[mazzla]

Hi all;
I thought that given that this is an "everything goes" forum this question will not be out of place here. So the track season is almost over and my gixxers are going to be used primarily for commuting, hence I thought I would try dirt tracking. I am looking at 250cc MX bikes and my question is: can I get on a MX track (e.g.: Joyce Green) with a road-legal bike? There are two types of bikes for sale out there: ones that don't have lights/speedo or number plate, or those that have all or some of these things. My nearest track is a ride away and I don't have a trailer, so I am limited to something that will not agro the old bill, but will I be allowed on the track with all the bells and whistles?
Cheers

 

[oldgixxer]

Gonna move this into the MX/Off Road forum for ya :thumbup

 

[mazzla]

Gonna move this into the MX/Off Road forum for ya :thumbup

cheers fella, didn't realise there was one. Apologies.

 

[oldgixxer]

No worries.
Are you able to get 2-stroke's where you live in the U.K.???:dunno

 

[mazzla]

No worries.
Are you able to get 2-stroke's where you live in the U.K.???:dunno

Yup we can get 2 strokes, but given that I am a lazy bastard, I am thinking 4 stroke 250 with FI. My main concern is - if I buy a road-legal crosser (e.g.: Huskie TE 250), will it be OK to use on the dirt track?

 

[grtfast]

You can ride a street legal 250 on a mx track, but I wouldn't recommend it. It's rough on the lights/signals, etc.., and you want the bike to be as light as possible. Weight really makes a big difference in how the bike handles. Also, the gearing and suspension are going to be setup wrong compared to what is optimal for the mx track.

 

[mazzla]

You can ride a street legal 250 on a mx track, but I wouldn't recommend it. It's rough on the lights/signals, etc.., and you want the bike to be as light as possible. Weight really makes a big difference in how the bike handles. Also, the gearing and suspension are going to be setup wrong compared to what is optimal for the mx track.

Cheers. Given that I am complete nube, I don't know if the headlight is going to make all that much difference to my performance in the first year o riding an MX. I drank 6 pints last night :cheers and forgot to hide my laptop :hammer, so ended up buying a Husky TE250 2007... Woke up this morning and thought: WHAT THE F&*K HAVE I DONE :banghead?! Laptops have to come with drunk sensor. Given that I have no choice anymore, maybe you good people can tell me what do I have to look for when the bike gets delivered (e.g.: leaky forks, worn sprockets - anything MX specific)?
I managed to buy it from a dealer, so the bike will come with a 1 month parts and labour warranty, new rubber and a new MOT. The bike has done just over 4K miles and apparently the dealer checked the bike over. However no service history - just an HPI check and the registration certificate. When do these bikes need valve clearances checked?
Thank you in advance for your help.

 

[le skid]

A beer-fueled shopping-soirée? I think at some point, we've all woken-up to worse morning-after decisions :biggrin

I have no valid input about your new Husky but it sure looks cool - enjoy! I hope you don't suck as badly as I do in the dirt:thumbup

 

[Ironhead401]

Cheers. Given that I am complete nube, I don't know if the headlight is going to make all that much difference to my performance in the first year o riding an MX. I drank 6 pints last night :cheers and forgot to hide my laptop :hammer, so ended up buying a Husky TE250 2007... Woke up this morning and thought: WHAT THE F&*K HAVE I DONE :banghead?! Laptops have to come with drunk sensor. Given that I have no choice anymore, maybe you good people can tell me what do I have to look for when the bike gets delivered (e.g.: leaky forks, worn sprockets - anything MX specific)?
I managed to buy it from a dealer, so the bike will come with a 1 month parts and labour warranty, new rubber and a new MOT. The bike has done just over 4K miles and apparently the dealer checked the bike over. However no service history - just an HPI check and the registration certificate. When do these bikes need valve clearances checked?
Thank you in advance for your help.

Wow, I could never buy a bike or a car without seeing it in person first. But if it makes you feel any better, Husky's are damn good bikes. I just bought a wr250r myself and did a lot of research. Your bike got excellent real world reviews. The only complaint was the bike was pretty tall and that was coming from guys over 6'. Also the valve clearances need to be checked a little more often, so you may want to start there as far as maintenance goes. As long as the oil was changed regularly, the bike is fine.

