New to the Site !!

[knobbie]

Hey guys ..Im new to the site ...Ive been riding sport bikes for a long time
(15 years) ..Ive had it ..just sold my GSXR 1000 ...Now Im looking to get back into dirt riding ..no cops...no traffic light ...no moron cagers....just plain old fun !!


I do have a few questions I hope someone can answer... The newer gen 2 stroke MXers now have plated cylinders.Nikasil etc..

1) How long does it take ( hours) before a top end needs to rebuilt ..just from average trail riding no racing ? on a say an RM 250

2) Does the cylinder require any work like replating before rebuilding ? or can you just slap a new piston and rings in and off you go ?


The bikes I used to ride didnt have plated cylinders so we just rebored and slapped a bigger piston in there and your done ...any help or advice on the subject would be surely welcomed !! Also ...any recommendations on a bike I should buy ..Im looking at an 2001 Rm 250 ..the motor has a great bottom to midrange power....I would prefer the low end power for trail riding ....anyone who knows what year of MX bike have the low end power ...I know the CR and YZ of 2000 are a pretty good bike as well ... Thanks in advance ....

[Kane]

Welcome to the site.

You'll find a lot of us are still attached to those older steel-sleeved bikes. There are some being made today, though no where near as many as in the 70's and 80's. Even with 20 years on em, many of those bikes are still capable of giving one hell of a good ride.

You can usually toss in a new piston and rings but for most bikes only once. This is really going to depend on factors such as good quality pre-mix, good air filter that has remained well-sealed, fuel octane level, proper jetting, ect. The hotter you run a bike the quicker you'll wear that cylinder surface. But then there are also companies that produce sleeves for those bikes that don't have them and installing one costs about the same as relining the original.

As for what bike to get...........thats pure opinion. Once you start throwing the mods to em the biggest differences lay in the rider.