end grunt. It hits the powerband pretty quick and has a pretty consistent pull until you grab the next gear. It has a bit of top end sacrifice but I heard the yz's are known for low end power and I notice it. I prefer to ride tight single track and the bike does great with that type of powerband. I have not ridden a comparable cr so I cant say. .02

 

[flyingcr250]

Either one would be a good harescramble bike. It could be raced as is and you certainly don’t have to spend this money before racing but there are a few things that could be done to make it a little more user friendly. You may want to drop one tooth off the front sprocket or at least add 2 to the back. Flywheel weight is always good. Hand guards and/or bark busters you’ll want for sure. Suspension maybe a little harsh on the roots and rocks but you can try a race or two before you spend that money. Skid plate that’s kind of a personal preference, provides a little insurance against frame and engine damage. Then of course there’s oversize fuel tank, steering stabilizer, exhaust system, carb tuning, brake snake and the list goes on. It all depends how serious and what level rider you are.

or you could just buy an EXC. the best bikes ever ha ha ha :nener:

 

[motometal]

The dedicated woods bikes like the KTMs are nice. Pay atention to the weight, some are close to an MX bike...others are heavier due to extra electrics etc. that you may not need. As far as saving money vs. a Jap MX bike, the idea is you pay more up front but the bike comes already set up for the woods. I think this only holds true value wise, if you will really deck out the Jap bike wih all the goodies. Times have changed to some extent, an MX bike works much better in the woods today compared to the peaky monsters made years ago.

In my opinion you don't need many mods to make a CR, YZ etc. very good in the woods.

Sprockets-you may need to change on any bike, for conditions.
pipe-the stock YZ and CR pipes work well. You may need a spark arrestor
steering stabilizer-only needed for fast wide open stuff. I've never felt the need
Flywheel weight-this I would highly recommend even if you do little else!
Suspension-make sure springs are correct for your weight. Run fork oil level and compression setting near soft/minimum.

I have a CR, it is not peaky, has tons of low end, suspension is plush (although not as plush as it could be)

One more comment CR vs. YZ, I think the YZ has the better motor but I like the handling of the CR, especially for tight turns. Both great bikes.

 

[AllianceCR250]

Well I have a 02 CR250 an this bike plain rips I prefer the450's smoother delivry but if uve got grapefruit cajones an need to feel like uve been doing sumthing after a ride 2 strokes the way to go

 

[BSWIFT]

I'll second everyones comments. If you're looking for something race ready, the KTM's are hard to beat. The YZ and CR are both great bikes and work well with proper setup. Like Motometal said, get a flywheel weight if you buy a CR or YZ and soften up the suspension. The YZ's don't turn well and IMO, the KX's don't turn any better but their motors are bottom end monsters.
Part of the fun is blinging out your ride anyway. I've got an 05YZ250 with an MX-Tech suspension, IMS tank, Steally flywheel weight, bark busters, and a Gut's seat(best thing added to a YZ!). There are other mods I want to do but just haven't done them. BTW, the Guts seat is a 5 STAR add on. Yamaha seems to find seat foam that could be used for framing(2x4), if you know what I mean.

 

[Rooster]

Agreed on the tips here, except for the need for a different seat. Train yourself! Keep the rock hard stock seat foam, put a really rough gripper cover on it, and you will automatically learn to ride harescrambles the proper way ... standing on the pegs. Or, you will need a five gallon bucket of diaper rash cream after every race, whichever you prefer.

 

[BSWIFT]

Agreed on the tips here, except for the need for a different seat. Train yourself! Keep the rock hard stock seat foam, put a really rough gripper cover on it, and you will automatically learn to ride harescrambles the proper way ... standing on the pegs. Or, you will need a five gallon bucket of diaper rash cream after every race, whichever you prefer.

Been there done that! Old knees puts my butt on the seat eventually!:yikes:
Rooster, another Rush fan?!

 

[Rooster]

Damn the old knees.
Rush - indeed!