The only downside (if you can call it that) is the bike is carb'd so you may have to do some tinkering there. A lot of the newer bikes are FI which is a nice feature if you're looking for lower maintenance.

 

[mazzla]

I bet you could given enough beer ! Cheers for the reassurance fella, it does make me feel better. What are your "check points" when you look at a MX?

 

[mazzla]

A beer-fueled shopping-soirée? I think at some point, we've all woken-up to worse morning-after decisions :biggrin

I have no valid input about your new Husky but it sure looks cool - enjoy! I hope you don't suck as badly as I do in the dirt:thumbup

We'll see in a week when she gets delivered. Kinda exciting and scared shitless - missus doesn't know yet, she will hit the roof when it gets delivered, so I have a week to be an amazing boyfriend...

 

[Ironhead401]

I bet you could given enough beer ! Cheers for the reassurance fella, it does make me feel better. What are your "check points" when you look at a MX?

I'm just getting back into dirt but it's mostly the same.

When I go look at a bike, I check for obvious signs of a street crash. I look for obvious leaks and anything out of the ordinary. I try to look for signs of maintenance, such as is the oil level where it should be and the color.

Same goes for the brakes. How do the pads and rotors look. Color of the fluid in the reservoir. Do the brake lines look good. I ask maintenance questions to the owner and can tell a lot by the answers. How do the tires look? Anything bent on the bike such as levers or shifters, forks, rotors etc.

I basically go front to back and take my time going over it. Taking off plastics if I have to. Does the title match the vin is a big one too.

Some of this is moot because you already purchased the bike, but download a service manual and start going over things.

But step one for you should be checking brakes IMO and bleeding and/or replacing components. Good luck and post up pictures when you get it!

 

[oldgixxer]

I drank 6 pints last night :cheers and forgot to hide my laptop :hammer,so ended up buying a Husky TE250 2007... Woke up this morning and thought: WHAT THE F&*K HAVE I DONE :banghead?!

:spit Sorry mate this is the funniest shit I've read on this forum in a long time :lmao

Congratslol) on the new bike purchase make sure you post up some pics when it gets delivered:biggrin

 

[grtfast]

I bet you could given enough beer ! Cheers for the reassurance fella, it does make me feel better. What are your "check points" when you look at a MX?

Check for wear/looseness:
Chain and sprockets
Spokes
Fork seals
Suspension and steering bearings

Clean and oil the air filter
Change the oil and filter
Check and adjust the valves if necessary
Check and replace brake pads if necessary
Make sure brakes are bled

That should get you started.

 

[mazzla]

Thank you for the pointers gentlemen! I will be taking delivery on the 9th, will post pics when I get it.

 

[mazzla]

UPDATE! So Husky didn't work out - the Husky got delivered by the dealer, but first wouldn't start, then wouldn't get into gear, then would get into gear, but the neutral light stayed on... Luckily I had an option to send it back and get a refund. I bought a much cheaper KTM EXC-F 250 2006 as a project bike last weekend. The engine seems solid - it runs well, there's no obvious damage, leaks or smoke. I think the fuelling is way off though - the bike revs randomly and throttle response is poor, is this typically a sign that the carbs need a service? Is it a job for a complete novice or would it be better to get it to a garage? If I can do it myself, does anyone know a good tutorial vid on servicing 4-stroke MX carbs and what consumables am I going to need? Another thing is that when riding the bike on the road, I can feel "cyclical" vibrations (i.e. the bike rolls smoothly for a couple of seconds, then tries to shake me off for two seconds repeatedly) and as the speed goes up, the vibrations get exaggerated. I know that the rear wheel bearings are on the way out - could this be the reason? I think the clutch could do with replacing, is there any material difference between EBC/Apico/DP clutches? Sorry for all the questions and appreciate your help!

