All 2st New sprocket on my '10TC250 & 2 mont review

It has been about 2 months since I bought my bike. I have rode it at least 12 times. I do not know how many hours are on it, because the hour meter stopped working the day after I put it on.

I put a 51 tooth sprocket on it yesterday. It makes the bike a lot better on single track and slower climbs. No more stalling from a stop on the trail. Now riding on single track is 2-3 when riding aggressively, and 1 for switchbacks. I think 52 would be great for really technical riding, but too short for faster stuff.

The one tooth makes a pretty big difference in how the motor behaves. Pretty surprising. It is noticably more snappy on the bottom. Almost drove off the trail coming around a few corners on some single track today. When going through the gears, each gear seems to come a bit quicker.

On the track the gearing also seems good. A really strong pull out of corners in second compared to before with a softer pull.

Almost two months into owning this bike and I am still really happy with the bike. I tightened my chain too much last weekend and saw some weeping from the countersprocket. After loosening the chain it has not weeped.

The motor is more impressive the more I ride the bike. It is a pretty stereotypical 4 stroke motor....boring. But the bike just hooks up and tracks really well. It is really fun riding a bike that has predictable and steady acceleration. But it does have a bit of a motocross snap that can be fun and distracting when riding trails.....good for going fast though.

The suspension is still very good. The spring seems a bit soft for me when riding the bike hard. I need to adjust the preload and settings a bit...but hestitate because the bike handles so well as is. I do not want to mess with a good thing.

As is always the case, everything is a compromise. I do not go looking for the tightest, rockiest climbs with this bike. It like to go fast. On the WR125 I would spend all day climbing little hills, going on the nastiest stuff I could find, etc. Also, the TC tires me out way faster on single track compared to the 125. Surprizingly, I have to work the motor, clutch, and gears quite a bit more on the TC. This with the sudden snap and torque all add up to more work on the trail. But in most cases the TC pays off for all the added effort....because it is just faster.

JS

Sorry...meant to post in the 4T forum.

JS

Well I still read it as I was wondering what you would think on the 51. I told ya it made a pretty big difference. My son tried a 52 and it was way to much shifting on the mX track and made the 1st a little to low for trail work. Glad you are enjoying the bike.

TRAITOR ... just rubbing it in are you
just kidding

Yep, definitely a big change. I am not surprised the 52 would be too much. I am curious what the bike feels like with at 47 some of the guys were talking about running for the track?

JS

Haha. Funny you mention that. The WR125 has been sitting in the garage all summer waiting for Red Sticker season (Sept. 30th). I was thinking to myself yesterday what will happen when I can ride either the TC or the WR. Will I take out both bikes? We will see.

My wife will not let me set-up her bike for my riding style , so that stops me from riding it at times. If it was my bike I would put the 144 kit in it, stiffen the shock, and change out all the scratched plastics and paint the frame black.

Oh well, maybe she will like the TC better and we can switch bikes.

JS

Thanks for that guys I just bouight a 52 rear - LOL- I ve got a 14 spare for thew front anyway but I guess TC 250 is different to wr125 anyway

Im surprised you find thatyou are busier on the TC than the Wr
maebr its due the greatness of the little 125?

Yep, the WR125 is amazing on single track, once dialed in. It is amazing how well is chugs and crawls around. It has this dual personality that makes singletrack riding very easy: chug with a mellow, easy to manage, throttle response that turns into boil once the RPMs raise and the PV opens. The feather light weight does not hurt either.

On the other hand, the TC250 jumps right from the bottom....that motorcross hit. The bike likes to be ridden at full throttle, not partial openings. But this is what I expected with the TC.

On the other hand, I can ride my father-in-laws CRF250x in one gear all day long on single track...different machine. I bet the TXC is easier to ride in one gear.

All that being said, the 51T sprocket makes singletrack riding much more of a relaxed affair. You do not have to work the clutch and worry about keeping the RPMs up as much.

I will have to post a video of some singletrack riding on the WR, it is one of those things you do not believe until you see it, or experience it.

JS