1983 cr 250 first ride

Had this bike for about 3 months but was riding a 1981 wr 250 till yesterday.Went to Argyle MX near Vacaville.The track was rough yesterday and a modern bike would have certainly been better for my ego.here are my thoughts so far.I weigh about 185 pounds.The 40mm forks were definately stiffer than the 1981 wr with its 35mm forks.It was cold out tho so that 15 wt was going to be thick at first.The shock was still too soft .Unbalanced suspension for sure.The cr has a much stronger bottom than the 81 wr,that was nice as i could get the front end up.The 83 felt lighter and more stable in corners but not as stable going straight over rough stuff.First thing, i had to kick this thing about 25 times to get it to fire up,it was flooded and the float valve must of kept flowing fuel while it has been sitting.I think some people figured I would never get her going but I was not going home with out a ride.changed out the float valve today.The wr seems like it will rev out farther still building some power.The cr seemed like the party was over pretty quick and if you want to go faster you better shift.It was sweet to be able to start the 1983 in gear .I tried a few dead engine starts and I just might have the lead for 100 yards or so.oil came out of the breather like I had never seen before,even hit the gas tank.not sure what to make of that.It would be nice if the back end was stiffer and I could hold it in gear longer to avoid so much shifting.any tips on setting up this thing are welcome!dan

l belive oil coming out of the breather pipe is a indicator of the crank seal (clutch side) has gone, the crank case presures up on the down stroke and forces oil out of the breather.

Probably an idea to do a leak down test.

good to see you on some old iron Dan, the 83,s iv owned seemed to handle better once i dumped the ITC rear shocks, i used to ride for a shock maker so i had free shocks at an email, built for my weight and ridding style,
if you play with jetting, you may get more revs,
on the oil, what i found that works best, is just one quart rather then topping it off with a quart and a half, just change it often, like after every event.
the fuell valve is an issue on these older bikes, i started to carry a spar in my tool box, seeing how most my old stuff sits more then most, and the ethenol isnt good for rubber.

I agree on the crank seals. I have one bike that the tank valve leaks by also. On the rear suspension, shock condition? My 84 had bad handling and what I found was one shock had no nitrogen and the other 125psi. The lever ratio is very high on the 83-84's so the shock "health" is more critical. That 250 should ring right out, fuel? silencer? You will have fun with that bike Dan, look forward to an update.

i have to race it sunday at the prairie city gp.next week i will have the shocks rebuilt and serviced.i am also considering a stiffer set of springs.any one know the stock rate ?as for the oil,the bike does not smoke at all.when i rev the bike up i can see the oil go about 3 inches up the breather tube at this time.that is at about half throttle.talked to geaorge yesterday and he said they do that and it is not likely i have a crank seal issue.he said the kick gears are right under the tube and they cause this to happen as the revs increase.he said that some have a membrane down there to minimze this happening and some dont.he said to tie the breather into a loop at the top which i have not tried yet.i have not had the clutch cover off either.the bike was a low hour machine.it was 45 degrees sunday.i am at about sea level.the bike has a 45pj,420 mj ,3.0 slide,everything else is stock in the carb.i think the needle is 2 down from the top.sort of wondering if i need a fatter main or richen the needle for the temp/elevation as i am sure i was not rich.dan

My 82 430 will do the same thing with the oil from the vent tube, esp. when cold, thought it was just a 430 thing. I would raise the needle and see if that helps. I run a 420 main in my 250 @ 3000ft. Low elevation 440 main. Have fun and good luck!

I have 2 different 250cc. 83 cr,xc barrels, one is sort of stock, the other with the husky bulletin mod using a ported wr sleeve in a modded cr barrel. Neither make ANY bottom or midrange. Both are upper mid to top end motors. Both rev to the moon and that's where they make power, all on top. The magazine/dyno tests all reflect that. If you have bottom with little top end pull you may have a WR cylinder/ or motor.
I weigh 210 + gear, ride 50 master class and am quite happy with the back end. I put the heavier yellow springs, direct from Ohlins, and revalved the shocks for more rebound and compression. I am actually happier with the back end than the front, even though I have the later 87-88 Husky forks with stiffer springs and race tech emulators.

back to my cr 250 project.wanting to order stiffer shock springs today.any one know the rate of the stock springs in the bike so i can get the right ones?the sales rep from ohlins is struggling a bit to gather up info.thank you ,dan