 

[Ironhead401]

UPDATE! So Husky didn't work out - the Husky got delivered by the dealer, but first wouldn't start, then wouldn't get into gear, then would get into gear, but the neutral light stayed on... Luckily I had an option to send it back and get a refund. I bought a much cheaper KTM EXC-F 250 2006 as a project bike last weekend. The engine seems solid - it runs well, there's no obvious damage, leaks or smoke. I think the fuelling is way off though - the bike revs randomly and throttle response is poor, is this typically a sign that the carbs need a service? Is it a job for a complete novice or would it be better to get it to a garage? If I can do it myself, does anyone know a good tutorial vid on servicing 4-stroke MX carbs and what consumables am I going to need? Another thing is that when riding the bike on the road, I can feel "cyclical" vibrations (i.e. the bike rolls smoothly for a couple of seconds, then tries to shake me off for two seconds repeatedly) and as the speed goes up, the vibrations get exaggerated. I know that the rear wheel bearings are on the way out - could this be the reason? I think the clutch could do with replacing, is there any material difference between EBC/Apico/DP clutches? Sorry for all the questions and appreciate your help!

Oh man, thankfully you were able to get a refund. Just another reason I need to see a bike in person first.

While I am not real familiar with your bike, KTM's are awesome. And yes what you described sounds like it may be carbs. I haven't worked on dirt bike carbs in a very long time and that was without the internet! So you should be able to work it out on your own, just take your time and take pictures as you go so you know where everything belongs. Just search out youtube, should be tons of stuff on there. And also consider a carb rebuild kit if you're going to be taking it apart. They are cheap.

And not knowing how long your bike was sitting, you may need to jet it as well. Here is a good article about that. A Simple Guide To Jetting Your Carb | MotoSport

Do you know how many hours are on the bike? Was the top end every rebuilt?

For the vibrations, most dirt bike wheels are not balanced. Perhaps you have a wheel way out of balance or bent. And yeah I guess a bad bearing could be an issue. Replace it and see.

For the clutch, try adjusting and lubing it according to the manual before you run out and buy a new clutch. A lot of times people do not do the proper maintenance and that includes the clutch. It may just need adjusting.

Good luck and post some pictures!

 

[mazzla]

And also consider a carb rebuild kit if you're going to be taking it apart. They are cheap.

And not knowing how long your bike was sitting, you may need to jet it as well. Here is a good article about that. A Simple Guide To Jetting Your Carb | MotoSport

Do you know how many hours are on the bike? Was the top end every rebuilt?

For the vibrations, most dirt bike wheels are not balanced. Perhaps you have a wheel way out of balance or bent. And yeah I guess a bad bearing could be an issue. Replace it and see.

For the clutch, try adjusting and lubing it according to the manual before you run out and buy a new clutch. A lot of times people do not do the proper maintenance and that includes the clutch. It may just need adjusting.

Good luck and post some pictures!

Cheers for the quick response fella! The bike has minimal service history records - just the receipts for oil and filters. I only bought it because it seemed like there's no oil or coolant in the cylinder and it starts on the button hot or cold. It has dome 4K miles, so I am even pondering if it needs vale clearances adjusted. So to answer your question - no idea if the engine has ever been rebuilt.

I found a 4-stroke carb clean video on YouTube which seemed a bit convoluted - the guy took the whole rear end apart (including removing the shock) to get them out. Have you ever tried Seafoam or any other carb cleaner or would you say it's BS? Thank you for the jetting article - that's my bed time reading for tonight. Are jetting kits expensive? Having invested a shitload of cash in a GSXR 750 SRAD which was bought cheaply to be a "track training" bike, I am determined to keep the repair/upgrade bill on this bike to a minimum so that once I can ride an MX bike, I can buy myself something more serious.

Re clutch lubing/adjustment - do they adjust the same way as road bikes? This KTM has a hydrolic clutch, so I will have to wait for the workshop manual to arrive before I start poking around in there.

Thank you again for your advice!

 

[Ironhead401]

Looks good! I have never used seafoam and hear mixed things about it. Some just call is BS snake oil. I would get the carb off and clean it with a basic carb cleaner spray.

Didn't realize it had a hydro clutch. I am not sure of the procedure on that.

 

[mazzla]

Looks good!

...as long as you don't come too close and the sun is shining even I look good sometimes

Cheers mate, I will go the proper way (carb off).